In the Isle of Ealdun setting, the land of the gods is known as the Chia’ad. Both heaven and hell, it is the source of all magic, and has a huge influence on the Mortal Lands.
The Land of the Gods
The religion of the Isle setting is based on four elemental gods–Fire, Air, Water and Earth. These four "real" gods created the universe, and push magic to the mortal lands through the power of their dreams. While they do not take a very active role in the affairs of the Mortal lands, their influence is widely felt. It is known by many names, including the First Lands, the Pure Lands or the True Lands, but generally just the Chia’ad.
While I do not have a firm idea in my head about the actual shape of the Chia’ad, I see it as the outermost in a concentric ring of circles. The Mortal Lands are in the center, the Cha’lon is beyond that, and the Chia’ad is beyond the Cha’lon. At the same time, I see these as three dimensional worlds that can touch each at various points.
What I do know is that I do not see the Chia’ad (or the Cha’lon) as places where characters actually travel to, as in the Outer Planes of D&D lore. These are simply story devices, ideas to influence the world where the characters live, love and die.
The Source of Magic
Maybe the largest influence by the Chia’ad on the Mortal Lands is in the realm of magic. All magic comes from the power of the four gods, who lie in the Chia’ad sleeping and dreaming, each powering its own element. That magic flows from the Chia’ad to the Cha’lon, and then on to the Mortal Lands, and is used by wizards to cast spells and weave their webs among mortals.
This does NOT mean that all wizards are priests or clerics, as in D&D. It simply explains the source of magic, and provides story hooks for wizard characters. I could see that wizards have to use their magic within some bounds of their chosen element, with repercussions if they stray outside them. I have not thought that through yet, but it is an idea for future embellishment.
Another big influence that the magic of the Chia’ad has is that it can warp creatures–and even mortals–and even create completely new creatures in the Cha’lon. These monstrosities are known to both creatures of the Cha’lon and to mortals as "Outsiders," and are both feared and shunned. I like this idea because it can help explain creatures that are completely different from the ones that everyone is used to, and helps keep the players on their toes.
Other Influences on the Setting
Beyond being the source of magic and the Outsiders, the Chia’ad has other influences on the the Isle and its setting. Another big one is that on fantastical creatures themselves. As I worked through the concept, I realized that all creatures, monsters, undead and supernatural beings would have their own element.
This kinda blew my mind. It means the various undead, demons and celestials would also have their own preferred element. That means the setting would have 4 times as many kinds of demons or celestials, and even undead. For example, a basic demon like a Balrog/Balor, would have a Water, Earth and Air counterpart. Even a ghoul would be a certain way for Air ghouls, another way for a Fire ghoul, and so on. That injects a huge amount of creative opportunities in the setting, and absolutely creates new surprises and dangers for players. (This may be old hat to many gamers, but it is new to me!)
Another influence the idea of the Chia’ad will have on the setting is on the people themselves. Whether it is player characters or NPCs, everyone would be expected to have some preferred element–through their religion or simply on their own view of the world. This will effect how they deal with others who are not of their same mindset. Obviously some of that can be explained by people with different religions, but this could take things a step further. It is a great roleplaying opportunity–or not.
The biggest question it brings up, though, is the effect on gameplay–how to codify some rules for that. I haven’t got there yet, but I am definitely thinking about it, and what kind of house rules I could come up with to make the game more fun, while keeping it as simple as possible.
What do you all think about that? Is it an interesting idea, waste of effort… Let me know in the comments below!
Marko ∞
(Originally published on inthelabyrinth.org, on 6/11/2021.)
