Worldbuilding, Part Two

Previously, I outlined method for deriving planetary parameters based on your world map. I will now continue with this.

I. Surface gravity: Though we have already covered escape velocity, surface gravity is different. I have not found a calculator to do this, but it is not difficult. The formula is g = G * M / r². G here is the gravitational constant. Multiply your planet’s mass by 6.67 * 10^-11. Note the negative integer. Take the resulting value and divide it by your planet’s radius (in meters) squared. The result is in meters/second². You can find calculators on the internet that will convert this to feet/second² if you wish.

II. Axial tilt. The Earth is tilted 23.25°. This tilt changes over the course of thousands of years, and the Earth is currently at about the midpoint of its range. This, like rotation, is determined at planet formation and influenced by bombardment of comets and asteroids and other bodies. You can set it at any value that you wish. Greater tilt means more severe seasons, and less tilt more mild seasons. Reddit and Stack Exchange are full of discussion of radical axial tilt. What seems different is actually commonplace. Planetary mean temperature is a function of the distance to the star and the axial tilt, but there is really no need to go into this unless you are really interested. And bored. Axial tilt does have an impact on climate and weather, which will be discussed.

III. Atmospheric Circulation. This is how all of this got started. I asked a question: Given Earth-like conditions and the geography that I have decided exists, will the weather be what I want it to be? And what can I do to make it what I want?

The answers and what I learned to get them will have a major impact on your planet’s climate. Around the equator and stretching 300 to 600 miles in width is the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The ITCZ is where the sun is overhead during the equinoxes (roughly the equator), and it heats the ocean resulting in evaporation. Warm air rises and flows toward the poles, creating the Hadley cells. This creates low pressure and surface air flows in to replace it. The air descends at about 30°. This air is dry, having dropped most of it’s moisture to create the rain in the tropics. Most of the world’s deserts occur around 30° latitude. Coastal areas, particularly east coasts, typically avoid being deserts due to ocean currents.

On Earth, there are three cells per hemisphere, but rather than flow straight north and south, the Coriolis Effect causes the air flow of the Hadley Cells to drift eastward. The Temperate cell flows toward the Hadley Cell. The Hadley Cell transports warm air towards the poles and the Polar Cell and Temperate cell facilitate the return trip. If you know where the boundaries of these cells are, you have an approximate location of the jet streams (Jet Stream, Temperate Jet, Polar Jet) which are strong determiners of weather. The references below include more detailed descriptions of this.

Here’s where it gets complicated. The whole damn thing moves. The Tropic of Cancer is the latitude where the sun appears overhead on the summer solstice, and the Tropic of Capricorn is where it appears overhead on the winter solstice. The ITCZ follows the sun and shifts the atmospheric cells. The size of the cells can also fluctuate, but that is beyond the scope here. For our purposes, it is enough to know that depending on where you are on your planet and when, winds can shift depending on season. If your axial tilt is only ten degrees, that means that during the winter, the sun will barely rise above the horizon.

     All of this is absurdly simplified, but giving some consideration to this will help you establish wind direction and basic weather patterns. See the references for more, but be prepared to do your own research. I found the cengage.com link very clear, though it does involve some reading (don’t worry there are clear illustrations, too).

IV. Orbital Resonance: Orbital resonance refers to the regular gravitational influence that planetary bodies exert upon each each other, typically involving low number ratios. In other words, the influence of other planets helps keep your planet in its orbit. This is pretty complicated stuff, but Wikipedia has a nice animation demonstrating the idea. I have not chosen to explore this much, even in addressing the moons of Kemen. A handwave seems appropriate here. I have ruled that there are two inner and at least two outer planets in the Kemen system to keep everything on track. If you wish to include other planets in your campaign, orbital resonance may be interesting to you.

Underground fireballs are dangerous,

Levallon

Worldbuilding, part one

Greetings!

     Here is another infrequent installment of a series of posts describing things I do in my campaign that you might interested in doing yourself.

     What I am talking about is called “worldbuilding,” but is more like world modeling. I am going to show you how to create a model world with a minimum of math, that you can use to give justification to your world and create opportunities for new adventures.

     (Wait! Why would I care? D&D is about dungeons! First, many adventures can occur on the surface. The Three Musketeers, Robin Hood, and many other adventures occurred above ground. Even stories like The Lord of the Rings were mostly above ground.

    (Second, just how many times do you think that you’re going to be able to convince your paladin that going into a dark, dirty dungeon, where his armor does not shine and his banner (and hair) does not flow in the wind of his steed, so you can steal gold and magic from the dead, is not too ignoble an endeavor for one of his station? Now, stop interrupting!)

Step One: Make it an alternate Earth. Okay, you’re done!

