The entire reason that the Kyie ever
conceived Alina was to create at least a
small patch of the multiverse where the
Balance could be meticulously maintained.
The Balance is a very important equilibrium
between good and evil and law and chaos,
and typically it maintains itself fairly well:
just as in nature there are never too many
predators or too much prey. What nature
lacks, however, is the human element, our
ability to override Nature's natural current.
It is instances such as these where the
Creator and the Caretaker intervene.
These instances are truly rare, comparable
in historical proportion to the toppling of
entire kingdoms, mountain-shaping earthquakes, or the fall of the Roman
or Byzantinian empires.
This is not to say that the Kyie (and especially) Narkim and Jaysin do
not involve themselves with the
goings-on of Alina on almost a daily basis. The smallest nudge here
or there is far more effective then a
full-scale action or battle at a time of crisis. The Creator and
the Caretakers, however, have a creed of
minimal intervention; a being so powerful flexing their magical muscle
typically has dire and enormous
historical effects – and thus effects the Balance, also. (To date,
the Creator himself has only actively
participated in two battles: the Battle of the Seven Armies that placed
King Xerxes of Stephen on the
throne, and the Battle of Darmoc, the fabled defeat of the Crimson Lord.)
Having such a creed, the
Caretakers often recruit adventurers to perform tasks both large and small,
which becomes an easy
launching point for adventures and campaigns. Keep in mind, however,
that the Caretakers will try to be as
indirect and discrete as possible. Often they will remain anonymous
employers, or simply cryptic and
momentary guides.
Most people of Alina, even many learned scholars, largely consider the
notion of a Creator and
Caretakers a myth. This prevailing wisdom is accepted and even fostered
by the trio.
A central theme to any adventure or, especially campaign, on the world
of Alina should be the
Balance. Particularly high-level characters should easily attract
the attentions of the Kyie and the
Caretakers, seeing them as capable of running "errands" for them.
Keep the idea of the Balance in mind at
all times when you are designing your own campaign. While the vast
majority of people on Alina (Druids
being one of the few exceptions, and a few ancient elfin scholars another)
do not hold the Balance as a
central philosophy, the ruling powers of Alina certainly do.
