Shadow Druids

The Shadow Druids were a militant sect of druids that operated throughout the Sword Coast and Amn during the 14 and 15 centuries DR.

"Balance is a myth. Where any clan treads, nature struggles. Unity is a fiction. Men of mere flesh seek only to tame beast and raze flors. We are thunder, and we are rain. We shatter mankind, and grow new life in its place."

- The excerpt from Faldorn's Canticle.

Organization
The druidic circle as a whole was led by the Shadow Archdruid, while "First Druids" served as the leaders of individual groves.

Activities
Their guiding belief was that there was a long and endless struggle between people and nature. The tenets of their order were outlined in Faldorn's Canticle: The Shadow Druid's Doctrine.

Tactics
They used extreme methods and violence to drive away civilization, using the ferocious powers of nature.

History
Circa the, the druids operated out of the Cloak Wood forest on the Sword Coast. By the following year, the group had taken over and established themselves within a druidic grove to the south in Amn.

In the, Faldorn and her druids commanded animals of the forest to harry and assault the city of Trademeet.

The Shadow Druids continued their operations for well over a century, carrying out their deeds in the name and memory of their founder Faldorn. They remained active in the Cloak Wood and carried out operations throughout the Sword Coast.

15 Century
In the, there emerged the threat of a growing horde of goblinoids, allied with drow, gnolls, and other monstrous creatures, which endangered druidic enclaves across the Sword Coast. Under the supervision of Aelis, three druids of their order, Olodan, Pinta, and Wren, infiltrated the Emerald Grove near the River Chionthar and took great pains to "protect" the grove from the rampaging goblins.

The group managed to corrupt the spirit of Kagha, a senior member of the grove's druids, and manipulate her into carrying out the Rite of Thorns. The powerful ritual would encase the Emerald Grove in a thicket of vines and brambles, shielding it away from any outsiders. The Shadow Druids would then take control of the grove itself, to further ensure its safety.

Members

 * 14 century
 * Amarande, Shadow Archdruid of the Cloak Wood.
 * Faldorn, the leader of the order after Amarande.
 * 15 century
 * Aelis, an archdruid and leader within the order.
 * Olodan, a halfling shadow druid who managed to infiltrate Emerald Grove.

Appearances

 * Video Games
 * Baldur's Gate series