Translation Test: Dungeons & Dragons — The Nine Alignments
Source: Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (Wizards of the Coast / Gary Gygax)
Status: Draft — first pass
Purpose
The D&D alignment system is a 3×3 moral taxonomy organized along two orthogonal axes — Law/Chaos (the structural axis) and Good/Evil (the ethical axis). As a translation target it is a direct stress test of Tonesu's moral vocabulary and the adequacy of wi (will/intention) as the foundation for character description.
Primary tests:
- Two-axis character attribution — can Tonesu express orthogonal moral properties without conflating them? The grammar must be able to say "X is structured in will AND harm-directed in will" as two independent predicates, not a single conflated quality.
/for co-predication — the bi-clausal parallel construction is used here not as contrast (as in S608) but as simultaneous multi-axis attribution. Tests whether/can express independent conjunction as well as polarity.- The "neutral" design problem — D&D's neutral positions are NOT negations. Lawful Neutral is not "not-evil AND not-good"; it is an agent who operates by structure without strong ethical motivation. Ethics-neutral is not absence of will but will that takes no strong position on the value axis. The translation must express this without simply using
no-. wi-as character root — all six axis terms usewi(will/intention) as head. This makes "alignment" = "the characterization of one's will across two dimensions." This is a design claim: the closest Tonesu analog to D&D moral alignment is will-characterization, not property-attribution in an abstract sense.
Secondary tests:
wi-destandalone —wi-de(harm-directed will / maleficent disposition) exists as a component ofwi-de-li(W124, adversary/enemy). This batch first attests it as a freestanding alignment term. Confirms the compound hierarchy:wi-deis the property;wi-de-liis the person who has it.- Cross-batch connectivity — the Jedi (STW-001) and Sith (STW-002) codes can be retrospectively aligned. The Jedi Code (
wi-su/wi-vo= Lawful Good) and the Sith Code (wi-su/wi-de= Lawful Evil) differ ONLY on the value axis. Both are structured (wi-su), but toward different ends. The alignment grid makes this visible. wi-ra-supractitioners — the schools-of-magic batch establishes that all eight D&D schools are forms ofwi-ra-su. The alignment system is orthogonal to this: a wizard may have any alignment. But archetypally, the school framework iswi-su(institutionalized, structured) — the Law axis of D&D magic is built into its school taxonomy.
Vocabulary Framework
The alignment system reduces to six compounds, all sharing wi as head:
| W# | Form | Written | Gloss | Construction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W188 | wi-su |
wisu | lawful — will organized by structure | wi (will) + su (structure/order) = will structured by order; the disposition of rule-following, hierarchy-respecting, commitment-honoring character |
| W189 | wi-no-su |
winosu | chaotic — will unbound by structure | wi (will) + no-su (no-structure/unorder) = will free from structural constraint; spontaneous, freedom-first, authority-rejecting character |
| W190 | wi-vo |
wivo | good — will toward value/benefit | wi (will) + vo (value/worth) = will oriented toward what has worth and benefits others; beneficent disposition |
| W191 | wi-de |
wide | evil — will toward harm/decrease | wi (will) + de (decrease/harm/decay) = will directed toward causing decrease or harm; maleficent disposition |
| W192 | wi-su-fe |
wisufe | law-neutral — will at the structural limit | wi-(su-fe) = will of [structure-limit] = will that takes a position at the edge of the order axis, neither strongly rule-imposing nor rule-rejecting |
| W193 | wi-vo-fe |
wivofe | ethics-neutral — will at the value limit | wi-(vo-fe) = will of [value-limit] = will that takes no strong position on the ethics axis, neither primarily beneficent nor primarily harmful |
Construction note — neutral as limit not negation: "Neutral" in D&D does not mean absence of will. A True Neutral druid is deeply engaged — they actively maintain balance. wi-su-fe and wi-vo-fe encode this: both use fe (boundary/limit) as the third root, expressing a POSITION at the axis-limit rather than absence from the axis. wi-su-fe = will that operates at the structural limit = neither deep in ordered structure nor deep in chaos. wi-vo-fe = will that operates at the value-limit = neither strongly beneficent nor strongly harmful.
Construction note — avoiding W100 collision: wi-fe = W100 (rule / normative claim) is already registered. The neutral compounds use fe as the THIRD root (wi-su-fe, wi-vo-fe), right-branching as wi-(su-fe) and wi-(vo-fe). This separates them cleanly from W100 (wi-fe as a 2-root compound). No juncture mark needed; default right-branching gives the correct parse.
Construction note — wi-de and W124: wi-de-li (W124, adversary/enemy) uses wi-de as its first two morphemes. This batch registers wi-de standalone as the alignment property (evil disposition / harm-directed will), confirming the compound hierarchy: wi-de = the property; wi-de-li = the person who has it. The relationship is parallel to wi-su (property) / future wi-su-li (a rule-following person).
