Returning from a long absence - have some questions

Nanook

I'm thinking about returning to the realm from a VERY long (read: 15ish years IRL) absence. The last time I logged in, I was in a pretty sorry state: naked, hungry, and suffering damage from it. I read about a TON of changes that have happened so instead of trying to not die immediately upon re-entering while trying to learn about things, I thought I'd ask here.

Also, for some reference, I'm from so far back that we (sentinels) had the skillsets of Groves, Concoctions, and Metamorphosis (just like the Druids...but we were way cooler).

1. WHY IN THE LOGOS did our skills change?? I want my old skills back, but apparently even the Druids got screwed out of concoctions since it's not a thing anymore. What are my options? I've read up on this whole woodlore and skirmishing thing and it's not really my jam. I'd rather go to the Druids to at least get my grove back.

2. Would anyone be willing to coordinate with me to deliver some food in-game so I can stop passing out (and thus logging out due to frustration)?

3. Are the old gods still around? Lupus? Sarapis? They were my faves...want to make sure

4. At this point, do you think I'm so used to the old ways that it would be redundant to return to the realm (and instead start a different game like Aetolia or Imperian) or actually try to pick up where I left off?

Also - anyone from way back then have any really pertinent advice for me?

Caelan

1) The skills we had 15yrs ago were the second coming anyway so this is the 3rd-ish.  Once you get used to it, they aren't terrible and they just fixed pet management so it wasn't such a PITA.

4) Return.  You can always change class, and both houses in Eleusis allow Druids and you can now have multiple classes (I have 5).

Laedha

Welcome back! 

@1 - I think you'll like them once you get used to them. Concoctions became a tradeskill, one of a lot of cool new ones. Survival comes automatically as you level so you might have a bunch of lessons refunded, if you had put any into survival. 

@2 - I sent you a letter with some food in it

@3 - Most of the old gods aren't still around but some are. Currently active are (I think) Vastar, Babel, Twilight, Sartan, Pandora, Neraeos, Aegis, Phaestis. 

@4 - I'd give it a try here first. Achaea's population is bigger than the other games, so unless you really prefer the atmosphere of one of the others, I don't see a reason to switch. Just have an open mind and I think it'll surprise you how fast things come back and how much hasn't changed. My absence was more like 9 years but I'm having a blast. There have been SO many quality of life improvements. You can store potions in your Rift and stock up instead of carrying around dozens of vials, you can WALK TO landmarks and denizens, there's an auto-curing system native to the web client..... it's pretty great. 

@advice from old people - Join an org! The only city you could join as a forestal class is Eleusis, but if you're not attached to the class, you could switch and start fresh somewhere else. Or stay forestal class and join the Merchant house or the CIJ. Even if you end up leaving to become rogue later, it'll give you an instant group of people ready to help you out.