Old Empires
A campaign supplement for the Egyptian- and Mesopotamian-inspired Old Empires.
Released in 1990, Old Empires is a Forgotten Realms supplement for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons second edition. Scott Bennie wrote this accessory, which features cover art by Brom and interior illustrations by Valerie Valusek. Its product code is TSR 9274. The 96-page booklet comes with a removable cover and a fold-out color poster map of the region.
Quick Facts
- Product code
- TSR 9274
- Publication year
- 1990
- Author
- Scott Bennie
- Cover artist
- Brom
- Interior artist
- Valerie Valusek
- Page count
- 96
Facts from the source article.
Contents
This 96-page booklet has a removable cover and includes a one-page introduction explaining that it covers three ancient kingdoms in the South of the Forgotten Realms: Mulhorand, Unther, and Chessenta. Pages 3–6 present the history of the Old Empires, including a two-page timeline. Pages 7–10 briefly describe surrounding lands such as Thay, Semphar, Murghôm, Aleaxtis (kingdom of the sahuagin), the Plains of Purple Dust, the Coastal Cities, Aglarond, Raurin, Durpar, Veldorn, Eastern Shaar, and Chondath. Mulhorand is detailed on pages 11–34, covering its people, society, geography, current economy, current politics, laws, adventures, religion, personalities, culture, and technology. A fold-out color poster map of the region is included. The inside front cover shows a diagram of the interior and corridors of the Pyramid of the Sceptanar, and the inside back cover shows a diagram of a chariot race track.
Deities
In the Old Empires, Mulhorand’s people revere Egyptian gods like Isis, Thoth, and Osiris, a departure from the typical deities of the Forgotten Realms. Unther’s inhabitants instead worship Mesopotamian gods such as Ishtar and Ramman, with its section (pages 35–49) covering society, geography, religion, personalities, and culture. Chessenta’s entry (pages 50–64) details its people, society, geography, current economy, current politics, religion, personalities, mercenary companies, and culture. Several short adventure scenarios (pages 65–70) are provided for the region. Southern magic (pages 71–80), a form written so standard magic practitioners cannot read it, is described, along with unique magical items (pages 81–86). A random encounter chart for Mulhorand (page 87) is included. Eight new monsters (pages 89–96) are introduced, including the brown dragon, the dracosphinx, and the desert wraith.
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