Greetings, Morgain.

As you have extended an invitation to speak on our own views of the
matter, I think I will take the opportunity to do so.

I am not privy to the politics of the Khandava or Celidon Councils, the
Arboreals, or the Hunters. When they hold meetings on the pricing of
herbs, elixers, and salves, the punishment for burning or otherwise
destroying the land for which they care, or patrolling for violations of
their laws, I do not know what goes on, what is said, or what is done.

I do know that overall, from my own personal interaction with members of
those organizations, that above all else they place the protection of
the land on which they make their homes and of one another.

When any minimum price lists, as well as "illegal" sales, are decided
upon - regardless of if its the forestal organizations or non-forestal
ones, there are a few factors considered. Not necessarily in any
particular order, there is the consideration that the prices not be made
so low that those who buy it have no real appreciation for that which
they are being provided. Even if it is not free, it can be viewed as a
gift to even grant the opportunity to purchase something that you alone
are able to create.

For example, I do not see you making any fuss of the fact that Mages
refuse to market to the public their ability to craft pestilence rings,
which do not especially cause harm only to themselves - for any amount
of gold. They simply choose not to gift the public with purchasing them,
and most people don't ever speak a word ill of it.

There is also the matter that there are some items, when created, which
truly do bring harm to the guild which makes them when the public
acquires them. Elemental resistance rings protect the wearer from
elemental attacks, are made by the Mages, and thus are only -really-
useful against Mages.

However, to bring the matter back to herbs, they grow in forest, garden,
jungle, swamp, mountain, and cave. They are a large part of the life and
the sustainer of life in these areas. Herbivores eat plants, some of
which is probably what we use as well - for food and curatives. If they
are harvested too much, then there may not be enough left to sustain
THEM. If there are not enough of them, the carnivores are also left with
less to sustain themselves, due to the plant eaters dying from
starvation.

If the prices for these herbs are too low, how many people are going to
stop and consider the consequences of overly harvesting them? The buyers
will want them in larger quantities, since they can gain them more
easily. Those who sell them will in part feel the need to step up
production to keep up with the demand. While most forestals may not
stoop to such a thing, all it takes is for one heartless, careless
person to slip through the cracks and destroy entire ecosystems by
overharvesting to seek for profit. Overly harvested areas may be
replanted, but how many lives must be destroyed before it grows back
enough to matter?

Setting minimum prices, as well as minimums for leaving plants alone,
allows them to do a few things. It makes sure that people do not demand
quite so many plants at a time. It gives them rules to see who cares
more about the making of money than keeping the lives of the plants and
animals in balance. Those who care more about the lives they took an
oath to protecting will likely not care if they do not sell as much and
will not undersell the pricing rules, while those who display a blatant
disrespect for their own vows will have established grounds for
punishment.

It's akin to the reasoning behind similar rules in other guilds.
Obviously, if a Mage succombs to selling elemental resistance rings,
knife sigils, or cube sigils, he is not concerned for the well-being of
other Mages who would be poorly effected by non-Mages having them. It's
all a matter of what is being put first - an oath to the organization
you joined or a desire for profit. Granted, you no longer belong to any
forestal organization, but unless I'm mistaken you were at the time this
whole matter sprung up for you and the bulk of your argument is that
they should lower their prices.

I do not speak this as a represent of any forestal group, though you may
view me as part of such through association with the realm of the
Seasons. I am largely speaking from the perspective of a person in a
guild with its own craft and price list, explaining the reasoning that I
see in my similar experience.

Long-winded elf,
Lyrith Da'Saison

Penned by my hand on the 11th of Ultio, in the year 413 AD.