Karameikos - Vaults of Pandius

#1The Mystara MagazineKarameikosThe first issue of the new magazine for Mystara, featuringAdventures, NPCs, Organisations and Maps for Karameikosplus Interviews, Comics and features about your favourite worldpandius.comthepiazza.org.uk

Issue ContentsIssue #1Editorial.................................................................1This Issue s Authors...............................................230 years Anniversary of red Box D&D...................4The Demography of Karameikos...........................6The History of Karameikos..................................37Karameikos - The Hidden Years..........................70Thorn s Mystara...................................................74Bruce Heard Interview........................................82Unveiling the Radu Clan......................................87Strolojca and Draconius......................................92Yuri Molotov - Death Knight..............................114The Rise of Dhrom Dhum.................................119The Dangers of the Dymrak Wilds....................126Fort Doom..........................................................131Mirror of the Eternal Night................................144Return to the Ice Wall........................................158Guild Wars.........................................................167Time s Travels....................................................174Artwork Sources and Credits.............................176Next Issue..........................................................180Threshold: The Mystara Magazine is a non-commercial, fan-produced magazine. There is nointention to infringe on anyone's rights, and in particular not on those of Wizards of theCoast, which holds all rights to the original material on which the magazine is based.THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

EditorialWelcome to Threshold: The Mystara MagazineAs the editor of this first issue of Threshold, itis my pleasure to welcome you, dear reader,to the new magazine for the world of Mystara.Whether you came to Mystara through theExpert Set, the Gazetteers, or the AD&D 2eboxed sets, chances are the Grand Duchy ofKarameikos was your gateway to the KnownWorld and beyond -- thus, what better startfor a new magazine than Karameikos? A landof adventure, with dangerous borderlandsteeming with hostile goblinoids, giants, anddragons but also magical realms, treasuresand relics of distant ages, as well as towns andcities posing their own challenges, the GrandDuchy of Karameikos is, after more than 30years from its original appearance, still thestarting point for many adventurers. As such,you will find that this issue contains a mix ofnew articles and revised “gems” from theVaults of Pandius, such as the Return to theIce Wall.We wish especially to underline that the issueof what is “canon” is not relevant and will notbe touched upon by Threshold. Rather,Threshold supports diversity, as shown by thetwo very different takes on the history ofKarameikos presented in this issue: whereasThe Hidden Years presents Traladara as aDuchy of the Thyatian Empire ruled by theKarameikos dynasty since 900 AC, the Historyof Karameikos assumes that Traladara is, inthat time, a Province of the Thyatian Empireruled by a series of Imperial Governors notrelated with the Karameikos family, whilethe Karameikos family rules the GrandDuchy from 970 AC.Threshold aims to promote each individual'spersonal version of Mystara, through the MyMystara column. In this issue, we are glad topresent Thorn’s Karameikos. We also aim toenhance community cohesion, and willinterview a different member of thecommunity in each issue. For the joy ofMystara fans, we debut with an interviewwith one of the fathers of the setting, BruceHeard.To round out this first issue, we present youwith a selection of articles detailingKarameikan non player characters andorganizations, as well as geographical essays.Two very different adventures are alsopresented: the outline of the mega-dungeonof Koskatep, and city-based whodunit GuildWars. To complement this offering, we haveincluded new maps, art (both original worksand appropriate copyright-free works), andthe first instalment of a comic strip column,Mystara 2300 BC: Time’s Travels.So without further ado, let’s plunge into theBorderlands!Giampaolo Agosta (Agathokles)Editor-in-chief, Threshold Issue 1The aims of Threshold magazine:▪ to provide a venue for community members to present material▪ to promote the Vaults of Pandius and the material there▪ to increase the exposure of existing and new articles▪ to encourage authors to revisit and revitalise existing articles▪ to motivate interest in Mystara in general1THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

