Key Conceits

Continuing from the previous post, wherein I describe my next campaign setting in 25 words, this post is intended to give the design of the setting more body.

One of the ways in which 4th Edition D&D renewed setting design was through the use of so-called "Key Conceits". In the 4th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide, and then continued in the setting guides of Forgotten Realms, Eberron and Dark Sun, the World of D&D was described in a few powerful statements. Here is the original list from the DMG:

In just one page, the writers manage to evoke a whole world. They also establish some ground rules about the setting. The relationships of gods with mortals, the prevalence of adventurers, the reason dungeons exist, etc.

Expanding on the 25 words, here are my Key Conceits:

• The World Was Created Mundane: In the current age, wizards, sages and scholars are starting to infer that this world was not created with great magic. Rather, the first ages of this realm were mundane and saw no great feats of magic. The remnants of the past speak of barbaric peoples and simple, martial traditions.
• Magic Flows From The Land: The Elves brought the knowledge of Magic to this realm. Espousing knowledge of the natural realm and arcane sigils, they raised Man from barbarism. By working their will, intelligence or wisdom on the natural world, spellcasters can coax the vital energy of life to staggering effects. This energy is most prevalent in ancient, undespoiled forests or high, unconquered mountains. Wherever civilization takes hold, this flow is diminished.
• Civilization Is Young And Fragile: The Elves that raised Man up to the foundation of Aurora, the Dawn City, are still alive in the present age. The world has only lived through one great empire and is about to live through another. Civilization is a force only tested twice, and it is still fragile. In the current Interregnum, the once-unified Radiant Empire is once again split into innumerable fiefdoms, each a prey for monsters, warbands or darker forces.
• Good And Evil Are Real: This world is no place of grey-and-grey moralities or relative viewpoints. Evil encompasses corruption, vileness, temptation and remorselesness. Good is constituted by redemption, exaltation, sacrifice and healing. Two fundamentally opposing cosmic forces vie for the souls of mortal beings, and the world is their battleground.
• Forces Out There Want To Claim What Is Here: This world is but a speck in the dark curtain of the night sky. There are thousands of other inhabited worlds around distant stars. The Elves hail from one such world, destroyed by their own folly. The divine Celestials hail from another. The savage Orcs have come from yet another realm to invade and despoil this one. All seek to control the flow of magic or souls of mortals from this world.
• Men And Women Of Power Are Commonplace: The Thousand Fiefdoms are ruled over by rough men and women, each capable of holding their own in a duel, whether it be magical or mundane. Adventurers are common in this age of endless strife and powerful explorers lay claim to a fief of their own.
• Small Bands Striving For Good Can Make A Difference: The dangers that confront the Thousand Fiefdoms are many and varied. Demigods from other worlds, insidious Elven plots, savage warbands and horrendous monsters. Yet small bands of dedicated defenders can overcome these challenges. By embracing hope and turning the hearts and minds of common citizens, the darkness can be averted and the light preserved.