You’re still reading. That means you either find this entertaining, or you want to know how to model a world with parameters different from the ones of Earth. You’re sure you want do to this? Okay…

I. As a DM, you most likely have maps of your world. Some of these show the area around encounter areas, others perhaps cities in relation to each other, etc. The point is that you have maps of different scales. Perhaps you’ve mapped your whole world, or maybe, like me, only a portion and you’re saving the rest for future expansion.

    Pull out your largest scale map. If this map has lines of latitude, great. If not, you will need to add some. The only ones you really need are two major ones. It might be the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer, it might the from the north pole to 45°. Any two will do, but it is important for you to be able to determine the number of degrees between the two. For example, from the Equator to the northern boundary of the Tropic of Cancer is typically 30° (there are conditions where it’s not, but let’s not get into that just yet).

    Using the scale of your map, determine the distance (in miles, kms, dragon lengths, whatever) between these two lines. Yes, I know that maps are flat and planets are not, just do it.

II. Covert the number of degrees between your two latitude lines to radians. Here’s how: http://www.1728.org/radians.htm . For example, 45° = .79 radians. On the linked page, you will see an equation, S= r*Θ. You can use this equation or scroll down and use the calculator. S= arc length, or the measure of the distance because the two latitude lines in step I. Enter the central angle in radians (remember the decimal point!), and press calculate. The answer is the radius of your planet. Write this down where you won’t lose it.

Change this number to kilometers, and keep all your measurements in metric! It’s easy to convert them later in to miles, leagues, mille passus, cubits, or whatever unit you prefer. For calculations, do it in metric.

III. You have the radius. Multiply it by two. Now you have the planet’s diameter. Use the calculator on your computer or online to cube your radius, (raise the number to the third power) and multiply that number by 4.188. V= 4/3π*r³. Your answer should be in cubic meters (m³). Now you have radius, diameter and volume of your planet.

IV. At this point, I’ll introduce some more sites. The first is useful for doing computations without having to constantly convert back and forth out of scientific notation.

https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/math/scientificnotation.php

The next site is important to the next step.

https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/physics/density.php

This calculator will return any of three values as long as you have the other two. Volume you have already figured out. For now, assume that the density of your planet is equal to that of Earth, 5514 kg/m³. Enter the volume and density values for your planet into the calculator. Make sure the units are m³ and kg/m³, respectively. Use the dropdown boxes to change the units. Press calculate. The answer is your planet’s mass. You now know the radius, diameter, volume, density and mass.

V. Go to https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/math/scientificnotation.php . In the top box enter your planet’s mass. In the bottom box, enter 5.97 *10^24. Go to the little box on the left and change the operator to divide, and press calculate. You will get a number in scientific notation. If it has a negative exponent, move the decimal point to the left as many places as the exponent. For example, 3.3 × 10^-1 = .33, and 1.3350251256281 × 10⁰ =1.33. Whatever your number is, go to https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/escape-velocity and enter it next to where it says “Earths.” This is your planet measured in Earth masses. Next enter your radius in km, and verify the units. Now look at the escape velocity. Write down this number.

VI. So now you have a number of parameters for your planet. Don’t go applying to NASA just yet. Click this link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere#/media/File:Solar_system_escape_velocity_vs_surface_temperature.svg

Is your planet’s escape velocity above 7 km/sec? If so, it will be fairly Earthlike. If not, it will not have oceans and will likely be very dry, like Mars, because it will be incapable of preventing water vapor from escaping to space. (Having an uh-oh moment? Keep reading...)

VII. Dig out your radius, multiply it by 6.28. This is the circumference of your planet. (Note, I generally round everything to two decimal places to keep everything simple, but you don’t have to).

    Now we have what I call a fudge factor. How long do you want your planet’s day to be? Divide your circumference by the number of (Earth) hours in your planet’s day. Now you have the equatorial rotation speed. For comparison, for Earth, the speed is about 1,000 mph. (460 meters/sec).

    Just like we did with mass, we want to convert our parameters of radius and rotation to units where Earth = 1. So divide the radius of your planet by 6378 km. Do the same with your rotation: divide the hours of your planet’s full rotation by 24. Now multiply them together and compare the result here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/2qjye3/atmospheric_circulation_on_planets_different_than/

This will tell you how many circulation cells your planet’s atmosphere has. Earth has 3 per hemisphere. Venus and Titan have 1. Rotation is very important to all this. Rotation creates creates the Coriolis effect, and this is turn has a pretty big impact on our climate and weather. If your rotation is slow, your day will be longer but it will also make it more likely that your planet will only have one cell per hemisphere. If your planet is closer to its star and has a slow rotation, it is possible for it to be habitable. In fact, if it is closer to the star it can only be habitable if it has a slow rotation. Rotation also has an impact on the generation of magnetic fields which deflect the solar wind. If your rotation is too fast, you won’t have as much sunlight because your day will be shorter and that will affect sleep and growth cycles.

