Maraudon

Maraudon is a vast cavern temple in the Valley of Spears in Desolace, and the Maraudine centaur guard it as one of the holiest places in the region. It is the tomb of Zaetar, a keeper of the grove and son of the demigod Cenarius. Zaetar turned his back on his heritage when he took Theradras, a princess of the earth elementals, as his mate. Their union produced the first centaur, born misshapen and hateful, and these children soon killed their father.

Fearing Cenarius's anger, the grieving Theradras hid Zaetar's body in her private sanctuary, the Crystal Caverns of Terramok, and she still keeps watch over it. The life in his remains turned his grave into a lush garden of plants and still pools, and the centaur made the caverns their holy stronghold. Some believe Theradras also trapped Zaetar's spirit in the caves and bends its energy to a dark purpose. The satyr Lord Vyletongue has since spread his own corruption through the tunnels, stunting the plants and poisoning the minds of those inside.

Theradras rules the inner caverns around Zaetar's Grave, and envoys of the Cenarion Circle describe her as a force of elemental earth tied to the Old Gods. The ghosts of the first khans, Gelk, Kolk, Magra, Maraudos and Veng, roam the tunnels beside her elemental servants, and only spirits and the holiest centaur priests may pass the temple doors. Vyletongue holds the caves beyond the purple crystals, and Noxxion, a creature he made to embody his corruption, lurks beyond the orange ones. Celebras, son of Remulos, came with his dryad sisters to free his uncle's spirit, but the corruption overcame them, and he now wanders the caves as Celebras the Cursed.

Keeper Marandis at Nijel's Point and Selendra near Shadowprey Village, envoys of the Cenarion Circle, want Theradras slain so they can recover Zaetar's remains before going home to the Stonetalon Mountains. The dryad Cavindra, who escaped the caves, wants back the two pieces of her brother's scepter that Vyletongue and Noxxion stole. Once defeated and freed from his curse, Celebras rejoins them into the Scepter of Celebras, which opens a portal to Earth Song Falls in the inner caverns. The Centaur Pariah, exiled as a heretic, wants the Nameless Prophet's Amulet of Spirits and the gems held by the khans' ghosts, hoping to unite the feuding centaur tribes.

When Theradras falls, Zaetar's spirit appears at his grave, yet he chooses to stay, saying his centaur children still need their father despite their crimes against him. He gives the Seed of Life, the first seed to grow from his remains, to be carried to his brother, Keeper Remulos, in Moonglade with word that his spirit lives on. Remulos takes the seed as proof that Zaetar has found peace and returned to his place in nature.