This easily fits into Fictions Upper Limit - Avoiding your common set-up.

The statues like in many games and real cultures are a physical representation of science. The real answer is that magic could be another law of science to the final fantasy universe as common as magic is there.

Like our real world and final fantasy, it's pretty typical for a civilizations lust for power to lead to all out war like the events you described. How many 'nouns' involved is up to the author with each of them having a specific relevance.