Alignment Grid
The nine alignments as Tonesu predicate compounds:
wi-vo (good) |
wi-vo-fe (neutral) |
wi-de (evil) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
wi-su (lawful) |
Lawful Good | Lawful Neutral | Lawful Evil |
wi-su-fe (neutral) |
Neutral Good | True Neutral | Neutral Evil |
wi-no-su (chaotic) |
Chaotic Good | Chaotic Neutral | Chaotic Evil |
Source Text
The nine D&D 5e alignments as defined in the Player's Handbook:
- Lawful Good (LG) — tells the truth, keeps promises, opposes evil. Ex: Paladin.
- Neutral Good (NG) — does the best good without being bound by rules or chaos. Ex: Cleric.
- Chaotic Good (CG) — acts as conscience demands, rebels against unjust authority. Ex: Ranger.
- Lawful Neutral (LN) — lives by a code without moral judgment; order over outcome. Ex: Monk, soldier.
- True Neutral (TN) — seeks balance, avoids extremes. Ex: Druid.
- Chaotic Neutral (CN) — follows own whims, values personal freedom above all. Ex: Rogue.
- Lawful Evil (LE) — uses order and structure to take what they want. Ex: Tyrant.
- Neutral Evil (NE) — does whatever they can get away with; completely selfish. Ex: Villain/assassin.
- Chaotic Evil (CE) — acts with random violence, cruelty, uninhibited by structure. Ex: Demon.
Batch: DND-002 (S609–S618)
Framing: S609
S609 — "The alignment system: will has two axes." (DND-002-A)
Written: wili ne wisu / wili ne wivo
Natural reading: A person's will has a structure-dimension and a value-dimension.
Notes: Framing sentence for the alignment taxonomy. Subject wi-li = will-of-a-person = the volitional character of an agent. The bi-clausal parallel / expresses simultaneous co-predication: the SAME will is characterized on the law axis (left clause: ne wi-su) AND on the ethics axis (right clause: ne wi-vo). Both predicates apply independently. The framing sentence uses wi-su (lawful) and wi-vo (good) as the paradigm case — the only fully positive alignment. The template wi-li ne [LAW] / ne [ETHICS] is the pattern all nine alignment sentences instantiate.
Key structural insight: the / parallel is used here not as CONTRAST (as in S608, evocation vs illusion) but as independent co-attribution. Two properties, same subject, neither implies nor entails the other. This is one of the richest uses of / in the corpus.
The Nine Alignments: S610–S618
S610 — Lawful Good (LG): Paladin (DND-002-B)
Written: lanaPaladin ne wisu / ne wivo
Natural reading: The Paladin's will is organized by structure and oriented toward value.
Notes: W188 + W190 combination = the paradigm LG case. wi-su (W188): the Paladin follows a code, a hierarchy (their order, their deity), and their oaths — all expressions of structural will. wi-vo (W190): the Paladin's will is directed toward what is good and valuable — protecting the innocent, opposing evil. The Paladin is LG precisely because BOTH properties are at maximum: fully structured willingness in service of full value-orientation. The most constrained and most demanding alignment in D&D.
S611 — Neutral Good (NG): Cleric (DND-002-C)
Written: lanaCleric ne wisufe / ne wivo
Natural reading: The Cleric's will operates at the structural limit and is oriented toward value.
Notes: W192 + W190 combination. wi-su-fe (W192): the Cleric is not bound by rigid structure; they adapt their methods for the greatest good. But they are not lawless — they operate in the vicinity of structure (su-fe = at the structure-limit). They will follow laws when it helps, break them when it doesn't. The ethics axis is fully realized: wi-vo = strong beneficent drive. Neutral Good is sometimes described as "the purest good" because it pursues good without the constraint of law. Tonesu captures this: value-will maximized, structure-will positioned at the limit rather than the extreme.
S612 — Chaotic Good (CG): Ranger (DND-002-D)
Written: lanaRanger ne winosu / ne wivo
Natural reading: The Ranger's will rejects structural constraint yet is fully oriented toward value.
Notes: W189 + W190 combination. wi-no-su (W189): the Ranger operates outside institutional structures — free from hierarchy, authority, rigid codes. This is not moral disorder but structural freedom. wi-vo (W190): despite rejecting structure, their will is fully and genuinely benefit-oriented — they protect the weak, heal the wounded. The combination creates productive tension: freedom-from-structure in service of maximum good. Why a Ranger? They operate in the wild, outside institutional law, yet serve a recognizably good purpose. A Robin Hood figure is the canonical CG archetype.
