This sounds so much more tribal Serenguard than Hartstone... I guess I'm just misplaced.

Because Hart is a Greater Spirit, not some damn deer in the woods. Hart is also Fae - and thus should be protected.

Deer whose collective soul created him.

Not at all.

If a deer is in the hands of Glomdoring, it means that the Hartstone's most sacred animal has fallen into the hands of a bunch of twisted, demented madmen who will use it to further their evil cause.

If a deer is being slain by a Hartstone, it is simply nature at work.

Right. Good boy. I'm glad we agree. Hunting deer is okay.

I don't think there's any problem hunting deer (though Elryn won't since he spoke to them, and Hart asked him to save them).

Hunting deer to eat != sacrificing deer.

Although really, I don't care too much about the deer thing. Either way it will be beneficial for the guild to take a stance.

It's only the Druids killing trees for profit that I worry about.

I think all this stigma with dear hunting originated back when the DoC spent all its free time scouring the Serenwilde for deer to feed the harpies.

I'm still not sure what the problem is. Plenty of cultures have done this in the past. Hell, even Christians have the whole "this is my flesh, this is my blood" thing going on with communion. Granted, it's different, but the same spiritual connotations are there. We would partake of the flesh of the deer, and the creatures of the forest, in order to spiritually grow closer to them.

The whole trees things, well, they die anyway, and are taken by others. I'd rather see us use them then have our enemies steal them or have them simply waste away. It's not like we're clearcutting the Serenwilde. One tree per room is very very little of the actual forest.

I still think a lot of this comes to down to being taught over and over that death is a bad thing, to be avoided, and that killing something is evil and wrong.

Simply put, as it has been before, White Hart is not -a- deer. He is a Great Spirit. And why defend him if he can quite clearly defend himself? Respect and loyalty for him would put us at his side, if nothing else. And a simple attitude that those who would even attempt to harm him deserve punishment/death.

And the important difference is intent.
Killing deer maliciously or without cause, or farming them for resources, is a far cry from a spiritual Hunt or the focus of a ritual. I'm not sure exactly what the proposed ritual was, as I wasn't playing at the time - but the idea of, for example, the spirit of the deer being reborn within those who become one with the physical life of the animal seems quite fitting to me.
From an OOC perspective, no, the idea of death is too strong and 'bad' for me to think, yes, I'd do that! But then again, I am no disciple of a Great Spirit, I have not had numerous brushes with death, I have not had to kill my own food or fight on a regular basis in the defence of my home... However, in a world where spirits and essence are very clearly real and common, and the culture and ways of life are vastly different...

And, on the trees thing - as Sylphas said, we're talking about ONE tree in a room that is supposedly full of trees.

Also note, that unlike the Moonhart trees, these ones do not tell us if they are/are not ready to be mulched. That 'intelligence' is particular to the Moonhart trees.

White Hart, himself, said there is nothing wrong with hunting deer. Case closed.

White Hart also said when asked that it's proper to hunt the deer, within reason. And even that not hunting them is bad for them. Maybe you should go ask him if you don't believe me. You will find that both patrons have said the same thing, as has Chuchip, and I've also gotten similar opinions expressed by Abeytu and Miakoda in my time. Having a chance to grow healthy is not exclusive at all with being hunted and part of the cycle of life.

It's healthy for a forest (and for the trees in the forest) for the oldest ones to be cut. They're going to fall anyway. People should really get over this simplistic view of "protection" and learn a little ecology if they're going to play ecologist protectors.

I wouldn't mind this so much as a rite of passage kind of deal but only if it was on the deers terms, no cudgel or talisman.

Now if that hartstone wanted to strip down naked and newbie punch a buck to death in the forest and feast on his gizard, that would be a different story.

If we were playing a humanitarian organization, couldn't we also use that argument to declare that it is better for society if old people are culled before they put too much of a drain on resources? Would we still be considered humanitarians if we started culling?

Nah, not newbie punch. Have the Serenguard whip up a stone dagger blade forging pattern, and make the people hunt a buck with only that, no healing potions.

except that people in Lusternia don't really grow old, they just grow older.

I mean I can see the Nihilists demanding the weaklings sacrifice themselves for the good of their guild.

I'm not talking Lusternian mechanics.

well Eskimo's use to shunt their elderly onto an ice berg and let them float away if that makes you feel better.

If no one were to hunt the deers, from an IC point of view, they would become overpopulated. They would eat all of the food and then begin to starve to death.

Predator and prey. It's all part of nature, and so it only makes sense that the Serenwilde should hunt them, as the White Hart stated, within reason.

I'm asking whether they would be considered humanitarians. Those who hold humanity in the highest regard.

Edit: That was in response to Eyod, I don't care about the deer sacrifice.

In the modern world, no. For most of history, old people were only kept around and revered for their wisdom. People of no use were left to die. It's the same with animals.

Lusternia is NOT the modern world. We have racism, deep seated hatred and prejudice, and little room for tolerance. Using modern ideals I find to be almost OOC.