The Emirates of Ylaruam
 Cover art by Clyde Caldwell | |
| Author | Ken Rolston |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Douglas Chaffee |
| Cover artist | Clyde Caldwell |
| Genre | Fantasy RPG |
| Publisher | TSR |
Publication date | 1987 |
| Pages | 64 |
| ISBN | 0880383925 |
The Emirates of Ylaruam is an gazetteer published by TSR in 1987 for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons that provides details about an area of Mystara called Ylaruam.
Contents
The Emirates of Ylaruam is a supplement that focuses on the desert nation of Ylaruam.[1] The book covers the history of the area known to the inhabitants, as well as its true history as known to the Immortals; the geographical and ecological data of the desert; and the different peoples that inhabit the desert.[2]
A major section of the book details the society of the desert peoples, including justice, laws, personal obligations, religion, legends, the social structure, and the organization of authority and bureaucracy. A detachable insert provides information about the society and the country for player characters who are not native to the area. Otherwise, there are rules for creating a local character.[2]
A new cleric subclass is included, the dervish, but this is reserved for non-player characters.[2] There is also a detailed description of a typical desert village.[3]
The book concludes with some ideas for campaigns in Ylaruam, explaining where certain monsters can be found and which ones feature in which legends; magical items are treated similarly. A few adventure hooks are also provided.[2]
Publication history
TSR first published Dungeons & Dragons in 1974, and the main campaign world for it became Mystara. Wanting to expand knowledge of this world, TSR started a series of gazetteers in 1987, beginning with GAZ1 The Grand Duchy of Karameikos. This was rapidly followed by GAZ2 The Emirates of Ylaruam, a 64-page saddle-stapled booklet with an outer folder that included a large colour map and an insert; it was written by Ken Rolston, with cover art by Clyde Caldwell and interior art by Douglas Chaffee.[1]
Between 1987 and 1991, TSR produced a total of 14 gazetteers in the GAZ series of books.
Reception
Lawrence Schick, in his 1991 book Heroic Worlds, called The Emirates of Ylaruam a "Fine campaign setting".[1]
The French RPG magazine La Gazette du Donjon gave the French translation of this supplement a top rating of 5 out of 5, saying, "This is the second and final translated volume in the series, and it does not disappoint. Constituted identical to the previous one [The Grand Duchy of Karameikos], the quality is still there. This 'little' background supplement is full of information on the whole Ylaruam society: Social structure, laws, customs, and moral concepts.These particular geographical and climatic conditions make it a place where adventures will have no (or very little) connection with the rest of the world, which will favor characters native to the region over 'foreign' adventurers."[4]
References
- ^ a b c Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games. Prometheus Books. p. 141. ISBN 0-87975-653-5.
- ^ a b c d "GAZ2 - Emirates of Ylarum". Guide du Rôliste Galactique (in French). 2009-05-08. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ^ Rolston, Ken (January 1988). "Role-playing Reviews". Dragon. No. #129. pp. 83–84.
- ^ "Les coin du critique". La Gazette du Donjon (in French). Vol. 1, no. 1. February 2014. p. 44.<
External links
- "Discussion with Clyde Caldwell on Gazetteer Covers". Vaults of Pandius. Archived from the original on 2020-09-29.
- "Preliminary cover art for The Emirates of Ylaruam". Archived from the original on 2021-10-24. Retrieved 2021-10-24.