Why Are Fey Chaotic?

[ArmorClassZero]

Why is 'Law' the opposite of 'Chaos'? Other than Gygax & Co. stealing that alignment system from Michael Moorcock & Co. for D&D, what's the reasoning behind it?

Wouldn't 'Order' be a better opposite of 'Chaos'? Can't laws create a system that is either orderly OR chaotic, e.g. the same laws of physics that result in the macrocosm of the solar system also result in the microcosm that is life on this sphere, but the one is orderly while the latter is chaotic, no?

[Username17]

I think Grek already won the thread and we should pack it in.

Shedu are five legged cows. Cows make milk, which is wet. Shedu are allies, so their wetness makes them Lawful.



Checks out.

-Username17

[angelfromanotherpin]

Wouldn't 'Order' be a better opposite of 'Chaos'? Can't laws create a system that is either orderly OR chaotic, e.g. the same laws of physics that result in the macrocosm of the solar system also result in the microcosm that is life on this sphere, but the one is orderly while the latter is chaotic, no?

[OgreBattle]

Okay, time for the real answer:

According to mythology, chaos is associated with the element of water and with badness. Therefore, any antagonist that is wet and/or sticky is Chaotic and any antagonist that is dry and/or crunchy is Lawful. This relationship is inverted for allies, because Good is the opposite of Evil.

Fey live in dewdrop dappled forests and skulk about in lakes with swords, so they're chaotic. Unless they're Fey protagonists in which case they're Lawful.

Devils live in Hell. And Hell is very hot and generally does not have much water. Except when it's cold, which makes it dry and crunchy, like antarctic snow. Therefore, devils are Lawful.

Demons, on the other hand, live in the Abyss - the primordial waters of creation according to the bible and many other mythologies - and are therefore aquatic creatures. Also, demons are usually covered in acidic goo, or tentacles, or are literally giant blobs of ooze. That makes demons Chaotic.

Modrons and Inevitables are both robots (which are crunchy) and therefore Lawful. Formorians are giant bugs. Bugs crunch when stepped on, therefore Formorians are Lawful. Except when they defect from their societies to help the party, in which case they're Chaotic.

Slaad are giant frogs. Frogs are kinda slimey live in the water. Therefore Slaad are Chaotic. Except for if they defect against their anarchic society to help the party, in which case they're Lawful.

Among the Evil Dragons, the Black (swamp) and White (ice) both have a swim speed and are Chaotic, while the Blue (desert) is Lawful. Meanwhile the Lawful Metallic Dragons (Silver, Bronze and Gold) can all either control the weather, swim or both. The Chaotic Metal Dragons (Copper and Brass) live respectively in canyons or in the desert. The Red (chaotic, but not obviously associated with water) and the Green (lawful, but can swim) are precisely the 'evil' dragons which the party is most likely to end up working with.

All of the Archons come from Celestia, a plane famous for its ocean of holy water. They are Good and damp and therefore Lawful.

Ghouls drool, which makes them sticky, which makes them Chaotic. Wights, on the other hand, are dry and crunchy and therefore Lawful. Mummies are also crunchy and Lawful. Shadows, who turn into pools of darkness, are Chaotic because evil pools of water-like substance are Chaotic.

Hags brew potions, which is a Chaotic thing to do because it involves water. Rakshasa are cats, who bathe themselves in order to avoid being sticky. Therefore Rakshasa are Lawful.

For underwater enemies, you ignore the wet/dry criteria (because everything is wet underwater) and invert the crunchy/sticky criteria (because Water is Chaos and therefore Backwards). Aboleths, who are covered in slime, are Lawful because Lawful is the opposite of slimey. But a Chuul (which has a crunchy shell) is Chaotic because Chaotic is the opposite of crunchy.

I reread this whenever I see an alignment argument, here's my contribution


Giants

Lawful Dry
Fire Giant: Evil

Neutral
Cloud Giant: Lives on top of clouds (wet) thus can't be rained on (dry)
Frost Giant: Half are nomadic in the snow (wet) half live in castles (dry)

Chaotic Wet
Storm Giant: Good rain makers
Troll: Evil swamp dwellers