THE OUTSIDER AND THE RAT PLAGUE: CATALYST, OBSERVER, OR CAUSE?


I. THE PLAGUE'S ORIGIN: NATURAL VS. SUPERNATURAL

[From in-game lore & audio logs]:

  • Official Narrative: According to imperial records:

  • The Rat Plague (aka "The Dunwall Plague") was a natural disease

  • Originated from the Pandyssian Continent

  • Carried by rats that stowed away on whaling ships

  • Spread rapidly through Dunwall's poor districts before affecting the entire city

  • Hidden Truth: Lord Regent Hiram Burrows' private audio log reveals:

    • He deliberately imported plague rats from Pandyssia
    • Intended as population control for poor districts
    • Plan went catastrophically out of control
    • Became an unintentional pandemic

[From The Outsider's commentary]:

  • Never claims direct responsibility for the plague
  • States to Corvo: "The Lord Regent's hold on Dunwall is slipping. The plague has spiraled out of control."
  • Notes the irony: "He imported the rats to clean out the poor districts. The plan worked – perhaps too well."

II. RAT SYMBOLISM: VOID CONNECTIONS

[From environmental symbolism & artistic motifs]:

  • Rat Imagery: Throughout the series, rats are associated with:

  • The Void (often appearing in Void sequences)

  • The Outsider (sometimes appearing when he vanishes)

  • Death and decay (consuming corpses)

  • Transformation and change (undermining societal structures)

  • Supernatural Rats: Rats in Dishonored:

  • Can communicate with certain Marked individuals * Serve as vessels for Void power (Rat Swarm ability)

  • Often appear near shrines and runes

  • Seem to possess unnatural intelligence and coordination

[From powers granted to Marked individuals]:

  • Multiple Void powers involve rats:
    • Corvo's "Devouring Swarm" power
  • Granny Rags' rat control and transformation abilities
  • The Rat Boy's mentioned powers
  • These connections imply a relationship between rats and Void energy

III. GRANNY RAGS: THE RAT WITCH CONNECTION

[From Granny Rags' story & dialogue]:

  • The Marked Rat Controller: Vera Moray (Granny Rags):

    • Bears The Outsider's Mark
    • Possesses explicit control over plague rats
    • Talks to them and understands their "speech"
    • Can transform herself into a swarm of rats

  • Causal Ambiguity: Her relationship to the plague is unclear:

  • Did her control over rats contribute to the plague's spread?

  • Was she given rat powers in response to the existing plague?

  • Did she have foreknowledge of the coming disease?

[From The Outsider's comments about Granny Rags]:

  • Refers to her as "my dear Vera"
  • Notes her "new interests" after returning from Pandyssia
  • This connection suggests possible (though unconfirmed) Outsider awareness of or involvement in the plague's Pandyssian origins

IV. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: WHALING INDUSTRY CONNECTION

[From ecological themes & environmental storytelling]:

  • Whale Depletion: The games establish:

  • Dunwall's economy depends on whale oil

  • Whales have special connection to the Void

  • Overwhaling has depleted natural populations

  • This ecological imbalance coincides with the plague's emergence

  • Possible Connection: Ecological themes suggest:

    • The plague as natural "correction" to human exploitation
    • Void energy leaking into physical world as whales decline
    • Rats rising as whales diminish – both being Void-connected creatures

[From Heart dialogue & whale lore]:

  • The Heart states: "The whales sing in the deep, and the rats come out of the walls."
  • "The songs of the great whales are fewer now."
  • These statements imply a cosmic balance disrupted, possibly allowing the plague to emerge

V. THE OUTSIDER'S STANCE: AMUSED OBSERVER

[From The Outsider's direct dialogue]:

  • Explicit Commentary: When discussing the plague:

  • "The Rat Plague has transformed Dunwall into a place of death and decay."

  • "And how fitting that it was rats that spread the plague, wouldn't you say, Corvo?"

  • "A fine Empress once ruled from Dunwall Tower. When she died, everything changed. Now the city's spiraling into the Void."

  • Tone and Attitude: His observations about plague:

    • Lack judgment or concern
    • Focus on human responses rather than suffering
    • Note ironies and unexpected consequences
    • Suggest detached fascination rather than sympathy

[From comparative dialogue analysis]:

  • Never expresses desire to end the plague
  • Never claims credit or blames others for its existence
  • Treats it as an interesting catalyst for human choice and change
  • This stance reinforces his role as observer rather than instigator

VI. TALLBOYS AND TECHNOLOGY: PLAGUE RESPONSE

[From technological developments in-game]:

  • Technological Evolution: The plague accelerated:

    • Sokolov's development of military technology
    • Wall of Light and Arc Pylon security systems
    • Tallboy stilt soldiers to patrol from above
    • Elixir research to combat infection

  • The Outsider's Interest: Shows particular curiosity about:

    • How technology attempts to create order amid chaos
    • The irony of technologies that cause more harm than help
    • Societal transformation through technological response

[From The Outsider's comments on technology]:

  • "Sokolov's machines are repurposed for street control rather than plague management."
  • "The Lord Regent's forces have created a city where technology oppresses rather than saves."
  • These comments frame the plague as a catalyst for technological development that The Outsider finds interesting

VII. WEEPERS: THE TRANSFORMATIVE ASPECT

[From late-stage plague symptoms & effects]:

  • The Weeper Transformation: Advanced plague victims:

  • Bleed from eyes ("weeping" blood)

  • Seek out and attack the healthy

  • Lose mental capacity and rational thought

  • Represent a human-monster liminal state

  • Symbolic Significance: Weepers represent:

