Tension

[Niqote]

The name likely would have made more sense to you in 1.0.

The forest itself is known to take the lives of anyone who does not heed the Elementals, a danger often referred to as the "woodwrath". This makes it a natural filter against those would would bear arms against Gridania, though that hasn't stopped the Ixal, Ala Mhigo, or Garlemald from trying.

We also had a lot of dangerous mobs and getting the aetherytes all over the shroud was a good challenge esp. Solo. The cutscenes from 1.0 showing the Elementals spiriting away wood wailers and the explanation of the significance of the masks they wear also didn't transition that well.

In the time of version 1.0, a sort of barrier called the Hedge once prevented outsiders from being subjected to violent elemental nature. Trespassing into the Twelveswood in 1.0 brought foreigners into contact with a pristine environment, and those foreigners carried "woodsin" or earned "greenwrath" as a result. The forest would perceive outsiders much like antibodies attack a virus. The Hedge could occasionally falter in 1.0. Now in A Realm Reborn and Heavensward, the Hedge itself is severely weakened because of the Calamity and there's no sign of it in the Shroud as you travel around save one location: the Ixali Logging Grounds and it is said that Ixal are attempting to hack through the Hedge while it's weakened.

And then there was the map:


And a bonus:

[ZioSerpe]

And then there was the map:

Still gives me PTSD