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Alignments

 

So, what’s this “alignment”  thing that you keep seeing in the character bios?

Well, anyone who’s played D&D or other roleplaying games, or seen any of those “aligment chart” memes, probably knows the concept… “alignment” is a quick and easy way to categorize characters by morality and moral outlook on life. Lots of roleplayers don’t really bother with it, and really even I see it more as a soft guideline than anything else… but it can help get a feel for what a character will and won’t do.

Classic D&D has a simple two-axis grid system where one axis is “Good VS Evil” (self-explanatory) and the other is “Lawful VS Chaotic” (how much the character believes in law and order). Hence, you get nine alignments: Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, Lawful Evil, Neutral Good, True Neutral, Neutral Evil, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral and Chaotic Evil. 

Got all that? Good. Now forget it, because here at Project Eryss we operate with a completely different system. Because why the fuck not?

I’m using 15 categories. Five tiers (Heroic, Benevolent, Neutral, Troublesome, and Villainous) with three sub-categories for each tier. Don’t expect the characters to start referring to their alignments in-story; this is purely for the character bios so it’s easier to tell where on the moral tier the characters fall, who’s a hero, who’s a villain, and who’s somewhere in between.

Heroic | Benevolent | Neutral | Troublesome | Villainous 

Heroic

This is where you find the real capes, the ones who dive into danger headfirst and who genuinely want to make the world a better place… even if, half the time, they end up trapped, zapped, hypnotized, or tied up. They’re not perfect, but they keep fighting, no matter how many times they lose their powers, get brainwashed, or end up in yet another overly-complicated death trap.
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  • Heroic (Idealist):
    The shining paragons… the ones who believe in truth, justice, and heroic clichés. They see the best in people, even their enemies, and always try to do what’s right, even when it’s a terrible idea.
    • Example:
      Kaldor      . Mighty, noble, and a little too trusting. Always believes villains can be redeemed, even when they’re trying to backstab him.
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  • Heroic (Atoner):
    These heroes and heroines are driven more by guilt; they’re trying to make up for something in their past. Maybe they used to be villains, maybe they just made a terrible mistake, or maybe they failed to save someone they could have saved. Whatever the case, they’re determined to make sure it’s not going to happen again.
    • Example:
      Ermine II,       the current Ermine. She still blames herself for the death of the original Ermine and has taken up her mantle and name to continue her fight.
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  • Heroic (Rebel):
    Brave, heroic and self-sacrificing… and very much fighting to topple the status quo or at least make serious nuisances of themselves to the people in power. A lot of street-level heroines are on this tier; they fight not only against villains and demon invasions, but against the system; they’ll attack any sort of unfairness and systematic oppression, in extreme cases adopt a “take from the rich to give to the poor” tactic.
    • Example:
      Monkaya. She’s among the lower-tier heroes and is always there to help the little people… even when she’s one of those very same little people.
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Benevolent

Not everyone in a cape is a shining symbol of justice. Sometimes they’re just trying to help, even if they’re not necessarily that great at it. Maybe they don’t have the courage to leap into a super-brawl, or maybe they just don’t like getting punched in the face. They still do good, just on their own terms.

  • Benevolent (Scrupulous):
    Maybe they were never looking to be heroes and just kinda fell into it. Maybe they skip the big fights and prefer working in the background. Or maybe they just didn’t want to be bystanders. In any case, these heroes aren’t really shining paragons or great idealists, and they may not even actively try to fight evil… but they have the ability to help people in need, and they don’t have the conscience to not do that.
    • Example:
      Evenstar.  Not a saint or shining beacon of goodness, and not a tireless fighter for Truth and Justice, but when she encounters people in trouble or in pain her instinct is to help them.
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  • Benevolent (Protector):
    They aren’t here to save the world, just the people they care about. These heroes usually have a more limited scope in that they don’t necessarily go out and fight the good fight, but if their loved ones are in danger they’ll be the first in line to protect them.
    • Example:
      Ethereal. A spirit who can possess a host to protect them but is less excited about picking fights.
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  • Benevolent (Pragmatist):
    They want to do good, and they’re far more likely to be on the side of the angels… but they’re not naive. They know sometimes you have to bend the rules, make tough choices, or do a little bad to do a lot of good. Some people might call them… anti-heroes.
    • Example:
      Erratic. She doesn’t break the law for fun or anything, but she might take a few moral shoretcuts in order to get results.
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Neutral

Not every super is trying to save or destroy the world. Some of them are just trying to get by…. but this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re passive.

