Accipiter, we were once guildmates and even once citymates. Sometimes I
have heard your words in the past and think you spent to little time
with the Druids, if you did not leave so quickly after getting to
guildrate 3 maybe things would be different, maybe not. I personally
dont like playing with maybes though, so I wont.

I have been a forestal all my life, being either rogue or present in any
one of the three great forestal guilds of Sapience. I have been allowed
to harvest under their law since I was 19 years old, but didnt even use
my skills for that till I was 25. Sometimes I think if you didnt need to
first pick a herb to plant it somewhere else I would never have used my
skills to harvest. I know that I am closed minded on many topics, like
my love for nature often blinds me to much that others of Sapience
consider important like good and evil, I prefer straight out doing
things that than the silly complex dances that comes with politics, but
I prefer diplomacy than the slaying of innocent and not so innocent
young ones. I am not a member of Oakstone nor a Awen being a member of
Lady Demeter's order. I do believe that you did, however, insult Lady
Demeter, She is and always will be a part of the realm of Nature, just
like Mother Gaia. The past may be behind us but the trees see everything
and live long.

With all this in mind, please listen to my words. Among many a forestal
I too am thought of as being... for lack of a better term, a rogue. I
think differently to many that would read the words of a book and see it
that the book is correct on how they interpreted and call it wisdom.
Like I said, I am a dwarf of action. You can read and hear about
mistakes, events, history, but it doesnt mean the same as living those
things. I take my teachings from every teacher I can find, every plant,
every book, every person, every animal and every experience... lets just
say everything. I am in no way wise or well learnt. I speak horrible
Achaean and write even worse so please bare with me.

I think to much is caught up in the third skill of all forestal classes,
concoctions. Personally I like skills that can be used to help others, I
would be a priest if I believed in the Holy Codex. I loved being a
Sylvan because it gave me alittle skill of sharing, casting such things
as reflection, groves to help those that have fallen, and concoctions to
help those with empty rift or vials. I too am one that refills for free
to certain organisations and try to escape payment to others. I too once
sold to the people outside those organisations but alas I couldnt keep
up with demand and so dropped back. Do I think the prices are silly? I
wont say because really it means little to nothing. People that need
them hunt and kill be it people or other animals. They gather gold. Some
of the riches people I know still use Seasone. Our ablity to use
concoctions is listed as a money-making skill just like pranks and
enchantments and forging among others. In fact I believe almost all the
classes have some sort of money-making skill and they either charge or
dont charge according to the treaties laid down by the organisations
that too watch over them. I was stupid and thought that Oakstone set the
prices thats why it was called Oakstone prices... but seeing as they
dont then Oakstone has little to do with this too.

I move on to how I felt insulted by your latest post for which you said
that animals are convieniently left out of the equasion under the guise
to 'The Natural Cycle'. You are gravely mistaken. Father created the
animals in order for the hunt. That is why many of us offer the corpses
back to Him. To serve nature under Oakstone may lead to such things as
putting out fires, stopping overharvest and slaying those that hurt
nature but it goes much further than that. They are just some of the
major actions under the eyes of Oakstone for which not only Lady Demeter
but Father is also the Divine Patron. Animals extend into the cities
like you said, most of those animals besides things like rat are loyal
and protected under city laws. My dad was once enemied to Hashan for
great many years for killing dogs. I should know I helped pay back his
debt. The cities protect these animals, the rats are slayed to help stop
them from plagueing, thugs are dealt with to keep the streets safe.
Speak with Hakhim sometime about how deadly rats are or watch for all
the fallen little ones by the claws of rats. The hunt extends to many
urban areas, like Forestwatch, Bellas Keep and Dun fortess to name but a
tiny amount if you dont wish to count something so small as rats.
Animals dont need to be defended, they can defend themselves, and the
hunt lives on, nature lives on. Animals arent forgotten they have
already been included.

I can understand why harmers of nature arent sold herbs, they can use
those herbs to kill those that we love, be it nature or a forestal in
arms. I understand such laws and follow them. I will not help the
killing of my friends. I can understand the suppling of herbs and
refills to others, If I speak just from a Lupine point of view, it helps
the hunt go on. Prices? prices are just a way of the other person saying
thankyou because as you have found out, it can take a very long time to
harvest 100 moss, prices mean nothing. People are giving you gifts, no?
gloves of harvesting I hear and unsigned letters with gold or treats?
Many people of Sapience dont take something without some sort of
payment. All you are saying to them is make up their own price, their
own donation for your time and skill. This isnt a price war at all. From
memory the economy of Sapience is doing fine, I see more and more people
with more and more money in their packs (I keep telling them they need
to protect it better) thats why credit rises have gone up, the thieving
business seems to be doing pretty well from what my friends say. But
suppling herbs for a unsaid donation doesnt make the credit prices drop
or people more safer from thieves, it helps the credit prices to rise.
You cant combat one thing with something different. To much gold can be
a problem. People have 300k so 10 credits for 5k each doesnt seem so bad
and so the prices go up. People have infact stopped using the credit
market, gone for personal salers and once again (last time I listened to
market anyway) asking or selling credits have gone back to the market
channel.

I know you didnt start this free herbs because of the economy, you
started it because you disliked what Oakstone said to charge, no? Or I
am confused by your earliest post. The pricelist is only a guide line
last I heard and many of us give 'discounts' so as far as I can see you
dont have to defend yourself because your not being judged. Well, I mean
people will always judge you, I know I will recieve many a message about
my 'rogue' thoughts and probably that I have no idea about economy for
which I make no claim that I do, I just say it as I see it and Im sorry
if Im completely wrong... but you only have to justify your actions to
yourself. Do you think your doing the right thing for the right reasons?
If you get caught up in defendinf yourself publicly you will waste all
that gold you arent making and it would be a shame. People always judge,
way to quickly if you ask me, just by honouring you you will be judged
on the city you belong to, the clans you are members of, your rankings,
your past stated experiences. Your actions should reflect who you are,
and if you think this is reflecting you properly then ignore those that
dont give you a chance. Everyone reads everything differently, we all
see the world differently. Its whats great and horrible.

Yet another to long a post, if you made it this far, sorry and forgive
me.

Amara
focus

Penned by my hand on the 24th of Ero, in the year 374 AF.