Campaign Concept Pt. 3: The Empire of Tel

Following the last couple of days, we have a new campaign concept, the Empire of Tel.

Magic, as we know it, vanished over 200 years ago. The fey races have faded, leaving humanity as the sole power in the world. Magic is, by many, thought to be merely that of legend, as are the elves, dwarves and gnomes.

The only other civilized race still present are the halflings, smaller than humans, and living in rural settlements throughout the Kingdom of Tel. A few have ventured into the cities, setting up a normal life, but in more outlying villages, they are looked upon with distrust and derision.

The Honor Guard of Tel are the knights and warriors of the land, charged with protecting it from without and within. Those who choose may ally themselves with the Church of Six, serving the gods and taking on the mantle of a paladin or cleric. There are rumors of quiet cults deeply embedded in society where the darker aspects of the will of the gods is carried out by divine agents by means of assassination and revenge.

Every 10 years, a crusade is sent out from Tel Crossia to the south, where hideous monsters lie. Those who survive return with tales of horror at the hands of trolls, orcs, and worse, though many claim these to be the ramblings of mad men. The worst creatures the Kingdom has faced was a dragon attack nearly 40 years ago, one which devastated many cities, and was only stopped by the combined efforts of the knights and paladins of the land.

Beneath this shining veneer, there is a crumbling building, for the Kingdom is collapsing on itself. Years of disinterest in the world around them, aside from the crusades, have left them vulnerable to attack.

Ancient legends tell of a 7th god, sinister and ancient, who will one day rise from beneath the earth and consume the Kingdom. There are secret cults who worship this unnamed god, though some call it ”Terrasque.” They wait for the day it will return, hastening his return through dark rituals and murder.

This concept is a very low-magic setting, only allowing for a few races: Humans, halflings, and perhaps, a half-elf (though no one would know they were). Using Inherent Bonuses from DMG2 for 4e, you can easily remove magical items. This is the concept I’m using for the new campaign Bridget and I are going to be doing, allowing our heroes only one wondrous item, and it has to be a mundane-seeming item. Steadily introducing elves, dwarves, and magic into the system can make for pretty interesting games, I think.