Describe a Town, it's Government and Citizens based on Alignment

[dreaded_beast]

I'm in the process of detailing the hometown of the PCs. The hometown is the village of Dantredun, in the Archbarony of Blackmoor, based in Greyhawk. However, the town alignment is listed as Neutral Evil.

I'm not really sure how to portray/detail the "neutral evil" nature of the town, considering it's the town the PCs grew up in, and they are all of 'good alignment'.

Based on your opinion, describe a town, the government, and the citizens based on the alignment of the town, such as Neutral Evil, Chaotic Good, etc.

However, I would appreciate descriptions of Neutral Evil town greatly.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

I think it's called Las Vegas.




JOKE!! Just kidding! Been there several times! Chaotic Good if I ever saw it!



On a more serious note: You're looking at a tyranny. But the tyrant doesn't care so much what happens as long as he remains in power. Ever see Gangs of New York? Something like that.

 

[nute]

A Lawful Good town is one that's well-ordered and the primary purpose is the well-being of its citizens. People cooperate to help each other out because it's the right thing to do. Taxes are paid and civil duties are performed for the good of all.

A Neutral Good town is similar, but with less actual government. People probably tend to aid their neighbors on a more individual and personal basis.

A Chaotic Good town is more like a commune with the interests of the group held high, but without any hard-and-fast laws or leadership necessarily.

Lawful Neutral towns tend to lean more to the Lawful side of things - the law is there because it is THE LAW and it keeps order. These cities are often very clean and well-run, people may not be happy but they're at least organized.

True Neutral towns are rare - small struggling frontier towns could fit in this category, as well as unorganized towns where the population is too far-spread or disparate for any sort of cohesive social structure.

Chaotic Neutral towns are the ultimate "hippie paradise". Do what you personally feel ought to be done, so long as you're not impinging on anyone else's rights.

Lawful Evil towns would be those where self-interest is paramount, and the laws and government are used to further that extent for those who can benefit. Oppressive police forces, draconic laws, harsh taxation - all signs of a Lawful Evil town or society.

A Neutral Evil town would be your standard "run by bandits/pirates" enclave. Not much in the way of organization, but the folks in charge are generally bad dudes who aren't looking out for the populace.

A Chaotic Evil town is Detroit after the Pistons go to the Championships.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Here's the important question for you to answer, first.

When you say the town is Neutral Evil, do you mean:

1) The majority of the town's inhabitants is Neutral Evil?
2) The plurality of the town's inhabitants is Neutral Evil?
3) The dominant social structure in town in Neutral Evil?
4) The ruler of the town (not necessarily the same as the above) is Neutral Evil?

Answer that question, and the rest will probably follow.

 

[Zappo]

Here's the important question for you to answer, first.

When you say the town is Neutral Evil, do you mean:

1) The majority of the town's inhabitants is Neutral Evil?
2) The plurality of the town's inhabitants is Neutral Evil?
3) The dominant social structure in town in Neutral Evil?
4) The ruler of the town (not necessarily the same as the above) is Neutral Evil?

Answer that question, and the rest will probably follow.

I think that national alignment is a mixture of these four. It is the "feeling" of the place. Besides, in many cases these four factors would tend to become similar in time.

 

[Sigurd]

Here's the important question for you to answer, first. II

The intended use of the town's industry is Neutral Evil
The immediate affects of its purchased goods are Neutral Evil
The employment practices & renumeration by the town are Neutral Evil
The official prostelatized church is Neutral Evil
The promoted world view is actively Neutral Evil
The absense of a world view or church is inherently Neutral Evil
The absense of any of the above is inherently Neutral Evil
The considerred outcome of its interaction with the countryside is Neutral Evil
The structure and treatment of its social classes is Neutral Evil


I think as social orgs grow they fall from any ideal extreme and fall back into mediocracy.

Even in hell there are devils who don't give a perfect torment to each soul because they are too damned busy! Is that mercy?

 

[Silveras]

A Neutral Evil Town:

People here are hardened, mostly. They scrabble among themselves for small bits of profit, serving strong gangs that would as soon kill them as look at them. The authorities only help anyone if they see a way to make a profit themselves. They are countered, though, by informal gangs that have banded together under a few individual strong leaders; the gangs appreciate that the leader's plans keep them fed and out of the prison, even if that sometimes means violent confrontations with the Lord's forces.

There are few institutions of government, mostly just enough of the basics to keep the place running. These institutions are corrupt, and the people who run them use them to wring what they can from the citizens. The citizens expect that, and either pay protection money to one or more gangs or pay the 'fees' demanded by the institutions for the same services.

Citizens expect to do a fair bit for themselves, but they do also expect that the formal government will provide at least a minimum of services. They also expect that the gangs will provide some measure of services out of a need to avoid provoking *everyone*. Who gets served by whom depends on either the formal claims they can make on the authorities, or on personal relationships with this or that gang leader (and, of course, how much of a "return on the investment" can be expected).

Most folks are trapped in between the formal authorities and the gangs, but a few play them off against each other.

Very, very few people do anything without expectation of reward, and those inclined to do so often feel they need to mask this tendency in order not to be seen as weak targets by the others.

 

[Al]

A possible sample NE town:

Ever since the necromancer Lord Vestrell killed the local mayor, wiped out the militia and put his zommercenaries on the street, the people have cowered in fear. They know that if they step out of line, they've had it. This is not to say that there aren't occasional random beatings from the mercenaries or that sometimes Vestrell takes it upon himself to abduct one of the village lasses, but there is at least a general mood that as long as you keep your head down, pay your exorbitant levels of taxes, worship at the newly-installed temple of Nerull and praise Vestrell in public you might just get by. The street beatings might be fairly haphazard - when the mercenary in question is having a bad day - but there is a direct correlation between dissent and "disappearance". There are certainly no formal structures of law, nor even show trials, but at least you can try to stay in Vestrell's good books.

Unfortunately, many of the population are now going too far in this. With tales of torture and dark arts used to inflict suffering upon Vestrell's opponents, too many citizens are far too keen to keep in with their master. Pecuniary rewards extorted from their neighbours are an added incentive. The high pay rate of the mercenary force has led several of the villagers to join, and those who would not openly sign up to supporting Vestrell often act as his informers and spies to placate him. It is a self-policing society to the extent that the mercenaries are relatively ineffective at spying: they merely put the fear into the citizens who gladly denounce their neighbours. Some denounce out of fear, some for the few silver pieces Vestrell gives them, some for petty personal reasons such as long-term village feuds.

Vestrell's village is NE: "central" government is NE (Vestrell himself), the mechanisms of the law are NE (the mercenaries), the underpinning ideology is NE (rat out your neighbours for personal gain), the dominant religion is NE (Nerull), the direction of the society is NE (whatever nefarious schemes Vestrell is planning and using the village as his power base for) and the people have largely conformed to this through denunciation.

 

[dreaded_beast]

Great responses everyone!

I especially like the details of the sample NE towns.

What about towns with a NE government but a population of different alignment?