The further I get through the Aldmeri Dominion quest line and the more I learn about the green pack the more I think it is messed up.
Highly questionable to be outraged by eating plants but have no problem with killing and eating animals. Most perverse still to eat people.
Plants are liable to suffer less from being eaten than animals.
Many plants produce fruits and berries specifically to be eaten so that their seeds can be distributed. There are many such fruits or nuts that can fall of their own accord. If they are not eaten they may simply go to waste.
Some even theorise that some plants have desirable qualities so that they will be farmed. Wheat is able to grow in abundance due to being farmed. Collecting the wheat does not kill the plant.
Some plants actually benefit and become healthier when pruned and grafted etc.
Some trees die of their own accord or loose branches naturally. If the wood is not used it just goes to waste.
I think it would be totally possible to have a Green Pact based on nurturing and respecting plant life that does not contain so many questionable or unhelpful parts.
Y'ffre seems hit and miss with enforcement. Some are cursed and changed or sentenced to death for breaking the green pact while others get away with it without consequence.
The crazy pumpkin loving Bosmer in Grahtwood. Also quite happy to kill her lover and other guests.
Soldier in Reaper's March implies the green pact can be bent in times of war: "I even had a salad...and I liked it." Neither seem to be punished by Y'ffre.
The further I get through the Aldmeri Dominion quest line and the more I learn about the green pack the more I think it is messed up.
Highly questionable to be outraged by eating plants but have no problem with killing and eating animals. Most perverse still to eat people.
Plants are liable to suffer less from being eaten than animals.
Many plants produce fruits and berries specifically to be eaten so that their seeds can be distributed. There are many such fruits or nuts that can fall of their own accord. If they are not eaten they may simply go to waste.
Some even theorise that some plants have desirable qualities so that they will be farmed. Wheat is able to grow in abundance due to being farmed. Collecting the wheat does not kill the plant.
Some plants actually benefit and become healthier when pruned and grafted etc.
Some trees die of their own accord or loose branches naturally. If the wood is not used it just goes to waste.
I think it would be totally possible to have a Green Pact based on nurturing and respecting plant life that does not contain so many questionable or unhelpful parts.
Y'ffre seems hit and miss with enforcement. Some are cursed and changed or sentenced to death for breaking the green pact while others get away with it without consequence.
The crazy pumpkin loving Bosmer in Grahtwood. Also quite happy to kill her lover and other guests.
Soldier in Reaper's March implies the green pact can be bent in times of war: "I even had a salad...and I liked it." Neither seem to be punished by Y'ffre.
The Green Pact is just like it says: a Pact between Y'ffre the Storyteller and the Bosmer who live in the Valenwood. Y'ffre was one of the first to turn himself into an Ehlnofey, forming the framework on which nature itself was created.
The Pact states that the Bosmer are free to live in the Valenwood and "shape" it to their needs, but in exchange they are not to harm the Valenwood (Y'ffre's creation) in any way, nor are the Bosmer allowed to shapeshift. Breaking the Pact sends the Bosmer to the Ooze to reflect on their sin for eternity.
So in a way, the Pact tries to prevent any harm from coming to the forest, but it also tries to let nature takes its own course. Kinda like the Wyresses in Bangkorai, who despise the Sentinel there: they wish to have nature takes its own course, to be free.
In the case of the Bosmer tho, the Pact allows them to shape nature to their will (that's how the Elden tree in Elden Root was formed, Bosmer have the ability to have trees grow into homes) and allows them to coexist with the Valenwood. And since the Pact only states to protect the forest (Flora), it didn't say anything about the creatures that live there (Fauna). Probably to allow the Bosmer (and other creatures in the Valenwood) to survive.
It's a pretty well thought out Pact, though it still limits the Bosmer somewhat: no use of wood to create weapons for instance, although the Bosmer use imported wood, Bone and I think also wood from dead trees.
The further I get through the Aldmeri Dominion quest line and the more I learn about the green pack the more I think it is messed up.
Highly questionable to be outraged by eating plants but have no problem with killing and eating animals. Most perverse still to eat people.
Plants are liable to suffer less from being eaten than animals.
Many plants produce fruits and berries specifically to be eaten so that their seeds can be distributed. There are many such fruits or nuts that can fall of their own accord. If they are not eaten they may simply go to waste.
Some even theorise that some plants have desirable qualities so that they will be farmed. Wheat is able to grow in abundance due to being farmed. Collecting the wheat does not kill the plant.
Some plants actually benefit and become healthier when pruned and grafted etc.
Some trees die of their own accord or loose branches naturally. If the wood is not used it just goes to waste.
I think it would be totally possible to have a Green Pact based on nurturing and respecting plant life that does not contain so many questionable or unhelpful parts.
Y'ffre seems hit and miss with enforcement. Some are cursed and changed or sentenced to death for breaking the green pact while others get away with it without consequence.
