How powerful is the Seneschal in Dragon's Dogma?

[Atem]

Since I have been playing Dragon's Dogma lately, and some choice things I noticed, when you question Savan on what the Seneschal is and what the world is.

Specifically, he notes the world of Dragon's Dogma is actually infinite in size and limitless in span. That land itself is unending. He notes that each of these parallel worlds are infinite in of themselves, and just a one is composed of this scope. The Arisen is a person with the potential to replace the Seneschal, and sustain each of these worlds. Every beast, every human, and even every blade of grass are sustained by the Seneschal. They turn the eternal ring.

Spoiler

What is the Seneschal?

"The Seneschal is steward to the world... The world you traveled now rests in your care. Just as the Arisen calls pawns into being and sets them to motion, the Seneschal holds dominion over all living things. There are those who would call such a being Maker, or God. I cannot deny the claim, any more than affirm it. In the end, they are but words. Call it what you will, such is the office I have served, just as those before me and you beyond, unto eternity..."

How is the world composed?

"The pawns exist astride the rift. They speak of a multitude of worlds, each infinite unto itself. Limitless in span and lost to time, these worlds extend in an eternal, perfect loop. Just as a ring lacks start and end, so this world has no origin, no final terminus. If it does, they lie beyond our ken. We are prisoners of unpassing time, wandering an unending land. What lies beyond, we cannot know."

What is eternity?

"Aye, there is life in the world, and with it death. Naught lasts forever. Each rises and falls in its time. But such is a death akin to that of pawns. They appear in this world, then vanish only to appear again, like bubbles in a mountain spring. As so it is with all that lives within this eternal world. In time, you will come to see it happen under your watch as Seneschal. Each beast, each blade of grass, each human life is born to die and be born again in endless rhythm. Naught lasts forever, yet all persists unto eternity."

What is will?

"Will is that which led you to this place, and that which turns the eternal wheel of the world. Along the endless string of life and death, there are some born with a hunger. They yearn for some other, better place. They are the Arisen, nascent fountainheads of will. And so the dragon is sent into the world to guide the Arisen, and refine them. To temper their wills into aught capable of sustaining the world. And so the cycle of our world has e'er continued."

 

[Atem]

This also drastically increases the significance of feats in Dragon's Dogma. Since every world is actually infinite in size. This to the point you could travel the land forever, and never reach any sort of end.

Each world also has no actual origin, and exists in unpassing time. Which explains why every iteration is so similar.

 

[Flowering Knight]

Definitely within the multiversal+ range I'd say.

 

[OtherGalaxy]

what the fuck

 

[Paxton]

what the fuck indeed

 

[OtherGalaxy]

god dammit gwyn

 

[OtherGalaxy]

this is like the 12th time he's found some overlooked line from some random series and boosted it to universal or multiversal levels

 

[Atem]

god dammit gwyn

I have a habit of doing this.

Definitely within the multiversal+ range I'd say.

It is an infinite multiverse, but the Seneschals themselves only oversee a particular iteration. However, each iteration is infinite in size so they're basically universal or something.

The Arisen is powerful enough to fight and defeat the Seneschal. So, naturally, this scales to them. They are also meant to replace the current one.

The dragon is also nearly as powerful, and able to drastically change the world. They are capable of granting wishes that effect the whole iteration like we see with Grette and Ashe, and Bitterblack Isle.

 

[Atem]

The wish itself was multiversal in range though. Since it effected every version of the world and Bitterblack Isle was in all of them. No matter how many new games you play? It's always there, and the cycle repeats itself. Then you face your previous Arisen and his main pawn ad nauseam. After they replace Savan, and his main pawn Salde.

Some things that Daimon (who is Ashe transformed and cursed by the wish) says:

"I have seen the scattering of countless myriad souls... they gather and flow to become as the river of time, expanding to fill the firmament."

"What a base and trifling creature is man... yet at once he is the master of this empyreal flow, grand as all the heavens."

