I see it differently. Mother nature does not exist, there is a bundle of natural rulesets you can learn, it's always the same, predictable, without emotions. Ethel is a trap, a lyer, a creature (?) which has pleasure in killing and torturing people, at best she sees others as stuff she can kick around or destroy. She is the insane serial killer in the world. It's stupid to ask her for help, of course. But if no people would come to her, she would lure them because she needs living stuff to play with. The druids etc. she does not touch because she doesn't want a fight but only victims, like any criminal.
Mother nature is as real as Auntie Ethel, just like the nature order is as real as Auntie Ethel's principle.
Say, a city kid decides to cross a desert on foot because he thought that would be cool, he prepared none and went there and died. One shall not challenge the nature with only ego.
Auntie Ethel's storyline is the reflection of this with an image of a pagan "goddess", an ancient and powerful fey creature as in game. And since she is a humanized character, she then become qualified to be defined as Evil. But does she seek preys? I think not. Even Mayrina was sent by her sister, another fey creature just like Ethel. Ethel has the needs of a baby for whatever the fey magic she practices, but did she go village by village and tricking villagers to offer her one? Or did Ethel steal one?
I agree with the claim that says Auntie Ethel been not good, which is either neutral or evil. But as blunt as "really evil"? I don't think so. She can still be avoid. Even in BG, a fantasy world, there are ruleset about Vivify and Cure Disease, Restoration, and so on. You don't need to travel all the way down to some unfamiliar wildness instead of simply visiting a nearby temple or potion/scroll shop.