S613 — Lawful Neutral (LN): Soldier (DND-002-E)
Written: lanaSoldier ne wisu / ne wivofe
Natural reading: The Soldier's will is organized by structure but takes no strong value-position.
Notes: W188 + W193 combination. wi-su (W188): the Soldier follows orders, respects the chain of command, fulfills their duty. Structure is the primary organizing principle of their will. wi-vo-fe (W193): the ethics axis is neither maximally beneficent nor harmful — the Soldier does what is ordered, without personal moral investment in the outcome. They follow the code, not a value system. The LN alignment captures the military archetype precisely: duty, order, and institutional rule above personal ethics. The most philosophically fraught alignment — its relationship to the concept of "just following orders" is a recurring D&D tension.
S614 — True Neutral (TN): Druid (DND-002-F)
Written: lanaDruid ne wisufe / ne wivofe
Natural reading: The Druid's will operates at both the structural and the value limit — neither axis's extreme.
Notes: W192 + W193 combination — the UNIQUE intersection: both neutral terms simultaneously. wi-su-fe (W192) and wi-vo-fe (W193): the Druid is positioned at the midpoint of BOTH axes. This does not mean passive or weak will — the Druid actively maintains balance, opposes whatever extreme is currently dominant. The will is strong, but it is organized toward equilibrium rather than toward any pole. The D&D Druid's explicit cosmological role is balance-maintenance; this is wi-su-fe and wi-vo-fe in active form, not the absence of will.
Structural note: True Neutral is the ONLY alignment whose Tonesu expression is fully symmetric — the same structure appears on both sides of /. This symmetry is not accidental; it mirrors TN's position at the center of the grid.
S615 — Chaotic Neutral (CN): Rogue (DND-002-G)
Written: lanaRogue ne winosu / ne wivofe
Natural reading: The Rogue's will rejects structure but takes no strong value-position.
Notes: W189 + W193 combination. wi-no-su (W189): the Rogue values personal freedom above all — no codes, no hierarchies, no binding promises. wi-vo-fe (W193): they're not out to help people OR to hurt them; they pursue their own interests, opportunistically, without strong ethical motivation. "I just want what I want, and I'll get it my own way." CN is the alignment most associated with unpredictability — the Tonesu structure reflects this: chaotic structural will (wi-no-su) combined with value-indifferent will (wi-vo-fe).
S616 — Lawful Evil (LE): Tyrant (DND-002-H)
Written: lanaTyrant ne wisu / ne wide
Natural reading: The Tyrant's will is organized by structure and directed toward harm.
Notes: W188 + W191 combination. wi-su (W188): the Tyrant operates within — and enforces — structure. They build hierarchies, demand loyalty, keep meticulous records of who owes what. They use law as a tool. wi-de (W191, first standalone attestation): their will is fundamentally directed toward exploiting, harming, and decreasing others for their own benefit. LE is arguably the most dangerous alignment: organized structures of harm. The combination explains why tyrants are more terrifying than demons — wi-su + wi-de = deliberate, institutionally-backed harm. Compare with CE (S618): the demon's harm is chaotic and thus containable; the tyrant's is systematic.
Note: wi-de (W191) is first attested HERE as a standalone property compound, confirming the compound hierarchy (wi-de property → wi-de-li W124 person).
S617 — Neutral Evil (NE): Villain (DND-002-I)
Written: lanaVillain ne wisufe / ne wide
Natural reading: The Villain's will takes no strong position on structure, yet is directed toward harm.
Notes: W192 + W191 combination. wi-su-fe (W192): the Villain is not committed to order OR freedom — they use whatever structure works for their current scheme. They'll work within hierarchies when useful, around them when not. The structural axis is purely instrumental. wi-de (W191): but the ethics axis is maximally negative — harm, exploitation, and self-interest at others' expense are the organizing motivations. NE is considered by some the "most evil" alignment precisely because it lacks even the structure that makes LE somewhat predictable, and lacks the freedom that sometimes makes CE act against its own interest.
S618 — Chaotic Evil (CE): Demon (DND-002-J)
Written: lanaDemon ne winosu / ne wide
Natural reading: The Demon's will rejects all structure and is directed toward harm.
Notes: W189 + W191 combination — the maximum-extreme alignment in both axes simultaneously. wi-no-su (W189): the Demon recognizes no authority, no hierarchy, no law or code of any kind. Their freedom is absolute. wi-de (W191): their will, in that freedom, is entirely directed toward harm and destruction. CE is the alignment of destruction for its own sake — chaos weaponized as harm. The Tonesu compound wi-no-su-de could in principle describe CE in a 4-root compound, but the bi-axial / sentence makes the two properties explicit and independent: the chaos and the evil are formally separate, not one merged thing. A Demon is not "evil because it's chaotic" — the evil is its own axis.
