# Ontogeny Recapitulates Phylogeny: World Design tags: #articles #game/rpg/dnd #game/rpg/ironsworn As seen in [[Creation Thought - Ontogeny Recapitulates Phylogeny - DND from Ironsworn|Creation Thought: Ontogeny Recapitulates Phylogeny - D&D From Ironsworn]] … --- ![[DnD World to the Ironlands.png]] Following on from the previous article, and with [[Ironsworn|the book]] in our hand, the directed place to start for reasons which occasionally escape me is character creation, but I feel that it's impossible to create a character without understanding the world in which that character functions, so we are going to page 111 and begin crafting our version of "the **[[Dungeons and Dragons|D&D]]** setting." ## D&D Tenets Before we start – yes, yes I know that there is not just "one **D&D** setting." Would I like to do [Eberon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eberron) or [Dark Sun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Sun)^[While you're not going to get an "I Fucking Love Thri-Keen" article out of me … It's close.]? Given that those are two of the greatest settings ever burdened by D20, you bet your ass. But our goal is something more abstract – somewhere between [Greyhawk](https://dungeons.fandom.com/wiki/Canon:Greyhawk) and the [Forgotten Realms](https://dungeons.fandom.com/wiki/DnDWiki:Forgotten_Realms). Definitely not as high magic as the latter (for reasons which will readily become apparent), leaning more toward the former. We are going to be taking some specific aspects of the original concept for the game and pushing them through the fine sieve of the tools that we have at hand. I also reserve the right to pick and choose from mainline continuity the elements that I find interesting as we stumble on them. Trust me, it's better that way. Speaking of taking things regarding the setting from wherever I find useful and compatible – that brings us to **[D&D Fourth Edition](https://youtu.be/WyHdSMEWhJc)**. The structure of the way the setting is provided (referred to as *[Points of Light](https://dnd4.fandom.com/wiki/Points_of_Light#:~:text=The%20eponymous%20region%20of%20the,of%20light%22%20that%20are%20civilized.)*),[^4v5] where civilization is rare and hard to find, much about the world is mysterious and unknown, and life is harsh, all of these elements play very, very well together with **Ironsworn**.^[I'm sure that they actually were among the inspirations for the setting, if I had to guess.] This keeps us from having to put together a complex set of nations or cultures and the conflicts between them in order to drive stories, which is going to save us a lot of trouble with this project. If I were feeling more inclined to do that, or if you were, I would definitely suggest picking up **[[Ironsworn - Starforged|Starforged]]** and the recent **[[Ironsworn - Starforged|Sundered Isles]]** supplement because part of its expanded and extended world building section goes into more detail on building factions and how they conflict in your world. That section is backwards compatible with **Ironsworn**. ## The Land is the King A great advantage for us now is that POL has a lot in common with the Ironlands as defined in the raw text. In front of us (page 112), we see that the Ironlands themselves are split into regions which have effectively some aesthetic differentiation along with different kinds of threats that can be found therein, and the previous page tells us that traveling within a single region is pretty easy, then things scale up fairly aggressively as you travel further. Perfect, really. We even know how hard it is to travel to an entirely separate land, an Epic rank Undertake a Journey move. Fantastic. ![[Regions of the Ironlands.png]] If you are interested in a little more [Sword and Sandals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword-and-sandal) [^sns] action, you could easily add an entirely new continent, series of islands, or peninsula to the south of the Ironlands as they currently stand, put in your own short region description, and away you go. We are working RAW out of the book right now but… I certainly wouldn't object to seeing someone else's take on even more regions. The mechanics can handle it. ## Our Truths and True Lies Finally we get to the meat of things that have mechanical import in this section, choosing the truths that match up with the world as we envision it, this POL-inspired **D&D**-esque fantasy. The challenge for us is that despite the fact that the *text itself* says that we are free to make up our own – we aren't going to do that. We're going to select from the three options available in the text which is closest to **D&D** and we'll see what we end up with at the end. This could be quite the experience. We'll soon find out. ### The Old World Technically, this is not an element of the setting as we envision it. By default, everyone in the Ironlands (for the most part) migrated there from somewhere else, another continent. We are going to have to deal with a couple of questions around that, explaining in part why there are so few people where the characters are now. In a sense, this works in our favor – it does provide an important explanation of why we aren't running around in a place thick with empires and current political intrigue driving the situation.^[Again, if that's the sort of thing you want, I strongly suggest picking up **Starforged** and **Sundered Isles** because it is going to absolutely give you everything you want.] In this case, the three choices are effectively: - We were driven out by of violent invading force. - There was a mighty plague and we fled. - Ecological collapse because there were too many people. The third one just sounds like a setting I would actually enjoy *playing* in, so that can't be the answer. The second could work out; I'm fond of plagues, but I think we've all had enough plagues lately. That leaves the first: - **The savage clans called the Skulde invaded the kingdoms of the Old World. Our armies fell. Most were killed or taken into slavery. Those who escaped set sail aboard anything that would float. After an arduous months-long voyage, the survivors made landfall upon the Ironlands.