What Alignment is my Character?
Schneidend
Member Posts: 3,190
in Off-Topic
I consider myself to have a fairly firm grasp of the meanings of the D&D alignments. For several years now, however, I have failed to be able to nail down one of my standby characters, Azura, and what his proper alignment should be. This had never been a pressing issue, as I had always played him outside of D&D, up until recently when I made him into a D&D character for a 4E Dark Sun game.
In Dark Sun, Azura is a genasi, a person infused with the elemental energies that pervade the world of Athas. He is also a Cleric, of sorts, worshiping elementals. My dilemma is that he is clearly Evil, being a bastard who would happily kill you just to watch you die, but where he falls on the Law-Chaos axis is tough to narrow down. His dream is to build an empire for the genasi, uniting the disparate tribes under one banner and taking over a city-state or two. But, as I mentioned earlier, he also has a violent streak. As much as he wants to build his people up, he also has a terrible appetite for destruction and mayhem. He can keep these baser urges in check when they might clearly interfere with his goals, but sometimes burning everything to ashes and eating some people is just so appealing.
I call upon all of you to give me your thoughts on Azura's alignment. Is he Neutral Evil, Chaotic Evil, or could the argument even be made for...Lawful Evil? @the_spyder, @KidCarnival, @Eudaemonium, @nano, I summon thee from the Evil thread!
In Dark Sun, Azura is a genasi, a person infused with the elemental energies that pervade the world of Athas. He is also a Cleric, of sorts, worshiping elementals. My dilemma is that he is clearly Evil, being a bastard who would happily kill you just to watch you die, but where he falls on the Law-Chaos axis is tough to narrow down. His dream is to build an empire for the genasi, uniting the disparate tribes under one banner and taking over a city-state or two. But, as I mentioned earlier, he also has a violent streak. As much as he wants to build his people up, he also has a terrible appetite for destruction and mayhem. He can keep these baser urges in check when they might clearly interfere with his goals, but sometimes burning everything to ashes and eating some people is just so appealing.
I call upon all of you to give me your thoughts on Azura's alignment. Is he Neutral Evil, Chaotic Evil, or could the argument even be made for...Lawful Evil? @the_spyder, @KidCarnival, @Eudaemonium, @nano, I summon thee from the Evil thread!
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Well the question you'd need to answer is 'how does he intend to do what he wants to do'?
Uniting the tribes and taking over a city state or two sounds good, but will he unite the tribes by beating them into submission or will he unite the tribes through diplomacy and promises of fortune? Will he lie, cheat and steal to get his goals or does he insist on doing it 'the proper way', despite how murderous he might occasionally be.
'Burning everything to ashes and eating people is just so appealing' suggests that he's normally not in favor of this behavior. Does he only do it to people who wronged him or went against him or does he do it at random whenever he feels like it?
Anyway. @Drugar makes some good points. The questions that need to be answered:
What's his relation with his own people, other genasi?
Is his aspiration to be their just and wise ruler, their tyrant/dictator or would he be fine with being their hero (= the one to unite them, but not their leader - after getting his city states, would he install himself as ruler or just go "kthxbye, build me some statues" and be on his merry way)?
Does he consider all genasi equal, or is he prejudiced against certain groups, i.e. worshippers of a different faith, genasi of different alignment,...?
Are the violent urges truly random (anyone can be the target by being in the wrong place at the wrong time) or is there something specific that triggers them (are there groups of people that are, due to race, alignment, faith, certain behavior etc. more likely to be targets)?
Also, your character reminds me of Elric of Melibone, a worshipper of Arioch (me :P), the Lord of Chaos (who is more CN than CE), and, well, he is truly evil, but (watch out ultimate spoiler ahead)
in the last chapter he helps the Lords of Law to get into the Prime Material Plane he is in, just to bring Balance to the world, still, he is evil and tortures the buzzard that let the Lords of Chaos get into the plane.
And, well, he is the Emperor of Melibone, and he respects promises, well, almost, he said I wasn't going to make you bleed, but I can still killing you.