DND-002 Batch Summary
| Entry | Written form | Alignment | Code | New compounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S609 (DND-002-A) | wili ne wisu / wili ne wivo |
Frame | — | W188 wi-su + W190 wi-vo |
| S610 (DND-002-B) | lanaPaladin ne wisu / ne wivo |
Lawful Good | LG | — |
| S611 (DND-002-C) | lanaCleric ne wisufe / ne wivo |
Neutral Good | NG | W192 wi-su-fe |
| S612 (DND-002-D) | lanaRanger ne winosu / ne wivo |
Chaotic Good | CG | W189 wi-no-su |
| S613 (DND-002-E) | lanaSoldier ne wisu / ne wivofe |
Lawful Neutral | LN | W193 wi-vo-fe |
| S614 (DND-002-F) | lanaDruid ne wisufe / ne wivofe |
True Neutral | TN | — |
| S615 (DND-002-G) | lanaRogue ne winosu / ne wivofe |
Chaotic Neutral | CN | — |
| S616 (DND-002-H) | lanaTyrant ne wisu / ne wide |
Lawful Evil | LE | W191 wi-de |
| S617 (DND-002-I) | lanaVillain ne wisufe / ne wide |
Neutral Evil | NE | — |
| S618 (DND-002-J) | lanaDemon ne winosu / ne wide |
Chaotic Evil | CE | — |
DND-002 Findings
Finding 1: A six-term vocabulary covers the entire 3×3 alignment grid. Six wi--headed compounds (W188-W193) are sufficient to express any of 9 alignment positions without ambiguity or overlap. No new primitive is required. The alignment grid is fully compositional.
Finding 2: D&D "neutral" is a limit-position, not an absence. wi-su-fe and wi-vo-fe use fe (boundary/limit) rather than no (negation) to encode the neutral positions. This is the correct design: a TN druid actively maintains balance; a LN soldier actively follows the code; neither is merely lacking the extreme disposition. Tonesu's fe captures the "threshold position" that D&D neutral requires — distinct from the no- negation that would imply mere absence.
Finding 3: The / parallel marks independent co-attribution, not just antithesis. Prior uses of / in the corpus were primarily contrastive (S608: evocation vs illusion) or antithetical (S588 Jedi Code lines). The alignment sentences deploy / for orthogonal co-predication: two independent properties of the same subject, neither implying nor contradicting the other. This expands the documented range of /.
Finding 4: wi-de confirmed standalone (first attestation S616). wi-de was previously only attested as a component of wi-de-li (W124). S616 first attests it as a standalone predicate in la-na-Tyrant ne wi-su / ne wi-de. Compound hierarchy confirmed: wi-de (the evil quality) → wi-de-li (the evil person). Parallel to wi-vo (good quality) / potential wi-vo-li (good person, unregistered).
Finding 5: The Law axis reveals why the Jedi and Sith are structurally closer to each other than either is to the chaotic alignments. Both the Jedi Code (STW-001) and the Sith Code (STW-002) are wi-su on the law axis. The Jedi Code's structure shows in its parallel copula lines (systematic negation + affirmation: no-fa / ne-no-ra, no-to / to, etc.). The Sith Code's structure is even more explicit: four sequential go-causal sentences (S594-S597), each one a formally structured step in the chain. Both codes are organized, rule-governed, hierarchical. They differ only on the value axis: Jedi = wi-vo, Sith = wi-de. In D&D terms: both Lawful; differing only in Good/Evil.
Cross-batch alignment mapping:
| Entity | Law axis | Ethics axis | Alignment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jedi | wi-su |
wi-vo |
Lawful Good |
| Sith | wi-su |
wi-de |
Lawful Evil |
The Force (ara) |
wi-su-fe |
wi-vo-fe |
True Neutral — it is the substrate, not a moral agent |
wi-ra-su (magic schools) |
wi-su (institutionalized) |
any | Lawful (any ethics) — the school framework is inherently wi-su |
Colloquial Register Analysis
| Form used | CLQ entry | Colloquial form | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
wi-su |
none | — | 2-root — below 3-morpheme contraction threshold |
wi-no-su |
none | — | 3-root above threshold; first attestation — no corpus pressure yet |
wi-vo |
none | — | 2-root — below 3-morpheme contraction threshold |
wi-de |
none | — | 2-root — below 3-morpheme contraction threshold |
wi-su-fe |
none | — | 3-root above threshold; first attestation |
wi-vo-fe |
none | — | 3-root above threshold; first attestation |
Verdict: irreducibly formal — all new 2-root compounds are below threshold; 3-root compounds are first attestations with no corpus pressure.
CLQ entries registered from this batch: none.