trouble with alignment? [Archive] - Wizards Community

trouble with alignment? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Ceoilte
11-05-03, 12:58 PM Just need some ideas for what alignment this character would be.

The original idea I had was for a Half Elven Mercenary commander, named Asheran 'The white Rose'. The concept is still very shaky and has huge holes in it.

Her mother was a high elven mage adventurer (not sure of house or name yet) or Bard who rebelled against her family when she was younger and ran away. She hooked up with a group of adventurers and fell for a human (maybe called Keenan) fighter in the group who is the pc's character's father.

The mother stayed with the human for a few years and eventually had the pc, after a few years. Until she just suddenly left without telling him where she was going. The child was only a almost a year then. He tried to track her down, but only met dead ends til he was met by a representative of her house. He was basically told that she wanted nothing more to do with him. She considered their 'marriage' to be a embarressing youthful indiscretion on her part and that she just wished to forget it ever happened, and the child was just an embarressment to her and her family. And she would refuse to recognise her as her own.

Keenan was left heart broken but kept himself together for his child. He had no family and nobody who he could trust enough to leave the child with so he took her with him. He tried to find other work but he only really knew one trade, the sword. So he signed up with a mercenary company as a front ranker.

He died a year later and the girl was left to the care of the company women in the baggage train. She was an orphan so had no love and very little attention from the adults around her. She spent most of her youth in raggedy cloths, malnourished and around guys you wouldn't let anywhere near your kids. Nuff said.

When a few more female warriors joined up they took exception to the way she and the other children were being treated and took her and a few others under their wing (she was about 4 now) They trained her in the use of arms and formation fighting. They also saw she showed amazing aptitude for tactics and command. when she was old enough she was placed in among the infantry where she made progress and eventually got promoted to the equivelent of a sargeant. This worked til the company splintered into a few different militias when the commanders fell out with each other.

Over the next thirty years Asheran through sheer grit, force of will and breathtaking military tactics made a name for herself as a force to be reckened with on the battle field and built up a huge mercenary force completely loyal to her. Many Smaller kingdoms hired them because The company that was named after her 'The White Rose' was comparible in discipline, numbers and supplies to most smaller kingdom's standing armies. And was cheaper to hire then training and maintaining a standing army would be. Which was great for her till the company was almost wiped out in a particularly bloody battlefield against a force 4 times as numerous, with vast amounts of battle mages in support. So shes back at square one, with very little money and no power base.

Asheran herself I see as really mixedup. On one hand she hates Elves wanting nothing to do with them, and only gives respect to those she believes earn it. On the other shes constantly looking for respect and affection to validate her worth emotionally especially from Elves. She is also trying to get in with the great and the good, hoping to get back some of her former prestige.
Morka
11-05-03, 01:34 PM I would say LN. She lack friendship and affection, but put her relations with others into a very formal way. Also, she should be lawful to keep an army around her for a while. If you are in FR, she should worship the Red Knight or Hoar.

Which level is she? With all she have done, she should be level 10. I suggest to give her some levels of Marshal (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906b).

After her last defeat, I doubt she would have nothing . If she was defending some minor realm, she should have been paid well for the lost of her troups. Unless all the minor realm have been wiped. Even in the last, she should keep a few followers with her, with broken weapons and bad armors.
Realmsman
11-05-03, 01:39 PM You may want to consider what the character's goals are before you figure the alignment. A character's goals can help shape a character's moral background even further, but from what you have put down she seems very controlled and disciplined so I would have to rule out any Chaotic alignments other than that it seems pretty open, she could be evil due to her lack of love during her childhood and her bloody lifestyle, but on the other hand she could be good due to the few but possibly life altering good deeds performed by a few in her regard (the female mercs' and her father), but there is also always the possiblity that she is neutral due to the lack of exposure to good natured people and a nice childhood and the sights she has seen fighting as a mercenary. She may not agree with the alignment extremes (good and evil) since she probably has seen war caused, started, and fought because of GOOD ideals and EVIL ideals.

