Quote Originally Posted by Kordarion View Post
For your second point the reason I would argue that your line of thinking is worse in that case is that sure Venat stole people's agency when it came to being an ancient and living in their society, which I agree is wrong, but then sort of didn't afterwards. Obviously we know she messed around occasionally, the whole hear, feel, think mantra, but other than that everyone else that comes after pretty much retains their sense of agency. Sure you could argue she has still stolen their agency but at some point it gets so far from the event that saying Hydaelyn is still stealing their agency becomes a convolutedly bad joke of what could have been to the point where you could never possibly predict it acurately. But by your line of thinking you have reduced them to never being able to have agency in their own world even by such a time where it would once more be wholly their own choice, and that is why I think your take is more morally problematic than Venat's actions.
What agency does someone have when contracting a terminal illness, or dying thousands of years before they would have previously? Where's the agency in starving to death in a famine, or being conscripted to go die in a war for resources, or being mauled by a beast and perishing from your wounds? Even the agency of the petty thief or the gluttonous oligarch is undermined in that the conditions of their existence which motivates their actions was created by someone else. Again, all intentionally.