Legæn: Law // Chaos

Legæn: Law // Chaos (leg-ay-en) is a campaign setting focusing on a polarized world.

This setting would be made entirely with 4e in mind. Give each race and class its focus. There are as many githzerai, warforged and minotaurs as humans, dwarves and elves.

The Two Worlds


The world is split between the north and south hemispheres.

The Northern Empires

The North is centered in lawful cultures based on eastern philosophy and history, but not so much on culture. There are large ancient nations with tech levels equal to middle ages Europe. They make war ceremonially and everything is done properly and legally. The more north you go, the more lawful it becomes until you reach the top of the world where there is an icy empire.

The Northern religion welcomes each of the the three goddesses equally and has no religious hierarchy. There are many religious scholars who offer different religious philosophies that are followed by individuals, but no one feels the need to fight over such things. Undead are reviled as abominations who exist outside of the cycle of the triple goddesses.

Magic exists in large amounts in the north. Wizards and druids alike are looked upon with respect and admiration for their gifts.

The north look to the south as a land of barbarians whose technology level has caused them to war monger and engage in depravity. The northern empires usually refuse to trade with the southern kingdoms in fear that to harbor technology will lead them down the road to barbarism and lawlessness. Though it is worth noting that technology itself is not illegal for the individual, it is usually a social stigma to use such devices.

Even though the culture of the north is uniformly lawful, the major conflicts come over good vs evil.

The Southern Kingdoms

The South is centered in choatic cultures based on western philosophy and history. There are many small nations that rise and fall within a number of generations with tech levels equal to the industrial revolution (complete with flintlock guns and steam powered devices). They make war with hot tempers and excel in underhanded strategies to ensure victory. The more south you go, the more chaotic it becomes until you reach the bottom of the world where there is an icy wasteland of barbarians.

Religion in the south is mostly unified. The foremost body is the clerics of the White Tower, an extra-national organization that unifies the south through faith. Worship of Aelesta and Ishima are wide spread, almost to the point of zealotism in the populace. Worship of Ashara, however, is reviled. She is seen as an evil force, embodying the evil forces of the world.

The southern kingdoms have a fear of magic. They believe that magic is inherently chaotic and using it leads only to pain, misery and the breakdown of civilization. As such any class using the primal power and most arcane powered classes are seen as "apostates" and hunted to be tortured and executed.

The Southern Kingdoms look upon the north as a collection of stubborn, backwards people who engage in useless ceremony and ignore pragmatism. They also know the worship of Ashara is accepted in the north and as such, believe that the northerners are heretics who value evil and practice its ways.

Even though the culture of the south is chaotic, the major conflicts come over law vs chaos with chaos as seen as barbarism and civilization as salvation.

The Underdark

Monsters come from the underdark, all over the world. They have created pockets of Darklands, some bigger than others. These monsters reflect the cultures of the world above, but through a glass darkly. In the lawful north, devils corrupt and goblins make clan alliances to conquer the world. In the chaotic south, demons destroy and orcs ravage the lands, slaying wantonly.

Races


All races come in threes. When one goddess creates a race, the other two are allowed to create a mirror in their own image. Elves (creation) - Eladrin (preservation) - Drow (destruction) just as Dwarf (preservation) - Derro (creation) - Duergar (destruction).

Main Races

  • Human
  • Elf
  • Eladrin
  • Dwarf
  • Half Elf
  • Tiefling
  • Halfling
  • Dragonborn

Secondary Races

  • Gnome
  • Deva
  • Goliath
  • Half Orc
  • Shifter

Fringe Races

  • Minotaur
  • Wilden
  • Shardmind
  • Githzerai
  • Kalashtar
  • Warforged
  • Drow
  • Genasi
  • Changeling

Monster Races

  • Gnoll
  • Goblin
  • Bugbear
  • Hobgoblin
  • Githyanki
  • Kobold
  • Orc
  • Shadar-Kai

Lands


Baradaria

Ithmus

see Ithmus

Katokia

see Katokia

Tamos

Parnath

see Parnath

Lemeny

Simas

Suraad

The Planes


The planar cosmology is generally agreed upon by both hemispheres. The Astral Sea is considered beyond the clouds in the sky. The Elemental Chaos is seen as below the ground. The Shadowfell has the greatest hold over the northern portion of the world and the Feywild has the southern portion.

Religion


Most religions around the world are a variation on the three goddesses.

Aelesta, the Chaos

Pure creation, chaos, ever turning, ever changing.

Ishima, the Keeper

Stagnant, still and strong. She is the builder, the preserver and the organizer.

Ashara, the Destroyer

The dark goddess who removes what is no longer needed.

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