Races of Wild

accompany you on adventures. A circle may include wildrunners,druids, rangers, wizards, and maybe even somemid- to high-level barbarians. Such characters generallyhave starting attitudes of friendly toward you but willexpect some sort of compensation (such as a little cash upfront and a cut of the proceeds after the adventure). Thesecharacters might help you in other ways such as castingspells for you or even creating items. You’ll still have topay the going rate for such services, but at least word ofwhat you’re doing won’t spread beyond the circle. Likewiseif you’re strapped for cash you might purchase servicesor items in return for your own labor (or for a favor to benamed later).ARCANE HIEROPHANTSIN THE WORLDIf the PCs get involved in the diplomacy, politics, or trade thatpasses between different groups in the wild, they’ll eventuallymeet arcane hierophants—though they might not recognizethem for what they are. To the casual observer, there’s notmuch difference between an arcane hierophant and a druidor wizard. When you need an inscrutable character to conveyinformation, render aid, or launch a magical attack in thewilderness, an arcane hierophant (or a whole circle of them)can serve very well indeed.OrganizationArcane hierophants band together in groups called circles.A circle traditionally has at least seven members (thoughin theory even a single arcane hierophant might establisha circle) and seldom more than two dozen members (notincluding guards and servants). Each circle maintains asecret retreat, called a citadel, where the members can meet tostudy, train, and discuss matters of mutual interest. A citadelis usually located in an area of great natural beauty, suchas a mountain valley, sylvan glade, or island. Some circles,however, operate within cities, and their citadels might belocated near waterways, gardens, or markets where produceor other natural products are sold.Most circles value their privacy, but they don’t take greatpains to conceal their existence (though they invariably keepthe location of their citadel secret). Some circles operatepublicly and others covertly, as their members prefer.Each circle has a leader, usually called the speaker,chosen for his magical accomplishments, leadership skills,and persuasiveness. A speaker is often, but not always,the most powerful spellcaster in the circle. Beyond that,a circle has no formal organization, though an informalhierarchy based on seniority and merit develops in wellestablishedcircles.Circles usually have no formal names. For convenience,the members choose some fairly meaningless name or simplyadopt the name of the circle’s founder or one of its morefamous members. Circle members avoid names based on thelocation or appearance of their citadel, because that informationis supposed to be secret. Typical circle names include TheFellowship of Cymbeline, Servants of the Harvest, Friendsof the Highwood, and Syngil’s Watchers.The only circle member with any real duties is the speaker,who keeps track of the other members and their doings, staysin contact with other circles, and sees to it that someone(often the speaker himself) maintains the citadel and trainsnew members.Many arcane hierophants (especially halflings and adventurersof all kinds) become associated with several differentcircles as they roam about. These itinerant members almostnever serve as speakers; they move from citadel to citadel,exchanging news with the local arcane hierophants andtaking on any tasks for which a relative outsider might bewell suited. The Circle of the Open Road provides a notableexception to this rule: It is a mobile circle in which halflingsmake up most of the membership. Their speaker, a tallfellowhalfling called Feideal Chestnutsower, is known for his loveof roasted chestnuts and his penchant for planting chestnuttrees wherever he goes.NPC ReactionsArcane hierophants provoke a wide variety of reactions,depending on their own actions and the ideals and prejudicesof the people they meet.A known member of a circle often stands in high regardamong commoners in the area where the circle is located,especially if the circle has been active in defending the area,dealing with natural disasters, or giving support and advice.Such commoners will have an indifferent starting attitudeat worst.Not all circles are benign, however, and local folk probablyhave an unfriendly or even hostile starting attitudewhen a circle has been acting contrary to their interests,such as interfering with attempts at settlement, breeding orintroducing predatory animals, or disrupting activities suchas mining or woodcutting.Many druids look upon arcane hierophants as dabblers inthe ethos of the druid and are indifferent at best. Some druidslook upon arcane hierophants as heretical or iconoclasticbecause of their mingling of nature and magic. The majorpoint of disagreement is how arcane hierophants thinkabout nature and magic. They see both as forces that canbe understood and manipulated, an idea many druids finddeeply offensive. These druids usually prove hostile to thearcane hierophant circle.Other druids regard arcane hierophants as kindred spiritsand tend toward friendly starting attitudes upon meetingthem. These druids may become allies or even members ofan arcane hierophant circle.Rangers and bards usually respect arcane hierophants fortheir knowledge and magical powers.ARCANE HIEROPHANT LORECharacters with Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (nature)can research the arcane hierophants to learn more aboutthem. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphraseCHAPTER 5PRESTIGECLASSES111