One of the arguments I see come up over and over is whether the sprite policy of shoot on sight makes them evil or xenophobic. So what do we actually know 1) Richter almost got killed for crossing their borders. We know they regularly shoot those who cross their borders without permission. 2) We know the sprites are the guardians of the forest, this is deeply entrenched in their culture and it is their settlement/ tribe specialty. This means they have a natural interest in preserving the balance of nature by protecting animals against overhunting and the woodlands against getting cleared for timber or farmlands. 3) We know some of the humans along Yves eastern border care far less about preserving the forest. The poachers are an example of that, trapping animals for sale in far off areas, likely taking down any and all animals they see regardless of whether they have young or not. So who is justified in their actions? Are there more points that should be added?
The land is a violent place where we know some people will not hesitate to torture and kill Sprite children. Evil? I say no because they don't relish in the pain of those trespassers. Probably xenophobic. But, if you view the forest as their home you wouldn't call a person who shot a home invader xenophobic. Especially if they were poaching the family pet and more than happy to kill your children. They do have a hatred against goblins to possibly bigoted. It might be justified, but bigoted nonetheless. They are without a doubt an isolationist group for the most part wich takes their boarder security very strongly. It is hard to compare it to our world.
I think the most similar situation in our world is playing out in Brazil. On one hand you have the native tribes of the Amazon, on the other you have the government sponsored groups as well as rogue groups encroaching on their lands in order to cut down the forests for timber, other nature products and farmland (said farmland is worthless after half a decade, forcing them to move to a new area). They have proven willing to kill women and children as well as use biological weapons (in the past, its not proven in recent years that they are still deliberately spreading disease) in order to clear them out. The difference here is that the kingdom of Yves is not currently as aggressive as the government of Brazil, and of course the power dynamic does not favor Yves as massively as the government of Brazil, but other than that there are quite a few similarities. The poachers that tried to kill the children were likely within or on the border of the lands claimed by the HT tribe. They did this at a time when the kingdom of Yves was far more tolerant, and nonhumans could openly walk the streets of the kingdom's cities.
I like these kinds of dynamics in fiction. That is pretty much how I view the current relationship between the forest of Nadria and the kingdom of Yves.
Very good comparison, tribes lack tech, production, innovation, research etc.. magic and natural resources are the only deterrants.. I mean why for Yves not just to burn the entire forest? easy victory.
They could try, but they'd probably invite everyone surrounding them into war by doing that. Being that they're all non human, wouldn't be too hard to convince them to help shit that shit down.
Because forests do not actually burn down all that easily. A forest fire will burn through the undergrowth if there is enough fuel, but the larger trees will survive it for the most part as will the seeds and roots of smaller plants. Animals will either hide underground or get out of the way. Some will die. Tribes will do what they always do and either move out of the way (for example, by entering the catacombs for a few days) or take steps to prevent the fire from spreading into their area. Magical means combined with mundane firebreaks. A month after your forest fire the forest will be in full bloom and there won't be enough fuel to really get a fire going again. Speculation as to how the woodland tribes might send a screw you the other way: You just attempted genocide against the woodland tribes, so weapons of mass destruction are on the table. Such as a unnoticable, asymptomatic human-only magical disease that would likely be free to spread to the majority of Yvesian and Rionese citizens before their healers take notice - after all, its asymptomatic, so how seriously would anyone really take it? Enough to pay a fat fee to the local healer when they are already struggling to survive? At some point the magical aspect is activated (a rite at the hearth tree, tie it to the movement of the moons, whatever) and the virus morphs into its second, extremely rapid death stage, overwhelming healers with the extent of the epidemic and the severity of its symptoms. Perhaps you even go so far as to give it limited, but controlled sentience as we know sentient diseases are a thing and allow the disease to decide when it has reached the optimal spread. A few humans would likely overcome the not so dangerous version and get immunity, others would be cured through various means but you could still get a pretty big chunk of the low-level population. Enough to send a message that even the Yvesian king will understand. Considering what life mages can do to cure disease, there is no reason a couple Life masters cannot do the opposite if pushed far enough, bacteria are living and viruses probably fall within their purview as well whether they are considered technically alive or not.
