As many people have stated before that good and evil is just perspective. You live your life as you see fit and if you do something that you needed to do to survive, but another sees you do the same thing and thinks it is a waste of time or effort or just selfish indulgent... well which is it?

As SireofDragons said

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There can't be more then one truth. Only many lies. We'll all find out someday.

Well I believe there to be many truths creating a larger truth, which in turn could have many truths...etc.. Such as gravity... it effects us now but in an existential form of life would it effect us then? Like he/she said, We'll find out someday.

Also on Baralis, he could just be wanting to survive. I myself believe him not to be evil for wishing to live, tho some of his choices could cause evil.

[quote="tharkun"]

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does that lead us to the question of free will?

Ha ha. Well, I guess it might. "Free Willy 4: The Director's Cut" might be more appropriate. Whales know about determinism and free will right?

I am taking two of your quote here that were not found next together.

Azmodan wrote:

As many people have stated before that good and evil is just perspective. Also on Baralis, he could just be wanting to survive. I myself believe him not to be evil for wishing to live, tho some of his choices could cause evil.

First off, on the relativity of evil, I think that what the word evil hold many different meanings. For example there are four very different ways that I use the word evil Three definitions of evil are looser and more about "perspective". The fourth is the biblical meaning of evil, which though more nuanced than the other meanings is not a human perspective. It is about God's perspective. So to conclude my first comment I think what we all mean by evil is different from each other and the more we articulate our definitions the more we all will see how different our perspectives all are on so many levels.

Second issue: Is Baralis Evil?
I will admit that in this new series that Baralis' intentions are masked. Since I don't know his intentions at all, I therefore cannot know if what he has done is evil (notice some people will cite actions to prove, while I cite intentions). But in the last book he was clearly evil. Let us remember that he enabled Prince and later King Kylock to do horrible things. Remember his goal. He wanted to make Kylock ruler of all the Known Lands and then he would poison his son Kylock; thereby debilitating him so that the advisor could be the real ruler. And I don't seem to recall Baralis ever secretly desiring to bring about world peace or to feed the hungry. His moments of compasion were rather rare. Instead he enabled his son to rape and torture women! And for fun! I don't even remember him having doubts about his coarse of action. He even killed a maid in Lord Maybor's bed just to get vengence against the powerful lord. Don't get me wrong. I think he could be changed person. Who he is now is very well hidden. I expect his character to be "masked" for a while longer because it adds mystery to the series for readers not to know what role Baralis will play.

I need to edit this for spelling later

Technically, there are more characters that have carried over. In particular the very first chapter of A Cavern Of Black Ice.

There will be more, I can feel it in my bones. In fact, I'm hoping we've already come across them, just not found out yet.

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Death smiled as she withdrew. Kill an army for me, Raif Sevrance. Any less and I just might call you back.

Baralis is beyond evil. His hunger for power is all that keeps him going - harken back to Book of Words, after all. If my suspicions are anywhere near correct, Ash being Tarissa's daughter means that there is a very strong chance that she is Jack's daughter, which would also explain her power.

Should this be the case, and were Baralis to discover it, he would most likely do anything to oppose our protagonists, not only as an accomplice of the Endlords, but for revenge against the heir of the architect of his destruction.

quixoticfruit:

I like the revenge against the heir idea. Makes sense. Would be interesting to see what happens with any revelations about Ash's parentage, if there are going to be any.

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Death smiled as she withdrew. Kill an army for me, Raif Sevrance. Any less and I just might call you back.