Is Dagoth Ur really evil, or just misguided?

[Man of Conscience]

I often come across mentions that Dagoth Ur is "evil" or "pure evil".
He doesn't seem that way to me. He just seems misguided.

He's got a misguided idea for a better Morrowind, and he's pursuing
it, and he doesn't mind if lots of people suffer blight on the way.
That means he's misguided, not evil, because he's not intent on
harming anyone, he just wants his ideal of a better Morrowind.

Also, he offers to let the Nerevarine join him, become partners, and
rule Morrowind together. A lot of people seem to think he doesn't
really mean that, but what if he does? That would show he's not such a
bad dude, after all.

The ending only allows the player to end the main quest one way, but I
think it would be fun to have an ending which enables you to be able
to choose whether to rule Morrowind alongside Dagoth Ur. (That would
probably piss Azura off altogether!)

Lord Voryn Dagoth and Lord Nerevarine Dagoth, ruling Morrowind
together. That has a nice ring to it, doesn't it!

MoC

[ManaUser]

Post by Man of Conscience
I often come across mentions that Dagoth Ur is "evil" or "pure evil".
He doesn't seem that way to me. He just seems misguided.
He's got a misguided idea for a better Morrowind, and he's pursuing
it, and he doesn't mind if lots of people suffer blight on the way.
That means he's misguided, not evil, because he's not intent on
harming anyone, he just wants his ideal of a better Morrowind.

Misguided is certainly a nice way to put it. :) Besides "evil" another
popular choice would be "insane". All may be accurate to some degree.

I guess it partly depends on what one means by "evil". It sounds like
you're using a rather narrow definition. Very few people try to cause
death and misery just for its own sake, that's not a very realistic
definition of evil. Another way to define evil is selfishness taken to
an extreme. Does Dagoth Ur really want to help Morrowind, or does he
just want power for himself? Or revenge perhaps? The most likely
verion of events appears to be that he was betrayed by Nerevar and
the Tribunal.

Then there's the insanity angle. He tapped into something way too
powerful to handle safely. Litterally the heart of the world, if you
believe the myths. And without the aid of the proper tools no less.
That sounds like more than enough to unhinge anyone.

[DeAnn]

Post by ManaUser

Post by Man of Conscience
I often come across mentions that Dagoth Ur is "evil" or "pure evil".
He doesn't seem that way to me. He just seems misguided.
He's got a misguided idea for a better Morrowind, and he's pursuing
it, and he doesn't mind if lots of people suffer blight on the way.
That means he's misguided, not evil, because he's not intent on
harming anyone, he just wants his ideal of a better Morrowind.

Misguided is certainly a nice way to put it. :) Besides "evil" another
popular choice would be "insane". All may be accurate to some degree.
I guess it partly depends on what one means by "evil". It sounds like
you're using a rather narrow definition. Very few people try to cause
death and misery just for its own sake, that's not a very realistic
definition of evil. Another way to define evil is selfishness taken to
an extreme. Does Dagoth Ur really want to help Morrowind, or does he
just want power for himself? Or revenge perhaps? The most likely
verion of events appears to be that he was betrayed by Nerevar and
the Tribunal.
Then there's the insanity angle. He tapped into something way too
powerful to handle safely. Litterally the heart of the world, if you
believe the myths. And without the aid of the proper tools no less.
That sounds like more than enough to unhinge anyone.
--
Remove "banana" from my address to reply.

The Temple calls him "evil" because he is trying to destroy the
Tribunal.

[Man of Conscience]

Post by ManaUser
I guess it partly depends on what one means by "evil". It sounds like
you're using a rather narrow definition. Very few people try to cause
death and misery just for its own sake, that's not a very realistic
definition of evil.

Yes, nearly everyone who is thought of as "evil" could be defined as
"misguided" instead. We all have mixed motives, don't we!

Post by ManaUser
Another way to define evil is selfishness taken to
an extreme. Does Dagoth Ur really want to help Morrowind, or does he
just want power for himself? Or revenge perhaps?

I tend to think that Dagoth Ur is motivated by both. If his lust for
power was greater than his desire to help Morrowind, then he would be
evil. But from his speeches and writings, he does seem to genuinely
want to help Morrowind.

Post by ManaUser
Then there's the insanity angle. He tapped into something way too
powerful to handle safely. Literally the heart of the world, if you
believe the myths. And without the aid of the proper tools no less.
That sounds like more than enough to unhinge anyone.

Yes, he seems to have obtained a certain degree of great power, and
the taste of that power makes him want full power. At this stage he's
dependent on the Heart of Lorkhan, (and perhaps is confined to a small
area by it, to avoid loss of power) but he wants full power, to be
independent, and gain rulership over Morrowind, so he asks the
Nerevarine to bring him the remaining tools of Kagrenac, Sunder and
Keening.

If Dagoth Ur would be satisfied with full power, at that point, and
use it to serve Morrowind, perhaps we could think of him as sane. But
if used his powers only to serve himself, he could become a mad
dictator. I'd like to have a go at being an invincible god for a
while. If it got boring, I could start the game again.

Perhaps I should allow myself just one game in God mode, to try it
out. :)

Man of Conscience