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Centaurs

Rarely seen in the saga, Centaurs are mentioned vaguely as creatures that inhabit the forested lands by the cycle itself, but do not appear directly nor do their doings play a role in that pivotal period in the history of Battal. The centaur is rather conventional with the torso and upper body of a man attached at the waist to the front of a horses body approximately at the point that would be the base of the neck of a horse.

The first true glimpse we get of Centaur society is in The Witch of the Enchanted Forest, an episode of The Adventures of Isaac and Raven. Here we encounter an isolated forest Pivot (as a centaur tribe is known) who live within the Forests of Misery, which they merely refer to as the enchanted forest. The Pivot has an uneasy alliance with a Witch (note that fairly powerful witches are much more common on The Sickle than on The Shield) who also dwells within the woods. The wiccan natural view of the world that they share with the witch is revealed as well as their solitary, isolationist leanings. The centaurs that appear are all male but are of several different apparent ethnic backgrounds, interestingly perhaps implying either a fairly migratory population or a somewhat recent large geographical displacement of Centaur populations.

Later we see more of the culture, and particularly their means of battle and war in Centaurs, Ride North!, where we learn of the strict warrior honor code and martial reverence of the race. Their valor on the battle field before the frozen undead hordes is indeed impressive, fallen warriors believe they are going directly to the Fields of Vanayllen where the new grass of spring sprouts ever green. The centaurs here are fighting for the greater good of Battal so it is clear that although detached from the larger world, they are not ignorant of the fact that they live within a larger world and therefore their fate is tied to the fates of the realm.

As depicted in the show, Centaur warriors wear forged silvery plate or scale armor that covers their chest and arms. Most have ornate helmets from the tops of which come tall plumes in brilliant red or blue. Some appear to wear chainmail on their flanks or legs, others merely wear shin guards. As for weapons, most carry long broad silvery swords engraved with celtic style runes, or else carry long shafted spears or heavy crossbows.

Centaurs appear in a few RPG suppliments but have been little used by most of the ELoTH:TES fictions. A recent major appearance in The Grand Elemenstor of Magic perhaps indicates a trend that will explore more of this interesting race in future.

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