I’d also like to see some additional options with this quest that might have different implications later in the game, perhaps including an alliance with the Shadow Druids in Cloakwood, where I think we’re given to understand Olodan came from and who I think some note or other tells us are concerned by brewing trouble in the region (presumably the Absolute and/or mindflayers). As has been mentioned, that would also have fun echoes of BG1.
This would be ideal for me. If i'm playing a 'morally compromised' character, the idea of collecting allies to fight the absolute is appealing if I don't want to join them, and I'd prefer those allies and resources I collect along the way to not just be the same resources and allies I collect playing a good character, just with some rude dialogue options.
You can (if you meet the right arcane requirements) recruit the
Militant Myrlochar, AKA the order of Soul Spiders-militant religious extremist followers of Lolth
, but the requirements are rather specific last I checked, and the Zhents both seems to have a complicated relationship with the cult and are kinda balanced out by the fact it looks like we'll have the opportunity to ally with their rivals, the Harpers in the full game. Shadow Druids would be a prime option for an ally if you don't want to play ball with the more heroic organizations, which it looks like we'll have plenty of options to collect from so far.
And of course, an evil path for the quest would be great for rp-ing an evil druid, which the game doesn't really support too well from an rp-perspective IMO, since you are encouraged so heavily to side against Kahga and find Halsin (and since 2 powerful druid items are locked behind helping them IIRC)
