History PlayingWith / TheDarkTimes

** The world of Heroes of Troperia used to be a paradise designed and ruled by the Chthonian. But their servants --humans, elves, [[AuthorAppeal catfolk]], and whatnot-- overthrew them out of plain old {{Envy}}. Ever since then, it's a CrapsackWorld.

* '''Downplayed''': The Chthonian were terrifyingly powerful beyond human comprehension; but by human's standard, they were no more Good or Evil than humankind.
** Alternately, while they brutally ruled the world, the Cthonians were simply powerful, not Eldritch Abominations or gods.

** Taken ''UpToEleven''! It takes being a Chthonian --invoking TheDarkTimes yourself-- to keep the world from falling apart.

** The Chthonian ''are'' the universe. Let that sink into your mind for awhile...

* '''Inverted''': The world of Heroes of Troperia used to be a paradise designed and ruled by the Chthonian. But their servants --humans, elves, [[AuthorAppeal catfolk]], and whatnot-- overthrew them out of plain old {{Envy}}. Ever since then, it's a CrapsackWorld.

* '''Subverted''': The now-extinct Chthonian built terrible devices that no sane person today will even think of making, but they did so out of the planet's best interest: to fight the truly terrible {{Eldritch Abomination}}s roaming the void between stars.

* '''Straight''': In Heroes of Troperia, a species of EldritchAbomination known as the Chthonian ruled the planet. They were utterly amoral and everything was just a plaything to them. But the slaves --humans, elves, [[CatGirl catfolk]], and whatnot-- rose against them in planet-wide rebellion, and the Chthonian overthrown; now they slumber BeneathTheEarth.

* '''Parodied''': The Chthonian were a race of {{Magical Girl}}s who shape the world according to their RuleOfCool and RuleOfCute, forcing everyone to play along with them. Didn't make them any less terrifying, but if the world has always been a stage, the play back then was BlackComedy.[[note]]Sounds kinda like ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', doesn't it?[[/note]]

** Is that downplayed or [[HumansAreBastards played straight?]]

---- %% Copy everything below this line %% ----

* '''Exaggerated''': The Chthonian ruled the galaxy.
** '''Up To Eleven''': The Chthonian ruled the entire universe.
** '''Beyond The Impossible''': The Chthonian ''are'' the universe. Let that sink into your mind for awhile...

* '''Parodied''': The Chthonian were a race of {{Magical Girl}}s who shape the world according to their RuleOfCool and RuleOfCute, forcing everyone to play along with them. Didn't make them any less terrifying, but if the world has always been a stage, the play back then was BlackComedy.
** Sounds like {{Exalted}}...
* '''Zig Zagged''': The Demons said that the terrible Chthonian --who created ''them''-- used to rule the world, but Demons are {{Consummate Liars}}. But then, you just have to wonder just what kind of people brought something as awful as Demons into reality...

* '''Deconstructed''': After all the crap the Chthonian put the world and its inhabitants through, the world is an utterly broken place-- even after the Chthonian were long gone. In fact, the races that overthrew them start behaving like the Chthonian because they don't know other ways of dealing with the situation.
** '''Deconstructed UpToEleven''': It takes being a Chthonian --invoking TheDarkTimes yourself-- to keep the world from falling apart.

----

* '''Parodied''': The Chthonian were a race of {{Magical Girl}}s who shape the world accurding to their RuleOfCool and RuleOfCute, forcing everyone to play along with them. Didn't make them any less terrifying, but if the world has always been a stage, the play back then was BlackComedy.

* '''Deconstructed''': After all the crap the Chthonian put the world and its inhabitants through, the world is an utterly broken place-- even after the Chthonian long gone. In fact, the races that overthrew them start behaving like the Chthonian because they don't know other ways of dealing with the situation.