Shadoweirs

Shadoweirs

Named for the greatest trees of the forests, the shadowtops and the weirwoods, the Shadoweirs are a highly secretive branch of the Old Faith that originated in the northern reaches of the High Forest of Henneth Annun and the Elder Forest. Its members consist of mostly human, elven, and some half-elven multiclassed druid/rangers (gestalt authorized). The Shadoweirs serve as a sort of religious knighthood of the woods. Unlike the Arms of the Forest or even the Needles, the Shadoweirs are an activist and proselytizing order who are willing to go on the offensive on the behalf of their sacred forests. They seek to advance the regrowth of ancient forests reduced by civilization and stem the flow of demonic activity from so many years of the Great Crevasse’s corruption. Many Shadoweirs are adventurers, wandering the forests of Aeriador with missionary zeal. They seek to halt the endless assault of civilization on their ancient homelands -'Faiths and Avatars' pg. 115

The Mielikkian faith has allies in the druids and rangers of the Old Faith and bards of the Old Lore who provide quiet sanctuary and supply to the Shadoweirs when they cannot receive support from those of their own religion. 

In the faith of Mielikki there are three Orders of those in service: the Heartwoods, fey creatures of the forests; the Forestarms, clerics and druids in service the Lady; and Needles, rangers in service to the Lady. 
 

The Shadoweir are an elite group of multiclassed ranger/druids serving as a type of knighthood, or militant arm, of Mielikki. As both rangers and druids, the Shadoweir are a subgroup of both the Forestarms and Needles. 
 

In northern Annun, the Rangers of the North generally belong to the Church of Mielikki (but not a rule) and many are, therefore, members of the Needles, and a few are Shadoweirs, such as Morinhetar.
  

   **The current Green Regent, a Chosen of Mielikki, is a member of the Shadoweirs.

 

Titles: (minimum Effective Character Level (ECL) listed with any combination of Ranger and Druid levels, either traditional multiclassed or Gestalt multiclassed)
Questers (novices, at least ECL 1)
Spring Stag (clergy members of less than two winters of service, ECL 3)
Stalkers in the Green (experienced clergy who have not achieved outstanding achievements or appointments to senior temple staff duties; ECL 5)
Forest Flames (senior temple staff, envoys, and recognized tutors of the faithful; ECL 9)
High Rangers (leaders of temples and champions of the faith; a High Ranger will always be at least Effective Character Level (ECL) 11)
Hawks of the Lady. This last title is given by the Lady herself to denote her most cherished and high-ranking followers. -'Faiths and Avatars' paraphrased pg. 114

The ceremonial dress of the Shadoweirs is chain mail and deep forestgreen cloaks woven by dryads from spider silk and dyed with natural dyes. Many powerful forest knights wear ancient suits of elven chain mail they have been given by elven lords for their efforts in defending the forests. The symbol of the Shadoweirs is a giant shadowtop tree with a pair of crossed swords overlaying it, and it is sometimes stitched as a design on their clothing or worn on their shields. -'Faiths and Avatars' pg. 115

The order of woodland knights was formed in the woods of the treant Turlang as followers of Kalreshaar. Kalreshaar is an aspect of Mielikki and the name by which she is known in the elven realm of Arvandor. It is believed that Mielikki is the daughter of Hanali Celanil and Silvanus, making her the first half elven deity, although many Shadoweir now follow Gwaeron Windstrom. -'Gwaeron Windstom and Rangers of the North' from the DMs guild, paraphrased pg. 7