DAO and the Problem of Evil!
No, really. They actually get into some cool theology in there. Also, the cultures and politics is fascinating. The histories that are shrouded (hidden?) in legend are intriguing.
But for now, here: have a theological problem.
In the "real" world (unless, y'know, we're also somebody's video game...), classical monotheism has a problem. Of evil. You probably know the one I'm talking about.
1. God exists.
2. God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent.
3. Evil exists.
There are a number of different ways apologetics wangle themselves out of this problem. DAO takes the "God is a jackass" route:
Yes, the Maker is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent. But after some mages decided to storm the Fade and take over the Golden City (the Maker's original headquarters--later dubbed the Black City after the birth of the darkspawn), the Maker threw them out, departed the Fade, and turned his back on the world he'd created.
When the mages were thrown back to earth, they became the first darkspawn, and the Blights were born. So now, every few hundred years, the darkspawn dig up another Old God dragon, turn it into an Archdemon, and start merrily wreaking havoc on civilization.
So if I lived in a world where horrible quasi-zombie-monster things started pouring up from the ground and using people as stew ingredients, I might wonder what the hell God was doing, too.
Omniscient, check. Omnipotent, check. Omnibenevolent, not so much. Problem solved.
Oh, and along with the Maker, there are the nature spirits of the elves, the Ancestors of the dwarves, and the Old Gods which the Maker sent into permanent hibernation after people had been spending too much time worshiping them instead of him. (Jealous God, check.)
I love smart games.
But for now, here: have a theological problem.
In the "real" world (unless, y'know, we're also somebody's video game...), classical monotheism has a problem. Of evil. You probably know the one I'm talking about.
1. God exists.
2. God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent.
3. Evil exists.
There are a number of different ways apologetics wangle themselves out of this problem. DAO takes the "God is a jackass" route:
Yes, the Maker is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent. But after some mages decided to storm the Fade and take over the Golden City (the Maker's original headquarters--later dubbed the Black City after the birth of the darkspawn), the Maker threw them out, departed the Fade, and turned his back on the world he'd created.
When the mages were thrown back to earth, they became the first darkspawn, and the Blights were born. So now, every few hundred years, the darkspawn dig up another Old God dragon, turn it into an Archdemon, and start merrily wreaking havoc on civilization.
So if I lived in a world where horrible quasi-zombie-monster things started pouring up from the ground and using people as stew ingredients, I might wonder what the hell God was doing, too.
Omniscient, check. Omnipotent, check. Omnibenevolent, not so much. Problem solved.
Oh, and along with the Maker, there are the nature spirits of the elves, the Ancestors of the dwarves, and the Old Gods which the Maker sent into permanent hibernation after people had been spending too much time worshiping them instead of him. (Jealous God, check.)
I love smart games.