Have you ever wondered where the battle against chaos comes from? How did dragons first come to be the enemies of man? Role playing games embrace mythology and a seed was planted thousands of years ago in the tales of early man. The Chaoskampf or "Struggle against chaos" is a concept born from the studies of these mythologies, specifically the Proto Indo-European religions that evolved into modern beliefs. Although the Chaoskampf is only one part of these myths, it clearly has had an important influence on RPGs and the associated literature. Today we will focus on the myths of Sumeria and Babylon that give rise to a dragon whose name we know well.
A cultural hero slaying a serpent or dragon is a concept that goes back a very long way. One of the earliest versions of this myth regards two primordial beings, Abzu (Apsu) and Tiamat. Abzu is the deep water, often considered sacred in Sumerian and Babylonian culture. In Babylonian myth, he is the husband of Tiamat who is murdered by the younger gods to gain his power. This is the triggering moment where Tiamat and Marduk come to blows. A battle ensues and Marduk, champion of mankind, defeats Tiamat creating the world from her body. Thus order triumphs over chaos and the world is formed It should be remembered though that classical heroes are not always good people and this is essentially a story of matricide.
How would you use this? Certainly you could follow the traditional myth and monster formula. Glorantha does this pretty well as does the movie, the 13th Warrior , but I would embrace the original mythologies in more a direct way. What would your primordial world look like with literal gods walking around? Take Tiamat and Abzu back to their sea serpent roots, where they can struggle to keep the world a primal and chaotic place, free of the order imposed by their children. Perhaps even come at the struggle from the opposite way and have your heroes support Tiamat in seeking revenge on those who slew her mate. A more futuristic and less religious approach could have a universe where throwing off the yoke of an ancient race (or races) so humanity or other races can flourish. Both HALO and Mass Effect explore these ideas. On the other hand perhaps Faster Than Light (FTL) travel is the "Tiamat" that a group of heroic scientists seek to break, opening up the whole universe to humanity.
Although an ancient concept, the Chaoskampf pervades our cultures, mythologies, and game play. In some ways we already fight and re-fight this quest, so why not take a more direct hand? Go back to a time where chaos was just the primordial condition of the world and order had not quite given it shape. A cosmic war with real stakes on the one hand and less clear cut good and evil on the other may just spark a memorable campaign.
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
I read fantasy and science fiction in large quantities and started playing D&D as a result of that and the Chainmail medieval miniature rules fantasy appendix. All of which contributed to multiple degrees in history and anthropology which have further influenced my games. Odd to wonder what direction I would have taken and what I'd be doing without all that now...