** ### Iron Next question: Why the heck is *"iron"* such a big deal in the Ironlands? What's that all about? Again, three choices. The first is the most mundane and would be absolutely awesome if you wanted to go with a very Viking-inspired experience, which I know there are a lot of people who would be into. The second speaks to the kind of people who came over from the Old World and now inhabit the Ironlands. Neat, interesting, a little bit egotistical which I enjoy, but it's missing some of that frission. That leaves us the third: - **Inscrutable metal pillars are found throughout the land. They are iron gray, and smooth as river stone. No one knows their purpose. Some say they are as old as the world. Some, such as the Iron Priests, worship them and swear vows upon them. Most make the warding sign and hurry along their way when they happen across one. The pillars do not tarnish, and even the sharpest blade cannot mark them.** This is particularly good for us because it brings a sense of magic to some of the grounding that we're establishing. There is something going on over there and what it is ain't exactly clear. Massive metallic pillars jutting up from the ground in places which don't necessarily make sense? A mystic faction called the Iron Priests that worship them? We're getting some of that **D&D** flavor spread around. ### Legacies Were there inhabitants of the Ironlands here before refugees from the Old World arrived? Honestly, do I even have to ask that question? - **Before the Ironlanders, before even the firstborn, another people lived here. Their ancient ruins are found throughout the Ironlands.** Ancient ruins. No **D&D** is complete without ancient ruins. It's inherent. It's required. It's fundamental, like reading! However, this mention of the firstborn is going to come around again soon. Don't forget that it happened. ### Communities Now we effectively have to decide exactly how dense those points of light are in the world. Do we really want to be out on the fringes of civilization even in the best of times, do we want small clusters of homes forming villages of several hundred, or do we want more established regions which have active roads and trade? - **We have forged the Ironlands into a home. Villages within the Havens are connected by well-trod roads. Trade caravans travel between settlements in the Havens and those in outlying regions. Even so, much of this land is untamed** It has to be the last. There will always be frontiers, wilds, borders to push – but there needs to be some relatively established major cities here and there. Out in the Hinterlands region, things are probably significantly less dense, likewise for the Flooded Lands, but in the Havens things look quite familiar if you're expecting quaint Western European hamlets and the occasional small city. We can work with this. ### Leaders The next step is to decide on something that surprisingly few settings give much thought to, so it's great to see that this is one of the core Truths to be determined in and Ironsworn game. How are things governed? What does leadership look like? How centralized are things – or are they centralized at all? Basically it comes down to "depends on where you are," "we pretty much define a regular leadership architecture inherited from where we came from," or "it's a clan-chief free-for-all, enjoy your Viking!" Again, that last one is full of fun but… - **Leadership is as varied as the people. Some communities are governed by the head of a powerful family. Or, they have a council of elders who make decisions and settle disputes. In others, the priests hold sway. For some, it is duels in the circle that decide.** We've got adventuring to do and frankly adventuring is just not nearly as much fun if you have an absolutely solid idea of what the leadership in the next town over, next city over, or warlord over is likely to be. Ready yourself for vast amounts of crazy, as it should be. ### Defense Personally, I find this particular Truth a little oddly named. It's not really about defense – it's about armies. Are there standing armies for larger areas? Are there enough resources to even support groups of men-at-arms? There is one choice given that we're going to pick because it opens the door to what I was talking about: adventuring. Having a societal excuse to go rampage around to be a murder-hobo is actually pretty cool. - **The wardens are our soldiers, guards, and militia. They serve their communities by standing sentry, patrolling surrounding lands, and organizing defenses in times of crisis. Most have strong ties to their community. Others, called free wardens, are wandering mercenaries who hire on to serve a community or protect caravans.** *"Look, I'm not just some guy wandering around looking for a bit of loose coin, killing monsters, exploring ruins, and selling everything that's not nailed down. I'm a free warden! You guys need me!"* ### Mysticism Which brings us to the question of mysticism and effectively how high-magic is the setting? There are three options, as always, given in the text which are effectively low, middle, and high – except the "high" option really isn't all that high, it just means that magic is pretty common. It's not going to come as a surprise to most people who see it. This brings up a very interesting question about **D&D** and how it's portrayed and seen by the inhabitants. In early editions of the game, it seemed as if wizards were relatively rare when it came to the common people though well-known enough for them to be put into the ranks of militaries, into armies, though never in command roles^[Unless they were evil necromancers or the like. You know, old school Evil Overlord Thulsa Doom types.] and never in great numbers. In later editions, it seemed as if everybody was a mage, throwing around relatively powerful magic on a moment to moment basis. I'm going to interpret this not so much as a limitation on players but as a question of whether or not the common folk will be terrified out of their minds if you roll up into the square and throw a fireball. As opposed to the question of what they do if you roll up into the square and start levitating squishy balls around your head. - **Magic courses through this land as the rivers flow through the hills. The power is there for those who choose to harness it, and even the common folk often know a helpful ritual or two.