    All of this world building material is based on what we know, and there is a lot that we don’t know. Also, this material has been greatly simplified to make it easy to create plausible worlds. If you want to get more exact, see the reference list.

VIII. Crap! My planet is broken!

Relax. Kemen had to be reworked several times. Here’s what you can do.

If you want a wet world and your planet’s escape velocity is below 7, you have to makes some changes. There are some “fudge factors” in all this. The first is density. Planetary density is an average of the substances that make up the planet. Earth has iron-nickel core surrounded by a mantle of silicates and metals. There are higher density elements in the Earth, though they are not present in the same high quantity as iron and nickel, and of course the oceans and atmosphere are less dense. Thus, we need an average.

    In the process above, we used 5514 kg/m³ for the density figure. This is the density of Earth. Earth is the most dense object known in the solar system, but doesn’t mean that it is automatically at the end of the scale. Higher densities could be achieved with greater concentrations of metals, but I’d be careful not to go above 6500-7000 kg/m³. I’m not sure what those higher density values mean. In the case of Kemen, I have ruled that there are higher concentrations of heavy metals, and further, that the oceans are not as deep as Earth’s so there is less water to average.

    So you can increase the density and see if that changes your numbers. If you’re close to seven, it may do the trick. If not, about the only fix (short of a handwave or magic) is to increase the mass. The way I did it was to plug small increases into the calculator https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/escape-velocity and backtracking the math so if I could live with it. For example, instead of .28 Earths, I’d bump it up to .30 or .32 to see what escape velocity I got. When I one I was happy with (close to 8), I reversed the equations and calculators. I entered the mass and density and calculated for volume, divided by 4.188, and took the cube root (raise to 1/3 on a calculator) of the remaining number to get the radius. It changed some distances, but only by about 100 miles or so, and I decided I could live with it.

   This has gotten longer than I intended. Here are some references and useful sites for learning more, especially about atmospheric circulation. Next week, I will talk about some other parameters, such as surface gravity, atmospheric circulation and weather, and orbital resonance.

Listen at doors!

Levallon

 References

 

https://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2012-03-08/1_wang_pdf_19025.pdf

https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/2qjye3/atmospheric_circulation_on_planets_different_than/

https://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~showman/publications/showman-etal-exoplanets-review-submitted.pdf

https://www.astrobio.net/alien-life/rotation-planets-influences-habitability/

https://crev.info/2014/08/planet-rotation-limits-habitability/

https://www.astrobio.net/alien-life/rotation-planets-influences-habitability/

https://www.globe.gov/explore-science/scientists-blog/archived-posts/sciblog/index.html_p=1661.html

https://www.cengage.com/resource_uploads/downloads/0495555061_137182.pdf

http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7u.html

USEFUL SITES

https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding

https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/

http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/007299181x/student_view0/chapter2/seasons_interactive.html

https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/4od7st/terrestrial_planets_with_two_moons/

https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/physics/density.php

https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/math/scientificnotation.php

https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/escape-velocity

http://www.1728.org/radians.htm

http://www.1728.org/kepler3a.htm

The Passage of Time

Sounds like a a dangerous corridor to walk down, doesn't it?

I'm still around. I have been busy. Aduialtham is hold while I work on some other projects, but it is so close to complete that I don't expect it to take long once I actually get to it. I have been working on a nearby area because players have decided to explore it. The overland portion of the campaign is really hot with them right now. And I have a new NPC to post that will prove to be lots of fun.

When I next post models, you can expect Aduialtham, Kortyr, Tyrmond and Bainsloa -- all locations in my campaign and demonstrating, I think, advances in my 3D abilities.

"Just because I'm short and you can shoot arrows over me is no reason to make me go first,"
-Guerrin, Dwarf of Mogoth Noryz.

Best, Levallon

Update

Ah, another deadline has come and gone! How like to the seasons of life!

Enough poetry.

So here is the status of the pieces of Aduialtham:

     The Wing: Complete. This was a major undertaking, though it started out as a diversion.
     Summer Hall: 90% complete. That is assuming, I don't have another creative burst... Edit: Always a dangerous assumption!
     Winter Hall: Only the bare bones, but given that it is a variation of the Summer Hall, I do
      not anticipate too many problems. Famous last words. Edit: New inspiration that will make it fantastic -- though hopefully not take too long.
     The Promenade:  complete.
      The Watchtower: complete. I've learned some new techniques that made me rethink the whole thing. But it's done.
     Terrace and Terrain: Neither of these has really even been started, primarily because they are easy. I've played with some scratch models.

I hope your summer is going well!

"Grindor, poking the dragon with a stick to see if it is dead is an exceptionally bad idea..."