  • Physical manifestation of societal corruption

  • Blurring of boundaries between human/monster

  • Transformation theme central to Void influence

  • A form of living-death analogous to The Outsider's own transformation

[From Heart dialogue about Weepers]:

  • "Once they were like you and I. Now they exist in the in-between."
  • "Neither alive nor dead, but consumed by the plague."
  • These descriptions parallel other Void-influenced transformations

VIII. THE FLOODED DISTRICT: VOID-LIKE TRANSFORMATION

[From Flooded District level design & symbolism]:

  • Environmental Parallels: The Flooded District:

    • Partially submerged under water (like the Void's often waterlogged aesthetic)
    • Contains floating, disconnected structure fragments
    • Time seems altered or suspended
    • Houses a high concentration of Void artifacts

  • Narrative Significance: Serves as:

    • A physical manifestation of society's collapse
    • A realm between order and chaos
    • A place where Daud (Marked) establishes his base
    • A concentrated zone of plague activity

[From visual design elements]:

  • The Flooded District visually echoes The Void:
    • Similar lighting and color palettes
    • Fragmented architecture
    • Water as prominent element
    • Suspended time feeling
  • These parallels suggest the plague transforms physical reality to more closely resemble the Void

IX. CURE AND RESOLUTION: PIERO AND SOKOLOV

[From low chaos ending]:

  • The Scientific Solution: The plague is eventually cured:

    • Piero Joplin and Anton Sokolov combine knowledge
    • Both have connections to The Outsider (Piero through dreams, Sokolov through study)
    • The cure spreads in low chaos endings, leading to recovery

  • The Outsider's Response: Remarks on the cure with characteristic detachment:

    • "In the end, it was brilliant minds, not blades, that drove back the plague."
    • "How strange that two rivals would accomplish together what neither could alone."
    • Shows interest in the collaborative solution more than relief at suffering's end

[From Piero's notes & dialogue]:

  • Claims some key insights for the cure came to him in dreams
  • These same dreams previously connected him to The Outsider
  • Suggests possible indirect Outsider influence in the cure's development

X. THEMATIC FRAMEWORK: PLAGUE AS METAPHOR

[From thematic analysis across narrative]:

  • Plague as Metaphor: Functions symbolically as:

    • Manifestation of societal decay and corruption

  • Physical consequence of moral failures

  • Test of human response to crisis

  • Catalytic force for transformation

  • Narrative Function: The plague serves as:

    • Background for gameplay justifications (quarantine zones, guard presence)
    • Moral testing ground for protagonist choices
    • Reflection of chaos/order game mechanics
    • Vehicle for exploring human nature under pressure

[From The Outsider's philosophical perspective]:

  • The plague represents:
  • Natural consequence rather than supernatural punishment
  • Opportunity to observe humanity under stress
  • Chance to witness individuals' true character
  • The inherent chaos that exists beneath ordered society
  • His stance mirrors his general approach - offering power and observing choices in times of crisis

The relationship between The Outsider and the Rat Plague represents one of the most ambiguous cosmic connections in the Dishonored universe. While no direct evidence supports The Outsider creating or deliberately spreading the plague, numerous symbolic and thematic connections link the disease to Void influence.

The plague functions as a perfect catalyst for The Outsider's primary interest: observing how humans respond to crisis and how those with power use it. The disease creates precisely the conditions of chaos, transformation, and moral testing that he finds most fascinating, while maintaining plausible deniability regarding his involvement.

The ecological connection between whale depletion, Void instability, and plague emergence suggests a more subtle relationship - perhaps the plague represents a natural rebalancing after disruption of the Void's connection to the physical world through overwhaling. In this interpretation, The Outsider doesn't directly cause the plague but may represent the cosmic forces that respond to ecological imbalance.

Ultimately, the plague serves as both literal disease and metaphorical manifestation of corruption - a physical expression of moral decay that forces characters to reveal their true nature through their responses to crisis. The Outsider, as eternal observer of human nature, simply finds this process fascinating rather than tragic - another example of his amoral, detached perspective on human suffering and resilience.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Outsider and Paintings in the Dishonored Series

The Outsider: Nature and Connection to Art The Outsider is a powerful entity bound to the Void, a supernatural dimension with a distinctly abstract, painterly aesthetic. While he doesn't create paintings himself, his presence and the Void's influence manifest visually in several key ways: Outsider Shrines are physical locations where the barrier between the Void and the physical world thins. These shrines are distinctively marked by disturbing paintings, abstract sculptures, and symbolic imagery (often featuring whales, geometric patterns, and dark materials). These artistic elements serve as visual indicators of the Void's presence and points where the Outsider can communicate directly. The Void itself possesses a surreal, non-Euclidean aesthetic that evokes a living, shifting painting. When characters enter this space, they experience a reality that feels like moving through an abstract, constantly transforming artwork where physical laws are malleable and landscape...
Read more

THE OUTSIDER AND THE ELITE: POWER, WEALTH, AND VOID CONNECTIONS

I. THE ARISTOCRACY: INDIFFERENCE AND FASCINATION [From The Outsider's dialogue regarding aristocrats] : General Stance : When observing Dunwall's elite, The Outsider often displays: Detached amusement at their pretensions Particular interest when their privileged positions are threatened Recognition of how their wealth isolates them from consequences Little respect for wealth and status compared to interesting choices Direct Commentaries : On the Boyle Family: "The Boyles have deep pockets and deeper misgivings about the Lord Regent." On aristocrats during plague: "Such privilege – these people never have to face the consequences of their actions." On Karnaca's elite: "Money insulates them from the realities of the Duke's rule." [From The Heart's revelations about aristocrats] : When pointed at wealthy characters, The Heart often reveals: Hidden cruelties beneath polished exteriors Corruption, betrayal, and moral compromise Emp...
Read more