Also, from the Monument of Remembrance:

Grette:

The question fell from my lips unbidden— What was your choice? Were it his wish, I would welcome death at his hands. Nay, I desired it. But his wavering gave voice to a new wish. That the world, its gods, and he himself be damned. My role was set. My actions bound. I existed in that moment solely to give his wishes form. And so I did. I answered his desire, his cry of despair… And his love, my former shadow, was the price.

My dreams have died, unfulfilled.

Olra:

A second time, I heard the dragon’s bargain spoke. Yet I felt a strange reluctance in its tone. As if the ultimatum were given unwilling. And in that moment, I knew it. The wyrm we now faced was my former master transformed. The revelation tore him apart. Whichever his choice, the wages were cruel tragedy. A new and dark desire poured forth from his sundered soul. His wish for power to destroy all existence marked me for death. And yet I never blamed him. For as my life was snuffled out. I held firm to my belief. The day would come, I knew, when he, our master, and I myself would find redemption.

Ashe:

…Arisen. Bearer of the dragon’s mark. Undying corpse, enjoined to make your will manifest. If my voice reaches you, heed me well. The Arisen, the Seneschal, the whole cursed world… All is but an illusion. A meaningless refrain. A hollow echo… What sense is there in giving one’s life for these falsehoods? I damn them all. And I will not cease in my destruction until the last senseless cycle is broken, the last bond rest to dust.

 

[DestinyDestroyer]

I distinctly remember Vivi stating had the Arisen never taken action to stop Daimon, he'd have destroyed reality (in other words, the universe itself) from Bitterblack Isle

It's the primary reason as to why it's one of the most powerful gameverses Capcom has ever created, right below or next to Battle Network

 

[Papa Nier]

Meteor spell that rains down in a few seconds.


The meteor spell Bolide calls down meteor from the heavens.

"Calls meteors down from the heavens to land around the user. The user may move after deployment." - Bolide description

Grigori’s death seems to collapse the city by creating a portal that fucks with the skies and the world’s crust.



The Bitterblack Isle has galaxies in the background created by a wish that Ashe via Daimon made to a dragon.

“Ever stopped to ponder just what kind of place this is friend? I say it certain that no such island existed off the land I came from. No record names it. Though you need look no further than the links between this cavern and the halls to know aught is amiss. Nature bears no fruit so strange. We’re guests in a world fabricated by someone or something.” - Barroch

"Where do the beasts here come from? You ever think on that, Friend? We're cut off from the World. Worlds. Whichever. It's naught but Arisen and Pawns what come here. And, that's when it hit me. What if they're what's left of those Fallen Heroes? What happens to a soul bottled up in a place like this? Some find peace enough etching their regrets in stone, but others... What if they just rot? Rot... and become darker things... Hm... Just an idle theory, mind. Mayhap we'll find out when I die and join their ranks. If I run into you then, I'll expect a proper greeting." - Barroch

"You can feel it can’t you? This place is wrought from the will of some creator. I don’t mean the Maker, mind. I keep no truck with the Faith. No, this place is like a memory given form. We’re guests in someone’s imaginary world you and I... Else rabbits caught in their snare." - Barroch

 

[Atem]

Meteor spell that rains down in a few seconds.


The meteor spell Bolide calls down meteor from the heavens.


Grigori’s death seems to collapse the city by creating a portal that fucks with the skies and the world’s crust.



The Bitterblack Isle has galaxies in the background created by a wish that Ashe via Daimon made to a dragon.

Barroch also mentions that Bitterblack Isle is like the Rift. Which connects all worlds, and allows all pawns to communicate with Arisen from other worlds.

"Even in this forsaken hell, there’s riftstones about to call for pawns. Many are in disrepair, but the right price will buy them back to usefulness, it seems. Convenient thing, that. Mayhap this place is kindred to the other world the pawn legion speak of. Either way, it’s a thoughtful provision, aye? I’ll have to thank our host, should I ever meet him."