01. voice. angels dancing on the head of a pin

[ikanteven]

[ Chidi has been contemplating it ever since his arrival—what does the fact that people have powers here mean for the state of ethics in this world? Are people being responsible with what they’ve been given? Is everyone here like him, a person who could never have dreamed of having these types of powers in the worlds he came from?

In the end, he makes a decision that he needs to get more input before deciding. The communicator he’s been given is familiar technology, and he has no problem navigating its interface. He turns on the voice function and begins to broadcast. ]

I have a question for everyone here. Actually, a few questions. I’d like to get everyone’s input, if I can—don’t feel like you’re bothering me with your answer. I want to know everyone’s experience with this and everyone’s opinion.

First, a little background on me. My field of expertise is in the field of ethics and moral philosophy. I have written a lot about this subject, and I’d like to start a new study based on how these fields may be different in this world than in the one I was trained in.

So, here are my questions:

One: Do you personally come from a world where people have the kinds of powers that they have here? Furthermore, did you have powers yourself?

Two: If so, what were the moral and ethical implications of people deciding to use these powers, or choosing not to use them? And if not, do you feel a moral and ethical obligation to use your powers to help people?

And three: Do you consider yourself a good person?

Comments

[ikanteven]

And you've met these two? Or know people who have?

[governorkang]

The only god I've spoken with is Takhisis, the head of the evil pantheon. I served her for many years until I realized that I was expendable to her. As for the others, I have seen all of them gathered, once. [A pause, his voice serious.] It would take a while to explain why such a rare thing happened. I'm just glad their attention wasn't on me.

[ikanteven]

I see. So you served the forces of evil until you realized they were evil even toward you.

I'd be interested in learning more about the gathering. As you're willing to tell it, of course.

[governorkang]

It doesn't matter what someone's morals are. No one likes being lied to and used. [He snorts.] I'm still not what most here would consider good - I know exactly who and what I am, what all my kind are, and I take care of what's mine.

[He's never lied about who he is, and he's not about to start now.

He takes a breath.]

The first thing to understand is that although there is a balance, it doesn't mean that all the gods care much for it. Takhisis was one such god. Her ambitions were great, and led her to start many wars in her attempts to put all of Krynn under her control. It was one of those wars that led to my kind's creation. She had all the eggs of the good dragons stolen and forced them to take an oath of noninterference if they ever wished to get them back safely. But of course, she lied, and made us draconians to be her shock troops. The good dragons eventually found out and joined the war, turning the tides against her.

[ikanteven]

I'm fascinated by this. Thank you for being so frank. I'm not sure everyone in your position would be.

And so...you are an artificial life form of some type?

[governorkang]

[Dryly:]

I don't see the point in lying. All it would take is an elf or a Solamnic knight from my world showing up here to reveal the truth.

[A quick pause, and he continues.]

Created by magic from the stolen eggs, yes, but flesh and blood the same as you.

About thirty years after the war ended, a god who had been imprisoned for millenia was released. He claimed to be Chaos, the Father of All and Nothing, and wanted to return Krynn to nothingness. Of course, we all quite liked existing, and the other gods didn't want to lose their pet mortals. It took the efforts of all twenty-one gods along with many mortals to defeat him and his armies, and even then, all that could be done was imprison him once again. [He snorts.] With all the other gods distracted, Takhisis saw her chance, and once Chaos was dealt with, she stole the world to another plane entirely.

[ikanteven]

Do you know...

[ Chidi is busy scribbling down Kang's response, but he tries to talk while he's writing. ]

...I experienced the afterlife where I'm from. And it doesn't resemble any of this. There were no gods with armies and created creatures. Just judges with desks and paper pushers and bureaucracy.

[governorkang]

You wouldn't be the first brought here after dying in their own universe. It's rare to hear of any that experienced an afterlife of any kind, though.

Are you sure it wasn't hell? It certainly sounds like hell to me.

[ikanteven]

They call it 'the Bad Place' where they're from.

[governorkang]

The Bad Place. That's an oversimplification.

Where was I? Oh, right.

For nearly forty years, no one knew exactly what had happened. There was a strange new moon in the sky, monstrous dragons bigger than anything we'd ever seen appeared and claimed vast territories, killing off many of ours, and the wizards and clerics lost their access to their spells. A new war entirely began, with the intent of forcing everyone to follow a new god, the One God. [A snort.] It was Takhisis, of course, having regained her strength.

[ikanteven]

Of course it was. And she was probably asking for strict obedience, is that correct?

[governorkang]

Complete subjugation. Nothing less.

There was a final battle, in the city of Sanction. Until then, I and my people had stayed uninvolved, but I decided that we would assist the elven and Solamnic forces in defeating her army. Shortly after arriving and joining the fight, I and my general were teleported to the large temple just outside of the city, along with several others of note. She wanted both her champions and her enemies to watch as she was finally able to fully enter the mortal plane and become invincible.

Unfortunately for her, the other gods had finally found where she'd hidden the world, and came to exact their punishment.

[ikanteven]

[ Chidi shakes his head to himself. This is incredible, just incredible. ]

I believe that you must have come away from that pretty convinced of your own worth and abilities, then.

[governorkang]

It only makes sense that she would summon me, as I am the Lord-Governor of my people's nation. I was one of many heads of state present.

[He says it in a matter-of-fact tone. It wasn't that he was special in some way; it was only because of his title. He continues after a several second pause.]

I've heard it asked, "How do you kill a god?" The answer is quite simple, really. Make them mortal.

And that is exactly what happened. But, because of the balance, her opposite also had to become mortal. He walked out of that temple. She did not.