** ^051d7f Stated like that, I think it's far more true to the source material to suggest that common is the way to go. People recognize what mages are, they know what they can do, there's probably a hedge witch in town or somebody that blesses the crops, they local priest can probably do a little laying on of hands… I think that fits the flavor of POL pretty well. ### Religion Here's a question which it is obvious when you think about it from the position of what we're trying to emulate but not necessarily obvious if you were deciding what kind of game that you wanted to play yourself. How much sway does the idea of religion, not just the religious, carry in the setting? I appreciate that one of the options given is basically the position of Conan:  Which is awesome… But I don't think it fits the vibe that we are going for here. A shame but there it is. Instead I think we have to go with the recognition that there are many gods, that their servants can be quite powerful, and you never really know what you're going to get. - **Our gods are many. They make themselves known through manifestations and miracles. Some say they even secretly walk among us. The priests convey the will of the gods and hold sway over many communities.** Personally, if I were running a game for myself or my friends, this wouldn't be the choice. But we are trying to reconstruct something that already exists here and there is no question, no matter what edition of **D&D** you're playing, Clerics and Priests are important characters both within the party and beyond it. ### Firstborn What, pray tell, are the firstborn? Effectively this is the dial to turn and adjust the amount of "things which aren't human but are definitely sapient and might be rivals or trading partners with people you know." Elves, dwarves, giants… You know the drill. Because you know the drill, you know what the answer has to be. - **The firstborn hold sway in the Ironlands. The elves of the deep forests and the giants of the hills tolerate us and even trade with us—for now. Ironlanders fear the day they decide we are no longer welcome here.** Note that there are systems to play members of the firstborn in **Ironsworn** so all of this checks out. (We'll probably be making use of that fact much later when we talk about character templates. But for now just keep that thought in the back of your head.) ### Beasts Not to be confused with *Horrors*, which we will deal with shortly, the question of beasts is about not the rank-and-file things you find in the forest but monstrous beasts. Yet not supernatural beasts. A dire wolf the size of a horse, a wyvern swooping in from the mountains, a monstrous sea snake – those are beasts. Again, three settings by default from "rats of unusual size? I don't believe they exist!" all the way up to "yes, they are real, and sometimes they go after serious settlements!" This is another one of those answers for which there really is no debate. Sometimes your city guard has to fight off a big nasty thing, and in those moments you probably want some "free wardens" around to lend a hand. - **Beasts of all sorts roam the Ironlands. They dwell primarily in the reaches, but range into the settled lands to hunt. There, they often prey on cattle, but attacks on travelers, caravans, or even settlements are not uncommon.** There are too many classic stories built on this trope not to roll with it, so we roll with it. It also gives us a fantastic basis to start building Rangers off of when we get to that point and I refuse to reject a fantastic basis. ### Horrors We've covered non-supernatural monstrous beasts so now we have to talk about the *real* nasties. Not just dragons, though it's kind of in the name so we have to allow for those, but more insidious supernatural threats like the undead. Answering this one is a little bit of a problem for me, because we know that skeletons, zombies, ghosts, liches, [gelatinous oozes](https://monstergirlencyclopedia.miraheze.org/wiki/Shoggoth) (though that might be debatably a beast) – all of these things show up all the time in dungeons and out in the wilderness. But do they provide an omnipresent threat that actively pushes back on the points of light that are well-established? I don't think so. Once in a while as the focus of an extant problem but not everywhere, all the time. - **We are wary of dark forests and deep waterways, for monsters lurk in those places. In the depths of the long-night, when all is wreathed in darkness, only fools venture beyond their homes.** It's kind of interesting that this is one of the questions that doesn't end up with the volume turned all the way to 11, even though that might be your initial thought when presented. ## The Forged World And there we have it, such as it is. Taken as a whole we have an excellent set up for playing what is thought of as traditional **D&D** within the context of right from the book **Ironsworn**. One of the interesting aspects of this from my perspective is that it puts particular focus on consciously considering the elements of what has become omnipresent fantasy as a gaming genre. There's no way to *avoid* thinking about the elements which are almost inherent to basic expectations, and by considering those elements it raises the question and opportunity to violate them. But we have established baseline Truth. These things need not stay an absolute truth in the course of play, of course. The process of play creates the opportunity to change assumptions if there is fictional reason for that to occur. Excellent. Solid. Fantastic. For the moment we shall pass from this world. Stay tuned for next time when we take on the first of the character templates, and possibly the hardest – [[Ontogeny Recapitulates Phylogeny - The Wizard|The Wizard]]!  [^4v5]: I posit this as relevant:  [^sns]: It strikes me that **Ironsworn** would actually be a good core mechanical system for Biblical epics, if anyone was ever interested in doing that sort of thing – which is just about zero likelihood in the RPG industry as it stands or in the near future. A bit of a shame. Maybe this is a genre that someone needs to bring back.