This is the home page for the new 4th Edition D&D campaign, Azentia. This campaign will include all new characters, and is planned for play in Ballarat.
What's New
08 July 2012
- Added new page for collecting notes for the development of the Azentia campaign setting for the next iteration of D&D.
16 Jun 2012
- Finally back to work on this site!
- Added some basic descriptive text to the races page.
- Following on from our playtest of the D&D Next rules last weekend, I have all but decided that this game will migrate across to those rules as soon as it is released. What this means is that there will essentially be no 'rules' updates on this site, as I will be waiting for the new rules. I WILL be endeavoring to get a lot more of the flavor content done though.
For older 'What's New' updates, please scroll to the bottom of this page.
Azentia at a Glance
The year is 1262.
No-one really knows how the war between Azentia and Estar started. There are those who say it was the will of the gods, that the battle they waged in the immortal realms also be waged by their mortal servants. Others claim that, given the Estarans acceptance of the arcane, and it's rejection by the Azentians, war between the two was inevitable.
It is just two years since the Great War between the neighbouring Kingdoms of Azentia and Estar finished, after the Azentians finally captured the Estar capital, Darachmar. Lands were divided among the Azentian nobility, maps were redrawn, marriages to surviving Estaran nobles were arranged, and the Azentians set about rebuilding their new realm.
Two years on though, and the scars of the war still remain across the northern realms of Azentia, the area that was once Estar. Food shortages and riots have gone hand in hand throughout the larger cities that still remain. Many of those cities that were destroyed are still uninhabited, or a haven for the bandits and criminals, and worse, that now roam the north.
King Darrean knew well that there would be some unrest after the war, and hoped to lessen it as much as possible by marrying the surviving noble women of Estar to the lords (or their sons) who would be taking control of the northern provinces. The soldiers of the new lords patrol the roads between the major settlements, and are often called upon to hunt down rogue bandits who have pillaged nearby farmsteads or villages. However, the soldiers continue to suffer a distinct disadvantage against the local bandits and remnants of the old Estarian army, and often prove ineffective against them.
To further help combat the lawlessness of the north and restore some order, the king has dispatched several legions of the Knights Inquisitors, whose task is, as always, to seek out and bring to justice those who oppose the king or church. In a very short time they have become feared by many of the smaller communities, who have been more willing to shelter the remnants of the old army, and who have paid the price. Rumors have begun to spread, that entire villages have been put to the torch for providing shelter for known bandits.
The Knights Inquisitors are also the ones responsible for hunting down wizards and sorcerors, the arcane arts being forbidden on pain of death in Azentia. Magical devices have been sought out and destroyed, crystal balls smashed, wands broken and countless books and scrolls set to the torch. Magical collections are still rumored to exist throughout the land though, and whispered tales of a mysterious band of sorcerers are still told over campfires. May believe these to be the former members of the Cadre, and hold out hope of them returning in a blaze of arcane power, and driving the Azentians from Estar.
During the war, the dwarves and elves remained in their homelands in the east, neither helping nor harming either human army, provided that their territories were left alone. Since then both races have slowly rejoined their neighbors, though they have found their reception cool, as both human nations beseeched them for aid at one stage or another throughout the war. The elves in particular have formed a dislike for the Azentians, over the outright ban on magic, and are very rarely found in the southern realms. The dwarves, with no such arcane leanings do not care about the ban on magic, and only seek a certain level of political stability, in order to keep trade profitable.
The lands of northern Azentia are teetering on the verge of chaos. The new Azentian rulers have confirmed their control over the larger cities and towns, but are unable to make any inroads against the encroaching tides of darkness. Some of those formerly loyal to the crown of Estar view this as the time to stage their rebellion, overthrowing the invading forces, while others see it as the potential end of civilization in the north.
Older Site Updates
18 Jan 2012
- Added Part Fourteen - The Tower in the North - Part 1 to Chapter 2 of the Campaign Tales.
16 Jan 2012
- Added some extra details to the NPC's on the Characters page.
07 Jan 2012
- Added Part Thirteen - Out in the Cold to Chapter 2 of the Campaign Tales.
- Added some more detail to the Ro-Esh deity page.
04 Jan 2012
- Some minor cosmetic changes (font, banner image).
- Removed the "What's New" link from the top menu bar. Added a link for "Religion" with individual pages for each of the deities that have been written up with extra detail.
31 Dec 2011
- Added page for deity, Ro-Esh. Added link to this page on the religion page. At this stage, I only plan to post this level of detail for gods that the party has actual clerics (or paladins, champions, etc).
20 Dec 2011
- Slight modification to the Welcome page, to include a What's New listing at the top to alert folks as to changes to the website.
- No other changes at this time.