In the fantastical land of Chima, a world of animal tribes powered by a mystical energy called Chi, harmony depends on keeping that power in careful balance. The story opens at a grand jousting tournament held to decide which tribe will claim the precious Golden Chi orb. There the young lion prince Laval faces off against his rival Cragger of the crocodile tribe, only to lose the duel to Cragger's underhanded tactics. When a strange light soon glows atop nearby Spiral Mountain, Laval climbs to investigate and discovers Cragger with a machine that threatens to overload and throw all of Chima's Chi into chaos. Unable to stop it in time, Laval watches the land fall out of balance as Cragger schemes to seize ultimate power. Now Laval must journey across the territories of Chima's many tribes, rallying friends and confronting foes to set his troubled world right again.