Fact: Tse Gaiyan as a whole is not, nor has it ever been, focused on druidry.
Fact: Tse Gaiyan is a large organization with an old history going back -at least- several hundred years with chapterhouses spread all over Arad. The quarantine zone is certainly a "hot" area, but it should not be considered the entirety of Tse Gaiyan. Both the resen and the Tse Gaiyan exist outside of the quarantine and have for quite some time.
Fact: Tse Gaiyan was founded by a group of Fasa warriors, who later assimilated some Viali into their ranks to form the Utasa. I've always viewed the organization as a whole more akin to the Wyrvardn and to a lesser extent the Templar, but with a LOT more freedom and a radical movement against the resen.
Fact: Tse Gaiyan's primary goal has always been as an anti-resen force. They will use -any- means necessary to this end, including what some would consider underhanded or uncouth. Such as spying, sabotage, or even manipulating druidry as a tool rather than a way of life. This is what frequently gets them a bad reputation with others.
Observation: The original creator of this guild, Rithiel, never really put that much emphasis on druidry and spirituality. We did go through a phase of "Ugh, all those loggers causing distress and no one doing anything about it!" frustrations, but druidry and spirituality was never a focus under Rithiel's tenure as Tse Gaiyan guru and creator.
Observation: Vinz is an awesome dude, and was a great and productive GM, and someone I still consider a good friend of mine (Who I really need to play more video games with!). He was really, really, into all that spirituality and druidry stuff, and it showed during his guruship of Tse Gaiyan. I'm not saying it was wrong. However, at some point, we were having discussions and enlightened him to the above facts, after which he held a big Skype meeting with a bunch of the then-active Tse Gaiyan members and told them, "Listen guys, we need to go back to focusing on our anti-resen activity. Druidry is a tool we use, not the focus.".
A lot of people were really confused by this, after what seemed like a sudden shift towards "druid" and then a sudden shift back away from it and then being told they're a soldier of a somewhat militaristic organization who's goal is to purge the resen from the land. Some people complained. Some people quit. Some people chose to retcon their character's story. Some people refused to accept the change and just complained ICly that things are "different" even though they're really "returning to the way they should have always been."
Fact: It's a really messy situation when a guruship changes from one GM, to another, and then yet another. (Just ask anyone who has regularly spoken with Shar over the last 3 years) I'm now the third person involved here. And while I actually knew Rithiel while she was a SGM, the majority of Tse Gaiyan history, lore, and secrets are still lost with her. We're trying to pick up the pieces here, and doing the best we can. Some people may be a bit upset at the "flip-flop" and such, but really when it comes down to it, I'm just trying to stick as close to canon as I can here.
In closing: You're free to be a spiritual character and hold druidry dear to you, no one is telling you otherwise. One of the lovely things about the Tse Gaiyan is how they are sworn to protect freedom and personal choice. If your personal choice is that of a druidic lifestyle, all the more power to you. However, when the call to arms is made, a member of Tse Gaiyan is first and foremost a soldier in the war against the resen infestation. The only people who -should- ever be "removed" from the guild are:
All members are expected to answer the call when Tse Gaiyan chooses to act as an Organization. This is generally done when there is an obvious resen threat, or after long deliberation. If they don't, they may be asked to leave. In general, the only other actions that can constitute being kicked out are not taking responsibility for actions or deliberately sabotaging Tse Gaiyan actions. Members are always considered under the command of the Praetor of their Chapterhouse, and only the Praetor can make decisions about removal from the organization.