The crazy pumpkin loving Bosmer in Grahtwood. Also quite happy to kill her lover and other guests.
Soldier in Reaper's March implies the green pact can be bent in times of war: "I even had a salad...and I liked it." Neither seem to be punished by Y'ffre.
ChapterMasterV wrote: »The further I get through the Aldmeri Dominion quest line and the more I learn about the green pack the more I think it is messed up.
Highly questionable to be outraged by eating plants but have no problem with killing and eating animals. Most perverse still to eat people.
Plants are liable to suffer less from being eaten than animals.
Many plants produce fruits and berries specifically to be eaten so that their seeds can be distributed. There are many such fruits or nuts that can fall of their own accord. If they are not eaten they may simply go to waste.
Some even theorise that some plants have desirable qualities so that they will be farmed. Wheat is able to grow in abundance due to being farmed. Collecting the wheat does not kill the plant.
Some plants actually benefit and become healthier when pruned and grafted etc.
Some trees die of their own accord or loose branches naturally. If the wood is not used it just goes to waste.
I think it would be totally possible to have a Green Pact based on nurturing and respecting plant life that does not contain so many questionable or unhelpful parts.
Y'ffre seems hit and miss with enforcement. Some are cursed and changed or sentenced to death for breaking the green pact while others get away with it without consequence.
The crazy pumpkin loving Bosmer in Grahtwood. Also quite happy to kill her lover and other guests.
Soldier in Reaper's March implies the green pact can be bent in times of war: "I even had a salad...and I liked it." Neither seem to be punished by Y'ffre.
Animals eat the nuts and berries and the bosmer eat the animals, so the bosmer still contribute.
And also the bosmer that ate the salad was part of a special group of the king's elites that are exempt from the Green Pact. Forget what they are called, something rangers.

Hmmm so interesting!
So wait. If its a grey area, but the ooze (the plant talking thingy?) eats the woman even tho she was using a loophole (aka getting kitty to cut plant for her), then its kinda settled that cutting plants via proxy is outlawed by green pact? Or is it just cos this particular plant was something special and its totally cool to get non-bosmers to chop wood for example? Just curious sorry for the questions!
I know cutting and eating stuff from valenwood is forbidden via green pact to bosmer... But what if they used imported wood? Is that totally cool or will that result in one getting eaten by some oversized plant like in some quest I did in grahtwood. Think it was some woman getting pwnzor-ed by this weird man-eating plant cos she used some plant that grew in grahtwood.
Hmmm so interesting!
So wait. If its a grey area, but the ooze (the plant talking thingy?) eats the woman even tho she was using a loophole (aka getting kitty to cut plant for her), then its kinda settled that cutting plants via proxy is outlawed by green pact? Or is it just cos this particular plant was something special and its totally cool to get non-bosmers to chop wood for example? Just curious sorry for the questions!
Yes, that was the case. The plant, a flower if I remember it correctly, was special. It wasn't just any simple flower. The Alchemist thought the plant had fallen and was a gift from Y'ffre to allow him to cure his wife. The wife was the only one who had the whole picture.WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »From what I recall of that quest, that particular plant was in some way sacred or important. I also seem to recall that the Bosmer are allowed to use leaves etc. that fall of their own accord (which is why the alchemist thought it was okay to use the cutting - he didn't know it had been cut). And the Bosmer are allowed to fight plant-based monsters (though I do wonder if they're required to eat the corpse in that case).
From what I understood, Oathbreakers need to be taken to the Ouze for them to be sent to the Ooze, but I could be wrong. Maybe they are just pardoned by the Silvenar himself*, since he can do that even after the Oathbreaker was already sent to the Ooze.WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »And the Vinedusk Rangers, as previously mentioned, get special permissions so they can do their jobs...though now that it's come up, do we know they DON'T get sent to the Ouze after they die?
Daran_Cousland wrote: »is cannibalism supposed to be funny?
The further I get through the Aldmeri Dominion quest line and the more I learn about the green pact the more I think it is messed up.
Highly questionable to be outraged by eating plants but have no problem with killing and eating animals. Most perverse still to eat people.
Plants are liable to suffer less from being eaten than animals.
Many plants produce fruits and berries specifically to be eaten so that their seeds can be distributed. There are many such fruits or nuts that can fall of their own accord. If they are not eaten they may simply go to waste.
Some even theorise that some plants have desirable qualities so that they will be farmed. Wheat is able to grow in abundance due to being farmed. Collecting the wheat does not kill the plant.
Some plants actually benefit and become healthier when pruned and grafted etc.
Some trees die of their own accord or loose branches naturally. If the wood is not used it just goes to waste.
I think it would be totally possible to have a Green Pact based on nurturing and respecting plant life that does not contain so many questionable or unhelpful parts.
Y'ffre seems hit and miss with enforcement. Some are cursed and changed or sentenced to death for breaking the green pact while others get away with it without consequence.
