Lissala's Alignment: Correlation or Causation?

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Having just read Into The Nightmare Rift's article on Lissala, I'm a bit confused as to some of the wording. My question is this: Is Lissala herself actually Lawful Evil, or is this the alignment adopted by her followers in her abscence perverted by sin, much like the rest of Thassilon? Are her followers Lawful Evil because she herself is, or is she considered Lawful Evil because that's the common alignment for her current, out-of-touch cultists? None of the flavor text when describing Lissala herself seemed to stand out as all that evil, at least when compared to Lawful Evil powers like Asmodeus and Zon-Kuthon. Most of the ideas of mortification and such only seemed to appear when the article began discussing her followers who are implied to have strayed far from Lissala's original teachings.

Pardon my ignorance, I'm just wondering how well a Divine Scion of Lissala might play, as Evil characters tend to cause issues.

[Tacticslion]

Dot-bump for later.

Short version: canonically she herself considered lawful evil, however many who read the article (and pretty much most articles written about her) feel the same as you do, that she is a lawful neutral creature whose worship was perverted to lawful evil.

It's quite possible that she, herself, shifted in alignment over time (certainly Saranrae believes it possible for gods to change alignment in theory).

Anyway, there's more to it, but that's the short.

[Mikaze]

Yeah, leading up to that article, with what little info there was for her, it did feel like she was largely LN who had her traditions twisted towards evil over time. (this was largely due to the nature of her #1 Fan, Xin, and the direction Thassilon went after he was overthrown)

Reading up on her though, I can see her as LE-all-along, but one that leans heavily towards LN. Kind of like Dispater, but much, mukch moreso. It's just that there are some things that push her over.

Part of what makes her so fascinating, personally.

I do like the idea that her modern cultists are at least partially "doing it wrong", as in being little more than glorified sin cultists that exemplify the worst excesses of the Runelords rather than Lissala's more disciplined and restrained approach.

There's an idea. Lissala invests in some goodly, but mostly lawful, heroes to put her house back in order. And rather than the expected betrayal or monkey's paw shenanigans PCs might expect from archdevils, she could be completely straight with them on her intentions and sell them on that. She woulnd't promise them the world and take it all away like your typical devil. She'll make a much more grounded and realistic offer and make good on it. :D

[darkwarriorkarg]

<begins playing the Tarantella>

<Brando Voice>
Lissala... is disappointed in you, Father. She wishes your successor to understand that taking all the food for yourself is not a good thing for yourself...

(kisses both his cheeks)
</Brando Voice>

[Matthew Morris]

I'll need to re-read the article, but it almost sounds like Sean's article on Wee Jas, who, IIRC, was "Lawful Neutral kind of sorta trending towards Lawful Evil" (and my favourite GReyhawk deity.)

[Chrysanthe Spiros]

Wee Jas is win.

Don't ask me how I know.

[James Jacobs]

Lissala is herself lawful evil. More lawful than evil, but still evil. She hasn't really shifted in alignment over time, but her faith has certainly done some shifting.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Thanks for the official word, Mr. Jacobs. Guess that deep-sixes my idea for a Divine Scion, as such a character would have to be Lawful Evil (Divine Scion requires your alignment be identical to your deity's).