My dear Aetherius,
My Lady and I have both remained silent on matters of Civilization for
far too long. It is perhaps time that She, through me, remind everyone
precisely what "Civilization" is, and what it stands for.
Civilization is a cold thing. It is not just stone walls and advancement
of culture (for certainly, Celidon's culture, Khandava's culture, and
Ithaqua's culture have all advanced over the years), but the greed that
comes with forgetting about nature, the death that comes with destroying
nature for the betterment of "Civilization".
My tribe calls Civilization "Greed". Friend to the Betrayer, regardless
of Their differing views on magick. In the south or the north, with
Civilization comes war, famine, and all manner of ill things.
The Waters bring life to Nature and all of its beings. All mortals,
regardless of the Divine they follow, the beliefs they have, and the
company they keep, are creatures of nature, not creatures of Greed. To
believe otherwise is to believe falsely. Civilization will do little
more than destroy nature, and promote greed and war.
Tell me, will Civilization feed you, when you destroy the Wilds? Will it
keep you alive, when you taint my Lady's Waters and even foolishly
reject Her blessing?
Even now, the towne of Whistlerock, so long blessed by the Waters with a
shrine to my Lady, demands that Her shrine be removed. They wish to
erect a shrine to its Patron, Lord Zanik. My Lady does not take kindly
to the rejection of Her blessings and bounty- to claim that a shrine is
useless is a clear rejection, no matter how disguised it might be by
"civilized" words.
The Waters bring life and nurture it. The Lord of Greed will do little
good for Aetherius but to aid in the destruction of all that is good and
pure. Do not be fooled, Aetherius, by cultured tones and claims that
Civilization would not harm nature: even a demon can speak in the tones
of a gentleman and promise to do only good, but it is still a demon.
Nisha Fel'Amrit
Voice of the Waters
La'Rethan of the Riftwarden tribe
Penned by my hand on the 9th of Artificium, in the year 484 AD.
