Escape-Based Trials versus (Overthinking) Lore
I'm running into a thought cycle that's a bit stuck in my head:
- Hope is altruistic: a feeling of trust and/or positive expectation.
- Hope is a main source of The Entity's food - not the only one, but a 'staple food' of sorts, alongside anger and frustration.
- Why, then, is escape "the goal" for survivors?
Hope is better obtained via those survivors which might sacrifice themselves so that their companions can go on - none of them are truly 'escaping' anyway, so merely leaving the gates yourself doesn't seem hopeful. Rather, you're avoiding pain or trying to help others avoid pain. According to the lore, dying in a trial 'resets' a survivor, so they're also less drained by burdensome memories of what came before - a dead survivor is better for the nutritional value and longevity of the food source, but by the rules of MMR (which would in-universe be set up by The Entity as justification for trials) it seems The Entity is set against getting 'bang for its buck' when it comes to survivors.
What are your thoughts?
Strictly speaking, this doesn't seem a Lore-based discussion, being that it's a moment where mechanics are seemingly at odds with the lore.
Comments
Well it can't starve itself, has to have a balance.