Lost Empires of Faerûn is a campaign supplement for the fictional 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

Campaign setting

A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...

 for the 3.5 edition of the 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

This 192-page hardcover book begins with a two-page introduction explaining that this book covers the various ruined kingdoms of the ancient world of Faerûn

Faerûn

Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. It is described at a relatively high level in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting from Wizards of the Coast, and various locales and aspects are described in more detail by separate...

, in other words the Lost Empires of Faerûn. Chapter 1: Ancient Secrets, on pages 6-35, details prestige classes, feats, and spells common for characters that keep alive the ancient secrets and traditions of the past. Chapter 2: Dreams of the Past, on pages 36-50, examines how the ancient past plays a role in the modern Realms. Chapter 3: The Crown Wars, on pages 51-59, described the elven

Elf (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, elves are a fictional humanoid race that is one of the primary races available for play as player characters. Elves are renowned for their grace and mastery of magic and weapons such as the sword and bow...

 realms of the Crown Wars, which were waged upon each other and resulted in the descent of the drow and the establishment of Evereska

Evereska

In the fictional fantasy setting of the Forgotten Realms, Evereska is an elven stronghold in northern Faerûn.Evereska is known as the Lasthaven of the elves, as it is the only elven stronghold left in Faerûn...

 and Evermeet

Evermeet

Evermeet is an island in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons game, located far west of the continent of Faerûn...

. Chapter 4: God-Kings of the East, on pages 60-82, details the Old Empires of Mulhorand and Unther, and rival empires Narfell

Narfell

Narfell is a country in the eastern part of the fictional continent of Faerûn, in the Forgotten Realms setting. It lies in the Cold Lands region but was once the heart of a vast empire that stretched from the Giantspire Mountains to Lake Ashane and included the Great Dale, much of Thesk, part of...

 and Raumathar. Chapter 5: Realms of the High Forest, on pages 83-94, describes the kingdoms of Eaerlann, Siluvanede, Sharrven, and the surrounding states. Chapter 6: Fallen Netheril, on pages 95-112, describes Netheril, the most famous of Faerûn's fallen states, which now lies buried under Anauroch. Chapter 7: The Imperial South, on pages 113-124, examines Coramshan and Jhaamdath. Chapter 8: The Dream of Cormanthyr, on pages 125-135, described the fabled realm of Myth Drannor

Myth Drannor

Myth Drannor, formerly known as Cormanthor, the City of Song, is a fictional elven city in the Forgotten Realms world. It is located in the area called Cormanthyr.-Fictional history:...

. Chapter 9: The Old North, on pages 136-150, details the history of the Sword Coast North. Chapter 10: Artifacts of the Past, on pages 151-159, introduces magic items

Magic item (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a magic item is any object that has magical powers inherent in it. These may act on their own or be the tools of the character in whose hands they fall into. Magic items have been prevalent in the game in every edition and setting, from the...

 created and used by people of the various lost empires. Chapter 11: Monsters of the Ancient Lands, on pages 160-192, presents twenty-nine monsters that originated in these long-lost lands, including the crawling claw

Crawling claw

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game and various other fantasy settings, the crawling claw is an undead or construct creature which consists of the severed hand, paw, or claw of a deceased creature, animated to come alive...

, the deepspawn, the flameskull, the helmed horror, the phaerimm

Phaerimm

The phaerimm are a fictional species of creatures in the Forgotten Realms setting, in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...

, and the tressym.

Publication history

The book was published in 2005, and was written by Richard Baker

Richard Baker (game designer)

Richard Baker is an American author and a game designer who has worked on many Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings.-Early life, education, and military:...

, Ed Bonny, and Travis Stout, with cover art by Mark Sasso. Interior art is by Thomas M. Baxa

Thomas Baxa

-Biography:Tom Baxa grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He enrolled at Northern Illinois University, where he studied under comic and fantasy artist Mark Nelson.-Works:...

, Matt Cavotta

Matt Cavotta

Matt Cavotta is an American artist and writer. His artwork is currently focused on the fantasy genre, with notable contributions to popular games such as Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons.-Career:...

, Brian Despain, Marko Djordjevic

Marko Djurdjevic

Marko Djurdjević is a German illustrator and concept artist of Serbian descent, best known for his character designs. He currently works for Marvel Comics, and has produced a large body of cover art, as well as promotional designs, character concepts, and interior artwork...

, Jason Engle, Earl Frank, Randy Gallegos, Rafa Garres

Rafael Garres

Rafael Garrés Cervantes is a Spanish artist who worked in comic-books and role-playing games. He commonly signs as Rafael Garrés or Rafa Garrés.He was born in Barcelona, Spain. His hometown is Caanovelles...

, Chris Hawkes, Ralph Horsley, Jeremy Jarvis

Jeremy Jarvis

-Early life and education:Jeremy Jarvis grew up in a small town in Alabama, and moved to New York City right after high school just before his eighteenth birthday. There, he attended Pratt Institute as a Fine Arts major, graduating Summa Cum Laude...

, Dana Knutson

Dana Knutson

-Career:Dana Knutson has had a long career as an artist on role-playing games. He worked at FASA Corporation for 10 years, producing art on numerous works for their Star Trek and Shadowrun RPGs. He came to work for TSR in 1993 to produce artwork for the Dungeons & Dragons game, initially largely...

, Vince Locke

Vince Locke

Vincent Locke is an American comic book artist known for his work on Deadworld and A History of Violence and for his ultraviolent album covers for death metal band Cannibal Corpse.-Biography:...

, Raven Mimura

Raven Mimura

-Early life and education:Raven was born Jeffery Ernest Mimura on March 30, 1974. Raven and his older brother Daniel were raised in north Dallas, Texas by their parents Harley and Muriel Mimura. His father is an engineer and his mother was an artist and architect. Raven was an all-around gifted...

, William O'Connor

William O'Connor (artist)

-Early life and education:William O'Connor was born on Long Island, New York. He enrolled at the age of ten at the Huntington School of Fine Arts , and after high school he attended Alfred University and also enrolled in illustration programs at the School of Visual Arts and Parsons School of...

, Jim Pavelec, Steve Prescott

Steve Prescott (artist)

-Early life and education:Steve Prescott grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and he graduated with a BFA in Illustration from Columbus College of Art and Design.-Works:...

, Wayne Reynolds

Wayne Reynolds

Wayne Reynolds is a British artist whose work has appeared in comics and role-playing games.-Early life and education:Wayne Reynolds was born in Leeds, UK...

, Richard Sardinha

Richard Sardinha

Richard Sardinha is an American artist based in Providence, Rhode Island, whose work has appeared in role-playing games.-Works:Richard Sardinha has been illustrating books since the 1980s. He provided the art work for At Lovecraft's Grave by Brett Rutherford.Sardinha has produced interior...

, and Francis Tsai

Francis Tsai

Francis Tsai is an American comic book artist, illustrator, author and conceptual artist. He is of Taiwanese and Japanese ancestry.-Early life:Tsai was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and raised in Lubbock, Texas...

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