23/01/10 [DMFA #1082] - The big question

[inuhanyo]

Now that he knows (and she knows that he's now aware), I wonder how long it'll take her to release him (in person, by mail or other)... weeks, months, years?

Is Dan going to feel obliged to keep his vow when he finds out that she's been teaching rape, murder and soul-stealing the last few thousand years, and that could easily be stepping up to genocide?

Promises don't automatically come with an escape clause that cancels them because the promisee turns out to be a villain.  And Dan would have had no reason to ask for such an escape clause.

So it really comes down to whether or not Dan is going to break a promise he made to his mom, just because her history before he was born is black.

[Tapewolf]

Promises don't automatically come with an escape clause that cancels them because the promisee turns out to be a villain.

Yes, but it's not a geas either.  At least, I assume not.  Barring any evidence to the contrary, I would say Dan keeps the vow out of respect for his mother (with a helping of self-respect as well).
If he decides that it's worth breaking that vow for the greater good, he could.  And if he loses his respect for his mother, or realises that she is just the sort of monster that he pledged to slay as an adventurer, I wouldn't place too many bets on it holding.
He's already threated/attempted to kill Aary twice (since she stopped trying to kill him - 383 and 386) and in strip 534 threatened Fa'Lina - which naturally, didn't work out too well.   (Granted, the vow idea may well have come later.)

So it really comes down to whether or not Dan is going to break a promise he made to his mom, just because her history before he was born is black.

Dan might be able to believe that she has reformed.  I'd like to and I don't even have his motivation for thinking so.
I would say the deciding factor is whether her current actions - which appear to include genocide - are enough to make him break his vow.

[AmigaDragon]

But right now he probably has no clue about her anti-dragon activities, and all her teaching of "evil" subjects happened before she met Edward (to our knowledge so far). Other than what he's heard from other 'cubi and Fi, all he knows of her is a loving mother.

[inuhanyo]

Promises don't automatically come with an escape clause that cancels them because the promisee turns out to be a villain.

Yes, but it's not a geas either.  At least, I assume not.  Barring any evidence to the contrary, I would say Dan keeps the vow out of respect for his mother (with a helping of self-respect as well).

Yes, I've just been discussing it from a philosophical/ethical perspective.