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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Al" data-source="post: 416354" data-attributes="member: 2486">I would find Lawful Evil the most vile.  Not simply because it is the most dangerous, methodical or efficient, but because of the fundamental nature of most classic Lawful Evil villains.OPPRESSIONMy first point is oppression.  Nearly all lawful evil villains oppress their victims in some way or another.  Granted, so do neutral and chaotic evil villains- but the difference is the scale and the approach.  The scale is a by-product of the efficiency, but the sheer numbers are horrific (think the Holocaust).  The approach is equally frightening.  Their victims are not treated as real people, but merely pawns to exploit in order to achieve their goals.  Even the neutral evils and chaotic evils have more empathy with their victims.  The coldness of Lawful Evil is, whilst not gruesome, certainly vile.  Continuing the example of the Holocaust, the referral to Jews as 'units' I found to be one of the most disturbing chapter of the whole vile episode.SECRECY/JUSTIFICATIONThis is split into two, because the two are mutually exclusive.  Secrecy is 'vile' because whereas Chaotic Evils, and, to a lesser extent, Neutral Evils, are relatively easy to pinpoint, Lawful Evils weave a web of lies and intrigue to cover their tracks.  The manipulation, backstabbing and falsehoods of Lawful Evil I find more of an affront than the axe-wielding maniac.  Justification is similar in motive but opposite in action.  It means that Lawful Evils have the frequent tendency to 'justify' their actions through cheap demagoguery or masterful manipulation.  They needn't hide their wickedness because they convince people what they are doing is good.  For example, Robert Mugabe engages in a ruthless and brutal programme of land seizure under the guise of anti-imperialism and land reform.CORRUPTIONOf all the evils, Lawful Evil stands the best chance to tempt, corrupt or pervert more to their cause.  Neutral and Chaotic Evils rarely have to coherence, cohesion or conviction to convince more to join their cause: and those that they do managed to recruit are normally 'evil' (or at least selfish) in any case.  The frightening aspect of Lawful Evil is that they can frequently persuade even those of 'good' alignment into either knowingly or unknowingly carrying out their goals, through deceit, persuasion, blackmail or a myriad other ways.  The potential of a perversion of a good soul to evil I find particularly heinous.So there we go: Oppression, Secrecy/Justification and Corruption.  Three aspects of LE which I find the most vile of all.  How can the psychopath and the bandit hope to compete?</blockquote>

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