Just throwing an idea out for feedback:

The energies of Cosmic are harsh on anyone not trained to withstand them. Natural life has great difficulty surviving it, unless supported by power from a nature nexus.

The energies of the elemental planes are the essence of mage demesnes themselves.

Sylvan forest is actively reinforced by fae magic and resists anything unnatural.

The entire ethereal plane basks in the same fae magic, as well as the constantly shifting energies of the natural cycle. Illusions last but a fleeting moment.

End result--Cosmic planes can be demesned by anyone, but druids cannot plant saplings. Elemental planes cannot have their terrain changed. Mages will still be unable to terrain Faethorn. Etherwilde and Etherglom can be demesned by anyone, but mages will not be able to use illusions to protect the melds.

I'm headed off to work, so I won't respond for a while, but comment away!

No, because wording it that way either forces Serenwilde to admit that the Wyrd is unnatural, or Glomdoring essentially shouldn't be able to meld there.

I think Serenwilde will gladly admit theyre unnatural.

In all seriousness, I know you meant natural.

Im not sure what I think on the idea as a whole, the Forests cant meld the elemental planes, the ether areas can be melded by cities but illusions dont stay. Forests can meld Cosmic but cant sapling. Faethorns next to useless anyway so doesnt really matter except for RP reasons.

Wording it that way is fine-- the Serenwilde is more than willing to plug its ears and deny that things are happening anyways, you would just be able to say "It's unnatural, but it's closer to nature than Elemental magics and so it works... but it still TWISTS IT! AAAGH!" Or whatever.

Someone help me out here... what's the current state of things with demesnes? People keep suggesting things for what I assume is balance that makes no sense to me whatsoever...

In my mind, Etherglom holds the essence of the wyrd, and trying to change that should be damn near impossible. Same with Nil and taint, Celestia and light, and Etherwilde and... we've gotta come up with a one-word thing for them. The idea of being able to demesne any of those areas... or the Elemental planes, for that matter, into something they're not strikes me as just off. It'd be like trying to will water into being dry...

If Nil and Celestia can be taint/flood/forested from someone outside the respective commune, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If Faethorn can be demesned into next week, though, I'm fine with that. The purpose of Faethorn is strife, and it's not like Queen Maeve is strong enough to do much of anything as it is.

I really like this idea, or, at least, a ton more than I do straight up being able to meld Etherglom/wilde.

Currently, Etherwilde, Etherglom, Water, and Earth are 100% immutable. Faethorn can only be terrained by a Blacktalon or Hartstone. Anyone can manipulate Cosmic terrain.

If you really want to pull it off, why not suggest to be able to terrain them, but changing terrain itself will have a timer effect (like demesne effects), hence implying that the plane does resist the presence of unnatural states. You can reterrain them if you want, RPwise implying that you are upkeeping your control over your terrained land? Just a thought.