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1[[quoteright:323:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1de5c161f095516a2dc863275af7349d.jpg]]
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3''Tales of an Ancient Empire'' is a 2010 fantasy film directed by Creator/AlbertPyun, starring Creator/KevinSorbo, Michael Pare, and Melissa Ordway. It is the SpiritualSuccessor to Pyun's debut film, ''Film/TheSwordAndTheSorcerer''.
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5Queen Ma’at finds her kingdom of Abelar under attack when treasure seekers accidentally open the tomb of vampire queen Xia. The queen sends her half-sister, Princess Tanis, to the outlaw city of Douras to find her real father so he can save the kingdom. Meanwhile, servant girl Kara – who shares the same father as Tanis, but her mother is Xia – discovers her true nature as a vampire and begins hunting Tanis. Once in Douras, the princess finds her half-brother Aedan and convinces him to help her. Together they locate half-sister Malia, half-sister Rajan and her daughter Alana. With this small group they plan to stop the vampire queen Xia before it is too late.
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7Despite being almost universally panned by critics and fans alike, the film boldly promises [[SequelHook yet another sequel]] to come.
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9!!This movie contains examples of:
10* AbsurdlyYouthfulMother: Janelle Marra, who plays Rajan, was 31 at the time, only seven years more than Creator/InbarLavi, playing her daughter Alana. Even worse, Michael Pare plays Oda, father of Aedan, played by Creator/KevinSorbo, who was born less than a month ''before'' him. They look about the same age as their onscreen kids, given this.
11%%* ActionGirl: Princess Tanis.
12* BastardBastard: Kara, who after learning she was born from a tryst between a human and a vampire, embraces her vampiric heritage, joining her mother.
13* CallBack: Numerous references to people and places, and even key phrases from ''The Sword and the Sorcerer'' have all been sprinkled throughout the film.
14-->'''Kara:''' "Do we have a quarrel, sir?"
15* TheCameo: Lee Horsley makes a brief appearance, credited only as The Stranger.
16* TheCasanova: Oda was one, judging by the number of women he managed to have sex with (and father children by too).
17* ChromaKey: A recent trademark of Albert Pyun's films that started here. Granted his [[https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/multiple-sclerosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350269 Multiple sclerosis]] may have also played a part in this development.
18* DeadpanSnarker: Aedan, very much so.
19-->"Did I do your mother?"
20* {{Dhampyr}}: Kara, the child of a human father and vampire mother.
21* DisappearedDad: Oda was this to ''all'' of his many children, since even when he'd been aware of them he showed absolutely no paternal interest. Indeed, at ''most'' he spares his daughter Kara, who he'd almost killed due to being half vampire. He gives her to a palace to raise. Alana also seems to have one, as her father is not mentioned.
22* GeneHunting: Tanis was raised a princess, believing her father was the king. She learned that her father was really a mercenary whom her mother had an affair with however, and set out to find him.
23* HeroicBastard: Tanis, Aedan, Malia and Rajan are all the result of their father's many trysts. They're also the heroes of the film. Alana also seems to count, as Rajan doesn't mention that she's married.
24* NoNameGiven: The character played by Lee Horsley is only credited as "The Stranger". All of the other characters are only addressed by one name.
25* OffingTheOffspring: Oda at the beginning almost killed his child with the vampire Xia, because he didn't want it growing up into a {{dhampyr}}. After cutting it out of her womb, however, he couldn't kill the baby. Instead, he gave her to a palace as a servant girl.
26* ReallyGetsAround: Oda, Tanis, Kara and Aedan's father, turns out to have fathered ''even more'' children by different mothers (which all of them have as well).
27* ReCut: The initial version of the film was only released overseas. Pyun eventually re-cut the film for the "official" U.S. release.
28%%* SequelHook: Red Moon.
29* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: After being wounded [[spoiler:by a shot from Oda's triple-bladed sword]], one of the vampires attempts to throw the blade back at him. In a humorous exchange, Oda not only ''catches the blade'' but ''throws it right back at her'', scoring a fatal hit. 
30* VampireMonarch: Xia, the vampire queen.

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