Alignment

This universe replaces the typical DnD 5e alignment system with an alignment system based off of the five MTG colors, as explained in this article: The MTG Color Wheel (& Humanity) - by Duncan Sabien (substack.com).

A typical creature in the game world has an alignment, which broadly describes its moral and personal attitudes. Alignment is a combination of five different conceptual domains: Order (Peace), Knowledge(Perfection), Ruthlessness(Satisfaction), Action(Freedom), and Acceptance(Harmony). Most creatures contain aspects of all of these domains, but have 2 or 3 domains which they primarily align with. Alignments are not stable, and can change over time. These brief summaries of the alignments describe the typical behavior of a creature with that alignment. Individuals might vary significantly from that typical behavior, and few people are perfectly and consistently faithful to the precepts of their alignment.

Alignment in the Universe

For many thinking creatures, alignment is a choice. Humans, dwarves, elves, and other humanoid races can choose who they become, by nature not being drawn to any particular domain.

On the other hand, alignment is an essential part of the nature of the celestials which inhabit the 15 Outer Planes. These creatures have predetermined natures, their souls made of the energy of the conceptual domains they embody. They are unable to choose to stray from their natures, lacking the same level of free will as humanoids. However, the nature of a celestial can be corrupted, such as with the tainted soldiers. Corruption is most common with weaker celestials, almost never affecting deities.

Most creatures that lack the capacity for rational thought do not have alignments—they are unaligned. Such a creature is incapable of making an aligned choice and acts according to its bestial nature. Sharks are savage predators, for example, but they are not evil; they have no alignment.