  • Neutral (Survivalist/Self-Centred):
    They’re in it for themselves and their own people, and fuck anyone else. Whether it’s money, safety, or just not getting disintegrated, they focus on their own survival first and don’t particularly care what happens to anyone else. They may not particularly be out to harm anyone, but they will if that’s what ensures their own well-being.
    • Example:
      Carrot Noir. She’s not malicious, but she’ll steal from anyone if she has the opportunity and doesn’t care a whole lot about her victims. 
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  • Neutral (Obedient/Mindless):
    Good, bad or in-between… it doesn’t matter much to these people. They just follow orders without question and sometimes without thought. Maybe they’re henchmen who just don’t ask questions, maybe they’re brainwashed minions, or maybe they’re too loyal to whoever they follow to even think about disobeying.
    • Example:
      Sleeping Spectre. She’s almost mindless in her superpowered form, and will unquestioningly obey any order given to her by her Mistress, Dream Jewel, good or bad.
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  • Neutral (Indifferent):
    They just don’t care. Good, evil, heroes, villains—none of it really matters to them. They’ve got their own lives to worry about.
    • Example:
      Mother Time. She doesn’t care if people think she’s good or evil. In fact, why she does what she does is somewhat of a mystery to anyone… possibly including herself.

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Troublesome

Not every troublemaker is a villain. Some just love chaos. Some are selfish, some are misguided, and some think they’re doing good even when they’re the problem. These are the wildcards—the pranksters, the rogues, and the righteous lunatics.

  • Troublesome (Mischievous):
     They live for chaos, tricks, and pranks. Sometimes they help, sometimes they hinder, and sometimes they just want to see the heroes blush.
    • Example:
      Imp. A shapeshifting troublemaker who loves making heroines look foolish.
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  • Troublesome (Opportunist/Mercenary):
     They do whatever pays best, switching sides as easily as changing costumes.
    • Example:
      The Partisan. Pay him enough and he’s loyal. Fail to match the price offered by your enemy, and he’ll abandon you without any qualms.
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  • Troublesome (Zealot):
    They might think they’re doing the right thing, but they take it way too far. These are the righteous fanatics or the people who are super-focused on one goal or one principle, who do anything to accomplish it and leave a trail of chaos in their wake.
    • Example:
    • Dream Jewel. She has one goal, and that’s to make sure the Westwoods prosper. She doesn’t care one bit who she has to step on in order to  make sure that happens.
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Villainous

These are the bad guys—the schemers, the conquerors, the ones who genuinely don’t care who they hurt. Some have a code, some are monsters, but they’re all bad news.

  • Villainous (Principled):
    They may be cruel, but they have rules. A strict code of honor, a sense of fairness — they’ll conquer the world, but they’ll do it their way.
    • Example:
      Lord Waric. A petty and vengeful tyrant who oppresses and abuses people… but won’t attack without reason and once he’s given his word on anything he’ll keep it.
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  • Villainous (Selfish/Ruthless):
    Like the Neutral (Selfish/Survivalist) people, these people are primarily out for themselves, but are far more malicious about it. They’ll do anything to get what they want, step on anyone to get ahead, and cross any moral boundaris to grasp as much as they can for themselves.
    • Example:
      Queen Vespara. Look, if she has to kidnap a group of innocents to brainwash and use as vessels for her spirit so she’ll live forever, then that’s just too bad for the innocents.

  • Villainous (Sadist):
    They hurt people because they enjoy it. Maybe they have a grand plan, maybe they just like watching others suffer.
    • Example:
      Malady Hex. She doesn’t really care about ideologies or ideals. She just likes to corrupt the innocent and would be extratic to see the world devolve into erotic chaos.

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