TESO:Loremaster's archive/Gwaering answers your questions

By Gwaering, 2E 582

"I have wandered Tamriel for many years and no oral culture evokes as much wonder in me as the Bosmer's. Their emphasis on storytelling is fascinating, seeming to be a form of Magicka ritual itself. They seem to be able to change the past and the future by weaving new chapters into an individual's narrative. This is undeniably a gift from Y'ffre, the Spirit of the Now. What I wish to know is: does Storytelling Magic intrude upon Auri-El's sphere, or is it part of it?" – Eis Vuur Warden, Wayward and Contract Scholar

The Green Lady says, "Magic was the gift of all the Divines who contributed to the making of the Mundus, and thus all mortals have some ability to channel Magicka and change reality—albeit locally, and perhaps temporarily—but the alteration is real. The Way of Y'ffre is narrative magic, for storytelling is an act of creation, and what are our lives but stories made real?"

"This one knows that the Bosmer pride themselves on being among the best hunters across Tamriel. This leads M'Vakhu to wonder about the prominence of the Prince of The Hunt, Hircine, in their culture (Y'ffre notwithstanding). This one could not imagine how such a people could not be tempted into serving one who seems to so inherently embody their way of life. This one appreciates your time." – M'Vakhu: The Green Lady says, "Invocation of Hircine the Hunter can be benign and harmless, as when an archer asks him for luck when drawing a bead on a stag. Taken too far, however, the Cult of Hircine can serve as a justification for cruelty and a rationalization for oppression and murder. We saw an example of this in our own recent history, leading up to my Handfasting to the Silvenar. The Daedra exist, and when they intrude upon mortal affairs, sometimes we must deal with them—but doing so is always perilous. This is something the foolish and greedy among us often forget."

"As many outsiders do, I find the Green Pact a bit puzzling. Two of the tenets appear to be 'eat no plants' and 'eat only meat.' These are not really the same thing. Do strict adherents to the Green Pact not consume dairy products, honey, mushrooms, or insects?" – Ravenna Brightwing: The Green Lady says, "Though the Green Pact appears simple on the surface, its doctrinal details can be baffling to outsiders, and indeed, even the wisest of our Spinners disagree on some of its aspects. The first tenet you mention would be better stated as "Harm no living plants," and this we strive not to do, even when we sing the house-songs to the trees so they will form lodgings for us. But does it harm a living plant to eat its fallen fruit? Indeed not—in fact, in this way the plant's seeds are spread. The second tenet you mention is better known as the Meat Mandate, but how strictly it is followed varies from tribe to tribe and, indeed, from individual to individual. However, dairy products, honey, mushrooms, and insects are eaten with zest by all but the most ultra-zealous of Pact Bosmer."

"How powerful are the spinners and is their power limited to Valenwood? Adding thoughts to someone's memories as it happens in the quest for the Wilderking is pretty powerful, as is seeing the stories of others by touching them or their items.": The Green Lady says, "A Spinner's power is in the strength of his storytelling, fostered by talent and increased by experience. As you say, a great Spinner can actually SEE the stories of the nearby world—and these stories can reveal the true natures of persons or objects. But to change a story, a Spinner must engage its protagonist, who on some level must accept the new turns in the tale."