Spirit Management
The forest spirit tracks ecological balance. Keeping it in Harmony (0-20) is essential — higher states bring terrain effects and reduced yields.
The Anger Budget
Every forest clearing adds anger. Every dawn removes some. Your goal is to keep the net change negative.
Anger Sources
| Action | Anger Added | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Clear Young Forest | +5 | Standard penalty |
| Clear Ancient Forest | +5 | Same penalty, but you lose more beauty |
| Clear any forest in Spring | +7 | Spring penalty is higher (forest is awakening) |
Calming Sources
| Source | Anger Removed | When |
|---|---|---|
| Natural dawn decay | -1 | Every dawn (except Winter) |
| Natural dawn decay (Spring) | -2 | Spring doubles natural healing |
| Garden | -2 per garden | Every dawn, all seasons including Winter |
Safe Harvesting Rates
With 0 Gardens:
- Non-Spring: clear 1 forest per day → net change = +5 - 1 = +4/day. Spirit enters Tension in 5 days.
- Not sustainable. Build a garden first.
With 1 Garden:
- Non-Spring: +5 - 1 - 2 = +2/day. Slow accumulation — budget ~10 clearings before hitting Tension.
- Spring: +7 - 2 - 2 = +3/day. Faster accumulation due to higher penalty.
With 2 Gardens:
- Non-Spring: +5 - 1 - 4 = 0/day. Break-even. You can clear 1 forest per day indefinitely.
- Spring: +7 - 2 - 4 = +1/day. Slight net positive — still need to pace.
With 3 Gardens:
- Non-Spring: +5 - 1 - 6 = -2/day. Net healing. Clear freely.
- Spring: +7 - 2 - 6 = -1/day. Still net healing.
The Winter Problem
The spirit doesn't heal naturally in Winter. No dawn decay occurs. But Gardens still work.
- With 0 Gardens in Winter: any anger accumulated persists until Spring.
- With 2 Gardens in Winter: -4/dawn. Spirit heals through gardens alone.
Key insight: build gardens before Winter. They're your only defense against persistent anger.
Recovery Timelines
If the spirit reaches Anger (76+) and you stop clearing:
| Gardens | Days to Harmony (from 76) | Season Assumed |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 56 days | Non-Winter |
| 1 | 26 days | Non-Winter |
| 2 | 15 days | Non-Winter |
| 3 | 10 days | Non-Winter |
| 0 | Never (in Winter) | Winter |
| 2 | 19 days | Winter |
State Consequences
| State | Meter | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Harmony | 0-20 | No effects. All is well. |
| Tension | 21-50 | Warning events in the event log. |
| Displeasure | 51-75 | Terrain effects, reduced resource yields. |
| Anger | 76+ | Active interference with the settlement. |
Interactions
- Forest Spirit — full mechanics reference
- Buildings — Garden cost (5 Wood) and placement
- Seasonal Planning — Spring vs. Winter clearing strategy
- Resources — wood sources and alternatives