Emerald Enclave

The Emerald Enclave was an organization of druids and other nature worshipers based out of the island of Ilighôn off the coast of the Vilhon Reach. They were referred to by many names, including Caretakers, Nature's Chosen, the Circle, and the Chosen of Silvanus. Despite the power of the Vilhonese nations, as of the 14 century DR they did nothing involving the land and nature without the approval of the Enclave. "No major activity within the Reach goes on without at least the tacit approval of the Emerald Enclave. That group of green-thumbed peace keepers is the biggest threat to business and well-being that exists in the Reach. Not that I, personally, mind them, of course."

- Erixal the Black, Wizard of Alaghôn

Beliefs
According to the Elder Circle, the Greatest Tenets Number Three included:
 * The order of nature must be preserved in all its iterations.
 * Any force that would disrupt that order had to be defeated.
 * The Enclave would always provide aid to anyone left fatigued or suffering injury.

Organization
The Emerald Enclave was renowned for its benevolent deeds as much as it was feared for swift actions against those responsible for crimes against nature. Politicians and drunks gossiped regularly, discussing the Emerald Enclave's actions, eventually leading to exaggerated recounts of true events and an almost-mythical reputation in the Reach. The Enclave's vindictive ways were common cautionary tales in the areas of the Vilhon Reach bordering forests.

Despite its reputation, the Emerald Enclave was not an exclusively druidic organization. Its membership also extended to bards and other beings who venerated nature and neutrality. No member of the Enclave could follow paths of good or evil, but apart from that narrow path between light and darkness, the Emerald Enclave imposed little restrictions.

Ranks
The Enclave had the following ranks from lowest to highest: Springwarden, Summerstrider, Autumnreaver, Winterstalker, and Master of the Wild.

Hierarchy
The Enclave arranged into seven 'circles', which each had different duties and a different place in the hierarchy. Each member of the organization belonged to a single circle and could move between them with experience and by reaching certain prominence within the order. These circles were began with the Circle of Initiates, aptly named for including new members of the Enclave. The Circle of Earth, the second circle of prominence, welcomed members of the Circle of Initiates as they ranked up. The third in the hierarchy was the Circle of Air, which usually had its members join after learning the ability to take on a wild shape. Non-druids were promoted to the Circle of Air after performing outstanding service for the Enclave. From the Circle of Air, members of the organization could move to one of three groups: Eldath's Circle, the Circle of Alluvium, and the Planar Circle.

Eldath's Circle did not necessarily mean worshiping the goddess of calm waters, but all of its members took on the role of sailing and protecting the waterways of Toril. They searched for information beneficial to the Emerald Enclave in the process. The Planar Circle was the group of individuals whose calling laid beyond the Prime Material plane—the most respected of all roles within the organization, many of whom perished in the planes or elected never to return to Toril, but continued to send information from the planes to the Emerald Enclave. Lastly, the members of the Circle of Earth were travelers. They crossed the entirety of Faerûn, while some stuck to traversing the Vilhon Reach. The circle's members served as scouts and spies, keeping tabs on kingdoms, organizations, and politics that could interfere with the natural balance.

The Elder Circle, or the Elder Circle of Three, was the governing body of the Emerald Enclave and the highest circle one could be promoted to. The circle consisted of only three members at one time. Members of the Circle of Three were the most powerful druids or religious leaders, and with such fame came pilgrims searching for the Elder Circle's wise advice and those seeking to end the Emerald Enclave, starting with its leaders.

Dogma
The majority of members venerated Eldath, the Goddess of Singing Waters; Mielikki, Lady of the Forest; or Silvanus, the Treefather.

Activities
The goals of the Enclave were six-fold. Firstly, they swore an oath to protect nature in all its forms, and members of the Emerald Enclave were ready to give up their own lives in service of the cause and to preserve the balance. However, this did not mean that every lumberjack was an enemy of the Enclave; instead, the organization demanded that all logging be done responsibly. Loggers had to spend time planting trees to compensate for the trees they felled, and the selection of the logging area was also important to maintain the balance. Historically, this dogma brought the Emerald Enclave to blows with the nations of Chondath and Turmish over their logging operations in the Vilhon Reach, as following the Enclave's demands meant logging would be too expensive and inconvenient.