This Issue s AuthorsThis Issue’s AuthorsIn his house at The Piazza, Cthulhudrew(a.k.a. Andrew Theisen) waits, dreaming."That campaign world is not dead, which caneternal lie; and with strange aeons, Mystarashall once again rise."Demos Sachlas was introduced to Mystarathrough its original incarnation as thecontinental setting back in 1981. His hobbiesinclude researching medieval history andcompiling the biographies of 13th centurycrusaders. He dreams of one day writing a900-page Mitcheneresque novel entitled"Karameikos" using his article "The HiddenYears" as an outline, watching it ascend theranks of the New York Times best sellers list,and selling the movie rights to a majorHollywood studio...Even though Sturm (a.k.a. FrancescoDefferrari) loves any alternate world, hebelieves Mystara is incomparably the best forits vibrant community endlessly delving intoethnography, linguistics and history just tomake a little sense of it. Something like thereal world, but with dragons.Giampaolo Agosta (a.k.a. Agathokles) agreeswith Schiller that man "is only completely aman when he plays". Therefore, he makes apoint of taking gaming seriously, and real lifecasually. Besides Mystara, his gaminginterests include (among others) Dark Sun,Planescape, Ravenloft, Birthright, Call ofCthulhu, and Witchcraft RPG.Håvard (aka Håvard Blackmoor) does not,contrary to popular theory, have six arms.When he is not writing about Mystara at ThePiazza or is working on his Blackmoor Blog,he goes out raiding neighbouring villageslike any true Norwegian. He also runs TheComeback Inn, a forum dedicated to DaveArneson's Blackmoor.John Calvin (a.k.a. Chimpman) wasintroduced to gaming at a water park, wherehe received the D&D Red Box set for hiseighth birthday. Since then he's been trying(rather unsuccessfully) to include waterslidesin all of his adventures. His heroesinclude Darth Vader, Captain Kirk, andGodzilla.Niels Just Rasmussen. Long time Mystara fansince I started as a GM in 1990 with B10Nights Dark Terror. Combined with theBirthright experience from 1995 I havestrived to make the role playing experiencefor my players more "realistic" with a gritty"grey" political world - where the battle ofwords are as important as the martial one.[Everyone thinks of themselves as "Good"with their enemies being "Evil"] . So fromstarting in Karameikos 23 years ago I amhappy to return with this my first RPGpublication in English where it's up to "you"to stop Black Eagle Barony from being thefuture "good" of all Karameikos.2THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

This Issue s AuthorsRobert Nuttman (aka RobJN) has been aMystaraphile since before that world evenhad a name. When he is not busy untanglingthe skeins of a certain Traladaran druid ormaking sense of the cribbed handwriting inthe diary of a teenaged wererat, he tries towrite honest-to-goodness adventures. Thishas only met with limited success. He alsoco-admins at The Comeback Inn, where hehosts a science-fantasy magi-tech play by postset in Blackmoor just before the Great Rain ofFire.This Issue’s AuthorsShawn Stanley is the webmaster of theVaults of Pandius, http://pandius.com, theofficial website for the Dungeons andDragons setting of Mystara. Although hemakes maps for a living, the altered maphere is the first significant one which he hasmade for recreational purposes for quite awhile.Simone Neri teaches history and philosophyat secondary school in Florence, Italy. Hehas mastered Mystara campaigns since 1987,his favourite settings being Thyatis,Norwold, Karameikos, and Glantri. He is anactive member of The Piazza communitywith the nickname of Zendrolion - but don'tfear backstabbing from him!Editorial CreditsThreshold Editorial Team:Allan Palmer (AllanP)Andrew Theisen (Cthulhudrew)CmdrCorsikenFrancesco Defferrari (Sturm)Giampaolo Agosta (Agathokles)HåvardJohn Calvin (Chimpman)Robert Nuttman (RobJN)Simone Neri (Zendrolion)Thorfinn Tait (Thorf)THRESHOLD logoand front design by ThorfEditor-in-Chief, Issue 1:Giampaolo Agosta (Agathokles)Layout:Allan Palmer (AllanP)Art:Allan Palmer (AllanP)Giampaolo Agosta (Agathokles)John Calvin (Chimpman) & I. CalvinThorfinn Tait (Thorf)Cartography:Francesco Defferrari (Sturm)Giampaolo Agosta (Agathokles)Simone Neri (Zendrolion)Shawn Stanley (stanles)Thanks also to: Ashtagon, BigMac, Boneguard, Bonetti, Classicdnd, Cliffrice, Culture20,Dartamian, Gecko, ghendar, Knightfall, Morfie, night_druid, OldDawg, paleologos, Seer ofYhog, Setorius, Spellweaver, Traianus, Vlark, and Yaztromo3THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

