About Tefr
A world, a story
Held back in its technological progress by the common use of magic, Tefr is a world in which historical remnants, ancient powers and on going struggles between nations collide to offer a rich and exciting backdrop to any story. With player characters bearing mutations, said to be carried down from an ancient war between the gods, they are set apart from the outset and forced to become members of a scorned guild simply to survive.
It is a world created for narrative, a world waiting for stories to happen.
Tefr is a deeply established fantasy world setting with its own RPG system that has been developed to work optimally for narrative driven scenarios and play. Think something less about gameplay and granular rules and more playing a character in a fantasy movie. Sure, it still has dice. Risk and unpredictability offer excitement, but that is only a minor part of the whole.
It is possible, and intended, that The richly developed Tefr world setting can be used as a resource for GMs on which to base their games using other systems. The Tefr system itself is intended to be modular and referees can cherry pick those elements they wish to use for their own gaming and discard what they don’t need.
Tefr was originally developed by Simon Cornish though Several writers and developers have since contributed to it further, while many others have lent their enthusiasm in playing characters within the world created.
A Character Apart
Imagine you are in a strange land.
A world steeped in history and shaped by ancient strife.
A place where rumours of magic and
mythical creatures have a ring of truth to them.
You’d rather not get involved in such matters;
you want to stay home with your family and friends.
But you have a problem;
they say there is something wrong with you.
You have a god’s curse upon you,
which makes you different: tougher, stranger, scarier.
Your family and friends no longer want you near them.
Some would even wish you harm.
So now, if you don’t want to become an outcast,
your only choice is to join the Guild,
follow the only profession allowed to
those cursed by the gods,
become a sword for hire,
expendable and despised.
But better the jackal than the hare.
Cursed by the gods, shunned, cast out, and unwanted, you find yourself among the ranks of expendable mercenaries—freaks for hire in a world that turns its back on you. Roped into doing the dirty work that others are too afraid, or too proud to take on. Opportunities abound, but always come with risks.
Join the guild, the only place that will take your kind, and embark on gruelling quests. Discover plots and treasons under the threat of war. Confront grim adversaries and uncover ancient mysteries.
Your background could have been anything: a wandering priest, a washed up pirate, a fallen noble, a shrewd merchant, or a cunning Grey Hawk. It doesn’t matter anymore. All are bound together by a secret and a shared fate – an unbreakable bond forged in the fires of adversity.
This is not high fantasy, it’s the other kind.