Jago,

There's no need to exemplify how wonderful your logic is or how
enlightened you are. That is your opinion and the administrating imps of
this Public board would love for the circuitous arguments to continue,
ad nauseum, to further pave the path to their tower with gold. I'm in no
way trying to be disrespectful and I certainly do not come across trying
to finalise your thoughts (or anyone else's).

However (natch), you need to keep two very salient points close to heart
in the matters of which you argue:

One: Who were the initial aggressors upon the discovery of the Vertan
Empire occupying Achaea? This answer alone should quite deflate the need
to keep arguing respect, care for Nature, and the like. Adventurers of
Sapience accelerated the Vertani's hostility towards us (yes us, we who
are of Sapience, not just forestals), assuming that at some point they
would culminate their plans to rule our lands.

Two: It's too large a group to try and lump together into a responsible
party that you want to neatly analogise as the culpable party in
Tiamat's aggression towards Nature. Individuals raided Tiamat's former
City, of their own volition; it was not a cohesive offence against the
City of Evil by those of Nature (just as Tiamat's attacks on the forests
were not sanctioned by his former City). Forestals are plainly
considered to be those of the classes that have the abilities granted to
those in the past whom made up the organisations pledged to serve Nature
(namely, druid, sentinel, sylvan class). I do not call my fellow
Eleusians, my Guild mates, my Order members, or brother warriors of the
Fianna forestals. They are more than that, in each capacity we're sworn
to serve Nature. Quite a few of them never have held 'forestal class'
yet they have lived and died in the forests and jungles, protecting
Nature and serving with their blood, sweat, and tears. They do not owe
you or anyone else an explanation to their actions; they need not
justify how they can grant respect to one person yet completely care
less about another. As an aside to your mention of the Vertani analogy,
we did note there were groves annihilated in Thera; we wept for
townsfolk of Thera as well as the loss of the lovely gardens found
there.

I'm greatly amused at the attention Tiamat has received over this. I
know him not at all and I know little except for his predilection
towards the destruction of the forests, for which I'm sworn to defend.
Those of us who have lived our lives protecting Nature may respect the
awesome powers someone like Tiamat wields, but we will never, ever
respect who he is.

I also think that it is important to reiterate that while
organisationally those of Natural affiliation watched with weary eyes
and heavy hearts at the Vertani movement (without organised movement
against those aliens), there were plenty of individuals who participated
in staving off the Vertani, as well as helping to heal and bring back to
life those that died to them. Those accolades can be spread by
beneficiaries of such acts, or they can simply fade away like the memory
of the Vertan Empire's brief occupation of our lands.

In service to Nature, always,

Hyperlith

Penned by my hand on the 13th of Miraman, in the year 393 AF.