-levallon

Aduialtham and Tyrmond

Greetings all,

An update on my progress. I had hoped that my progress n Aduialtham would give the momentum to complete it. I really should know me better by now.

So here is the status of the pieces of Aduialtham:
 
     The Wing: Complete. This was a major undertaking, though it started out as a diversion.
     Summer Hall: 85-90% complete. That is assuming, I don't have another creative burst...
     Winter Hall: Only the bare bones, but given that it is a variation of the Summer Hall, I do
      not anticipate too many problems. Famous last words.
     The Promenade: 90% complete. I have only to correct some structures that didn't
     quite meet up. I'm not sure how to proceed as yet.
     The Watchtower: about 50% complete. I'm finding that my vision of this was incomplete, and I'm  having to try different things.
     Terrace and Terrain: Neither of these has really even been started, primarily because they are easy. I've played with some scratch models.

So it all may take longer than projected.

Also, as diversions there remains the unnamed project, and something new. The new project is an exteriors only model of Upper Tyrmond, which should be lots of fun. It started as part of a development of an underused area of the campaign, a sort of frontier dominated by competing, but not (as yet) hostile irenoni (clans). The oldsters cleared and settled (well, enough for crops) the land, but now the next generation is coming to power, split by allegiance to rival religious cults. The youngest generation has come of age ("grown full"), and is choosing sides...I just now realized how timely this may be. Think Boomers, GenXers and Millenials fighting over territory in a fantasy setting instead of school prayer and transgender bathrooms! Throw the PC's in the middle, in which they must fight to stop a clan war. There is a nearby encounter area that could provide info that could turn the tide...Considering the discussion of it nearly half this post, perhaps you can understand how diverting it is!

I am determined to post new work as soon as I am able. Until then!
levallon

IX NINANNYR

I have decided to be finished, for now, with Ninannyr. I may come back to it at a later date, and add some detail. I never added the outer curtain wall, so you'll have to imagine it. Unlike the model presented here, it is not symmetrical and the gate is to the left of the front of the main castle. It is here where you would find the stables, blacksmith, workshops and storehouses. I might also add in the topography. It is on a slight elevation.

The model is not perfect, but I suspect only I will notice.

Some In-Character Facts

Ix Ninannyr is the property of the Duke of Ninannyr, and lends it's name to the town nearby as well as the province. It is not his primary residence, but he insists that it remain fully staffed and operational, as it is the center of military power in the region. This is pretty unnecessary as we'll see, but none have the power to question him.

Ninannyr is a very old fortification that has been rebuilt several times, as will be noted in the difference in masonry. The current form is about 100 years old. The main building is the hall and keep. The hall was built onto the former keep, which was renovated and expanded. The buildings in front of it are a bakery and a brewery of sorts. Each includes a room for consumption of the products, and accommodations on the floor above. The top floors are largely open spaces for storage and servants.

 Front view

Ninannyr, aside from being distastefully symmetrical (to my tastes), is an example of older human design. Newer designs are larger and less symmetrical. The castle is well kept, but considered small and cramped by those who visit it. It is something of a cross between a fortification and a palace.
                                                                                                                  Ground View

The fountain is fed from a cistern behind it, which in turn is fed from channels on the walls. (A castle in Poland did much the same thing, but I don't remember the name of it.) The walls and towers supply the accommodations for the guards and watch.

The Ditinni clan (“irenon,” in the tongue of the land) has grown quite rich, by exploiting both the arable lands of the region and the trade routes which pass through it. Astute observers will note that the bakery and brewery buildings obscure the courtyard from the walls. When engineers pointed this out, the duchess at the time, a feisty and demanding woman, is rumored to have said, “What force of men or orcs could fight its way so far inland and enter into the inner courtyard only to be defeated by an arrow shot from the walls? Build as you are ordered.”

The lady was referring to the fact the duchy of Ninannyr is landlocked, nearer to the middle of the kingdom. An invading army of such force as to fight its way to Ix Ninannyr would be unlikely to be stopped by its defenses, and there would be little hope of survival.


Tower

This is the hall that was built onto the original keep. The stairs to the left leads to the kitchens, pantry and well. There is another very small and very rudimentary kitchen in the keep itself. The curtain leads to the stairs and keep. The arms are the actual arms of the Ditinni irenon.


The rest of the hall. More modern castles and fortifications have larger halls. The banners are, again, actual arms used in my campaign.





This corridor runs from the solar to the central stairs. There are rooms for the castellan and chamberlain, as well as a very small shrine.




Here is the solar -- I didn't fill it. There would normally be a chair for knitting and embroidery and some small toys for the Duke's children.





A really unimpressive view of the kitchens. The pantry is the first opening on the left, the cellar and storage is the second. The firepit and baking hearth are to the right. Most meals are prepared here, though baked goods are generally done in the bakery itself.