And, well, I am chaotic Evil, so I know how Chaos feels, it feels like, well, like being totally free, no joke, it feels better than Law, but if you are Chaotic and you make others follow your orders, the you are a (hypocrite? :P) Neutral Evil or you still being Chaotic Evil. Then, Chaotic does what he likes to do, while Neutral does what he feels he has to do (even if its right or it is not), and Lawful does what they tell him to do, but still you can't be Lawful if you don't follow your own rules (e.g. you are against something, but you still doing so, then you are Chaotic or Neutral) nor make others follow them (that isn't really neede to be Lawful, but it is a plus to you Lawful counter (Planescape Torment?), and most Lawful Evil follow laws, but they know how to get a reason to kill those they want to kill without breaking the Law (e.g. Edwin, he wants to kill Dynahair, and he says she is a witch, (he is also a mage?), and that he has been tasked with so mission), or like a tyrant ruler, he won't make Laws for himself, he will find a tricky way to make himself benefited from Law, and he can still be Chaotic (Sarevok in BG1, he sends you to prison, so it is some sort of Law, but it was a trick after all, and Neb helps you escape).
To question A, I would say that virtually anything is on the table as far as uniting the tribes, recruiting non-genasi factions, and winning wars goes. Diplomacy is just as much an option as intimidation or deceit, subterfuge or brutality.
To question B, it would likely depend on what stage of the revolution he's at. If he has a small army brewing, outlying villages might be raided or obliterated on a whim. At the more party-sized phase of things, the violence will typically be limited to enemies, traitors, or anybody whom it would be genuinely profitable to kill that the party is more or less okay with. He believes genasi are the proper heirs of the planet. With no gods, and the closest thing to them left being the Primordials (really old, really powerful, really weird elementals), it seems obvious to him that elemental beings should be in charge, the demi-deific but non-elemental Dragon of Tyr notwithstanding. So, basically, genasi are the bee's knees.
Though, there is some underlying resentment, as genasi are typically larger than the average human, but Azura is a bit of a runt at 5'4", and naturally he had a tough time of it as a youth before he discovered his elemental priest powers and found a firmer place in his own tribe. He's also a fairly uncommon variety of genasi in the Dark Sun setting, a Stormsoul in a world of mostly Sandsoul, Magmasoul, Earthsoul, and Sunsoul genasi. It wouldn't be accurate to say he's racist against particular varieties of genasi but his desire to rule isn't entirely benevolent, either. He thinks it is foolish for genasi to not give reverence to full-on elementals, but there's not much in the way of organized religion in Dark Sun to fight over.
That said, he definitely wants to be their emperor. He wants to uplift his people and build a grand civilization, but he's also an iron-fisted tyrant at heart. The best end result, in his mind, would be genasi running the show with him at the top of the pyramid.
His violent urges are fairly random. Some people would just look better as pulp, and the works of men succumbing to the elements is a glorious sight. Destruction is beautiful, in other words. Genasi, half-giants/goliaths, and mul (half-human half-dwarf) are the least likely to be targets because they're big, strong, hardy races he respects more than others. Everybody else is weak, soft, and small until proven otherwise, and because he dislikes his own diminutive stature, he certainly does not tolerate it in others (halflings literally make him feel a little queasy). The surest ways to earn his wrath are to be undead, harm or enslave elementals or genasi, or use Defiling (which harms the living and despoils vegetation) to power arcane magic. Though rare in Dark Sun, he fantasizes about killing or at least severely injuring anybody wearing very pure, white fabrics, because the image of blood staining the fabric fascinates him.
He's a bit of a psycho.
LE would try to advance his position in a flawed system to then overtake it, but not oppose it with a revolution. LE would, while ultimately wanting to be on top of the food chain, accept more powerful beings as rulers. So in his case, as LE, he'd probably want those Primordials in power. LE is all about structure and putting himself over beings he considers as more powerful/rightfully in charge would be more NE to me.
Uniting his people in order to create a new empire for them is much too structured to be Chaotic; Chaotic is opposing the very existance of systems, not just destroying/rebelling against one to create another.
So, I'd go for Neutral Evil here.
