The Lands of Chaos

## Description

The area known as the Lands of Chaos is the largest of Aldarun's civilized regions, comprising much of the central and eastern continent's landmass. It stretches from part of the Reekwood and Golden Hills in the west to the Jaws Of The East. To the north it is bordered by Fiondan Lake and large portions of the Salan Forest, while its southern border reaches the Harrogath Mountains. While large, it is also the least unified, being little more than a collection of independent city-states with little cooperation between them. Despite this, the Lands of Chaos are a force to be reckoned with, partly due to the presence of some important cities, not least of which is the economic powerhouse Onkh-Morpark, the closest thing the region has to a capital.

Most of the land is arid grassland and rocky hills. Farming is difficult and most people need to rely on either trade or brigandry for food. This makes the region a fruitful breeding ground for adventurers as both the various mercenary companies and the Merchant Guild can always use new recruits to protect caravans, trade posts and towns, while the various barbaric tribes, outcasts and raiders welcome any strong arm willing to help them in their plundering. In fact, many legendary heroes and warriors such as Kronar The Destroyer and the bounty hunter Samus Aran had their humble beginnings here.

## Demographics & Government

The Lands of Chaos are a haven for 'outcast' races, those considered too primitive, barbaric or anarchic for the more lawful, organized countries, or those who simply don't fit in among their own people. As such, it is home to a bewildering variety of races ranging from (Half-)Orcs, all manner of (Half-)Elves including Drow, Goblins, Gnolls, Ogres, Dwarves, Halflings, Gnomes, the ubiquitous Humans and many, many more. Some of them prefer to keep to their own, while others freely mingle with other races. Onkh-Morpark in particular is known for being a veritable melting pot up to and including intelligent Undead and Evil Outsiders, with little exceptions.

The Lands of Chaos are a mostly lawless region with most of it ruled by the diverse traditions and/or leadership of whatever tribe, town or city one happens to be visiting. Most people prefer it this way, being averse to the 'confining' and 'overly preachy' nature of some other countries, such as they see it. Things tends to be a little more organized in the cities, although this differs from example to example. Onkh-Morpark in particular is known for having a government unified by its singular desire for greater wealth and stability in the Patrician and the various Guilds and other organizations, that give this city a set of rules and laws that are both well-defined and very loose, depending on the whims of the powerful.

## Culture & Religion

Being inhabited by a large number of races, the Lands of Chaos are likewise just as culturally diverse, if not more so. Each race has its own traditions, cultural quirks and religious preferences and even these can differ significantly from community to community. These can range from the generally xenophobic isolationism of the Drow of Mora-Lithil, to the war-like tribal Orcs and their propensity for fighting for the fun of it, to the commerce-obsessed Onkh-Morporkian "Every man for himself unless there's money in it" mentality.

Similarly, the number of faiths can be said to equal the total number of inhabitants in the region. Some people generally worship a specific deity, such as Lolth for the Drow and Gruumsh for the Orcs, but there are exceptions. Indeed, for exampe there is at least one tribe of Orc barbarians who worship Kord instead. As usual, Onkh-Morpark mixes these all together in a great cauldron, as its Isle Of The Gods is home to almost every religion and life philosophy imaginable, even if the worship of Garl Glittergold is the largest denomination.

## Military

Due to its anarchic bent, many of the peoples of the Lands of Chaos do not field a standing army. Despite this, all attemps to annex the region by neighboring countries have failed, mostly because while it is quite possible to conquer the various tribes and city-states, it is almost impossible to hold onto it as a whole due to its sheer size and its peoples' stubborn refusal to conform to any rule but their own.

The exception to this is Onkh-Morpark, which has never been conquered for any notable lenght of time in its long existance due to the influence of the Merchant Guild and several prominent companies ensuring any campaign against the city would be an exceedingly costly one. After all, only a fool would pick a fight with those whose trade fills the coffers that pays for your soldier's salaries, or who make the equipment that allow your armies to march to battle. At some point though, the Morparkians realized it is better to simply let the barbarians in, pick their pockets clean and send them back home in the belief they got some good deals.

That is not to say the Lands of Chaos are a pushover. Anyone who can't at least throw a good punch is not likely to last long, if only to protect oneself from the many criminal elements active in the area which often raid the surrounding lands and causing trouble for trade in the area. The region is also a good source of mercenaries, and the different battle-harded mercenary groups are always active in one war or another across Aldarun.

## Settlements & Other Locations

* Onkh-Morpark
* Mora-Lithil
* Khul'Tan
* Fal
* Shalebridge
* Ravenholm