Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms is an accessory for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...

fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 role-playing game

Role-playing game

A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...

.

Contents

Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms details a Forgotten Realms

Forgotten Realms

The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...

 campaign setting for use with Oriental Adventures

Oriental Adventures

Oriental Adventures is the title shared by two hardback rulebooks published for different versions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...

, which describes the eastern land of Kara-Tur

Kara-Tur

Kara-Tur is a fantasy world created by David Cook in the Oriental Adventures rulebook for the First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game in 1986. Kara-Tur's cultures and peoples are fantasy analogues of medieval China, Korea, Japan, the Ryukyu Islands, Tibet, and other regions of...

 and its geography, population, society, government, history, languages, and opportunities for adventure. Like the original Forgotten Realms Campaign Set, this set only lightly details the vast land of Kara-Tur, leaving room for the DM

Dungeon Master

In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Dungeon Master is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating the details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events...

's creativity.

"Volume I" covers the lands of Shou Lung

Shou Lung

In the fictional campaign setting known as the Forgotten Realms, Shou Lung is a country in the continent of Kara-Tur, which is located to the east of Faerûn...

, T'u Lung, Tabot, the Plain of Horses, and the Northern Wastes (analogs of China, Tibet, Mongolia, and Siberia), while "Volume II" covers the Jungle Lands, the Island Kingdoms, Koryo, Kozakura, and Wa (analogs of Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Korea, and Japan).

Publication history

Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms was written by Mike Pondsmith

Mike Pondsmith

Michael Alyn Pondsmith is a roleplaying game and video game designer.He is best known for his work with R. Talsorian Games, where he developed most role-playing game lines from the company's beginning to the present: Mekton , Cyberpunk , Cybergeneration, Teenagers from Outer Space, Castle...

, Jay Batista, Rick Swan, John Nephew and Deborah Christian, with a cover by Jeff Easley

Jeff Easley

Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:...

 and interior illustrations by Jim Holloway

Jim Holloway (artist)

-Background:Jim Holloway was self taught in illustration, although he was able to study some oil paintings by his father.-Works:Jim Holloway has continued to produce interior illustrations for many Dungeons & Dragons books and Dragon magazine since 1981, as well as cover art for The Land Beyond the...

, and was published by TSR in 1988 as a boxed set

Boxed set

A box set is a compilation of various musical recordings, films, television programs, or other collection of related items that are contained in a box.-Music box sets:...

with two 96-page books, four large color maps, and two plastic overlays.