Here we have the "small hall." It is very tiny and meant to be used during times of siege when the main hall has been taken and the keep sealed. It has never had occasion to be used that way.




One of the stairwells within the keep itself. This one actually gave me shivers when I was modelling it because it reminded me of geomorphs and old dungeons.



The Duke's bedchamber, with several wardrobes. Then as now, most of them are for his wife's clothes.





Another view of the bedchamber, from beside the bed. That's a nice mirror. I wonder what might be behind it?





The Bakery. Other simple meals can be prepared here as well, and often are for guests.





The Bakery dining hall. Simple meals are served here for guests, and sometimes the middle common staff when there are no lords about. The stairs up to the rooms can just be seen on the right.



The brewery. Sacks of grains, barrels for storing, and great copper pots for the mash.






OOC:
The pictures are clickable jpgs. If you click one it should set up a slideshow of all of them. If there is something that you would like to see that isn't pictured here, ask. I can easily post a jpeg of it.

This entire model was created in Sketchup, a free 3D modelling program (or app, if you choose). You can download and run Sketchup and make your own models, or download mine and twist them up to suit your fancy, or go to the Sketchup 3D Warehouse and download the models there. The Tomb of Horrors Walkthrough is pretty cool ( https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/search.html?q=tomb+of+horrors&backendClass=both ) but there are over 290 models there as well. That includes ever evolving version of The Keep on the Borderlands.

Sketchup is easy to learn, very intuitive, unlike other programs. I think it can be tricky to master (I'll let you know for sure when I get there). I started this project in July of 2015, according to the file data. Most of it was finished within about six months before I needed to step away and work on something else. I often overlap projects, and let's face it, I'm obnoxious about detail. You could probably knock out a less detailed version in a day or less, depending on your desired level of detail.

Ninannyr ("Nih-NAHN-nyur") is small, symmetrical and linear. It is an example of both early fortifications in Slyr Dorom, and of Mannish architecture. Next up is Aduialtham ("Ahd-WHEEL-tham"), the stronghold of an elf lord. The difference between the two should be striking.

So. Now that I've teased it, I should set about finishing it.

Listen at doors,
levallon

Delays

Greetings!

I post today to report that I will be unable to meet my projection of posting new work by the end of the year. Certain structures have given me difficulty, so it will be a little longer than I had hoped.

As a way of foreshadowing, here are the projects "in the hopper" that I hope to post soon:

1. Ix Ninannyr: A human-built castle, in 3D. This is a stronghold that has been rebuilt several times, and is currently a cross between a working fortress and a ducal showpiece. January, likely.
2. Aduialtham: The Aduialtham complex is the stronghold of a powerful elf-lord. The difference between Ninannyr  and Aduialtham will be striking, I believe, as it should be. The file is enormous, but visually pleasing. Eye candy, actually. February-March is my current projection.
3. Unnamed: It is unnamed because I wish to keep it secret until it is completed. This one may take quite a bit longer to complete, as less work has been completed upon it. June?

Were I able to to work non-stop and without interruption...but the bills must be paid. I think that once these projects are ready, there will be no question that I have gained a level of experience in 3D work.

Until then, May You Always Roll a 20,
levallon

Elven Exotica

While I complete some projects of 3D witchery, here is a brief text to bridge the hiatus somewhat. I hope to post my current work by the end of the year.

Elves are a difficult but fascinating topic of which many of us cannot get enough. Much has been written about elves by many different authors, and not all of it agrees. So here are some ideas to help clarify the characteristics of the elves of Kemen, that may also be fodder for your own campaign. This is not intended to be exhaustive.

To call elves (or any other race) “demi-human” is to practice extreme bias, almost discrimination. The term references humans and makes them the standard. While D&D references the game’s bias towards humans, this would seem to go too far. Elves are not skinny humans. They are an entirely different race. Their bodies look different because they are built differently.

First of all, in appearance elves tend to the slender proportions, typically similar to people of Asian descent. This has the effect of suggesting elegance to other races, especially humans. One might then incorrectly conclude that elven women tend to be flat chested. This is not the case. In fact, though some possess modest bosoms, many are quite buxom. It is the frame upon which their breasts rest that maintains a general slender proportion. Similarly, elf men are not “bird chested.” They can be quite well defined and very strong, if not as massive as their human counterparts, because they are not little humans but a separate race altogether. Their bodies are built differently, their muscle tissue more dense. A similarly sized human would usually be less strong, while a human sized elf (six feet or more) would possess super-human strength -- if the current use of humans as the point of reference may be excused.