Secondly, the Emerald Enclave aimed to control human expansion, as nature was a finite collection of resources—its raw materials could be exhausted and wildlife driven to extinction and, as such, not all areas needed to be developed, not all farms needed to plant more food to feed ever-expanding settlements, and not all cities needed to be connected via roads. The Enclave also exerted strict regulations on hunting done in the Shining Plains from the towns of Ormath, Lheshayl, and Assam. They enforced the region's official hunting season of late summer and fall.

The Emerald Enclave believed that everything in nature had its place and recognized that nature encompassed more than just forests. The balance between plains, mountains, rivers, and forests was important, and anyone who sought to reshape nature for their monetary gain was to be opposed. Similarly, the magic needed to be controlled and never be used for mass destruction; this creed was adopted following the disaster known as the Rotting Wars. The Emerald Enclave warned against the use of magic on a grand scale as it was nothing but a disastrous accident waiting to happen.

Lastly, despite the Enclave's true feelings and conflicts, they always presented themselves as a united front to the outside world. Any disagreements were always only voiced internally and never outside the Oakenhall of Ilighôn. Actions showing discord and disagreement within the Enclave were disrespectful to the Elder Circle of Three and weakened the organization as a whole.

The Emerald Enclave of the post-Spellplague era believed that the natural order had to be respected and preserved and that forces that would upset that natural order should be destroyed. They were also to keep elemental forces in check and prevent the wilderness and civilization from wiping out one another. They also accepted that the wilderness could be harsh, and some could not survive it without aid, so they helped.

Abilities
All members of the Enclave were taught a unique language, "druidspeak", that had some similarities to thieves' cant. "Druidspeak" was never taught to outsiders. It usually took a year or more to learn.

Members of the Elder Circle received magical divine gifts from the patron gods of the Emerald Enclave. They became hidden from magical sight; were under the constant effects of the nondetection spell; became unaffected by any charm, indoctrination, and mind control; and were immune to all mundane and magical diseases and afflictions such as lycanthropy. Lastly, the Elders received the gift of a dramatically slowed aging process, aging only a year per decade. Similarly, they only needed to sleep one night out of ten. Additionally, they also received a special gift from the deity they worshiped. Eldathyn Elders could breathe underwater and transport themselves to the Elemental Plane of Water at will, Mielikki's faithful could shapechange into treants and heal when transforming back, and Silvanites could meld into stone and travel to the Elemental Plane of Earth at will.

Those members of the Emerald Enclave who sought to master wilderness survival, reportedly traveled to the isle of Wavecrest, neighboring the isle of Ilighôn. The island was known for its untamed jungles full of mysteries and danger. However, the Enclave did not share its knowledge of the island with outsiders.

Those divine spellcasters of the Emerald Enclave who worshiped Silvanus, Mielikki, and Eldath gained access to several unique spells. These spells included faith-magic zone, the same magics that sheltered Ilighôn, which was a gift from Mystra to Silvanus. The spell called re-target allowed the caster to redirect any spell, friendly or not, within its range. And lastly there was the spell of windlance that launched the caster and any creature within its vicinity high into the air.

Initiation
Initiates were required to serve neither good nor evil, nor to serve any other organization (apart from the churches of Eldath, Mielikki, or Silvanus), to be innocent of crimes against nature, and to have performed at least one significant deed that benefited nature in the Vilhon Reach. The rites of initiation were held each full moon at the Oakenhall, which was the House of Silvanus at the heart of Ilighôn.

Tactics
The Emerald Enclave had a well-established pattern of action when dealing with those violating nature. Firstly, the Enclave issued a simple warning to those deemed guilty. If the warning was ignored, the Emerald Enclave acted swiftly and decisively, stopping the wrongdoers by any means.

Base of Operations
Based out of the isle of Ilighôn, the Emerald Enclave's heart was the House of Silvanus, or Oakenhall, built atop the mountain range at the center of the island. The island itself was guarded by a circular reef called Eldath's Ring and the waterways around by Emerald Enclave's allies from the Elemental Plane of Water. By the late 14 century DR, the Emerald Enclave had expanded its scope beyond the Vilhon Reach to the rest of Faerûn. To protect forests that would surely eventually face danger from encroaching civilization, it formed splinter cells in such woods as High Forest, Cormanthor, the Wealdath, and the Great Dale. Despite the cells' humble sizes, they remained vigilant, keeping watch for foes such as the Church of Talos and the People of the Black Blood. Older established cells included those in the Chondalwood and Winterwood.

