Allow me to tell you of the “Unwitting Murder God” theory: Namely that murder, despite being a concept, not aware, alive or sentient, nonetheless wants to be near certain individuals who are otherwise innocent. It creeps from, or along with the god into someone nearby, sending that person - or occasionally animal - just mad enough to do the deed.
It may also want to be known. Written about, you might say.
Locking the god up in a regular prison wouldn’t do any good. Murders would begin to happen around wherever they were incarcerated, and it wouldn’t be limited to the prison walls.
Putting them on a remote island might work, but the radius of effect would undoubtedly grow and grow. Murder must feed. Also, you’re going to need people to get the god to that island. Only one person - now a murderer - will be coming back from that trip.
Trying to kill the god also wouldn’t work. They’re a god. Like all unwitting gods, something would inevitably cause the death to happen to someone else. Out of universe, we call this “plot armour”.
The only real way to win here is to convince the god of their godhood and hope they have the good conscience to do something about it themselves. And then hope that when they die - which may be a long time off if they choose to try the island alone - that there isn’t a Pandora’s box kind of thing going on.
At best, the godhood might just transfer to someone else.
The last time I brought this up, I did mention Rob McKenna. I probably should have this time as well, because there was one heck of an unforecast downpour here not long after I submitted it.
Jessica Fletcher was the worlds most prolific murderer in TV series
Murder, She Wrought
Allow me to tell you of the “Unwitting Murder God” theory: Namely that murder, despite being a concept, not aware, alive or sentient, nonetheless wants to be near certain individuals who are otherwise innocent. It creeps from, or along with the god into someone nearby, sending that person - or occasionally animal - just mad enough to do the deed.
It may also want to be known. Written about, you might say.
Locking the god up in a regular prison wouldn’t do any good. Murders would begin to happen around wherever they were incarcerated, and it wouldn’t be limited to the prison walls.
Putting them on a remote island might work, but the radius of effect would undoubtedly grow and grow. Murder must feed. Also, you’re going to need people to get the god to that island. Only one person - now a murderer - will be coming back from that trip.
Trying to kill the god also wouldn’t work. They’re a god. Like all unwitting gods, something would inevitably cause the death to happen to someone else. Out of universe, we call this “plot armour”.
The only real way to win here is to convince the god of their godhood and hope they have the good conscience to do something about it themselves. And then hope that when they die - which may be a long time off if they choose to try the island alone - that there isn’t a Pandora’s box kind of thing going on.
At best, the godhood might just transfer to someone else.
Doctor Who explores this, especially recently.
Sounds like Rob McKenna from the Hitchhikers Guide series.
The last time I brought this up, I did mention Rob McKenna. I probably should have this time as well, because there was one heck of an unforecast downpour here not long after I submitted it.
I feel like that’s a hidden subplot to that weird American Gods tv show
There’s a DND storyline in there somewhere
She always managed to pin it on someone else as well.