Forests, hills, meadows, streams, will all, in their undisturbed by man state, but chalk full of spirits. Both basic nature spirits and "higher level" nymphs.
Now let's say you have a typical Orlanthis stead not far away. They decide that they should plough up the east meadow, and clear some forest for additional grazing on the less steep side of the pig hill. While they are at it, they talk a boatman to row up the creek to their steading on a regular basis to transport some of their excess produce to where it can be better used.
Do the nature spirits just fade away? Do they fight as best they can? Can they somehow be "tamed" and brought under storm/earth pantheon control?
If they are fought or tamed, are there specialists in this, with handy feats like "fight dryad" or "bind nature spirit to Ernalda" or something like that? Or do you just throw your toughest magician at them and hope you all don't get chased out of the forest screaming?
For that matter, even when you aren't converting things, how well do, for example, Odaylan hunters get along with forest dryads? Do they mutually ignore each other? Are the hunters always in danger? Are the dryads scared of the theistic powers that could be brought to bear on them should they hurt the hunters?
I realize all of the answers will vary somewhat by location. Lets leave elf forests out of it for now!
More broadly, how permissible is it for Orlanthi to traffic with spirits? Say you sieze an unused fetish. Do you destroy it, give it to the nearest Kolati to deal with, or use it yourself if you can figure out how? Would cutting a deal with local nature spirits be seen as wise and right, or as dangerous spiritual corruption?
Sorry this post is so long, and full of so many questions.....I guess the spirit moved me.
--Bryan
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