Aeceus the Guard
Greetings, stranger. You stand now on lands sacred to my people, revered by the Horselords since the Age of Days. There was a time when the Lords of these lands looked unkindly on trespassers, but now any foes of Chaos are welcome. Where once there was peace and harmony, where once we protected the folk who dwelt here, now are three dark evils fester, and ruin reigns supreme. We are sore beast, and I fear our strength shall not hold much longer. Have you come to fight? Good! Stop chasing the wind, then, and take the fight to the foes!
Why do the Centaurs revere these lands?
More than a thousand winters have passed since the hordes of Chaos ravaged the world. Horrible as the demon scourge was, there were still many deluded souls who embraced the dark cause. Once these hills served as a rallying point for Chaos, a mighty fortress where the misguided bartered their souls for power. But we Centaurs destroyed it. Many cohorts, led by one of our greatest generals, routed the hordes of demon worshippers and razed that black fortress to the ground. Our elders recount the epic tale of that great battle to this day, and these plains bear the name of the Paragon who led us to victory. Through the centuries since we have fostered these lands, nourishing them and cleansing them of the taint of chaos. The homesteads and farms we guarded here survived even the Turning, but now there are new troubles, and all our works are threatened.
Tell me of these three evils.
In recent months three hosts of foes has converged upon these lands, as if guided by some dark will. I know only one of them well: seek my brethren if you would learn of the others. My cohort is drive back the Cyclopses, foul giant-spawn. They are dull-witted brutes, but their strength is formidable, and they can be mighty in battle. Our elders are still mystified by their coming: the one-eyed giants usually favor the mountains, rarely venturing out upon the plains. And where most Cyclopse dwell in small bands, here is an army of the things! they came without warning, ravaging the farms to the north and east. Our speed and skill in tactics have let us harry the brutes and keep them at bay, but they will not retreat from our plains. It is almost as if they are looking for something. Or perhaps waiting for something.
