Ashbound
"Cities will crumble and trees take root in their streets once more. Anything I can do to hasten that day’s coming, I swear I will do."For most druids, nature and civilization are forces that must be kept in balance. For the Ashbound, civilization is the enemy: a corrupting force that must be driven back or destroyed before it deals irreparable damage to the true world. Initiates of the order are daubed with the ashes of trees destroyed in the name of “progress.” They swear to be bound to the service of Eberron and to fight the unnatural until the world is restored to its primal state. To the Ashbound, many things violate the natural order, with arcane magic at the top of the list. The Ashbound see such magic as the epitome of the unnatural, using formulas and rituals to twist the laws of nature and create deadly effects that were never meant to exist. Cities and other physical manifestations of civilization are next on the list, along with structured agriculture and the magebreeding of animals—twisted attempts to reshape the world. Ashbound have no more love for clerics than for wizards, and believe that any nondruidic faith involves trafficking with otherworldly (and therefore unnatural) spirits. The Ashbound are infamous for their use of violence, and they fight with the fury of the wild. However, moderates among the sect seek to convince others of their misdeeds through discussion instead of destruction. These Ashbound believe that people can be shown the error of their ways and encouraged to slowly change over time. As an Ashbound, you can travel in the company of a wizard—as long as you warn your companion of the dangers of his art and make certain he does not harm innocents. If you seek out the greatest threats, you set an example to others through your actions. The Ashbound might despise wizards and hate cities, but undead and aberrations are just as unnatural, and must be dealt with. Ashbound shun armor, but most are willing to use forged weapons. Shifters are drawn to the Ashbound cause, believing that they are closer to nature than most humans.—Tasia, Ashbound Eldeen ranger
"They’re extreme fanatics. I’m not unsympathetic to their cause, mind you, but they’re not making any friends by resorting to violence to get their point across."—Feralyn Wolf-Tail, Warden of the Wood
Structure
The charismatic head of the Ashbound is Gharull (N male shifter druid 10). A fiery and passionate individual, Gharull firmly believes he speaks with nature’s voice. No small number of druids have joined the sect primarily because of Gharull’s magnetic presence; he has an uncanny ability to convince anyone who hears him speak of the rightness of his cause.
Other notable members of the Ashbound include Collas (N male human druid 4), a moderate who preaches the Ashbound message in the eastern plains; Stormclaw (NE male shifter barbarian 12), a fierce and ruthless shifter who is infamous across the Reaches for his deadly strength; and Tasia (NE female human ranger 6/Eldeen ranger 5), a cautious and cunning ranger who hunts wizards in the cities of Aundair.
Ethics
The Ashbound wander in small bands along the eastern edge of the Towering Wood, venturing out from the shelter of the forest to raid the settlements along the lakes and across the Aundair border. For all their hostile reputation, the Ashbound have been instrumental in foiling dangerous schemes, particularly in instances when the Order of the Emerald Claw and other villainous masterminds have attempted to use the manifest zone in the Gloaming to create horrible eldritch machines.
Sects
Compared to the Wardens of the Wood, the Ashbound are a tiny sect, claiming no more than seventeen hundred members. Of these, the vast majority are humans and shifters. The overall alignment of the sect is neutral, though individual members more often lean toward evil than good.
Type
Druidic Circle
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