The Nature of Good and Evil in Iskitaan
In the real world, there are two major viewpoints about the nature of good and evil. In one viewpoint, there is clear and distinct division between the two – everything can be judged in terms of wrong or right, good or evil, black or white. The other viewpoint isn't so clear cut – there is no clear dividing line between the two, there are many shades of gray between the two extremes. I subscribe to the second view.So of course, you can expect that to spill over into my role playing. Only it gets a bit more complicated than that. Why? Because in Iskitaan (and many other role playing worlds) we have the element of the supernatural. Gods and Demons. Devils and Goddesses. Supernatural, otherworldly, whatever you want to call it. Good and Evil personified. A black and white viewpoint of good and evil if there ever was one. How do you rectify the existence of such a clear cut dividing line with a viewpoint of shades of gray?
For the moment, let's concentrate on “normal” good and evil. That of people, and thus PCs and NPCs who have no connection to the supernatural. In my mind, a good part of good vs evil has to do with the choices people make. Yes, there are acts that are good or evil, but the decisions people make leading up to those acts are rarely as clear cut.
Consider for a moment, the character of Darth Vader, from Star Wars. In the original films, the “second” trilogy, Darth is clearly a bad guy, motivated by evil. Or is he? In Lucas' horrid “first” trilogy, we are introduced to young Anakin Skywalker, whom we all know will go on to become Darth Vader. While the films aren't very good at portraying that change, one thing is clear – Anakin chooses the path of the dark side because he believes it is the only way to save Padme.
He made a choice – a series of choices, rather, that led him to the path of evil. Likewise, the inhabitants of Iskitaan make choices. No humanoid villain of mine will ever be evil simply for the sake of evil. They are evil because they made choices that led them down that path.
There are many reasons, many choices that can lead someone to evil. Some of them are simple, or easily discernible but others are not. The “evil” of the Second Dark Emperor, Maddas, was quite simple – he wanted to rule Iskitaan. But the evil of one of his greatest generals, Adrian, wasn't so clear cut.
Adrian is an iconic example of an Iskitaani villain who never intended the path he ended up on. He was simply a Silv who was looking to save his beloved Luna from R'rabian slave traders. He signed on with the Night Guard in order to learn the fighting skills necessary to save her once he found her. As it became more apparent to him her location was deep within R'rabian realms, he worked hard to rise through the ranks in order to be able to command the troops necessary to invade R'Rabi and save her. He thought he needed might and power to save her – and ultimately finding she had been safe in the arms of another man all along drove him towards evil with another motivation – revenge.
Likewise, the PCs make choices throughout an adventure or campaign. But many of the actions those choices lead to could quite easily be classified as evil. Take killing – almost always considered an evil act. Now consider how many killings the average PC commits. Most PCs aren't evil, simply because of their motivations behind the killings – saving an innocent's life, bringing justice upon a cold-blooded murderer, etc. Because my NPCs have motivations for their actions, good or evil, I expect the same from the PCs – there should be a reasoned motivation behind every action they take. And not just the reason of "because it's evil."
But what about supernatural good and evil? How does this affect normal people in Iskitaan? For the most part, it doesn't. In Iskitaan, supernatural evil/good exists within the gods, or their specific creations – skitterlings, angels, etc. These creatures/creations are actually made of the same substance the gods themselves are made of. In certain cases, “normal” people, can become vessels to the raw power of supernatural evil or good.
This is most often seen manifested in the Darsilv, or Dark Elves. The Nages, or Shadows, are simply nothing more than small vestiges of the essence of Kram. His dandruff or fingernail clippings, so to speak. Elves can become attuned to these vestiges, taking them in, listening to their influence. Even then, these little portions of evil don't control the Darsilv – they just make it more likely the elf makes poor (or evil) choices. Paladins cover the other extreme – these paragon's of virtue can become hosts to the purity of good that is Rama, enabling them to always choose the righteous path.
Even more so than the real world, evil is persecuted. With a vengeance. Because in a world where supernatural evil exists, it is necessary to be vigilant against evil of any kind. Often times this persecution is over-zealous, focusing on what is merely perceived as evil, rather than only on what is truly evil. A side effect of that zealousness is that stupid evil doesn't last long in the face of the forces of good arrayed against it.
In many ways, this makes the evil people and creatures who manage to thrive in Iskitaan even more insidious. They are smart, not prone to rash acts that reveal their malevolence. This is the only way for them to realistically survive for long. And it makes them more dangerous. Those people who can't act smart and/or restrain themselves, or evil creatures driven by a need they can't control (such as vampires) simply don't survive long.
So that's my view of good and evil and how it affects Iskitaan. But that's my view and while it “controls” Iskitaan, it doesn't necessarily reflect in what the people of Iskitaan see. Like the real world, each person in Iskitaan has their own definition of what good and evil is. Some will see it in terms of black and white, others in shades of gray. Some will believe that all good and evil is supernatural based. PCs should be likewise, but players should understand my thinking as well.
GameMaster
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