Elves in Kemen are a mixing of Tolkien's LOTR and Gygax's Dungeons and Dragons. They are not immortal (generally) but very long-lived. They do sleep and dream, though lightly and for less time. They are not all fair skinned blondes, as seem to be the case in LOTR. Neither are they all the dark haired, green eyed creatures of Gygax. Hair, eye and skin combinations tend to depend upon the tribe and type. The Muinar (wood elves, to the rest of the multi-verse) do tend toward darker features, with brownish hair, green eyes and fair to medium complexion. The High Elves, are more varied and, in fact are the most varied of the three types. At least one tribe has dark, curly hair and light eyes, making them look almost human but for their pointed ears.

 

The Aire-Nolari, the Gray Elves, are the most unique and rare of all. Their eyes are most often violet, and their hair is generally silver. They most embody the idea of fairies.

Beyond appearances, there are other differences. Being a race that lives longer than pretty much any other, elves often appear to others to be the most egregious procrastinators. This is because they’d rather sing a song or explore an idea than become accomplished at the mundane, for which there is plenty of time. If there is a band of orcs nearby, sure, let’s go hunting! But as for getting married and having children, well, what’s the rush? This is why elves (in Kemen) tend to be less common. They don’t breed as quickly or as copiously as other races. In fact, it is generally true as a whole in Kemen that the shorter the lifespan the earlier breeding occurs and more offspring that come from a particular union. For elves, this apparent “commitment issue” is related to their long lives.

In the long view of the Elves, things like jealousy and possessiveness are foolish. There are those who commit to stay together for long periods of time, but generally this is for the purpose of raising young. Most spend a period of time of their choosing with another, and then move off to share time with and enjoy someone else. As a result, most elves have consorts rather than spouses, and most have more than one. The lives of the elves are too long and beauty too varied to restrict oneself to loving only one person, yet those lives are long enough to recognize that love of one does not diminish the capacity of love for another.

Boom Chicka Wow Wow! Yes, the elves get around, but while they are with a particular consort they are monogamous. This might seem exotic to us, but remember elves don’t even reach middle age until they are about 500 years old. Do you remember the first time you were able to say that you had known someone for 10, 15, 20 years or more? Remember how that felt? How long have you been at your job? Most likely, you haven’t even been breathing for a hundred years (and many a’ blessin’ to you if you have, though it seems you’ve had your share o’ blessin’s already). Can you imagine knowing someone that long? Can you imagine having a friend for 500 years? How long have you been married? ‘Til death do us part, right? Can you imagine being with the same person for 500 years? How about 800? “If she’s the right one...” Blah, blah, blah. Do you think she’d agree?

Regardless of the way humans manage things, elves (in Kemen) do as described above, and do not see it as exotic. Neither do they find it strange that the short lived races manage things as they do.

Most of recorded human history on Kemen has occurred with the period of a few thousand years. Hardly time enough to call it history, from an elven perspective!

This example about love and marriage is only one. I encourage you to think about other ways that long life might change your point of view of various topics, and to extrapolate that for elves, dwarves, gnomes or whatever race you choose. Doing so creates the backdrop for you and your players to explore new ideas. It creates a more robust and fantastic world that is far more interesting than the stereotypical hack and slash dungeon or the usual Tolkien ripoff. Be unique, and you will inspire in your players the same fascination that I, and perhaps you had, when I first saw the Fabled City of Brass on the Elemental Plane of Fire on the back of the Dungeon Master's Guide.

Listen at doors, 

levallon

PS: I found the cure for cancer: Live in Kemen. I have ruled that cancer doesn't exist in Kemen. I mean really, what with dragons and demons and such and all the other ways to die, what need is there of cancer? Other diseases exist, but I don't need this one. So shall it be written, so shall it be done.

The Passing of the Ages?

Greetings all!

Time flies -- through hyperspace, it sometimes seems. Hard to believe that it has been so long since I've posted anything substantive here. And today will be no different.

I hope to post soon. I have three 3D projects in the pipeline and several scheduled. My workflow is such that all three are worked on concurrently. Two are nearly compete and the third is at maybe 30% completion. If I didn't have to work for a living....

As for the finished products, while my skill has definitely evolved, I still struggle to age and deform the models. They often look to me to be too pretty. In some cases that is okay, even desirable, but who expects a dungeon to have perfect masonry and no dust or cobwebs? I am also making an effort to reduce the symmetry of my work. Not every castle is concentric, or rectangular, and I'd like to avoid any intimation of perfect 1950s subdivisions in my work.

I've decided that this "Architect" label is pompous, pretentious and other things beginning with the letter 'P.' So until later, friends, always try to roll a 20!

-levallon

Understanding Chaos

I'm not referring to non-linear dynamical systems. :)

Chaos in alignment can be a very sophisticated concept. What is it? The absence of law? A governing principle of character and behavior? How do we treat it in a game reality?

