Re: City of Berlum

Blackmail is an unlawful demand of money or property under threat or
coercion to cause bodily harm, or to damage property, or to accuse of a
crime, or to expose disgraceful defects.
-From http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/blackmail

So actually Eric is correct when he says blackmail is by definition
illegal.  Since the author used the word blackmail as opposed something
like, say, lawful coercion, we know for a fact that it is illegal in the
city of Berlum.  This means that she violates the law, on a regular
basis (whenever it is deemed neccesary).  This is, in fact, not Lawful
Good behavior.

With bribery
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/bribe
It says it is corrupt, but only usually illegal.
 Bribery generally gives an unfair advantage to one party or another,
when they should be playing on equal footing.  It is also generally
considered dishonest, both of which are lawful good no nos.  Just ask a
Paladin, they'll give you a long speech about it.

<<They temper the law with GOODNESS, you know, things like
compassion.>>  As well as honesty, and fairness.  Besides the "threat or
coercion to cause bodily harm, or to damage property, or to accuse of a
crime, or to expose disgraceful defects" can hardly be labled as
<<compassionate>>

<<Actually most people are neutral.  They couldn't give a dungheap one
way or the other as long as their asses are fat, dumb, and happy.>>
While it goes into philosophy and human nature and what not, I would disagree with you.
As evidence I would cite the public outcry concerning the American
torturing of prisoners in Abu Ghraib.  Their asses are fat dumb and
happy, yet they still condemn something happening to people they have
never met and isn't going to change when they get their next meal or pay
check.

<<What other solutions?  You mean like recognizing the fact that nothing
in her description is in violation of her alignment?  Or you want her
to ride through the streets beheading all the locals because they're
all corrupt (its that type of place) and that's the law (usually
selling out your country is treason, punishable everywhere there're no
flower children by death).>> While you could have said this nicer, I
also believe its incorrect.  As I have shown, by definition blackmail is
an unlawful practice, and bribery presumably is too, considering the
Elven Navy is supposed to be modelled after the modern day "Western
World" in which bribery is illegal.
       Under your own argument treason would have to be declared as
illegal by the state, regardless of what it says in the definition of
the word (wherein in fact it does say that is a crime i.e. illegal)
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/treason









Proverb:  Give a man a fire and he will be warm for a day.  Light a man
on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life.



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