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       #Post#: 1244--------------------------------------------------
       The Shadow Circles
       By: Dungeon Master Date: August 20, 2025, 5:13 pm
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       [center]The Shadow Circle[/center]
       The druidic order tolerates a wide range of philosophies under
       the umbrella of its loosely organized structure. The variety of
       different branches demonstrates this scope. So does the
       existence of the Shadow Circle. A secret society of druids
       within the larger druidic order, the Shadow Circle accepts
       members who see Nature as a hostile, cleansing force that
       ensures the survival of the fittest. According to their
       philosophy, civilization--especially the building of towns and
       cities--has weakened humankind and many demihuman races.
       Methods
       The Shadow Circle sees barbarian humans and more primitive races
       as inherently more vital than civilized peoples. Thus, the
       Shadow Circle often allies itself with barbarian tribes or
       hostile humanoids such as goblins, Half-Ogres, and giants,
       especially those who choose to live in forests or mountains in
       the wilds. They deliberately encourage people to abandon
       civilization's "decadence" and return to the more natural
       existence of hunting and gathering.
       But while their intentions are neutral, the methods of Shadow
       Circle members tend to promote chaos and evil. They behave as
       they do not due to an evil nature--their enemies include
       powerful evil empires as well as good kingdoms. Rather, they
       feel their cruel activities work toward the best interests of
       evolution and of Nature itself. For instance, the Shadow Circle
       may provide magical assistance to barbarian hordes trying to
       sack a city or lead humanoid tribes in raids against human or
       dwarven towns.
       Sometimes the Shadow Circle even assists the cause of good. For
       instance, members would consider an evil city-state based around
       slavery a fair target, and they would feel as eager as any
       lawful good paladin to support a slave revolt in the hopes of
       toppling the city. The difference? The Shadow Circle would
       encourage the slaves in revolt to burn the city to the ground
       and then settle down as farmers, hunters, or outlaws in the
       countryside.
       Lower-ranking members of the Shadow Circle often wage campaigns
       of terror against small settlements, usually working behind the
       scenes. Their favorite puppets are intelligent monsters.
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