The Horned Shadow is a young alliance of ogres, ogre mages, and eneko working to forge a new destiny for the ogre races. Within Riedra, these efforts are masterminded by ogre mages who have overcome their indoctrination. This is a dangerous game, and the Thousand Eyes swiftly kill any ogre found to be working with the Shadow. But ogre mages are powerful and cunning—thanks to their shapeshifting powers and natural resistance to magic and telepathy, many mages of the Horned Shadow have been able to avoid the gaze of the Thousand Eyes.
The Horned Shadow has spent the last few years building support. As the organization grows, the masterminds of the Shadow debate the best course of action. Some advocate a mass exodus from Riedra and the establishment of a new ogre kingdom in Syrkarn. Others insist on reclaiming Borunan itself, even if this means the utter destruction of the ogre race in battle with the Inspired.
All is complicated by the fact that some of the followers of the Horned Shadow have less than noble intentions. A few ogre mages simply want power for themselves. While they speak of ogre freedom, these mad mages are interested only in bringing chaos and destruction to the world, spilling as much blood as possible. Ogre members of the organization could be noble rebels or bloodthirsty killers whose love of battle comes before any ideals. Members of the Horned Shadow can be solid allies, but they can just as easily be disturbing adversaries.
Getting the PCs Involved: Ogre mages are powerful and intelligent creatures, and their shapeshifting abilities make it easy for them to slip in and out of Riedra. An ogre mage could come to the PCs in search of assistance or seek an alliance with the party's patron, such as a dragonmarked house. Ogre warriors aligned with the Shadow could come to the rescue when the PCs are about to be captured by the Thousand Eyes. Ogre mages could use their powers to trick the PCs into conflict with the Inspired, or they could steal the characters' identities to perform an act of terrorism. For a darker twist, a party aligned with the Horned Shadow could seek a powerful artifact hidden in Ohr Kaluun or Xen'drik—an ancient weapon designed to kill humanoids by the thousands, allowing the ogres to decisively shift the balance.