Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Joseph Amarillo 09-02-03, 04:09 AM	Greetings, everyone... I joined an online campaign at rpol.net, and here's my character's background story. His name is Sephoril Jamalo, and I'm not sure whether he's chaotic evil or chaotic neutral. I. The Past The vast continent of Modgikas was once home to an empire of the same name. For centuries, under the leadership of the Modgikan Emperors, there was unity, peace, and harmony. But as the strong leaders were slowly replaced by their incompetent descendants, old conflicts flared once more. Within a decade, numerous bloody revolts would tear Modgikas apart. Now, dozens of city states fight over the throne. The Modgikan Empire has shattered. My name is Sephoril. I am the eldest son of Lord Colsar of House Jamalo, ruler of the proud warrior nation of Jamalo. And this is my tale... Being the eldest son of the ruler of a militaristic nation, I was trained to be a warrior from the age of seven. By the age of fifteen, I had mastered most of the weapons used by soldiers ten years older than me. But I was different. Different. I wanted to live a peaceful life. I enjoyed going to my father's great library to read about the wonderful places in all those books. There seemed to be no war there! A place without war! Unfortunately, "wanting to live a peaceful life" was often seen as "desertion". "Deserters" deserved death. Maybe I would be free of this existence in death... However, I did have a reason to live. I had a friend who wanted what I wanted. She also wanted to live a peaceful life. She also enjoyed reading about all the wonderful places I read about. Her name was Elana Kylos. Elana understood my pain; I understood hers. In this patriarchal society, men were expected to kill or be killed. Women, on the other hand, were expected to be used as diplomatic contracts (they were to spread their legs for their lords' potential allies). Elana and I were destined for something we didn't want. Something we couldn't stop. At least we had each other. Thanks to Elana, life in Jamalo wasn't so bad until my father decided to offer a truce to his long-time rival, Lord Theophis of Sunivel. So that Lord Theophis would believe my father's sincerity, he decided to send his sons, myself included, as the diplomats. To sweeten the deal, he decided to include a very tempting diplomatic contract... Elana Kylos. That night, I went to Elana's room to... talk. Her once beautiful eyes had been reddened from crying all day. I held her in my arms, in the most loving embrace I could give. Speaking in what I hoped to be a gentle and soothing voice, I told her that I had a plan. We'd be free, I promised. She looked up to me and gave me the most loving kiss she could give. And that's when we made love. The next day, we set out for Sunivel. It would be a week's journey to Sunivel, and we needed to make several stops along the way. On our first stop, I slipped slow-acting poison into the food. Of course, I kept several antidote vials just in case I accidentally poisoned myself or Elana. They died. THEY ALL DIED!!! Elana, sweet Elana, was horrified by what I had done. I just killed two dozen people for... her? I tried to explain to her that I needed to do what I needed to do. Father would believe that this was the work of Lord Theophis. I doubted that he would still look for our "missing bodies". Now, we were free, and who cares what kind of war this act would cause? I watched her ride back to Jamalo. She was a witness, and I let her get away! I didn't kill her. I couldn't kill her! I had to get away. My travel to the nearest port took about a week. I never realized that my father kept dozens of carrier pigeons for times like these. My picture was all over the place! I was a wanted man! A mysterious man approached me and gave me some tips on how to hide. Though he never asked for my name, it was quite obvious that he knew who I was. How he could've recognized me when my cloak was pulled up was beyond me. It wasn't my clothes; I dressed like a travelling commoner... I went to the nearest inn to rest. At first, I thought that the innkeeper recognized me, but he wouldn't have offerred me a room if I were a murderer. I decided to stay here for the night and immediately leave the next day. When I left the inn the next day, I found the entrace surrounded by House Jamalo guards. The innkeeper DID recognize me! The mysterious man appeared again and then waved intricate patterns in the air with his hands. Suddenly, something big appeared overhead. Something very big. A dragon! And my savior was a wizard! Of all things, an abyssal savior! The guards sent to arrest me ran for their lives. People were screaming everywhere. I didn't know what I was scared of more back then. Was it the dragon which was now torching the town, or the wizard who summoned