[Exercise] Scenario Writing Quandary

[Tolemykus]

When writing a miniatures game scenario, or even an rpg, I like to come up with a general overview of a story then pose questions to give the players more information with a small amount of words. I strive to put them in a more active state of participation to help them understand the situation more than just reading a passive tale. Some players tend to shy away from these types of moral and ethical questions while others step to the front. If you are one of the latter, let me know how you fare. Here is one of them.

Kazzakyr
   It is the world of Kazzakyr. It is a world of good and evil. Magic is easy to obtain and is incredibly powerful to practitioners. Adventurers travel the world seeking relics of a previous age to grow in power so that they can defeat their enemies. Evil is not automatically persecuted. Only those who seek the path of destruction are brought to death and justice. Who's justice is the question.

   Twin sibling adventurers have each acquired one such relic. One of good and one of evil. They have vowed not to adventure for quests of morality, but ones of ambiguity so that they can adventure together. One such quest is to destroy Jalindoth, the Destroyer of Life. It is said he will wipe out all life from the face of Kazzakyr.

   The sibling who follows the strict tenets of good wishes to prevent the people of the world from certain death. They can then lead a life of happiness and joy. The sibling who follows evil wishes to be first to claim they saved the people. This will give them great power and many will follow and worship the one who saves them.

   Jalindoth is a simple farmer. He has led a life of poverty and helps anyone who asks. His farms are well known and produce more than any other farm in the world. His life fills him with great joy. He has no knowledge of the events that are about to transpire and his soul is pure.

   The seers of the land claim he will be the cause of great loss of life. The gods command this be prevented and he must be slain on sight even though he has not committed any act that would hurt anyone. Would it be evil to kill someone for actions that are not yet taken? How can anyone be sure that Jalindoth will be the catalyst, and even if slain, will another take his place?

   The arduous journey was long and painful for both siblings. They were tested both physically and mentally. However, they persevered and found Jalindoth. Their deities each have commanded them to kill Jalindoth on sight and give no quarter.

   Both siblings have a crisis of consciousness. How can killing this man be both an act of good and evil simultaneously? Will taking this action be true to their morality and can they deny their god's command?

   The farmer was slain. At the moment of his death spores were released. They were contained by powerful primordial magic not seen since the creation of the world. These spores produced a phage so incompatible with life that all life on the face of the world dies within 50 years.

   The gods were stunned. Even they had no idea who this being was. Jalindoth was one of the world's creators. He was cursed by his fellow creators for disobeying the group's tenets. His omnipotence was removed and his immortality was the only thing that kept the people of the world from dying.

Questions: (These are for analysis. No need to post answers to these, unless you want to)
1. Were both siblings true to their beliefs?
2. Did both siblings take the correct actions?
3. Were the gods too hasty in their commandment even though the seer's visions were true?
4. Was this event preventable?
5. Did your mind give the siblings a gender even though the story did not supply any?
6. Did you get bored before you finished reading this story?
7. Should the siblings have listened to their gods without question?
8. Can an act be both good and evil?
9. Which sibling do you think actually killed Jalindoth?
10. There has always been a great discussion about what good and evil mean. Some think it is a mystical, spiritual, moral, ethical or choice concept. Some refer to it in absolute terms. Some think it to be more ambiguous. There are others still that see it having multiple degrees of severity. What is your good and evil compass?

The questions help me decide a scenario's purpose and give the players something to work towards. They end up being the point of the objectives. They just have to live with the consequences of their actions, good or bad.

Anyone interested can feel free to hit me hard and fast. I can only improve through intense objectivity. Thanks!