I'd like to note that it'd have to be within reason. Zhen shouldn't be allowed to ask an entire dryadic community of a tens of thousands who'd been living in the area for a couple of centuries to move just because he wants a new highway for example. We'd need to work out specifics. Maybe define national borders or something? I have no idea.
EDIT: And because quite honestly this feels like quite a concession on my part, I'd like some sort of compensation if at all possible, since otherwise it'd seem like I'm giving in to threats of war. I'm just not in the mood for a war atm.
Nothing like that. Not moving an entire forest. It's more like just letting a pathway through the forest. For farmland, that's a bit different. And you say it feels like a concession on your part, but letting you slaughter lumberjacks for trying to feed their families feels like inaction on mine.
You are the one killing people. I'm offering compromise, but it's not gonna be me creating new sources of construction material or fuel(bamboo and fuel trees would probably work, though I'm probably forgetting quite a few things as to what needs types of wood other than bamboo), purely out of my own pocket. You'd need to chip in quite a bit too.
Although, aquaculture might help. Who, I'm not sure, but underwater trees, or underwater cities/farms, would be an interesting idea to optimize space.
As for a translation, he's asking if you are going to refuse, or get your people to refuse to compromise, reminding you that he's part of a pantheon(and the unspoken implication is he feels like he can overpower you without undue risk), and asking that if we are going to go to war, we set up rules of engagement to prevent a similar scenario with god-killing weapons and shit like with Zenurion that got people locked up. Basically, a war so the war doesn't go on forever and a day, but also doesn't result in one of our deaths or unnecessary collateral damage(which would mean, incidentally, I wouldn't be committing tree genocide in a bid to ruin your Influence, and would probably focus instead on those Dryads and shit that are murdering people).
Also, BiggerFish, there is no inherent pantheon bonus. It comes from cooperation discounts and shit on this stuff. And considering that Zhin, at least, is probably gonna be pretty stubborn about making Sylvan work with him/us/people to fund the creation of alternate sources of stuff, well...he's not gonna want to fund something unless she's gonna help. Partially a matter of principle, partially a matter of power dynamics.