Two important parts of the Ealdun setting are the Chia’ad, and the Cha’lon. I want to explain what they are, and why they are important to the campaign setting.
The Chia’ad and the Cha’lon
Short version: The Chia’ad is the land of the gods, and the Cha’lon is the land of the monsters.
OK, longer version… As I was building this setting, I thought about having a neighboring dimension similar to that of the fey–a land of magic and monsters, where they lived, but sometimes crossed over into the one where the characters lived. I did not want a faerie world, with just another name slapped on it. I liked the concept, just not the same details.
What I came up with was a land called the Cha’lon. It is a dimension next to the one of mortals, with a Veil that separates the two. Monsters and other creatures live there, and sometimes cross over to the Mortal one–and even sometimes stay. That explains the fantastical creatures of the world, where they come from, and even how more show up.
But as I thought about the Cha’lon, I thought more and more about the land where the gods dwelled. I have had the idea that the gods were elemental in nature for a long time, but had never really fleshed them out. Thinking about the Cha’lon gave me the idea for the Chia’ad, or the land of the gods. The Chia’ad is a dimension on the other side of the Cha’lon, and encapsulates the heavens and hells of the four elemental gods.
All this also made me consider magic, where it comes from, and how it manifests itself. I came up with the idea that the gods are the source of all magic, each elemental god powering its own form of magic, particular to its element. This magic flows from the Chia’ad, through the Cha’lon and finally to the Mortal Lands, where the characters see it.
Why This Is Important
Why does that matter? It is important because it gives me a somewhat consistent story for my worldbuilding. Where magic comes from, where the monsters and fantastical creatures come from, and even an idea of how to tailor gods, magic and monsters for a richer game experience.
How will this show itself? For starters, in the monsters that the players encounter. Not only can each fantastical creature have a particular element, but I can use that element to alter the creature in some ways to create a fresh one that the players may not even recognize. For example, a standard troll may be a creature of Water–that would explain the vulnerability to fire. But that same troll may only be found on coastlines or along streams or other bodies of water. It may also have some powers related to water, that are not regeneration. In other words, the appearance of the creature can be tailored for its element, but also its powers.
Another way this will help give depth to the setting is in the magic the characters use. If magic comes from the gods, and is elemental in nature, then maybe wizards only have access to certain spells or abilities, depending on a chosen element. I already like the idea of forcing payers to choose a certain "path" for their wizard characters, based on the method or type of magic–necromancy fo death magics, abjuration for defensive magics, conjuration for summoning, etc. This helps add character into what the players see and feel as they game in the setting.
One last idea I also had was to have that magic be unpredictable–and affect monsters and even some people in various ways. These altered creatures would be normal beasts and fantastical creatures that have been warped by the magic of the gods in monstrosities–Outsiders–that humans and "normal" monsters would shun. These extra creatures would give me a category of monster only limited by my imagination.
So What Next?
The biggest task before me right now is tailoring the various creatures for the elements. I will be taking the normal creatures from Blades & Black Magic and other fantasy RPGs, adding my spin to them, and posting them in the Bestiary.
I am also going to work on an Outsider generator for the site and setting. Outsiders can range from slightly altered normal beasts to completely bizarre, random monstrosities. The generator will help come up with these creatures for a referee to use (really with any setting…)
I also need to keep writing up my notes and ideas for the Ealdun setting and getting them into a readable format on the site. The basic info that is currently there is just that–basic. It is enough to tease, to give an idea of the setting, but not really enough to game with. I need to get more of that info out there to make it workable.
Please keep in mind that none of these ideas are all original. Like most other folks, I get an idea here, a idea there, and fit them all together in a different way. If any of the aspects of the Ealdun setting seem cliched or rehashed, then I apologize–but it is a world I want to play in, so that is what you get. If you like it, great, and hopefully you have some fun reading b about it!
Marko ∞
(Originally published on inthelabyrinth.org, on 5/31/2021.)
