Alignments of Spira/D&D

Alignment

Factions and characters are both often described with the traditional D&D alignment scale. While this is not enforced, it may be very helpful for those unfamiliar to understand it. My format puts, rather than an ‘archetype name’ that is not descriptive in the slightest, what is broadly and most critically believed by the alignment. This is shown in [Brackets] and refers to a ‘mortal’ world, rather than an extreme archetypical one. Note, this is for those unfamiliar, or those familiar and want my views. It is not a ‘mandatory’ part of character creation but it’s a useful shorthand, and many of the factions have an ‘alignment’ attached to ease of understanding. Note, normal people are not a solid ‘in a single alignment’ but are part of a mobile shifting array, and will act in a number of alignments at any time, but most tend to vaguely fall into one of the fields.

LAWFUL GOOD [Harmony] Benevolence and Order. Best described as a duty to others and to the community. It is the belief that we can’t just act without considering its effects on others and generally a ‘good of the many.’ They fundamentally believe in and work towards a society that believes in a fair orderly society that puts people's happiness and wellbeing first.	NEUTRAL GOOD [Virtue] Benevolence without bias towards either chaos or law. It is the belief in doing good without particular ethical consideration. To help others because you should and can, to fight enemies because it is right and you are able. It is not overly concerned with the long term effects but it still considers them.	CHAOTIC GOOD [Emancipation] Benevolence and disorder. They are best described as a form of benevolent selfishness. A righteous fervor, a zealous mission. A doctor who violates his healing oath to let a monster die, contrarily, one who refuses to let a monster be killed as it could be redeemed. Society is a worthy sacrifice if the world could be made better.
LAWFUL NEUTRAL [Order] Order and law are what matter, a civil society with rules and regulations. Safety, prosperity and stability. It may be a despotic order or it may be a benevolent order, but the general order matters most. It is focused on community and social wellbeing first, but the community itself matters more than any deep morals attached to that society. “It Works for us.”	TRUE NEUTRAL [Nothing] There are alignments and then there’s true neutral. They have no strong beliefs. They may mumble to themselves about how ‘all sides are really bad’ but they’re not particularly motivated to do something about it in any way. Some may take this as some firm, strange stance to avoid having any strong opinions, but most just want to live.	CHAOTIC NEUTRAL [Rebellion] Disorderliness without regard to good or evil. They have a passion, a passion for something to change. They may want this for others, they may want it just for themself, but they don’t care too much how it’ll be done. A thief who robs to get by, a rebel who will do terrible things for the broad good, or a lone frontiersman living free of society are all living the path of freedom.
LAWFUL EVIL [Social Darwinism] Malevolence under rule of law. It is the least socially harmful kind of evil, but not the least horrible. They use the systems to ensure a broad social need is fulfilled for some, but not others. This may be their people, or it may be the elites of a society. Examples would include an empire which ethnically cleanses unwanteds, or a prison-mafia demoting a thief to a sex slave.	NEUTRAL EVIL [Spite] Malevolence without biases. It is hateful, spiteful, self interested, but not particularly without direction. They have limits, they like freedom but also want protection from others. The most banal sort of evil, the evil of disinterest, but also the evil of simple wrathful hatred. Neutral evil is both capable of extreme evil and completely mundane evil.	CHAOTIC EVIL [Themself] Disorder and malevolence, they do not believe in society, they do not operate by its rules. No taboo really matters, nothing really matters. They may completely lack empathy of any sort or have any care for anything. They may have some idea that their acts are necessary, but these are unlikely to be consistent or very deep, no matter the (lack) of logic used to justify it.