Inevitably, certain moral issues come up in the course of role-play, and sometimes issues of religion. Sinai is a world with many beliefs, and there can be found worshippers of any religion that may be less than shining examples of their respective faiths. There are even a few "religions" that are full of stereotyped wild-eyed "cultists". This is not meant to be a slam against religion. The world-view of Sinai is such that it isn't easily divided into nations or cultures comprised solely of "good guys" and "bad guys". While the values of one culture may be overall better than another, there are still bound to be flaws here and there, and individuals who are a little more or less moral than the average guy on the street.

Since this is a role-play game, and it's a bit presumptuous for any GM to "play God", there aren't going to be any angels popping up or personal appearances by God ... though there may be "god-like entities", or various powerful (or seemingly powerful) aliens or magical constructs. This is not meant to imply that there is or isn't some sort of greater power or power(s) in this universe.

That said, there is a certain morality to this setting. It is assumed that there must be some sort of moral absolute. There is good and there is evil, even if the definition may seem fuzzy at times. The hope is that, ultimately, good will prevail over evil ... even if good may only prevail by making great sacrifices.

If a PC plays a mass-murderer on Sinai, he can't really expect that the GM is going to shower him with blessings for his deeds. Someone is going to take issue, and come looking for payback. The powers that be on Sinai are there because, for some reason or another, they work enough to maintain what power they have. The Temple of Rephidim is corrupt, but it still has enough dedicated people in it to maintain the peace in Rephidim, and to make life more or less bearable for the average citizen. If not, it would have been overthrown long ago, or collapsed due to in-fighting. For a particular plot, the Guards may seem to be inept, while a PC thief gets away ... but that is generally going to be the exception to the rule. If that PC thief keeps pushing his luck, eventually, he just might get captured.

In the case of the hypothetical mass-murderer mentioned above, if he gets caught, he can't expect due process on Sinai. Most of the cultures on Sinai deal with criminals in a fairly quick and final manner. This isn't the United States of America. If the NPC powers don't deal with your rogue PC, you just might end up crossing another PC -- or perhaps some PC hero decides to take up the cause against you. You won't be protected by some mystic aura that PCs have that makes them invulnerable against the consequences of their own actions.

This is not to say that all PCs with flaws will come to ruin. There are a number of conflicting cultures on Sinai. Many cultures believe in slavery. Being lawful may not be the same thing as "doing the right thing". You can get into trouble for your beliefs, good or bad. It can be interesting to play a character that is steadfastly loyal to his superiors, even though they are corrupt ... or it can make for some interesting adventures to play some thief looking to steal a prize jewel from the Emperor-Potentate's hoard.

It's just that you have to be aware that there may be consequences for your actions. The thief has to be careful. He can't just count on the guards being incompetent and falling for his tricks every time. The steadfastly loyal knight whose morals bring him against the hero PCs may well find himself in mortal combat with them ... and he just might be the one to die, protecting his corrupt superior from the PCs.

And, a mass-murderer PC is probably going to have all and sundry after his hide, with nobody on his side.

Back to Role-Play: Section 10.7.2