The Five Clans of the Hoof
The centaurs of the Five Clans of Hoof have dwelt among the Syldryll Vale grasslands that skirt the Green Realm for as long as they can remember. Their oral tradition dates back to the time before meeting the first elves when they were taught the language of the elven folk by the Shining Ones, who were kin and friend to other beings that had once dwelt together in the realm of the fey in the time before time.
History and People
The first encounters between centaur and elf were not without their own conflict, as the elves were giving birth to their own customs and traditions, which were not always compatible with the untamed primal passions of the centaur clans. The centaur folk, in turn, were fascinated by these new forest lords and sometimes approached them inappropriately, especially when filled with the heady wine that the elves offered them as gifts of gratitude and friendship.
Festivals of peace and friendship occasionally ended in bloody skirmishes. Ultimately, the high lords of the Green Realm held a council with the chieftains of plain and prairie. Arialee and the Green Father were themselves called upon to intercede on behalf of the conflicting parties. A treaty was arranged between the clans of the hoof and tribes of the wood whereby the hoof lords would be master of the prairie and plain, and the wild elves would be master of the forest glen. They would trade in kind, but the hoof lords would promise to drink their wine only among their own folk and keep their hands to themselves whenever they were found in mixed company.
In exchange, the elves would provide access to weapons of steel, wine (in moderation), and protection in time of need from raiders from the sea and the beast folk who wandered into their lands from the bowels of the mountains. This truce remains in force to this day. The wild elves learned much from the culture of the Hoof Clans and took up horsemanship and riding with the centaurs as their nomadic families crossed The Plains from their ancient homeland in Syldryll Vale to as far north as the foothills of the Karthu Mountains. Boisterous and competitive, the centaurs of the vale have a deep love of the heady forest wine vinted by the wild elves and a desire for arrowheads and weapons of the lightweight steel forged at the foot of the Northern Steel Tongue Mountain range by the skilled elven craftsmen.
Government
Governance of the Hoof Clans of the Syldryll Vale, to the extent one can call it that, consists of a loose confederation of tribal councils. Each clan has a chieftain who is elected from among the tribal members. Typically, the clan chieftain is responsible for the safety of the clan and for mediating between clan members in the case of conflict, setting scouts, and negotiating with the wild elves or strangers encountered in the grasslands.
Each chieftain is assisted by a tribal shaman, who is usually the strongest spellcaster from among the tribe. This shaman may be a druid, cleric, sorcerer, or warlock. Below the chieftain are a number of sub-chieftains, each of whom is generally responsible for 4–6 hunters, herdsman, or warriors from the clan. In addition, a sub-chieftain may a have specialized job such as hunting, gathering, scouting, or security.
A chieftain may be challenged by others of the tribe at any time, with each Hoof Clan choosing its own method of election. In some clans it is by vote, while in others it is determined by a race, and still others choose unarmed combat to resolve leadership issues. In times of war, a war chief may be nominated by a clan. This is typically the most experienced and fierce warrior that the tribe has, which may or may not be the clan chieftain.
During threat of a broader conflict, several of the Hoof Clans may join together and nominate a war chief as their general to command them in battle.
Trade and Commerce
The tribes trade horses, cattle, sheep, wool, grain, pottery, and ale among each other and to the wild elves. Luxury items and commodities sought by the centaurs are elven wine, steel weapons, and elven horn bows.
The center for trade in the Syldryll Vale is located around Linn Syldryll, the fortress of the wild elves at the southern edge of the forest. The different Hoof Clans make general migratory stops at the fortress throughout the year and bring their trade goods to the elves and compete in contests of archery and engage in various games with their elven hosts.
Religion
The centaurs of the Hoof Clans follow an animistic religion with additional veneration of Arialee as mother of the fey races and Cavacendo, the god of the fire horses who taught their race the power of the torch and flaming arrow against foes from forest and from the sea.
Military
The centaurs of the Hoof Clans are adept lancers and archers who are particularly skilled in light cavalry activities. They pursue hit-and-run tactics. They avoid bunching up in mass waves that could be defeated by magic until they whittle their enemy’s numbers down to a point where they stand little chance of failure.
Their more advanced units would be best described horn bow armed archers or barbarians armed with lance and weighted club. These units are supported by naturalist spellcasters such as druids, sorcerers, or warlocks.
Major Threats
Major threats to the vale come from its proximity to the Cinderhame Mountains, where incursions of ogres, trolls, and hill giants have become more commonplace, as has the appearance of hobgoblin raiding parties that appear to have discovered a mountain pass from the High Barrens, The. To the west, occasional threats from young stone giants striking out from the deep mountain interior have been known to occur in the shadows of the Steel Tongue Mountains.
The centaurs raised awareness of these incursions from the Cinderhame to their elven allies in Linn Syldryll and scouts were dispatched to investigate. It seems to many that the long sleeping forces of Vilik Strad have awakened once more and that the drums of war will once sound in the Vale.
Region
The Five Clans of the Hoof
Type
Geopolitical, Clan
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