HIGHLANDER: City of Immortals III
Character Alignment Informations
Lawful Good
Characters of this alignment believe that an orderly, strong society with a well-organized government can work to make life better for the majority of the people. To ensure the highest quality of life, laws must be created and obeyed. When people respect the laws and try to help one another, society as a whole prospers. Therefore, lawful good characters strive for those things that will bring the greatest benefit to the most people and cause the least harm. An honest and hard-working peasant, a kindly and wise official, and a stern but fair judge are all examples of lawful good people.
An immortal of this nature believes in "the game" completely. He also believes in every rule and tends to believe in "fair play." An immortal of this nature will unlikely break the rules or play dirty (example throwing dirt in opponent's eyes) unless completely provoked. Also a lawful good character is unlikely to challenge another immortal without good reason.
Examples: Duncan MacLeod, Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez
Lawful Neutral
Law and organization are of paramount importance to characters of this alignment. They believe in a strong, well-ordered government, whether it be a brutal tyranny or benevolent democracy. The benefits of organization and regimentation outweigh any moral questions. An official determined to ferret out traitors at any cost or a soldier who never questions orders is a good example of a lawful neutral character.
An immortal of this nature is likely to believe in "the game" to a high extent. He is very likely to play by the rules though is more inclined randomly challenge an immortal and take their head in fair play for no reason for little reason. They will look out for their own survival before anything else.
Examples: Haresh Clay, Damon Case
Lawful Evil
These characters believe in using society and its laws to benefit themselves. To them, structure and organization elevate those who deserve to rule and provide a clearly defined hierarchy between master and servant. Thus lawful evil characters support systems that protect their own concerns; if someone else suffers because of that, too bad. Such people obey laws out of fear of punishment rather than any higher moral code. Because they may be forced to honor an unfavorable contract or oath, lawful evil characters are usually very careful about giving their word. Once it is given, though, they break their word only if they can find a way to do so legally. An iron-fisted tyrant and a devious, greedy merchant are examples of lawful evil people.
An immortal of this nature will believe in the "the game" and follow its rules. However they are likely to challenge people because of the sport. They are also likely to do immoral things to gain an advantage like kidnap another immortal's girlfriend to gain a mental advantage. They would also likely do something quite nasty when and if they win the prize. Head hunters are a good example.
Examples: The Kurgan, Kalas, Grayson
Neutral Good
These characters believe that a balance of forces is important, but that the concerns of law and chaos do not moderate the need for good. Since the universe is vast and contains many people striving for different goals, a determined pursuit of good will not upset the balance; it may even maintain it. Social structure itself has no innate value. If fostering good means supporting organized society, then that is what must be done. If good can come about only through overthrowing the existing social order, so be it. A soldier who defies a commander's orders, so as to destroy something he or she sees as evil, is an example of a neutral good character.
An immortal of this nature is likely to follow "the game" but is more likely to break smaller un-written rules (such as throwing dirt in the opponent's eyes or perhaps pulling out an undeclared extra weapon) though in the name of good. An immortal of this nature will likely challenge and defeat another immortal if that immortal is a threat to the common good.
Examples: Methos
True Neutral
I'm ignoring the D&D write-up about this.
An immortal of this nature is typically going to look out for themselves before anything. They are not going to get themselves involved in the "good versus evil" concept. They rarely discriminate whom they challenge. Typically they will kill anyone who bothers them or perhaps is a threat. They are survivors and will typically win by any means necessary. Some have morals though rarely are they above their own survival. They often are loners. Sometimes they have mortal friends but rarely immortal ones.
Examples: I can't think of any
Neutral Evil
Neutral evil characters are primarily concerned with themselves and their own advancement. If there is a quick and easy way to gain a profit, whether it be legal, questionable, or obviously illegal, they take advantage of it. Those of a neutral evil alignment have no particular objection to working with others or, for that matter, going it alone. They typically base their allegiance on power and money, which makes them receptive to bribes. They have no qualms about betraying their friends and companions for personal gain. An unscrupulous mercenary, a common thief, and a double-crossing informer who betrays people to the authorities are typical examples of neutral evil characters.