The crazy pumpkin loving Bosmer in Grahtwood. Also quite happy to kill her lover and other guests.
Soldier in Reaper's March implies the green pact can be bent in times of war: "I even had a salad...and I liked it." Neither seem to be punished by Y'ffre.
dodgehopper_ESO wrote: »Elves are crazy. Its proven fact. Don't expect an Elf to make sense - sure plenty of them are intelligent, but they're crazy-intelligent.
The whole Yffre Green Pact cult is also questionable as well, one of the crazier Aedras rolling around.
...Bosmer humor may sometimes take a while to disgest...Daran_Cousland wrote: »I don't understand wood elf humor
Hmmm so interesting!
So wait. If its a grey area, but the ooze (the plant talking thingy?) eats the woman even tho she was using a loophole (aka getting kitty to cut plant for her), then its kinda settled that cutting plants via proxy is outlawed by green pact? Or is it just cos this particular plant was something special and its totally cool to get non-bosmers to chop wood for example? Just curious sorry for the questions!Yes, that was the case. The plant, a flower if I remember it correctly, was special. It wasn't just any simple flower. The Alchemist thought the plant had fallen and was a gift from Y'ffre to allow him to cure his wife. The wife was the only one who had the whole picture.WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »From what I recall of that quest, that particular plant was in some way sacred or important. I also seem to recall that the Bosmer are allowed to use leaves etc. that fall of their own accord (which is why the alchemist thought it was okay to use the cutting - he didn't know it had been cut). And the Bosmer are allowed to fight plant-based monsters (though I do wonder if they're required to eat the corpse in that case).
Also, just adding about the Ooze: There is no indication that the plant itself had any connection to it. The Ooze is some sort of afterlife for Bosmer Oathbreakers. They return to being formless in the Ooze like before the Green Pact. The physical connection to the Ooze is called Ouze. Yes, Bosmer can be a little confusing sometimes.From what I understood, Oathbreakers need to be taken to the Ouze for them to be sent to the Ooze, but I could be wrong. Maybe they are just pardoned by the Silvenar himself*, since he can do that even after the Oathbreaker was already sent to the Ooze.WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »And the Vinedusk Rangers, as previously mentioned, get special permissions so they can do their jobs...though now that it's come up, do we know they DON'T get sent to the Ouze after they die?
And keep the questions coming. My main might be an Altmer in this game, but I started with TES playing Bosmer and I will always love them. No wonder I did the Dominion questline 10 times.
*Late edit: I said "himself" because I was thinking of Indaenir, since he did that before he was chosen by the Green. The Silvenar isn't always male.
KingYogi415 wrote: »So can we blame the Bosmer for all the missing children?
Daran_Cousland wrote: »dodgehopper_ESO wrote: »Elves are crazy. Its proven fact. Don't expect an Elf to make sense - sure plenty of them are intelligent, but they're crazy-intelligent.
The whole Yffre Green Pact cult is also questionable as well, one of the crazier Aedras rolling around.
yeah that's what I was thinking the Green Pact is something they just made up cuz they're a bunch of loons. and it's not a convincing excuse for the cannibalism because other mer folks do that too. there's a questline in Deshan about dark elves eating each other.
BrianDavion wrote: »Daran_Cousland wrote: »dodgehopper_ESO wrote: »Elves are crazy. Its proven fact. Don't expect an Elf to make sense - sure plenty of them are intelligent, but they're crazy-intelligent.
The whole Yffre Green Pact cult is also questionable as well, one of the crazier Aedras rolling around.
yeah that's what I was thinking the Green Pact is something they just made up cuz they're a bunch of loons. and it's not a convincing excuse for the cannibalism because other mer folks do that too. there's a questline in Deshan about dark elves eating each other.
yeaaah except that's very much not presented as simply a part of dark elf culture. rather this is a group taking extreme methods to survive. you can't compare that to the green pact. they're not comparable at all
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98_5vQn36ms Daran_Cousland wrote: »is cannibalism supposed to be funny?
treborrealb14_ESO wrote: »Daran_Cousland wrote: »is cannibalism supposed to be funny?
Cant tell me Lizards or Orcs dont cannablis as well I mean ...just look at them
Everything goes well with proper spices and cheese. Experiments with moon sugar can produce quite interesting results.Daran_Cousland wrote: »do they look delicious to you?
Therefore, bosmers aren't cannibals. Cannibalism is more about killing humanoids for food.DorianDragonRaze wrote: »Here is a really good explaination of the wood elves culture
DorianDragonRaze wrote: »Therefore, bosmers aren't cannibals. Cannibalism is more about killing humanoids for food.DorianDragonRaze wrote: »Here is a really good explaination of the wood elves culture
Bosmers kill animals for food as other humanoids and kill humanoids at war as other humanoids.
What they do with killed enemies is dictated by their pact obligations.