Well I hope I was of some help.
Vexxan
11-06-03, 04:22 AM Definately Lawful Neutral.
Being a part of an organized mercenary outfit lends to that nature as well as her ordered thoughts about things. She seems very centered and firm in her views.
The choice of neutral would arise again from the mercenary lifestyle. Doing odd jobs for all sorts of clients without much background info on them means potentially advancing the causes of evil minds. If that isn't much of a concern to her, definately neutral. The job is all that matters really. If she has qualms about assignments based on morals, perhaps LG is better. She doesn't seem to be living for direct personal gain or easily obtained power, so obviously not evil.
I agree that details on her future aspirations might affect your choice in alignment, but as it stand LN seems the place to be.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ceoilte 11-05-03, 12:58 PM	Just need some ideas for what alignment this character would be. The original idea I had was for a Half Elven Mercenary commander, named Asheran 'The white Rose'. The concept is still very shaky and has huge holes in it. Her mother was a high elven mage adventurer (not sure of house or name yet) or Bard who rebelled against her family when she was younger and ran away. She hooked up with a group of adventurers and fell for a human (maybe called Keenan) fighter in the group who is the pc's character's father. The mother stayed with the human for a few years and eventually had the pc, after a few years. Until she just suddenly left without telling him where she was going. The child was only a almost a year then. He tried to track her down, but only met dead ends til he was met by a representative of her house. He was basically told that she wanted nothing more to do with him. She considered their 'marriage' to be a embarressing youthful indiscretion on her part and that she just wished to forget it ever happened, and the child was just an embarressment to her and her family. And she would refuse to recognise her as her own. Keenan was left heart broken but kept himself together for his child. He had no family and nobody who he could trust enough to leave the child with so he took her with him. He tried to find other work but he only really knew one trade, the sword. So he signed up with a mercenary company as a front ranker. He died a year later and the girl was left to the care of the company women in the baggage train. She was an orphan so had no love and very little attention from the adults around her. She spent most of her youth in raggedy cloths, malnourished and around guys you wouldn't let anywhere near your kids. Nuff said. When a few more female warriors joined up they took exception to the way she and the other children were being treated and took her and a few others under their wing (she was about 4 now) They trained her in the use of arms and formation fighting. They also saw she showed amazing aptitude for tactics and command. when she was old enough she was placed in among the infantry where she made progress and eventually got promoted to the equivelent of a sargeant. This worked til the company splintered into a few different militias when the commanders fell out with each other. Over the next thirty years Asheran through sheer grit, force of will and breathtaking military tactics made a name for herself as a force to be reckened with on the battle field and built up a huge mercenary force completely loyal to her. Many Smaller kingdoms hired them because The company that was named after her 'The White Rose' was comparible in discipline, numbers and supplies to most smaller kingdom's standing armies. And was cheaper to hire then training and maintaining a standing army would be. Which was great for her till the company was almost wiped out in a particularly bloody battlefield against a force 4 times as numerous, with vast amounts of battle mages in support. So shes back at square one, with very little money and no power base. Asheran herself I see as really mixedup. On one hand she hates Elves wanting nothing to do with them, and only gives respect to those she believes earn it. On the other shes constantly looking for respect and affection to validate her worth emotionally especially from Elves. She is also trying to get in with the great and the good, hoping to get back some of her former prestige.
Morka 11-05-03, 01:34 PM	I would say LN. She lack friendship and affection, but put her relations with others into a very formal way. Also, she should be lawful to keep an army around her for a while. If you are in FR, she should worship the Red Knight or Hoar. Which level is she? With all she have done, she should be level 10. I suggest to give her some levels of Marshal (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906b). After her last defeat, I doubt she would have nothing . If she was defending some minor realm, she should have been paid well for the lost of her troups. Unless all the minor realm have been wiped. Even in the last, she should keep a few followers with her, with broken weapons and bad armors.
Realmsman 11-05-03, 01:39 PM	You may want to consider what the character's goals are before you figure the alignment. A character's goals can help shape a character's moral background even further, but from what you have put down she seems very controlled and disciplined so I would have to rule out any Chaotic alignments other than that it seems pretty open, she could be evil due to her lack of love during her childhood and her bloody lifestyle, but on the other hand she could be good due to the few but possibly life altering good deeds performed by a few in her regard (the female mercs' and her father), but there is also always the possiblity that she is neutral due to the lack of exposure to good natured people and a nice childhood and the sights she has seen fighting as a mercenary. She may not agree with the alignment extremes (good and evil) since she probably has seen war caused, started, and fought because of GOOD ideals and EVIL ideals. Well I hope I was of some help.
Vexxan 11-06-03, 04:22 AM	Definately Lawful Neutral. Being a part of an organized mercenary outfit lends to that nature as well as her ordered thoughts about things. She seems very centered and firm in her views. The choice of neutral would arise again from the mercenary lifestyle. Doing odd jobs for all sorts of clients without much background info on them means potentially advancing the causes of evil minds. If that isn't much of a concern to her, definately neutral. The job is all that matters really. If she has qualms about assignments based on morals, perhaps LG is better. She doesn't seem to be living for direct personal gain or easily obtained power, so obviously not evil. I agree that details on her future aspirations might affect your choice in alignment, but as it stand LN seems the place to be.