This isn't about that particular topic, but I saw you made Anders' characterization as neutral good? How did you come to that conclusion? I've always seen him as a chaotic good, considering that he's totally willing to break both chantry and city laws for the sake of justice..?
Oo! Good question! And this is a topic my husband and I just love to discuss - repeatedly…usually at dinner…
So Awakening Anders is most definitely a chaotic good character. He helps - he obviously wants to help other people (see him healing despite being released by the Warden) - but he’s selfish. Understandable, that. He knows there are problems but he doesn’t want to get involved. He’ll help heal, he’ll help the Wardens fight, but he won’t do anything about the Circle.
DA2 Anders, though, has a selflessness to his goodness. He doesn’t just help, he throws himself into helping. He heals because it’s the right thing to do. He fights because it’s the right thing to do. He’s not chaotic by any stretch of the imagination, but neither is he lawful. He doesn’t do these things based on a deep personal adherence to law or an ideal. He does it because it’s the correct thing to do.
BUT - he’s also possessing of one spirit of Justice. Justice is a Lawful Neutral spirit. There is no good or evil to Justice. There just IS. Justice serves predefined rules….laws designed to balance scales. It’s not a gentle or good aspect. It is, in fact, a cold and hard aspect that operates under a very Black/White belief system.
And he’s sharing brain space with a Neutral Good healer.
On a step system - Justice’s nature moved Anders from Chaotic over one step to Neutral. That’s a more D&D view of things but…Anders isn’t the most lawful of people…but he is GOOD. Justice’s nature pushes Anders into Lawful acts - which leads to a lot of the problems you see. The internal push and pull between a Good and Neutral character.
Now…let’s take that a step further. Kirkwall can best defined (by Act 3) as a city under Lawful Evil rule. There’s law and the person trying to be in charge is Evil (See Meredith, see Elthina…both are evil. Meredith is Chaotic Evil and Elthina is a delightful form of Lawful Evil…using rules to stagnate the city and prevent the change needed to bring balance between the Mages and Chantry).
So we have a Lawful Evil city with a Chaotic Evil Knight Commander and the RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION RUNNING IT IS EVIL (remember Intent here, people…Evil organizations will feed the poor if it gets the poor to do what the evil organization wants).
Justice cannot STAND this Lawful Evil organization that is unbalancing the entire Circle. So he acts - in a manner that fits a Lawful Neutral being hold up in a Neutral Good person. He doesn’t destroy the city. He goes after the Lawful Evil person running the show - which would be Elthina…in the Chantry…
And all those supposed 100′s of people dead?
How many were Chantry mothers or sister or lay people who knew of the abuses and did nothing?
How many were corrupt nobility who knew of the abuses and did nothing?
How many were merchants who carried power and did nothing?
On a scale held by a Spirit of Justice, their deaths do LITTLE to balance out the horrors perpetuated in Kirkwall and the Gallows.
A Lawful Good Paladin will tear down a monarchy and rain death upon a civilization that is evil if it means bringing Law and Justice.
Good does not equal sunshine and roses.
Neutral doesn’t equal Evil
And Anders always carries goodness with him - whether he’s being selfish with his life or fighting for freedom.
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