RFisher said:
Even if I were to accept the premise that power in D&D primarily comes from treating killing as fun...
I wouldn't let game mechanics have that big an influence on the game world. Most RPG rules don't cover that scale. It's like how I'm happy to use Newton's mechanics to deal with the day-to-day stuff I may need physics for even though I know they break down at relatavistic speeds. It's like the way that I'm not surprised that the rules of a strategic level wargame can't be derived from the rules of a skirmish game.
You might not ... but the designers at TSR did.
They destroyed Medegia, using the premise that Ivid - who had attained great power through killing - used the power of evil to summon demons and gather great armies of evil humanoids. As ruler of an evil nation, he could also summon armies of evil humans and others to act as marauders.
And then the evil guys did what evil does best: evil deeds. Such as mass murder, torture, and destruction, or in this case the annihilation of Medegia.
How then, for the good guys and neutral guys to cope? Well, they couldn't cope, in Medegia, and they all died.
I ask for a better answer. On this board, ENWorld, are the most creative people in the Hobby. And someone amongst you must know a better answer, for the people of Medegia.
If that answer involves good or neutrally aligned people seeing killing as fun and games, so they can advance in levels within the game mechanics, then so be it.