it? The wizard turned to me and told me that if I wanted the power to free Elana, I should go with him. If I wanted to stay and be executed as a traitor, I should stay. At that point, I didn't bother asking how in the world he actually found out about me and Elana, and I didn't want to die... yet. So I went with him. II. The Present It is five years after I left Modgikas. Five years after I left Elana Kylos. I am now twenty-five years old. I still miss her. I still wear the friendship bracelet she gave to me when we were just friends. I still carry a lock of Elana's hair, the one she gave to me when we became more than just friends. But I wonder... Does she miss me? Does she still have the matching bracelet and a lock of my hair? Five years after I went with Gregos Ulozix. Five years I studied under him. He had been a good teacher and a good friend to me. I had been a good pupil and a good friend to him. Five years after he sent that illusion of a dragon to attack the village. That never ceases to amuse me. My people were very wrong about wizards. Very wrong. The pacts my mentor made with Outsiders were quite different from the abyssal pacts made by wizards in stories used by Modgikan parents to scare their children. Very far from it. I could go on all day about all the misconceptions my people had about wizards and still have enough to talk about the next day. Now, I work for the Society of Arcanology. It's a loosely organized group of wizards who have agreed to scour the world for lost arcane lore and to share their knowledge with each other. This "guild" has a very simple membership fee. Its members must share something new at least once a year. Being an Arcanologist (that's what we call ourselves) has its advantages. I get to travel all over the world, visiting places that I read about in my father's library. I also get to learn from experienced wizards who don't hoard their knowledge. And perhaps, in the future, I will be one of those experienced wizards who won't hoard his knowledge. Maybe. Currently, I seek the long-lost arcane laboratory of Arac Sokeen. Arac Sokeen was a very secretive wizard who was said to have developed a method of channeling positive energy without the use of divine magic. An arcane healing spell would break the divine spellcasters' monopoly on it, no doubt. Though this is what Arac Sokeen is famous (among wizards) for, this is not his only accomplishment. The only problem is locating his hidden arcane lab. That, and determining which of part of his story is fact or fiction. Did he really make an arcane healing spell? My search has led me to Mt. Volon. Mt. Volon was the site of "The Battle of the Races". It was a three-sided war between humans, dwarves, and trolls. Each side sought a powerful artifact rumored to be deep within Mt. Volon. What this artifact is and what it does is not known, though it might a worthy contribution to the Society of Arcanology. The artifact is not my concern. Not yet. There have been fragmented accounts of "wizards calling forth the powers of heaven to aid the wounded" or something similar. Oh, and Arac Sokeen was born here in Willow Valley. I'll be damned if there's no connection... This is my first assignment without my mentor. I will make him proud. III. The Future Once I amass sufficient arcane and material resources, I shall return to Jamalo. I will rescue her from the sacrifice she made for "the good of House Jamalo". She will be mine. SHE WILL BE MINE!!! And if she abandons me again? Time will tell... IV. Appearance Sephoril is a well-built, six feet tall man who weighs about 200 pounds. He has shoulder-length, straight black hair. He wears ornamental glasses (he doesn't need them) over a pair of dark brown eyes. Unlike many adventurers who flaunt themselves, Sephoril prefers to look mundane. He wears simple, utilitarian clothes; a cloak, a simple shirt, a simple pair of pants, and a sturdy pair of shoes. Neither does he show off his weapons; his walking stick is actually an unstrung bow shaft, and his dagger is well-hidden under his cloak. "Me, an adventurer? No, sir... I am merely a traveler who seeks an inn to rest in after a very long walk..." V. Personality Sephoril Jamalo is a brilliant young man, and the way his eyes seem to analyze everything around him betrays his intelligence despite his efforts to look mundane. Considering that he was a noble, he acts a bit arrogant, though he has since learned to "forgive those who are inferior". He is tolerant of everyone he considers "inferior"; he considers almost everyone "inferior", so he is tolerant of almost everyone. Sephoril keeps his noble lineage secret. It would cause all sorts of trouble for him, for his father might still be looking for him. He acts more like a middle-class commoner. His obsession with Elana Kylos is what drives him. That, and the opportunity