A Response to Worship of the Woods.

A Response to the Worship of the Woods written by River of clan Velvorn.

[Published by the IPCS on the 5th of Fellnight of the year 631]

## A Response to the Worship of the Woods, by River of clan Velvorn.

I would like to preface this with the fact that is a system of belief and it should not be treated as hard fact. Belief is to be debated and changed as cultures devlop.

I would also like to go out and say this is long overdue. I first found these "Worship of the Woods" books at an abandoned altar at the floor of a giant pine child of Saria, that they've named Lysilomyr.

The only thing that inspired me to go looking for the Goldfang Clan and happen upon these books was the threat at my door. A sign reading "Beware all who enter the Goldfang Woods," accompanied by the decapitated heads on spikes and a bloodied pile of wood and stone rubbish.

It can be said that any upstanding clan, especially of Wood Elf decent, would not soil the land with rubbish and disrespected corpse-filth. Even the tribal Elves of my homeland, locked in a constant battle with the Humans in the area, never stooped as low as to leave the dead hung as warnings. A strong clan speaks for itself in the way that it acts. In wisdom shared, in experience gained, and strength shown. Cutting the head off a corpse and parading it around is now a show of strength, pride, or honor. It is disgusting and disrespects the values of Saria and her kin.

Now, moving on to the secondary issue found within "Worship of the Woods." It mentions that they of the Goldfang clan worship Lysilomyr, the last of the Great Pines. I can agree that Lysilomyr is larger and therefore "greater" than the pine trees of the Northern Woods, though I strongly disagree with the statement that it is the only one of its kind left. The tall pines of Inkwellian forest are offspring of the "Great Pines" that were the first kin of Saria herself.

I also disagree with the statement that Lysilomyr is the only direct pine-decendent of the World Tree because, I, myself, have brought a sapling from my homeland, which has sprouted and is growing just fine. Your tree is not the last in Aetheral, nor the last in all of the world, so please do not go around sprouting such things.

Thirdly, any gardener that has worked with trees and plants alike can tell you trees do not want metal. Rusted iron can be said an exception to this, seeing as "planting" iron nails in a garden helps those plants grow, but silver and gold?

You must be kidding. They offer no benefit to the plant, and by throwing metals directly into the water, you are poisoning the pools for any wildlife that wish to drink there. If you wish to honor the world around you, present fertilizer. Food that wildlife can eat, mulch from scraps, or waste materials from a hunt. Nature grows best from its kin, mushroom grow best in wood pulp, saplings blossom in the fallen trees around them, a garden does best when given rotten plants and eggshells.

Nature is a cycle within itself-- a plant is eaten by a rabbit, which is eaten by a hawk, which is eaten by a wolf, which, when it dies, is eaten once again by the plants. It is best to work within this cycle, not out of it. Nothing benefits from eating metal.

Jewel and gems are for the man, not trees. Leave the rocks in the ground they lay if you want what's best for the world.

Not all I have to say are complaints, however. I agree that spreading knowledge and continuing to grow the world around you is one of the best ways to honor it. You no longer live within Lysiomyr. You have allowed your shrine to fall into ruin, like the rest of them.

I continue to grow your "Goldfang Woods" and tend to it. I will share what the druids of my people have told me, and show my kin, who will show their kin, who will show theirs, how I care for the world.

You are doing yourself, as well as others, a disservice by assuming you are the only ones that worship what you do. It might do you better to take a lesson from the trees and "branch out."