1. The Purpose of Alignments
Alignments are philosophical forces, ideological movements, and existential perspectives that shape the Dreamlands and the Waking World. They are not just personality types, but deeply-rooted worldviews that influence everything—from politics and magic to war and destiny itself. Alignments define the conflicts of this world. Nations rise and fall by them, heroes and villains are forged through them, and the very fabric of reality bends under their influence.
2. What Alignments Are
- Big-Picture Forces – Alignments are not just individual moral choices; they are sweeping philosophies that drive civilizations, cults, orders, and gods.
- Internal Struggles – Even those devoted to an alignment wrestle with its contradictions. A Dominion paladin might struggle with the iron grip of order, just as an Elder druid wrestles with the cost of preservation.
- Cultural & Metaphysical – Alignments aren’t just political factions. They have metaphysical weight, often influencing magic, history, and the fundamental laws of the Dream.
- Not Static – They shift. A warrior raised in Concordia might find themselves drawn toward Aegis after enough hardship. A revolutionary in Epiphany may lose their faith and slide into Vortex.
- Not Always Obvious – You don’t always wear your alignment on your sleeve. Some people don’t even realize what alignment they are until they’re forced to make a defining choice.
3. What Alignments Are Not
- Not a D&D Morality Grid – This isn’t just “Lawful Good vs. Chaotic Evil.” This is deeper, messier, and more nuanced, involving historical forces, ideological schisms, and cosmic truths.
- Not Political Parties – Though some alignments manifest in governments, they aren’t simple political factions. Logos, Dominion, and Archon might all seek structure, but their visions of reality are fundamentally different.
- Not Just Religions – While some alignments have deep spiritual components, they are not just faiths. The Sacred King is both a religion and a metaphysical reality, while Logos is law without divine mandate.
- Not One-Dimensional – A Synod-aligned general might be calculating, brutal, and loyal to the Horrrible forces of darkness, but she could also be a loving mother, a poet, or someone who genuinely believes she’s saving the world from stagnation.
- Not Permanent – A Dominion knight can break, fall into despair, and end up in Aegis. A rogue of The Periphery might have a sudden revelation and shift toward Questing. People change. So do their alignments.
4. How Alignments Shape the World
- Cities & Kingdoms – No kingdom is purely one alignment. Even within the most rigid Dominion state, there are rebels, dreamers, and cynics.
- Magic & Metaphysics – The forces of the universe recognize alignments. Dreamers shape reality through belief, and gods choose champions based on alignment resonance.
- Conflict & Warfare – The greatest wars are not over land, but over alignments. The Blight doesn’t just want to conquer—it wants to rewrite the rules of existence.
- The Personal Journey – Alignments are not just about nations and history. They shape personal choices. A warrior standing before a burning village must ask themselves not just what is right, but what aligns with their greater truth.
- Access – A lot of magic and special abilities are only accessible upon being sincere and recognized part of given Alignment.
5. The Alignment Wheel & Where You Stand
- At the Center Lies Balance – The force that seeks to maintain equilibrium and prevent any one ideology from consuming the Dreamlands.
- The Outward Spiral – As you move outward, alignments become more extreme, more absolute, and in some cases, more dangerous.
- The Abyss at the Edges – The most extreme alignments, like The Scourge or The Cult, teeter on the edge of madness and the unknown, drawing power from the great cosmic horrors beyond the veil.
Known Alignments
- Balance
- (The Harmonious) – Covenant, Empyrean, Elder, Celestial, Concordia
- (The Virtuous) – Axiom, Questing, Pure, The Yoke, Zenith
- (Believers) – Dominion, Illuminati, The Sacred King, Archon, Logos, The Free, Eclipse, Arcadian, Axis, The Crusade, Periphery, Serendipity, Utopian, Echelon
- (The Despairing) – Synod, Cabal, Marauder, Aegis, The Vile, The Blight, Paragon, The Damned, Hierarchy, Vortex, Nadir, The Veil, The Order, Dolor, Nexus
- (The Damned) – The Scourge, The Beast, The Hive, The Cult, Chaos, Darkness
Final Thought: Choosing an Alignment
Alignments are more than just labels. They are paths, legacies, and choices. Whether you are a noble knight of Dominion, a trickster of The Periphery, or a dreamer of Empyrean, your alignment will define your place in this world – Choose wisely. Or let the world choose for you.