Talk of put me in mind of something that hasn't really been discussed before, at least not in the books. Since everyone is immortal, it follows that every criminally insane psychopath in cosmic history is an Elder God as well. In my mind, this compromises the validity of the"enemy's" arguments. If you are being influenced by billions (or more) creatures with the mentality and morality of Joseph Stalin and Ted Bundy, each with the power of literal Greek gods, then there's trouble in paradise. The implication is obvious. The well-adjusted Elder Gods (probably the vast majority of them) might be doing just fine; perhaps they're even happy. Think about it; "alone in the void" may not be what you'd expect if you have the mental ability to reach back in time to influence others. It could be that each one of them has something like the Matrix going on and is lost in a timeless wonderland, and only the Elder Gods who were crazy from the beginning are causing problems, too bored with torturing the hapless automata in their heads.
You might counter that Dareg's reaction to the void, contrasted by the many who couldn't handle a similar experience, tells a different story, but that was just the supposition of Dareg and Zack, neither of whom know the real situation at the end of time. Even Zack doesn't know if the end of time looks like the void. Neither can say what the actual experience of an Elder God is, nor do they know what such power can do for them. Nor do we have an explanation for the various hints of the afterlife made in the books, which opens up another point of debate entirely in the context of the end of time. I think it's telling that prophecy seems to work in many realities and that afterlife creatures with this capability appear to be aiding in the battle against the mad gods. After all, if you "die" into another parallel version of you, apparently without know it, what are you doing as an "angel" or other sort of spirit who can communicate with others as if you knew your old life?
You might counter that Dareg's reaction to the void, contrasted by the many who couldn't handle a similar experience, tells a different story, but that was just the supposition of Dareg and Zack, neither of whom know the real situation at the end of time. Even Zack doesn't know if the end of time looks like the void. Neither can say what the actual experience of an Elder God is, nor do they know what such power can do for them. Nor do we have an explanation for the various hints of the afterlife made in the books, which opens up another point of debate entirely in the context of the end of time. I think it's telling that prophecy seems to work in many realities and that afterlife creatures with this capability appear to be aiding in the battle against the mad gods. After all, if you "die" into another parallel version of you, apparently without know it, what are you doing as an "angel" or other sort of spirit who can communicate with others as if you knew your old life?