An immortal of this nature's loyalty to "the game" is sketchy. Typically they will play by the rules of the game but they tend to bend them to their advantage. A neutral evil immortal is likely to do things like place some poison on their sword to gain a small advantage or do other dirty things like throw dirt into someone's eyes. They tend to be willing to hurt anyone for their own personal gain including women and children and tend to take advantage of young and inexperienced immortals.
Examples: Axel Whittaker, Kanwulf
Chaotic Good
Chaotic good characters are strong individualists marked by a streak of kindness and benevolence. They believe in all the virtues of goodness and right, but they have little use for laws and regulations. They have no patience with people who try to push folk around and tell them what to do. Their actions are guided by their own moral compass, which although good, may not always be in agreement with the rest of society. A wandering monk who helps those in need is an example of a chaotic good character.
Chaotic good characters tend to be a complete wild card. Some follow the rules, some do not. A typical chaotic good character is looking out for the greater good and typically will trade one for many. Not only that but they are more likely to disregard the rules of the game for the greater good. Typically they would unfairly kill a powerful evil immortal though would not regard this behavior towards a good character unless it was for a greater good (that not being themselves). They tend to be willing to make sacrifices for the greater good, including themselves if need be.
Examples: Ghilgheri (see previous Highlander game), Methos is teetering towards this alignment
Chaotic Neutral
Chaotic neutral characters believe that there is no order to anything, including their own actions. With this as a guiding principle, they follow whatever whim strikes them at the moment: Good and evil are irrelevant when making a decision. Chaotic neutral characters are extremely difficult to deal with; the only reliable thing about them is that they cannot be relied upon! Such people might cheerfully and for no apparent purpose gamble away everything they have on the roll of a single die. This alignment is perhaps the most difficult to play. Lunatics and crackpots tend toward chaotic neutral behavior.
Chaotic Neutral characters alike to Chaotic good characters tend to be willing to break the rules for their own cause. These characters are typically hard to label as "bad" people. However, they are hard to label as "good" people either. People tend to stay away from these people because, again, they are random. They are capable of every kind of act imaginable including fair or unfair play, good actions or bad.
Examples: Iomhair (see previous game)
Chaotic Evil
These characters are the bane of all that is good and organized, motivated solely by the desire for personal gain and pleasure. Chaotic evil characters see absolutely nothing wrong with taking whatever they want by whatever means possible. To them, laws and governments are tools of weaklings unable to fend for themselves. The strong should take what they want; the weak are to be exploited. When chaotic evil characters band together, they are not motivated by a desire to cooperate, but rather to oppose powerful enemies who threaten their personal interests. Such a group can be held together only by a strong leader capable of bullying underlings into obedience. Leadership of this sort is based on raw power, so a leader is likely to be replaced at the first sign of weakness by anyone who can grab the position, whatever the method. Bloodthirsty bandits and brutish monsters of low Intelligence are fine examples of chaotic evil personalities.
Immortals of this alignment worry about little but their own glory, gain and power. These people tend to do whatever they have to, kill whomever they must to make sure they are powerful. They can be headhunters who don't play by the rules, or people who will play unfairly without regret, or people who can and willingly kill mortals who are "in the way" without feeling any remorse. They tend to kill their friends for even little gain and cannot be trusted by other immortals. A quickenings are almost always more precious than a friend.
Examples: Xavier St. Cloud, Peter Kanis, Kronos (those he's tettering on lawful b/c he does follow the rules typically, but he's so incredibly wreckless and evil. Plus, he would cut a defenseless immortal down for no reason and without remorse).
*NOTE* Most of you will end up being lawful, because most immortals traditionally follow the rules of the game. Some may not be lawful because they are more inclined to bend the rules, but I expect over half to be lawful.
E-mail me any questions.
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