Possessions
Members of the Emerald Enclave did not wear uniforms; instead, each individual was adorned with an article of clothing or jewelry that was green in color. Most commonly, it was a green pendant or a pair of emerald earrings. Druids of high standing could be discerned by their eyes that turned a bright green color and shimmered with Silvanus's holy symbol.

Relationships
The Emerald Enclave was at odds with the Red Wizards of Thay for many, many years and with mages of the Zhentarim, as well as other wizards, in fears of the spellcasters abusing the Art and unleashing a disaster similar to the Rotting Wars. The Enclave also opposed the Church of Bane, Church of Talos, and Church of Malar, as well as the Malarite cult known as the People of the Black Blood.

The only settlement on the isle of Ilighôn, Sapra, was granted only limited land by the Emerald Enclave, stopping its growth and overpopulation. The port town's existence fully depended on the Emerald Enclave's goodwill. The cities of the Vilhon Reach operated their logging industries with the Enclave's permission. The city of Hlath's main export was lumber, with its industry carefully monitored. The metropolis of Reth's logging was being phased out as of 1372 DR after years of tensions between it and the Emerald Enclave. The Turmishan city of Gildenglade, before its destruction, was on good terms with the Enclave thanks to its elven population who handled negotiations, forestry, and forest preservation. Lizardmen of Surkh, the City of Lizards, maintained cordial relationships with the Emerald Enclave.

The Emerald Enclave served as protectors for creatures dwelling on the Shining Plains. As such, the Enclave's representatives attended the annual memorial on the Hill of Memories, commiserating the tragedy of the Field of Tears of the. Following the memorial, the gathered leaders discussed any issues that had arisen in the last year. The most powerful clan of the Shining Plains, the Ten-paw, counted a representative of the Emerald Enclave as one of its close advisors, who lived with the wemic clan.

Founding
Many considered the to be the year when the Emerald Enclave was established. However, that was not entirely true, as that was the year when the Church of Silvanus built a shrine to their deity during a ceremony on Midsummer Night. The shrine was known as Oakenhome, or the House of Silvanus, on the isle of Ilighôn. It initially was a small druidic conclave for those who mastered shapechanging and was able to reach the island in the shape of a bird. The actual temple's construction was finished just a few years later. The druids of Ilighôn quietly watched the developing civilization and increasing ships passing the island and entering into the Vilhon Reach. In the, the druids of Oakenhome joined the Emerald Enclave, with it eventually becoming the center of the organization.

The nation of Turmish start conflicting with the Enclave as early as the, but the first event that established the Emerald Enclave as the power to be reckoned with was its full-blown battle with Turmish and its leaders at the time, the Windlass. They sent an army to the druidic sanctuary of Cedarsproke in the Gulthmere Forest and a war fleet to Ilighôn in the. The troops were ambushed passing through the Orsraun Mountains by giant allies of the Enclave, while water elementals who served the druids vanquished the Turmishan fleet. This monumental loss cost the members of the Windlass their heads and allowed the Emerald Enclave to expand its presence to the forests of Chondalwood and Winterwood.

The Enclave's initial goal was to protect the interests and natural resources within the Vilhon Reach in the face of despoilers of nature. One such despoiler was a mohrg warlord servant of Malar, Borran Klosk, who led an undead army in the Vilhon Reach in the. The Emerald Enclave allied with the dwarves of Alaoreum and partook in the Battle of Morningstar Hollows where the Enclave's druids flooded the Alaoreum River, washing away Borran Klosk's undead. The creature itself survived and was imprisoned by the Church of Eldath under the city of Alaghôn in the Temple of the Trembling Flower. The same year, Turmish, under the leadership of Lord Saros, entered tough negotiations with the Enclave, electing to avoid open war over the nation's booming population. As a gesture of good will, druids of the Emerald Enclave offered magical protection to Turmishan cities against the plagues and afflictions that ravaged the Vilhon Reach at the time.

Not long after the creation of Turmish's Assembly of Stars in the Year of the Cockatrice, 1248 DR, the town of Ironcloak in Turmish was granted logging rights, despite some members of the Assembly of Stars' protests. Lord Ironcloak started cutting down trees recklessly and filling the Alaoreum River with industrial waste. The Emerald Enclave issued a stern warning to Ironcloak that went unheeded. A single Enclave druid arrived at Ironcloak with an order to cease and desist and was promptly murdered by the Lord's men. Two days later, the druids delivered their final warning, attached to numerous arrows, declaring the town would be destroyed at dawn. Lord Ironcloak mocked their threats and sent his people into the forest. Enclave's earth elementals emerged from the forest floor and began killing every person they found. Lord Ironcloak joined the battle, but then the river itself flooded its banks and inundated the town, wiping away buildings and people, the lord, and his fortune.