Let's start with some research and definitions of alignment. According to my edition of Holmes Basic (3^rd Edition, p.8), “Chaotic characters are quite unpredictable and can not be depended upon to do anything except the unexpected...” This concept of chaos is eminently playable. It gives parameters, without limiting players to anything specific. There are years of fun in this, and we could stop right there.

This definition describes individuals. For a wider concept of chaos and more sophisticated campaign adventures above and below ground, we need something more than Dr. Holmes definition. Turning to Gygax the Great we have, “...alignment describes the world view of creatures and helps to define what their actions, reactions and purposes will be.” Dungeon Masters Guide, 1979 Revised Edition, p.23. Rather than re-typing that which you can read yourself, I 'll summarize by saying that his descriptions of chaotic alignments in the DMG and the Players Handbook (6^th printing) emphasize freedom and independence over “law, order, social forms and anything else which tends to restrict or abridge individual freedom,” (ibid.).

From the PHB Second Edition, “The character's alignment is a guide to his basic moral and ethical attitudes towards others, society, good, evil and the forces of the universe in general. Always consider alignment as a tool, not a straitjacket that restricts the character. Although alignment defines general attitudes, it certainly doesn't prevent a character from changing his beliefs, behaving irrationally or acting out of character.”

Other 2e texts also refer to the idea of alignment being a tool rather than a rigid set of expectations – sounds a lot like a chaotic person's belief system!

A convenient on-line dictionary (reference.com) has as a definition of chaos, “a state of utter confusion or disorder; a total lack of organization or order.”

Clearly, there are some differing ideas here – and I'm not even touching later editions. There seems to be one group that identifies chaos as similar to anarchy. There seems to be another group that sees chaos as merely highly individualistic. The more we examine chaos, the more messy it becomes – which is, of course, appropriately chaotic! There are, I think, degrees of chaos that can be exploited to create a more robust understanding, but some of this comes down to how you define it.

How do we define chaos without referencing law?

For example, once upon a time in an earlier period of my life cycle, I knew someone who claimed to be a “non-conformist.” He wore purple shirts with green and white striped pants and black and white sneakers. His hair was, naturally, reddish orange. He was damn near a walking rainbow. Eventually it was pointed out to him that even though he took an anti-thetical position to conformity (of dress and general disposition), his position outside “conformity” was still defined by conformity. His position was not possible without its relation to conformity, so that he was still being defined by conformist beliefs and attitudes. Though he opposed the slavish attitudes and conventions of conformity, he was slavishly devoted to a position itself defined by the same conformity. Could he truly call himself a non-conformist? Let's keep in mind this idea of a concept defined by its antithesis as we move on.

As mentioned earlier, some define chaos as equivalent to anarchy and lawlessness. I think of anarchy as fitting of Chaotic Evil, and as I have described elsewhere, demons and biker gangs seem good examples. What might be good examples of a non-anarchic chaos?

Often in fiction and in many campaigns, the Lawful Good – Chaotic Evil axis is the main storyline, the dynamic of the grand epic. In the Kemen campaign, it is the Chaotic Good- Lawful Evil axis that is the primary. This resulted from the affinity that I, and some of my players, shared for Star Wars and some other stories. Darth Vader is (to me) clearly Lawful Evil. Han Solo, the smuggler with a heart and a sense of loyalty, seems very much Chaotic Good. Does Gandalf really feel Lawful Good to you? Some think he's chaotic, others perhaps Neutral Good. Other examples of Chaotic Good: Captain James Tiberius Kirk; Danny Ocean; James Bond; John Keating, Robin Williams' character in Dead Poet's Society.

Now follow me on this last example. When I've used this example in the past, I've had people tell me that almost everything Robin Williams did was chaotic because he would randomly generate dialogues and characters on the spot. That got me thinking to a conversation I overheard between two teenagers in which Teen B responded to something Teen A said. Teen A accused Teen B of a non sequitur by saying, “Random!” Teen B said, “Just because you don't see the connection doesn't make it random.”

Just because you don't see the connection doesn't make it random. Once more, just because you don't see the connection doesn't make it random. Just because you don't see/perceive/understand the order and organization,doesn't meant that there isn't one.

Chaos is a system of ordering and organization based on maximizing individual freedoms and independence, rather than rigid laws and linear ideas of order. The fact that you can't see the order and organization is a reflection of your own bias. The structure is there, but is imperceptible to those who are conditioned to see law as “order.” Chaos is a different structure. “Just because you don't see the connection doesn't make it random.” Chaos doesn't have to mean anarchy and doesn't have to depend heavily upon law for its definition.

It takes some brain power, I grant you, to imagine as “normal” what we here in our ordered world would call “chaos and anarchy.” I think it can be done. The trick, for me, is to think of chaos as having degrees. Not everyone who has conservative beliefs or liberal beliefs is as extreme as the talking heads on tv. Not every chaotic culture has to be anarchic as well. Yes, some chaotics are anarchists (in my campaign these are CE, these I have said), but you can be chaotic without being an anarchist.

