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martinl · 10-03-2017, 03:43 PM

There's been a bit of back and forth about demons, but if we take a step back, what exactly IS the cosmology, implied or explicit, of DF?

Good, Evil, Bunny, Squid is only sort of a joke, since the GEBS categorization works for a lot of things.

Some random evidence I've observed:

Capital G "Good" seems implacably in opposition to capital E "Evil," and vice versa. Both are associated with advantages and disads that are roughly in line with common conceptions of those moralities. They are not REQUIRED to have any of these however. A delver can have a lot of power that is Good without seeming to be a good person. It all seems very faux biblical.

Natural power seems to have little in the way of morality other than SoD: Nature. Despite this common SoD, they are not razing Civilization to the ground.

"Things" are nutzy-kookoo Lovecraftian evil, and seem conflated with "Evil" evil in the minds of most folks. SPOILERS IN FOOTNOTE [1]

Lots of stuff is "truly evil" which seems to mostly mean that you shouldn't try to ever cut a deal with it, and is a qualifier for certain powers to work against it. Seen it apply to Evilies AND Squiddies.

Hell seems to be a place in DF. Maybe Heaven, but I'm not sure.

Squid come from Somewhere Else, I think. Visiting is probably not recommended.

Nature may have its own special Place (Faerie?) but that is not a sure thing.

There are Elemental planes, right? Natural elementals live in the setting, but the summoned ones are from the planes, I think.

Lots of stuff needs magic, and it doesn't seem to have any associated moral compass or location. I am unclear on if sanctity of various sorts is loosely tied to magic (mana) or completely separate from it. (There do not seem to be direct ties, but the spell mechanisms are very similar...)

Weird magic critters are often dependent on mana. This has more to do with being weird than with ties between magic and any facet of GEBS though.

Souls seem to be a verifiable thing.

Undead are a thing, but seem to be mixture of power sources, including magic, evil, and squid.

Chi is another thing entirely from all of this.

Other thoughts, observations, theories?

[1] Including the folks in the intro adventure.

10-03-2017, 03:43 PM	#1
martinl Join Date: Jan 2006	DF Implied Cosmology There's been a bit of back and forth about demons, but if we take a step back, what exactly IS the cosmology, implied or explicit, of DF? Good, Evil, Bunny, Squid is only sort of a joke, since the GEBS categorization works for a lot of things. Some random evidence I've observed: Capital G "Good" seems implacably in opposition to capital E "Evil," and vice versa. Both are associated with advantages and disads that are roughly in line with common conceptions of those moralities. They are not REQUIRED to have any of these however. A delver can have a lot of power that is Good without seeming to be a good person. It all seems very faux biblical. Natural power seems to have little in the way of morality other than SoD: Nature. Despite this common SoD, they are not razing Civilization to the ground. "Things" are nutzy-kookoo Lovecraftian evil, and seem conflated with "Evil" evil in the minds of most folks. SPOILERS IN FOOTNOTE [1] Lots of stuff is "truly evil" which seems to mostly mean that you shouldn't try to ever cut a deal with it, and is a qualifier for certain powers to work against it. Seen it apply to Evilies AND Squiddies. Hell seems to be a place in DF. Maybe Heaven, but I'm not sure. Squid come from Somewhere Else, I think. Visiting is probably not recommended. Nature may have its own special Place (Faerie?) but that is not a sure thing. There are Elemental planes, right? Natural elementals live in the setting, but the summoned ones are from the planes, I think. Lots of stuff needs magic, and it doesn't seem to have any associated moral compass or location. I am unclear on if sanctity of various sorts is loosely tied to magic (mana) or completely separate from it. (There do not seem to be direct ties, but the spell mechanisms are very similar...) Weird magic critters are often dependent on mana. This has more to do with being weird than with ties between magic and any facet of GEBS though. Souls seem to be a verifiable thing. Undead are a thing, but seem to be mixture of power sources, including magic, evil, and squid. Chi is another thing entirely from all of this. Other thoughts, observations, theories? [1] Including the folks in the intro adventure.