In the, the Emerald Enclave clashed with the nation of Sespech when government-sponsored lumberjacks entered Chondalwood, believing its elven population left in the Retreat. They were met with a volley of arrows unleashed by the Enclave and its allies. Sespechian foragers entered the forest from the west but, luckily, were turned away after meeting the Enclave's druids, with no blood spilled this time.

During the Time of Troubles of the, when gods walked on Toril, Malar's avatar personally entered the Gulthmere Forest to destroy the members of the Emerald Enclave there. The avatar of Nobanion stood against the avatar of Malar alongside the Emerald Enclave. Their clash resulted in Malar's defeat and the removal of the Beastlord's cult from the region for some time.

The same year as gods walked Toril, citizens of the city of Gildenglade became concerned by the increased volcanic activity of Mount Kolimnis. The wizard Danirro of Alaghôn was hired by the city to stop the volcano's inevitable eruption. In the summer of, Danirro discovered magics to stop the eruption. He scaled Mount Kolimnis to perform the ritual as agents of the Emerald Enclave emerged from hiding and pushed him into the volcano's gaping mouth. The wizard was unlucky enough to be wearing a ring of feather falling, so he slowly roasted on his way down before being disintegrated by lava. Danirro's laboratory was destroyed by a fire at the time of his death, and all records of the spell were lost. Following the wizard's disappearance, Gildenglade received a grim warning from the Emerald Enclave not to meddle with the forces they did not understand. Mount Kolimnis continued spewing heated steam, but its eruption was not to come for another century.

Mohrg warlord Borran Klosk was freed in the and once again threatened the Vilhon Reach. His new undead army of drowned ones from the Whamite Isles sought to activate the legendary Taraketh's Hive that could devastate the natural order in Turmish for many centuries to come. The undead plot was stopped by a druid of the Emerald Enclave, Haarn Brightoak.

Around the same year, the Whamite Isles in the Sea of Fallen Stars fell to an epidemic of mass suicides caused by some unknown magics. For some, possibly related reason, the Emerald Enclave sent several ships to the nine-island cluster. The Enclave avoided the magical dangers of the islands and claimed them for the organization.

Post-Spellplague
After the Spellplague of 1385 DR, the Sea of Fallen Stars drained, joining the isle of Ilighôn with the mainland and part of the nation of Turmish. This change resulted in the organization becoming perverted and xenophobic, bent on destroying all forms and manifestations of the Spellplague. Much of the order died or left for Gulthandor. The remaining druids, led by the increasingly mad Cindermoon, formerly known as Shadowmoon Crystalembers, were less capable and experienced and harbored a deep hatred of the spellscarred. Several agents were sent to the plaguelands south of Turmish, and the organization also tried to stop the scar pilgrimages that passed through, usually by violent means.

In the, Mount Kolimnis finally erupted, as it was left untamed thanks to the Emerald Enclave. Gildenglade and its 50,000 inhabitants were buried under several hundred feet of ash and hot mud.

The Second Sundering
The Enclave was revitalized in the, when the Chosen of Lathander, Stedd Whitehorn, cured Cindermoon of a Shar-induced madness and the Great Rains refilled the Sea of Fallen Stars.

Along with other factions, the Enclave rose up to oppose a plot by the Cult of the Dragon to return Tiamat to the mortal realm.

The Elder Circle

 * Lady Shadowmoon Crystalembers (later Cindermoon), Hierophant of the Emerald Enclave in the 14 century DR.
 * Shinthala Deepcrest, Grand Cabal of the Enclave in the 14 century DR.
 * Ashenford Torinbow, Elder of the Enclave in the 14 century DR.

Other Circles

 * Delaan Winterhound, a chief ranger of the Emerald Enclave and its main delegate at the Council of Waterdeep in the late 15 century DR.
 * Haarn Brightoak, a druid tasked with protection of Turmishite land in the late 14 century DR.
 * Tick Tary Tanner, Archmage of the High Forest in the late 15 century DR.

Connections
El Enclave Esmeralda