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In my experience, time travel has a way of working itself out in the end. It's usually more trouble to worry overmuch about it than it is to just let it run its course. Not like it comes with an instruction manual.

Soooo are we dealing with time travel and memory magic? Because that's a clusterfuck of Too Much if I've ever heard of one.

Elpis was a facility comprised of floating isles mimicking the biomes of Etheirys where all creations were tested for suitablility before being released to the star. Those that did not meet the standards were culled.

The Chief Overseer of Elpis was Hermes, and he felt very strongly against this practice. What gave them the right to decide which creatures were worthy of life?

So, after Venat, Hythlodaeus, Emet-Selch and I discovered the cause of the Final Days, Hermes decided this would be a determination of mankind's worthiness to live.

Obviously it would hardly be a fair test if man knew all of this, so he erased the past few days from Hythlodaeus' and Emet-Selch's memories. The two of them managed to help Venat and I escape unharmed, thus ensuring that I would be able to save the universe in the future.

The cause of the Final Days was Hermes wanting an answer to the meaning of life & creating a flock of hiveminded empath harpy girls to travel across the universe asking it on his behalf.

The Meteia were able to harness the energy from powerful emotions to manipulate reality.

....

jesus tapdancing fantasy christ

that's pretty fucked up, eh? like. all of it. every part

wonder if this Hermes fella would get along with John

And it was only three days of the

honestly I couldn't tell you how much time passed while I was out

but Elpis was the least fucked up part.

Hermes was really quite nice and amiable. A dork, compassionate, and never once treated me as lesser just because I was a 'familiar'. We got along well until he decided to erase our memories.

Oh, sure. An apocalypse can very easily come from some pleasant-voiced charismatic bastard in a nice suit and fancy shoes who likes to play chess and has a nice smile. That's how they get you.

Most villains I've encountered have been charismatic.

Hermes was just... pitiable. Everyone around him was content with the way things were, following societal norms without questioning it. He thought something was wrong with him for feeling sad.

I showed him that I felt sadness too, by turning a flower dark with my emotions. He had never seen the flowers change colour for anyone else before.

It's

I can never condone what he did, but I understand him. That disregard for the lives and feelings of lesser creatures. The Ancients chose when they would 'return to the star'. They had no fear of death. They didn't seem to understand that those creatures they turned back into aether — the ones they killed — never had that same comfort. That they wouldn't care if their aether was reborn again someday in another form. That they were terrified until the very end and only wished to live. It

For all that the Ancients were wonderful people, they were far from perfect. It was disconcerting... If they hadn't liked my 'concept' they could have just reappropriated my aether with barely a thought.

It is a tragedy that the Ancients failed the test of mankind's worth, yet if they had to come to an end I can hardly think of one more fitting than the Final Days.

Honestly that just seems like he lacked perspective, to me. In an entire population, in a world or universe or the whole cosmos, did he think he was somehow unique in his ability to feel sorrow, to regret the choices one has made, to take a life? Ridiculous. To not speak up is to be complacent. And to judge others for following the norms while at the same time taking away their ability to learn from their mistakes before it's too late is just as cruel as what they were doing. Call it karma if you want, sure, maybe they had it coming, but a world-ending calamity that might have been avoided kills not only the Ancients but all of those creations he felt so sorry for. Vengeance cycles are just tiresome excuses to cause damage because you're hurting.

The majority of the Ancients I met lacked perspective in one way or another, and a number of those were happy to listen to my thoughts and allow their perspectives to broaden even the slightest bit. With the right prompting they all could have changed for the better.

Hermes needed help and wasn't strong enough to seek it all his own, even if it was available to him. It's unfortunate. Sad. If he had had a friend I'm sure events would have played out much differently, but there is no changing the past. And even if I could, I wouldn't — not when the cost would be my world's future.

His initial actions were not out of vengeance or cruelty, but were misguided and selfish. I cannot say the same of his Sundered soul. Fandaniel was an utter piece of shite.

Motives matter a hell of a lot less than people think they do. Especially the ones justifying themselves. Oh they love their motives. Friends can't save those types, for all that they might try.

And that's why time travel sucks. You see the flaws of the past laid bare, and you can't change a goddamn thing about it or you risk losing everything you know. Or maybe you create a new future for yourself, but in the process abandon everyone you'd met since before that fractured path existed. There's no good options.

Motive matters to me. It may not change what someone has done, nor does it lessen the severity of their actions, but if there is a chance for them to redeem themselves I will not kill them unless given no other options. I'm so tired of all the killing

That's your cross to bear, bud. For some there's no amount of redemption that could merit their continued existence. Especially when prolonging their life means the end of countless others.

'I will not kill them unless given no other options'

If their continued existence would end the existence of another I tend to categorize that as 'no other options'

I am fine 'bearing this cross'. I am not fine with taking lives unnecessarily as, unlike Hermes, I do not believe it my place to judge a person's right to live. If you believe differently so be it. It is not my place to judge that, either.

But if it cheers you any: Hermes' reincarnation is dead and gone, dragged to the deepest pits of Hell. He realized his folly far too late to ever be saved.

I'm indifferent on the topic. I don't know this fella, I've no skin in that game, I don't care if he lived or died. I'm not judging you, either. Save who you want, save when you can. Be a hero and thrive on those convictions. I have never claimed to be one, and I know myself well enough to not want to.

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