The thing about joining the shadow druids is that itentirely makes sense why we wouldn't be able to from a gameplay perspective. Their goals are entirely antithetical to continuing the story. They want to close off and isolate the grove. We don't get any indication that this group wants anything more than that, certainly nothing that would require an outside agent. Joining them would mean staying in the grove and ending the game. Why would they help us? They want to be isolated and our tadpole condition, if they were to learn about it, requires us leaving. Either that or staying and risking that we become mindflayers and potentially kill them all. We also have nothing to offer them. We could help them get rid of the tieflings? They asked to do that already and instead we exposed them in front of a group of other druids they now have to kill to keep themselves secret.
Yes, this sums up what is a big part of my dissatisfaction with the Kahga/Shadow druid options. We are presented an option-obviously aimed at less morally-inclined characters, but there is no 'carrot' to this option. Kahga doesn't offer to aid us with any insight to our condition, doesn't even offer us a few coppers for our trouble (compared with if you aid the tieflings and/or uncover the plot, you get special magical items) The option is there, but it doesn't make much sense, and it feels very incomplete, almost vestigial. Similarly with the offer to aid the shadow druids ending with you getting shot down-The Shadow Druids likely have access to resources and knowledge that the normal druids do not, aiding them and getting their favor is the sort of opportunity that would be attractive to evil players who don't want to join the cult of the absolute-the game is pretty stingy as of right now when it comes with evil allies you can recruit to fight the absolute. (and I don't think aiding the Shadow Druids would require sealing ourselves in the grove-no reason we'd have to stay for the rite itself, just help them clean out the opposition)