to travel around the world. Perhaps when he returns to Elana, he will act as her tour guide... VI. Glossary 1.) Arac Sokeen - a wizard who was said to have developed arcane healing spells 2.) Colsar Jamalo - lord of House Jamalo; Sephoril's father 3.) Elana Kylos - Sephoril Jamalo's one true love 4.) Gregos Ulozix - Sephoril's mentor; a wizard who specializes in Divination 5.) Jamalo - a Modgikan noble house which rules the city state of the same name 5.) Modgikas - a continent which was once home to the Modgikan Empire 6.) Sephoril Jamalo - heir to House Jamalo who committed treason to save Elana; a wizard who specializes in Divination 8.) Society of Arcanology - a loosely organized group of wizards who scour the world for lost arcane lore and to share it with its members 9.) Sunivel - a Modgikan noble house which rules the city state of the same name 10.) Theophis Sunivel - lord of House Sunivel
MrNiceGuy 09-02-03, 09:37 AM	Chaotic Neutral or even True Neutral- While cold-blooded murder is an evil act, I don't see from your description that your character took any particular delight in it. To me, CE shows a joy in the infliction of pain and suffering - exultation in exercising power over others. I don't get that here. While the murder of the entourage seems to bar you from CG, the rest of your actions/attitudes seem to me to place you in the N/CN camp. Paul
cheshire_grin 09-02-03, 10:07 AM	CE doesn't necessarily have to mean taking joy in cold-blooded murder or in pain, I would think. As long as you commit evil acts and privilege your own desires and power over everything else (including being willing to lie, cheat, and betray), then I'd say you're chaotic evil. She will be mine. SHE WILL BE MINE!!! And if she abandons me again? This is the only part of the entry that seems to say persistently evil as opposed to neutral, and even this could be read as an obsession (i.e. an insanity) rather than his actual personality. Really it comes down to whether you prefer to play him evil or not. If he's occasionally concerned for other peoples' welfare, if he is sometimes generous and kind (without an ulterior motive) -- in a word, if he sometimes acts in goodly ways -- then play him neutral. In that case, he's not good, he's not bad, he just wants what he wants, and damn the consequences for anyone else. On the other hand, if he's only ever out for himself, and the only reason he helps someone else is to gain an advantage for himself, then play him evil. If he hates people who are kind and generous, and sees them as simple dupes to be used by him, that would be evil too. Either could be interesting, and either should work as written.
Morka 09-02-03, 11:33 AM	I have an hard time with him being only chaotic neutral and slipping poison in the food of a dozen of people, ALL HIS BROTHERS INCLUDED, only to satisfy a compulsion. To kill some "lower" diplomats could not be so evil, since he seems to come from a Lawful Evil society.
cheshire_grin 09-02-03, 01:29 PM	Well, the poisoning was undoubtedly an evil act, but a single evil act doesn't make you Evil. If he often performs Good acts as well, it would balance out to Neutral. If he doesn't, then not.
Joseph Amarillo 09-03-03, 01:40 AM	Well, considering that he did kill everyone in the diplomatic envoy except himself and his friend, he'd probably be evil. But I'm not sure... Elana Kylos was to be given as a "gift" to a dirty old man who happened to be Sephoril's father's potential ally. Anyway, I rolled a d4 to decide (1 or 2 - CN, 3 or 4, CE). I rolled a 1, so I told the DM that I'd be chaotic neutral. But I'm not so sure... In Vampire: The Masquerade, my character would probably be Humanity 5 or 6. But this isn't VTM, where alignment is relative ("good" isn't always "good", "evil" isn't always "evil"). I wonder...
The Great Alchemist 09-04-03, 01:37 AM	Without a doubt, the character is Evil, as Chaotic Evil as just about any character can be. His heart is blacker than a moonless sky at midnight. Why you may ask? He murdured his brothers for his own selfish reasons, plus other innocents. He planned to cause a war between two nations, including his own, in order to hide his foul deed. That is Chaotic Evil, he has no loyalty to good will, no empathy with any other human being. He wants what he wants, and anybody who gets in his way has to die - whether is it his own brothers, his father, or thousands of his own countrymen that will die in a war he caused. If I were a DM, I would not allow a non-evil alignment for this character (possibly Neutral Evil instead of Chaotic, but that is a stretch) unless of course you say that he has changed and repented since his horribly evil actions. Which from what you've said it doesn't seem like he has. His love and/or obsession with Elana has nothing to do with alignment, murdering to run away with her does however.