Other concepts could include a place where the laws are plentiful, but generally ignored by the populace. The laws may exist, but their chaotic nature results in little compliance.

Slyr Dorom is an example of a chaos-based society from Kemen. The primary type of law is kirun (extended family) law. The daina (head) makes the rules for the family. Anyone in the family who does not like it can appeal to the kirun, usually a group of family heads. When conflicts occur between families, the kirun of each meet to arrange a settlement. This ends one of three ways: a settlement, refer up to a noble, or a feud. When referred up to a neutral arbitrator – say a count or duke – the decision is final only if the kirun of both families choose to accept it. There is a king, but he actively avoids involvement in anything that doesn't rise to kingdom level import. Hence, there is kingdom law, and kirun law, which sounds like a lot of law. Comparatively little is actually binding, and most often moral behavior is taught within the kirun. Laws within the kirun can vary quite widely and change often. There is a Mark Twain quote  that fits, though it is an afterthought: Laws control the lesser man; right conduct controls the greater.

So, maybe I am referring to a non-linear dynamical system!

Some might suggest that this society is really just lawful with sprinkles of chaos. But alignment is not intended or expected to define every dimension of a character's behavior, but rather a general tendency. The same things happen with lawful societies. For example, adventurers go into the tomb, kill the orcs and nasty things and keep whatever valuables they find. How do we reconcile killing the orcs and taking their treasure? Pass a law? What about their civil rights, Mr. Paladin? At some point, you have to let go of reality and play the game.

The Second Diametrical Opposition

The term 'diametrically opposed' is usually used to refer to the alignment most opposite that of a selected reference alignment on the standard alignment chart. In this representation, Lawful Good is considered to be diametrically opposed to Chaotic Evil, Chaotic Good to Lawful Evil, and so forth.

The alignments that are diametrically opposed are also usually considered to be arch rivals of each other, as they represent the scalar opposite of both dimensions. Evil is the ultimate opposite of good, law that of chaos. Hence, Chaotic Evil is the the scalar opposite of Lawful Good. 

 

The neutral alignments, while they can be thought of as being in some ways diametrically opposed to each other, are really border alignments. As possible as it is that they could form an additional dimension, this is conceptually impractical.

This is the usual human conceptualization of alignment, but it is not the only one.

If one considers time as a variable, alignment can be seen as an evolution. The progression of a society, or even an individual, through the alignments can produce a second diametrical opposition. This is especially true of those races with longer lifespans, such as the elves.

Chaotic Good elves can be thought of as opposed diametrically to both Lawful Evil and Chaotic Evil. In regard to Lawful Evil, the opposition is one of basic nature and beliefs. In considering the second opposition, Chaotic Evil is seen as the end of the progression, while Chaotic Good is seen as the origin (see Culture and Alignment). As such, the beginning and the end are diametrically opposed. 

 

From the perspective of the Chaotic Good elf, Chaotic Evil is embodied most by the Drow and by demons. The Drow can be considered to be de-evolved, to have abandoned their beliefs, to have disgraced themselves by willingly turning from the light. They represent death and hatred. They have succumbed to the seduction of power and have sullied themselves by engaging in self-indulgent and debasing behavior. They have not lost, but willingly discarded any value or respect for life other than their own. They are not only an aberration, a mutation of the best to become the worst, they are an intentionally, purposefully and unapologetically self-created abomination.

From the Drow position, Chaotic Good elves are the willfully ignorant, those who cling to beliefs that, by Drow reckoning, are demonstrably false. They have failed to evolve, are unenlightened (unendarkened?), and cannot accept reality. They are both worthy and demanding of scorn because they have forsaken their destiny. At best, one might pity them for their wasted potential, but in the end they must be destroyed for the betterment of the race. To suffer them to live, is to allow a defective to procreate. Their death is not murder, is the necessary extinction of the weak. These are hard truths to some, but truths that the Drow judge themselves strong enough to accept.

As such Chaotic Good elves (as well as other long-lived Chaotic Good creatures) are diametrically opposed not only to Lawful Evil creatures, but also to Drow, demons, and the sentient Chaotic Evil. Lawful Good and Lawful Evil share a dimension, and as such can appreciate each other's methods if not the ends. There is no such appreciation between the Chaotic Good and Chaotic Evil in the second diametric opposition, though no doubt the singly diametrically opposed might suggest that such an appreciation is possible.

***

If you're looking for more 3D images and things, you should know that I am continuing to work on these, but my progress is limited by the need to learn the ins and outs of some pretty sophisticated software. There are currently two works in progress. There will be another post on alignment this week I think -- if I can clean it up fast enough.

Until then, remember to listen at doors!

-A