Isolationist: At the beginning, finding solutions to the tribal problems. We might not be able to hunt without a body, but we can do things like guide Captain Ahab on his hunt for Moby Dick (provided Moby Dick isn't our baby) or try leading the schools of fish away from opposing shores. And, of course, we'll probably get Avatar 1 relatively quickly, and at that point we can help more directly.
As an Elemental Spirit, we have pretty much the same as any other spirit. We listen to them and try to solve their problems while also progressing whatever agenda the players have. Sure, we'll have problems undertsanding them at times, but who doesn't?
As a Fear Spirit, there are actually a manner of ways. First of all, you don't have to do anything violent to garner Fear, an implied threat can be sufficient. Fear Spirits also gather DE through Faith like regular spirits, so there's an incentive to spare at least some "cultists". On a diplomacy-level, even ignoring being a Loki-style partner there's nothing to prevent us from working together with other gods.
Let's say that we're an angry Sea spirit surrounding the Island and devouring any boat who set sail without sufficient protection from the local seafaring Spirit. We have a few opposed rolls and maybe kill a few of the locals but most of the time the Faith Spirit wins and the sailors get off with a scare. Now, the locals catch wind that another, more developed Pantheon is about to invade them via a fleet, and if they make landfall they are almost certain to win. The Faith Spirit could try to dissuade the ships himself, but his powers are more along the lines of protection and has skimped on Influence for more personal power. So instead he comes to us, the prime ship crasher, with an offer. If we focus on stopping the invaders, he'll give us a boon of some sort in return. A Fear Spirit gets power no matter who fears it, so it would actually turn into a win-win for us.
An alternative could also be the opposite, an invading force offering something of use in return for us wrecking shit up before their arrival.
Spirits could rather easily arise on our own Island, so just because we don't want to deal with them doesn't mean we won't.
My problem with Lawmaker is that it's strengths run directly counter to what I want to do.
I want to be the reason people fear leaving shore. I want to be the force that heroes and gods contest against. I want townsfolk to look upon a washed up
Vampyroteuthis infernalis and go "probably one of
their spawn". I want to be the reason why locals build the strongest ships in the world, as anything less won't make it. I an overboard sailor gape in awe as he looks at the vastness of the sea, and see it turn to terror as realises he is now in
our domain.
Is it possible to get that with Lawmaker? Yes. I mean Harzivan went from "Warrior" to "Insane Fire Lion", so it's clearly possible. Water Spirit is just a much better start for it.
(and
@redzonejoe went to sleep while I was posting, now I feel kinda like a dick. Shame that Character Creation so often turns combatative)