Leap 09-04-03, 03:37 AM	There is not really enough info to make a decision on; we need info on whether or not you character is fine with betrayal and cheating, whether or not they are happy to form friendships and share with folks and whether or not they are generally willing to use weasely words and tactics. The killing of innocent officials is certainly an “evil act” but one act does not an alignment make. :) Evils tend to make a general practice of betrayal, cheating, refusing to share and using weasel words. Goods tend to make a general practice of good sportsmanship, a willingness to share (within limits) and a refusal to mislead with empty ‘weasel’ words. Which would you say your character is more of............
Joseph Amarillo 09-04-03, 04:08 AM	Well... My character is unrepentant, but he didn't really like what he did. He's just frustrated at how things are in his country (and the rest of the continent). Deep inside this murderer is a man who wants to live a peaceful life with the woman he loves. It's just that he was born in a society or warmongers. My characters sees EVERYONE in Modgikas (his home continent) as unworthy of being alive (since they constantly war with each other). His attitude toward other peoples is considerably better, though. So...
PhaedrusXY 09-04-03, 04:47 AM	Originally posted by Joseph Amarillo Well... My character is unrepentant, but he didn't really like what he did. He's just frustrated at how things are in his country (and the rest of the continent). Deep inside this murderer is a man who wants to live a peaceful life with the woman he loves. It's just that he was born in a society or warmongers. My characters sees EVERYONE in Modgikas (his home continent) as unworthy of being alive (since they constantly war with each other). His attitude toward other peoples is considerably better, though. So... He's certainly evil and I'd say CE, and no better than the "warmongers" of his homeland. He sold out on his ideals (belief that peace and non-aggression are a better way to live) when he used murder to serve his own ends. He's also either very arrogant, very narrow-minded, or both, if he thinks that he's the only person from his homeland who'd rather live peacefully, and that the rest deserve death. However, I think he has the potential to rise above his heritage and become better than he is. If he makes it to a more peaceful society and integrates into it successfully, his alignment could certainly change to neutral or even good, given enough time.
Leap 09-04-03, 06:56 AM	When you say “everyone is a warmonger” you appear to fail to understand that: i. not everyone may agree with the situation, but may simply feel helpless to act against it. ii.. the need to ask WHY are they fighting wars? Inter-tribal conflict is hardly ‘evil’; it may not be ‘nice’ but it is most certainly not automatically ‘evil’. Are they fighting for supremacy to take over them empire and restore the order your character longs for? Again, you do not really offer enough info to make a sound judgement, although I would hazard a guess that anyone who makes such judgements as “everyone is inferior” and “everyone is a warmonger” is one who certainly more drawn to evil than good! Of course the problem with all of this is the sheer protean nature of WOTC alignments…..perhaps if they could be a little more clear on what they mean by alignments it would help ;) From the basis I have come to understand myself: The values of Good are prosocial: Good-sportsmanship (It is better to win with honor than lose with honor, but it is better to lose with honor than win by cheating and betrayal), happy to share (within limits), don’t use weasel tactics/words. The values of Evil meanwhile are antisocial: Bad-sportsmanship (happy to cheat, happy to betray), unwilling to share, happy to use weasel tactics/words. Law meanwhile is about explicit & detailed communication and contracts (small print is a VERY lawful phenomenon), compartmentalisation, the valuing of punctuality and industriousness and the promotion of bureaucracy and meritocracy Which leaves Chaos being about implicit communication and embedded knowledge (personal trust is a more chaotic phenomenon), generalist integration, placing little value on punctuality and industriousness (and more value on relationships than career progression) and the promotion of nepotism over meritocracy. I would probably think your character is more in the direction of Neutral with Evil tendencies. What would YOU say he is more in line with?
Trydan 09-04-03, 10:58 AM	The character is simply selfish. While taking one CE action is neither here nor there (albeit a serious one that it was), it is the current attitude that defines the alignment, not the past. (E.g. a thief can repent, a paladin can fall by the wayside). Things like "SHE WILL BE MINE" definitely tip the balance though. I'd suggest CE, but in the very top-left corner of CE - bordering on TN and NE. If you can, ask your DM to leave it undefined. Play a few sessions, and look at the playing style that comes naturally. Then go with that