Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a solid introduction to the world of the enduringly popular tabletop role-playing game. Fans of the franchise will be smiling with recognition at a lot of the clever references, but newcomers may be enticed by the less obvious details. Doric, a member of the main heist crew, comes from a lesser-known faction called the Emerald Enclave that deserves a bit more attention.
One of the likely side effects of finally introducing a good D&D movie to the masses is that a wave of veterans and newcomers will be heading to the table in the coming weeks. Along with motivating fans to roll up some characters and have a good time, Honor Among Thieves provides a ton of fun concepts to play around with.
What does the Emerald Enclave do?
For those who are lost in the woods, the Emerald Enclave is the ultimate resource. To those who love all living things, the Emerald Enclave is a valiant team of heroes. But, to those who would dare to harm the forest, the Enclave is an avenging army. This disparate order of druids and nature worshipers dedicate themselves to the protection of natural ecosystems and wild animals. Any action taken in the unincorporated lands is governed by the Emerald Enclave. They reign in human development to prevent the exhaustion of natural resources, they force kings to carefully consider their policies, and violently oppose the exploitation of nature for profit.
The actions taken by the Emerald Enclave vary from issuing citations to negligent lumberjacks to full-scale eco-terrorism. They will do what they need to do to protect nature. The Enclave acts above the law of any land, but they're powerful enough to be seen as a threat by every major administration. If a villainous faction takes control of an area, they either need to clear the Enclave out or fear their wrath. Beyond that, the Enclave considers themselves above moral dichotomy. Initiates are expected to be free of any oath of good or evil, implying that Enclave representatives must be ready to take some heinous actions for the greater good. At the Enclave's peak, the strongest governments in Faerûn defer to them on any matter that could affect the environment.
When did the Emerald Enclave form?
The earliest version of the Emerald Enclave was a small conclave of like-minded Druids. Once a practitioner could master the magical properties of nature and learn to transform into an animal, they could fly to the remote island that held the Enclave's first shrine. The Enclave established itself almost immediately, by entering open conflict with a local nation over the fate of a forest. The wizards of Turnish went to war with the Druids of Cedarspoke in one of the most interesting battles of the deep D&D lore. The wizards employed giants, the Druids partnered with water elementals, it was an Endgame- level cataclysm. After the dust settled, the Druids had vanquished a seemingly unstoppable mass of magic users. From that moment forward, everyone in Faerûn knew that the environment had some new allies and that anyone who crossed them was as good as dead.
How does the Emerald Enclave fit into Honor Among Thieves?
The final member to join the main adventuring party is a tiefling Druid named Doric. She establishes herself as an essential member, mostly thanks to her ability to wild shape into animals. Doric is a proud representative of the Emerald Enclave, but she entered the fold through non-traditional methods. As a tiefling, Doric was abandoned by her parents and raised by a clan of wood Elves. As such, she's an extremely passionate defender of the forest outside Neverwinter. Unfortunately, as the film's story begins, a new lord has taken over the territory. Forge Fitzwilliam seeks to destroy the forest for profit, and he's already dealt a massive blow to the Enclave. As a result, Doric sets aside her traditionally firm morals to join the other thieves in a do-or-die heist. Doric simultaneously demonstrates the power of the Emerald Enclave, and its willingness to do anything to get the job done. She's a great member of the team, but there's still a lot of fun Enclave history to adapt.
The Emerald Enclave is effectively an army of all-powerful magic users with the moral backbone of Swamp Thing. It works as a backstory for one of Honor Among Thieves' characters, but it's also a perfect setup for an entire feature in the universe. If fans want to introduce the Emerald Enclave into their game, just select the Faction Agent background. The Druid of any player's dreams can be found in this extremely interesting faction. The Emerald Enclave is a body of powerful warriors who will do whatever they have to do to keep the natural world safe. Their goal is simple, but their methods could turn the entire world into their weapon.