With that having been said, I would almost suggest exploring the Lawful Evil side, and here is why. @Schneidend indicated that the character had violent tendencies, yet was able to keep these in check. If this control is because he has learned how to temper his passions and keep an eye on a goal, that is analogous to a code of conduct (of sorts). if it is therefore written into his back story that, although the character would fly off the handle, more and more he learned how to control these urges because they often interfered with achieving some goal or another, you have a basis for a "More" (if not constant) Lawful behavior.
Secondly, as there is an interest in a unified government of sorts, there is apparently a desire for structure and order. This in and of itself does not label "Lawful" as it is possible to have a chaotic city-state, it is more in the Lawful realm. Again it comes down to how the character wishes to pursue implementation of such an organized structure. If he has a plan that stretches into the future with specific steps and goals, this is definitely more lawful in nature. If, on the other hand, he merely wants to lead because everyone should do as he sees fit, that is absolutely more on the chaotic side.
Also, if the 'reason' for the control is because he feels that the world at large would suffer better under his rule, there are lawful leanings. If he merely thinks that the world should do as he says (and follow his whims essentially) this is much more chaotic.
I think we need a bit more back-story on this to make any kind of evaluation though. Tell us more about Azura.
PS: kudos to @CrevsDaak for the reference of Elric. I don't quite buy into your definition of his character or alignment, but given that Mr Moorcock was the originator of the Lawful/Chaotic axis in the original story, there is definite relevance.
[spoiler=Elric of Melibone]
Until the last book, where he bring Balance, thus, becoming True Neutral.
[/spoiler]
I really don't know why I wrote so much before, but I couldn't express my meanings.
In the interests of compromise I'd probably represent that with NE, but for character development it might be interesting to have a slow drift from Chaotic to Lawful over the course of the game as his ambitions become grander and he learns to master some of his impulses.
You could make a good case for LE, though. An appetite for death and destruction doesn't preclude Law. Just picture a LE warlord who enjoys publicly reminding everyone who's really in charge around here. If you want to focus more on his goals than his "hobbies" (after all, the character doesn't let his entertainment take priority over his goals) LE would be the way to go. And I'm thinking his goals are going to be more of a driving force for the story than the chaotic side of his personality.
His Dark Sun incarnation grew up like most genasi, in one of numerous hidden island communities in the far reaches of the Sea of Silt (which is actually comprised of silt). His clan was a warlike one, violently defending their home from silt pirates and occasionally raiding the giants who waded through the sea, or groups on other islands such as dwarven clans or renegade slaves from the city-states. Not wanting to spare resources to feed slaves, the clan took to eating captives they couldn't sell or ransom right away.
Azura was born small, lacking both the height and bulk expected of his race. But, he was a rarity, with blue crystals budding on his head, blue szuldar (faintly glowing lines in the skin with patterns unique to each clan) and eyes like the sky of Athas in less grim times. His parents were certain he was special, so they refused to throw him into the sea as others demanded. They were later vindicated when Azura proved to be clever, vicious, and naturally gifted with the elements. This talent drew the attention of the elders and shamans, and Azura was trained in speaking to elemental spirits and hearing the whispers of the slumbering primordials.
Not all was working out for him, though. He was different, and this was not often looked at as a positive by his peers, especially when they were youngsters. As a newly inducted acolyte things did improve. He took to raiding all the more enthusiastically now that he could swing a club with righteous conviction and lightning rather than strength. With greater status and his pride, however, he drew yet more animosity and rivals. But, for all his power, he was only making up for shortcomings in areas that others possessed in spades, balancing the scales rather than tipping them in his favor.
There was no great personal tragedy or betrayal that convinced him to leave his clan. He had won and lost bids for status and slain rivals (or tricked them into getting slain or embarrassment), but felt he had learned all he could in his small pond. He had just come back from killing a future rival for a coveted seat on the council of shamans while on the pretense of a hunting trip when word spread of the death of Kalak, sorcerer-king of of the city of Tyr, and Tyr's reorganization as a free state. Azura almost immediately forgot the names of the man he killed and the woman they had both been vying for, and he all but instantly felt he had outgrown the rank they might have fought over in a year or so. His ambition overtook him and he set out to explore the now changing world outside the Sea of Silt.