What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[Misplaced_Marbles]

(No, I still have not forgotten the very beginning of the game when Gridania had me murder a bunch of Qiqirn for the crime of stealing an egg.)

At least they have a good reason for that, namely, the fact that the elementals would flip out and kill everyone...or so the lore and characters keep stating, regardless of the fact they never do much of anything (until the plot demands they do SOMETHING), even though there's been lot worse slights and desecrations happening in their little forest.