The Dishonored Series as Environmental and Social Commentary
filled sewers , the abandoned apartments inhabited by the mad or the wicked . His chthonic nature binds him to death and judgment . He is hated and feared by the powerful and worshipped by the destitute . ( n . p .)
He is a god , then , along the lines of a chthonic being of the deep , yet he does not function or act in ways traditionally ascribed to gods and goddesses across mythological systems . While he is worshipped , he does not seek such reverence and does not mark only those who would worship at his feet . Indeed , some of his chosen , like Daud , eventually hold The Outsider in contempt . He appears to have the power to create , as evidenced by the Heart and his ability to shape the Void , the in-between , liminal space where he dwells . He is also a trickster in that while he imbues mortals with powers , he chooses those who can act for both good and ill . Although he himself does not test societal boundaries , as is the case with traditional trickster figures , The Outsider empowers those who do . In the specific case of Corvo and Daud , they become pitted against each other , with Daud using his powers to spread terror and fear in all of Dunwall ’ s citizens . The Outsider physically marks those he finds “ interesting ,” but he has also planted Runes and Bonecharms 13 that are imbued with his power throughout Dunwall as signs of his existence and continued presence despite the limited glimpses of him outside the Void . Tellingly , the Runes and Bonecharms are made from whalebone . Yet even with all the signs of his existence , The Outsider refuses to succumb to the hubris plaguing so many gods and goddesses in mythological systems found across the world : the need to be worshipped . Greg Pritchard , citing the work of Arthur Schopenhauer , writes , “ Schopen-
13 The player can collect a number of Runes and Bonecharms that allow him or her to upgrade powers or add protections or skills .
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