Order and Chaos are undeniable elements of the world in which we live, both occurring naturally and driven by mortal and immortal forces. They stand in defiance and opposition of each other, yet I would propose that the two are inextricably linked, pulling and pushing ceaselessly. What is one without the other? Can they exist, without their counterpart? What would occur, should one prevail over the other? These are the questions this mere mortal has pondered and has attempted to explore, through research and learning from the Divinities that teach of these concepts, namely Lord Morgfyre and Lord Zvoltz.

 

Chaos is the complete absence of order – it is confusion and pandemonium and anarchy. Chaos cannot be predicted; by nature it is completely random. Consider a raging torrent of fire, left to burn freely. The flames themselves dance and leap in a chaotic manner, no two licks identical as they curl and wave in ceaseless hunger. There is no logic to the infinitesimal motions of heat, no order to the length or width of each tongue of flame. It is the beauty of chaos in action, and as it is fed it grows, the flows of air it generates fuelling its own unpredictability. Chaos is wild and unfettered, and it is the catalyst to change.

 

Order is rigid structure forged against the whims of chaos. It is logical and systematic, predictable and stable. It is the maintenance of control, bringing that which is in disarray to strict conformation, adhering to rules and laws either set or pre-existing. Order is revealed in natural circumstances; consider the intricacy of a snowflake, perfectly symmetrical in form, the physical manifestation of order. No two are the same, yet each is precision and perfection.

 

It is fitting that the above examples of flame and snowflake are opposites in much the same way that chaos and order are, yet consider how each can be subject to the other. Fire of itself is unfettered random, yet it can be brought to order of sorts. Fire can be contained and controlled, by manipulating its fuel and airflow, it can be directed to follow an orderly direction by clearing its path of all but that fuel which you give it, causing it to naturally follow the ordained route, thus conforming it to order.

 

The snowflake, in its symmetrical beauty, is at the whims of the chaotic snowstorm that blows it. It does not control the winds, it does not designate the temperature of the atmosphere. It is helpless before the unpredictable sway of the weather, should it grow warm, the snowflake will melt. Should a gust of wind take it, it will dance to its chaotic tune. Perhaps it will melt then freeze once more. Assuredly it will not be the same, having been transformed and shaped by the random forces of nature.

 

The curious thing to note in these examples, is that while each is affected by opposing forces, it does not alter what it intrinsically is. Fire can be controlled as a whole, yet each tendril of flame will ever dance to its own unpredictable tune until snuffed out or deprived of fuel. A snowflake may be blown about or melted and reformed by chance, yet it will still be a perfect, symmetrical creation so long as it is a snowflake.

 

What is chaos without order? A haphazardly arranged campfire will still burn, yet the one that burns the brightest and hottest comes from the careful planning and stacking of the wood and tinder, the precise placement of the first spark. The conclusion I can draw from my research and own experiences is that the greatest display of chaos comes from the firmest foundation of order. The most oppressive regime can inspire the most glorious anarchy amongst its people. A less firm hand is less likely to provoke such a strongly chaotic response. Chaos is free and wild, yet is it a powerful force with no order to pull against? What is chance and happenstance without predictability to counter it?

 

The question must also then be asked – what is order without chaos? By the same token, amidst the greatest confusion and disarray, only the firmest sense of order will be able to stand against it. When the disorder is minor at best, the desire for control does not manifest as strongly. Order is control and harmony, but what are these without the whims of chaos? What is structure when no disorder prevails to be conformed?

 

Chaos and order are both made stronger by the other, not because they are supportive or harmonious, but because they push and pull at one another, urging their counterpart to greater heights. As one grows, so too does it inspire the other, and thus it is spurred again to increase, in an endless cycle.  When chaos reigns, order will strive to rise and control it; when rigidity stands supreme, chaos will emerge and send it into disarray.

 

Is there balance, between the two? Is it even possible? Or are they ever fated to flux, rising and ebbing as the tide, in constant struggle for superiority? One can easily argue that one is greater than the other, but to that I would say it is only a matter of perspective, and the truth is elusive, and mayhap never to be known. It is evident, however, that both are destined to coexist.