Robrenn-Capital: Eyf (Pop.: 25,200humans, demihumans, some woodland beings); Ruler: King Edwix II, son of "The Night Harrow"; royal lands include all of the Hallowed Carnuilh Forest.

Since then, Robrenn's descendants inherited his title. Should his lineage become extinct, the druids would then choose one of the current nobles as the new ruler. In all other respects, this is a feudal society, with the druids replacing Lhe more traditional cterics. Nobility and knights must swear allegiance to the ruler and follow the wavs of the druids.

Men and women are of equal importance in this society. It is the belief ot the Robrenn that their chief patron Immortal, Breig, is the mother of nature. As a result, ihe highesi funetions among the druids are often limited to women. However, in order to maintain universal balance, right of birth usually (but not exclusively) favors males. For example, the first-born male has priority over a female in Lhe succession for a nobility title or the ownership of a family heirloom. In general, all that is mvstical or linked to nature and creation is the realm of women; all that is material or linked to warfare and destruction is the realm of men.

The Confederacv maintains a small standing army, the Guard, to enf'orce its laws and guard its borders. A vast reserve of trained and armed citizens also exists. The druids provide a set of weapons and armor to each family's first child, when he or she comes of age at pubertv. If a female, the child bears the right to refuse the weapons only if young male exists in the family.

This "chosen one" must leave the family and remain with the Confederacy's Guard to learn the art of war. Three years later, the young adult earns the title of "armed citizen" and may return home. Once a year, an armed citizen must provide a month of military service to the Confederacy, to support its defense and to be ready for war. In times of war, all armed citizens must join the Guard until the threat is gone. When an armed citizen dies, the deceased warrior's weapons and armor go to the family's next in line (if old enough), who is placed under the guidance of the druids. If no heir exist, the druids keep the equipment until another chosen one comes of age.

Druids are eminently powerful among the nobility; they rnake the laws and decide on the penalties. Nobles are responsible for entorcing these laws. The Great Druidess also may name which noble is to succeed a king when his dynasty is extinct. Only a legitimate wife, son, or daughter may succeed a king. If none are alive, the druids intervene.

The druids also permit, disallow, or even demand that armed confticts be started or specific battles occur. Druids affect the Confederacv's abilitv to attack another realm, or the ability of two dominions to fight each other. The latter is permissible in the case of a dispute between two nobles of the Confederacy that the druids cannot resolve. Considering the deeply rooted respect this society has for druids, disobeying them is almost unheard of and could lead to a civil war.

A thick forest covers a vast area of the Confederacy, this is the druids' Hallowed Forest of Carnuilh. It is a sanctified area that no one but the druids may enter. At its center is a holy grove where the druids meet once a year, on midsummer's eve. There, they discuss mystic topics, consult auguries, and resolve problems.

Every 12 years of continuous rulership, the king of Robrenn must go on a quest. If he succeeds, he remains king for another 12 years. If he fails, he must seek the Great Druidess's grove in the Hallowed Forest of Carnuilh. Legends say that he returns to the earth that he embodies, thereby atlowing the land to flourish again. He is magically "absorbed" by the forest, thus ending his life in this world. No succession may take place until the king dies or returns to meet his fate. If he flees in shame and dies elsewhere without fulfilling his duty at the grove, years of hardship may threaten the kingdom.

The Robrenn honor a wide variety of Immortals. Their belief is that all life came from Breig, also known as the Mother of Nature, the Great Oak, and the Spirit of Eyf. She heads the Robrenn pantheon. Although a druid may choose one Immortal over another as his or her primary patron, they all meet at Carnuilh. Aegardless of their individual philosophies, all druids follow the same basic principtes that maintain their coherence as a mvstical order. Thev atl revere the Great Druidess Maud, daughter of Trestana. Vlaud is a follower of Breig. There may be other Great Druids elsewhere in the world, but, as far as the Robrenn are concerned, Maud's the only one. There have been few male Great Druids in Robrenn's past; women have commonly held this position.

Summer-This creates an area of blinding magical sunlight, burning undead creatures exposed to the area of effect at the rate of 1d8 points of damage per round of exposure (no save). A vampire caught in this light will flee immediately (no save) and not return until fully rested.

Autumn-Each undead caught in the area of effect must make a saving throw each round of exposure. A failed saving throw causes an undead to wither, dropping various parts of its body (if material) or fading away (if immaterial). Each failed saving throw reduces any undead's hit points by one-quarter (rounded down).

Winter-Each undead caught in the area of effect must make a saving throw each round of exposure. A failed saving throw causes an undead to go dormant until the next full moon.

Only neutral tnaveling fighters may become druidic knights. They must have adopted the philosophy of the druids prior to reaching knighthood and must swear fealty to a prince, king, or emperor faithful to the ways of the druids. A druidic knight may not wield metallic weapons nor wrear metallic armor and shields. The knight must use wooden armor and weapons magically shaped and hardened by the druids. These items are usually lacquered or varnished, and include curvilinear decorations, delicate leaf carvings, and fine scrollwork tooled into the wood. The knight must repay the druids for these precious items, usually in terms of several years of routine service when not called upon by a liege.

In addition to all obligations and advantages common to knighis, a druidic knight also has the following abilities:

-A knight can detect danger (as per the druidic spell) once per hour, simply by concentrating (range of 5' per spell-casting level). The knight cannot use that ability and attack on the same round.

-If the knight's Wisdom score is 13 or more, the character can cast spells (from the druidic spell list only) as if he were a druid of one-third his actual experience level (rounded down). If a fighter becomes a druidic knight right at 9th level, he'll immediately gain the druidic spells of a 3rdlevel druid. With a lesser Wisdom score, the fighter can still be a druidic knight but will have no spell-casting ability.

-The druidic knight learns how to meditate and cast spells as druids would. He can do so at someone's behest, but at a price-set at the DM's discretion-that must involve a service to nature or to woodland beings.

-The druidic knight must assist any woodland being asking for help with two exceptions: He does not have to help creatures opposed to the druidic philosophu. and goals; and if the knight is on a mission for a higher authority (such as on a quest, serving a duke, etc.), he may offer only a small amount of help. Assistance never involves the donation of money or items, only the offering of personal services for a short time.

-A druid of the Ninth Circle or higher may summon a knight to escort him to gatherings at the Hallowed Forest of Carnuilh. The knight must remain with the druid until the end of the celebration. This call supersedes that of a liege.

The bard

Bards are an essential part of the Robrenn culture. They are played using the thief character class as a starting point. The bard must choose music, singing, and storytelling skills, but he does not have the backstabbing and pickpocket abilities (druids frown upon theft).

At 3rd level, the bard gains the charm person ability once per day, as per the magic-user spell. He affects a number of Hit Dice or levels equal to one-third his own level (rounded down). The attempt requires the bard to recite poems, sing, or play an instrument for three rounds. He must make a skill check on the weakest of his three mandatory skills. If he fails the skill check, his victims get a +3 to their saving throws. The bard fails completely if interrupted or wounded. Likewise, the bard may use this ability to negate another bard's charm attempt,

At 9th level, the bard may extend his charm ability to intelligent monsters (except undead, as per the fourth-level wizard spell, charm monster). At l5th level, his ability extends to plants as well (as the seventh-level wizard spell, charm plantsl. A successful saving throw vs. spells always negates the charm.

The bard may use his charm ability to affect Morale (either a +2 bonus to his companions, or a -2 to his opponents), or their eagerness to fight ( + 1 to hit for his companions, or - 1 to hit for his opponentsl. These effects are automatic after three rounds (no save).