Guard (village)

Guard was a village of centaurs located in the Barony of Bloodstone in Damara.

Description
Guard sat in a great clearing approximately in diameter. Two massive plots for growing oats, each by, dominated the center of the clearing. These farms were encircled by the village's single path, which bisected the town and exited the clearing to the southwest and northeast. Buildings were spaced well apart throughout the clearing, with no streets to provide order to the village's planning.

Geography
The town lay within Bloodstone Pass about south of Bloodstone Village  in a forest  which was part of the Warrenwood.

Government
Guard was led by a Council of Elders. In the mid-to-late 14 century DR, this council was comprised of Chief Kiros, War Chief Valon, and Elder Shinar.

Trade
The centaurs of Guard were largely isolated, and engaged in little to no trade, instead providing for themselves. They grew oats, foraged for berries, and hunted wild game.

Defenses
During the reign of Zhengyi the Witch-King, the centaurs entered into a mutual defense agreement with the halflings of Waukeshire and the displaced dwarves of Clan Orothiar called the Alliance of Belt Watchers. As part of this, they contributed to and could make use of the defenses of the Warren, an underground fortress in Bloodstone Pass.

The village boasted a small legion of 160 armed cavalry who were commanded in battle by Charvon. Defense of the town and the tactics of the defenders were the purview of War Chief Valon.

History
Despite having historically strained relationships with the humans of Bloodstone Village, the centaurs of Guard had a cordial relationship with Baron Tranth during his rule in the mid–14 century DR.

Emelyn the Gray, a human wizard, helped to found an academy for magic in or near the village prior to the mid–14 century DR after originally journeying to the village to study under the centaurs in order to become a sage. As he got older, he eventually retired to his school to teach, but the school was destroyed during the Vaasan War.

Toward the end of the Vaasan War, with Bloodstone Pass becoming isolated by the forces of Zhengyi the Witch-King and resources becoming scarcer, Guard began to be terrorized by Zhengyi's bandit allies demanding tribute. Although they hated this arrangement, it was generally accepted that Zhengyi's allies were too strong to oppose. Instead, the centaurs joined the Alliance of Belt Watchers, a mutual defense arrangement with the local halflings and dwarves, to help protect themselves.

Fear changed to hope with the arrival of Gareth Dragonsbane and his companions, including Emelyn the Gray, who soon rallied the various races of Bloodstone Pass to resist the Witch-King's allies. Many centaurs of Guard rode alongside Gareth's armies during his campaigns in the Bloodstone Wars to unite Damara and overthrow the Witch-King, and then continued to serve as part of his Spysong organization after the war.

Inhabitants
While not as traditional as some other centaurs, the inhabitants of Guard were an insular bunch who had learned not to trust humans, although they were happy to work with anyone who demonstrated trustworthiness and kindness to them. They were excellent archers and hunters, and prized studying and teaching about the natural world. Among the centaurs could be found teachers of magical lore and of the languages and cultures of legendary creatures, including ki-rin and gold dragons.

Perhaps somewhat unusually for centaurs, the inhabitants of Guard were known to wear clothing, at least during the cold Damaran winters.

Notable Inhabitants
In the late 1350s DR, notable members of Guard included:
 * Kiros, the Chief of the Council of Elders
 * Valon, the War Chief and member of the Council of Elders
 * Shinar, a priestess and member of the Council of Elders
 * Vikos, a young but talented writer
 * Charvon, the commander of the centaur cavalry legion

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * The Mines of Bloodstone
 * Bloodstone Pass &bull; The Bloodstone Wars''
 * Bloodstone Pass &bull; The Bloodstone Wars''