As some characters have survived thus far (only one fatality, that of Talbot, human assassin, impaled by a giant bee’s stinger), it’s time I sat down and did some actual worldbuilding. Our campaign takes place upon the world of Oorith, beneath the crimson cataract of a red star. The sky itself is a deep midnight blue, owing to the dimming light of said star, and some stars are visible even in the daytime.
Oorith, along with nearly infinite other worlds, is the battleground for the universal forces of Law and Chaos, not to be confused with the broader concepts of Good and Evil. After all, does not the idealistic revolutionary represent the chaos of life? And is not the iron-fisted dictator he strives to overthrow typical of the tyranny of law? With this in mind, it is not uncommon to find both Chaotic and Lawful priests within a settlement (though some places may favour or disallow certain faiths all the same), though both vie for the hearts and minds of those who can serve their masters, the Lords of the Higher Spheres.
Not every person upon the face of Oorith takes sides in the endless struggle. Many are not even aware of the war that wages all around them. Whether or not they are aware of it, however, they are still manipulated by the forces of Law and Chaos. All play their part within the conflict.
Clerics, upon reaching second level, must choose a side. No cleric may remain neutral in the conflict, and those that refuse to pledge themselves are demoted to fighters of first level, and may not regain their cleric levels under any circumstances, even if they choose a side later on.
Clerics of Law wear blue, the colour of peace and order. Those of Chaos, yellow, the colour of confusion and malleability. They must wear these colours proudly; to hide or mislead others by removing or altering these colours is tantamount to sacrilege, and may result in the cleric’s standing in the eyes of the Lords of the Higher Planes being stripped entirely. Their commitment may be seen as false, and they may be demoted to fighters of half their current level. Generally there is little a former cleric can do to reinstate themselves, however truly great acts on behalf of their former Lords may persuade them to change their minds, though this is exceedingly rare.
Upon declaring one’s allegiance, a cleric is tasked with travelling to a site of great import to Law or Chaos, and engaging in ritual to swear a binding oath.
Lawful clerics will typically cut a band of flesh off of their right wrist, wrapping around to create a sort of “bracelet”. This flesh is rendered as a burnt offering, as the cleric submerges this wound in salt, to seal the wound and create a band of scar tissue, by which a cleric may be identified.
Chaotic clerics engage in a similar act of self-mutilation, carving into their skin the eight-pointed star of chaos, and rubbing bone ash into the wound to solidify the symbol in scarified form.
Lawful clerics may heal others and create light, while Chaotic clerics can instead inflict wounds upon others and create globes of darkness. Both may turn the undead, as such creatures are unnatural to the universe, and repulsive to both Law and Chaos.
The Urban Druid 