There are exceptions. Mahala and Sheelba actually care about their people, though they don't care much for everyone else, Basium doesn't care about anyone's happiness, only about killing demons, etc.
In Aurics case thou there really is no contest. Both the cause (Become the new god of winter and send the world into an icy death) and the means are evil. Hence he must be evil.
I'm not sure that's apt. Before the infernal struggle, Basium was simply the angel of life, guarding the underworld. The threat of the Infernals is what made him so aggressive.Basilum vs Agres is something of a Hitler vs Stalin contest. Sure, one will eventualy get rid of the other but are they really that different to the world around them?
When I see Basium I see a person who divides the world in two groups.
Those that are willing to sacrifice anything at a moments notice just to fight the Demons and those that aren't.
The first are to do so right now, and the rest... why do they hesitate? They must be in league with the demons! Burn Witch!
That is how I see Basium.
The problem is that he will not stop at people who are tolerant (AV worshipers and their allies).
He will also take out everyone who is not directly aiding him.
If I am siting nice on the other continent killing any demons that come close and caring not for the rest of the world I will be deemed evil by him.
If some pedian entries are to be quoted he does absolutely nothing to care about things like Innocent bystanders and collateral damage.
You are either with him or against him.
For him, the fight against Agres is the only thing that matters. If tomorrow someone told him he could kill Agres and all he had to do was butcher all the babies on Erebus I am quite convinced he would do it without thought.
In my eyes, he has already become that witch he is fighting.
Am i right to assume then that good/evil line of alignment of the leaders in Kael's opinion are based more on the attitude towards their subjects than their actions related to the world's destruction/preservation/restoration? The very simple, striking thing is that: if Basium is good by battling threat of world's annihilation, his attitude towards his little human subjects being throwing them in endless horrid battles or excruciating toil for war supplies, then why an Auric who strives to restore the part of world with use of his subjects similar to that of Basium is evil? I see now that there are two tangled scales of alignment judgement which need a separation: for tiny mortals and the gods.Good leaders seek to bring health and happiness to their people through their own sacrifice (many over the one, Capria), the Neutral try to balance the desires/needs of their people with their own (Falamar) and the Evil use their people as a tool to achieve their own desires (one over the many, Perpentach).
Another gap within my knowledge...Auric, on the other hand, consumes the souls of those killed for his ascendancy. They are obliterated and do not go on to any heaven whatsoever.
Another gap within my knowledge...
Requesting confirmation from Kael: Is that exactly so, or ritual just weakens the souls of those caught in it by draining them of power, in likeness of ritual described at the second book of "Witches' world" by A. Norton, as i do presume?
Yay, if he really does that what Valkrionn just said, then Auric is really-really evil
The principal difference between the two is that Basium knows that the immortal souls of those humans he inadvertantly kills will go to one of the heavens (unless they're Evil, in which case he meant to kill them); Auric, on the other hand, consumes the souls of those killed for his ascendancy. They are obliterated and do not go on to any heaven whatsoever. Which makes it seem to be a monumental vampiric ritual, as the Calabim also consume the souls of their victims.
Another gap within my knowledge...
Requesting confirmation from Kael: Is that exactly so, or ritual just weakens the souls of those caught in it by draining them of power, in likeness of ritual described at the second book of "Witches' world" by A. Norton, as i do presume?
So "canon-wise", i take it, both my and Valkrionn's views upon 'the Draw' are just a speculations.There isn't any canon about the state of those souls from the ascension ritual or from vampiric feeding. The only canon we have about people dying but their souls never appearing in the afterlife is the Aifon's.
Auric seeks to improve his own power at the expense of many others. Therefore, evil. (FFH evil, not necessarily D&D evil, or Hitler evil, or Planescape evil, or Warhammer evil, or Dune evil, or Cthulhu evil, or Dubya evil, or Battlestar evil, etc.)Good leaders seek to bring health and happiness to their people through their own sacrifice (many over the one, Capria), the Neutral try to balance the desires/needs of their people with their own (Falamar) and the Evil use their people as a tool to achieve their own desires (one over the many, Perpentach).
Yes, yes and White Hand Auric would count as neutral. The point of all my blathering troughout all this top. Which i feel i should better cease.So for example AV Jesus would count as evil while Order Satan would count as good.