30 years Anniversary of red Box D&D30 YearsAnniversary ofSources:What is the single best-sellingD&D product of all time?at Dragons Foot ForumsArneson's legacy in BECMIat Håcard’s Blackmoor BlogRed Box Basic Set Available!at Håvard’s Blackmoor Blog30 Years of Red Box D&D!at Håvard’s Blackmoor BlogBECMI PDFS on Drivethru!at The Piazza forumsRED BOX dD&DIt is hard to believe, but 30 years ago the legendaryRed Box Basic Set was published. This boxed set,with the iconic Larry Elmore Dragon beingchallenged by the faceless warrior, was firstpublished in May of 1983. This was also the editionthat marked the international launch of D&D,turning the game into a worldwide hobby with thebox being translated to 44 different languages. Withtens of millions of copies sold, the Red Box basic setmarked what was undoubtedly the best-sellingproduct throughout the history of TSR. 1 It is hardlysurprising that the design of this basic set was reusedwith the D&D Essentials line back in 2010.Written by Frank Mentzer (credited as editor, aspolicy was back then), this was the edition thatincluded the legendary intro adventure featuring thetragic death of Aleena the Cleric at the hands of theevil Wizard Bargle, an adventure that inspiredthousands of gamers and also spawned nostalgicphenomena such as the Kill Bargle t-shirts decadeslater. The Red Box was the first in a line of five boxeswhich would take characters from 1st level to 36th -and beyond that into further adventures asImmortals. Known later by devout fans as theBECMI edition (Basic - Expert - Companion - Master- Immortals), this edition took the classic line ofD&D (as opposed to the Advanced Dungeons &Dragons line) to its full potential. The first twoboxed sets, Basic and Expert, built heavily on theworks of Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson, John EricHolmes, Tom Moldvay and David Cook. From theCompanion Rules and onwards, the series began toexplore unknown territory allowing not only the1 Frank Mentzer - Dragonsfoot Forumsby Håvard4THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

30 years Anniversary of red Box D&Dtraditional exploration of dungeons andwilderness, but also having your charactersbecome rulers of kingdoms, control armies,explore the Outer Planes and eventuallybecome god-like beings of legend.Frank Mentzer recalls the following from thedesign process of BECMI D&D:“I had to stop reading Dragon magazineduring the time that I was writingBECMI. Any & All ideas coming fromother sources were forbidden; I hadstrict instructions to base D&D only onthe previously published version(starting with OD&D) and, by immersingmyself in that, to do the best I could inbuilding upon that foundation andmaking an entire structure as close aspossible to what Gygax & Arneson mighthave done had they continued todevelop and expand it. […] WhileBECMI is a reasonably coherent body ofwork (all the moreso since it was allfrom a single author, in stark contrast toTSR's usual design-by-committeeapproach of the '80s), my own tastes arereflected.”Sometimes mistakenly believed to be a "kids’version" of the Advanced Dungeons &Dragons game, the BECMI series in factcreated an elegant balance between a rulesetthat was easy to get into with the Red Box,but with an increasing complexity to rivalthat of AD&D as you progressed through theseries. The series also offered a return to theKnown World, previously introduced in theMoldvay/Cook B/X ruleset of 1981, whichwould eventually develop into the World ofMystara. In spite of the popularity of theAD&D Game at the time, the BECMI lineproduced a loyal base of followers who keepplaying this edition of the game even to thisday.With the vast number of gamers introducedto the hobby of Roleplaying Games throughthe Red Box, 1983 was clearly a significantyear in the history of gaming. Wizards of theCoast have decided to once again make theRed Box PDF available through their D&DClassics Website. We can only hope that aprint version will follow! With so many oldereditions coming back in print, newgenerations deserve to have a try at this trulyhistoric game.5THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of KarameikosTheDEMOGRAPHYofIn this article we provide an overview of thepopulation of Karameikos – how manypeople inhabit the Grand Duchy, which races,how the population is spread among thecountry, population density, and so on. First,we will see how Karameikos is described inofficial supplements, then we will suggest adifferent approach to the issue of Karameikanpopulation, based on population figuresinspired by a comparison with real-worlddemographic data in the Middle Ages. Thegoal is to present figures which are more inline with those of European Middle Agecountries, while preserving the low-magic,mostly-wilderness character that identifiesthe Karameikan region.KARAMEIKANPOPULATION INOFFICIAL SUPPLEMENTSThe Grand Duchy of Karameikos is perhapsthe oldest defined setting of what would havelater become the world of Mystara. As such,its description in the official sources hasundergone a series of changes, at least one ofwhich was quite thorough.In early D&D supplements – like 1981’sExpert Rulebook, 1983’s Expert Set,adventure modules B6 – The Veiled Society,B10 – Night’s Dark Terror, and X10 – RedArrow, Black Shield – the Grand Duchy wasdescribed as a nearly-unsettled land, mostlywilderness, without proper urbanby Simone Neri (Zendrolion)settlements. At this stage, the only town ofthe country was Specularum (which was saidto be inhabited by about 5000 people). Othersettlements were village-sized: for example,Threshold and Luln had 500 people each,Rifllian 170, the whole gnome population inthe Highforge area was 620, and so on.Later supplements, starting with GAZ1 – TheGrand Duchy of Karameikos, increased theurban population of the country tenfold:Specularum became a large city of 50,000people, Threshold and Luln towns of 5,000,Highforge a gnomish town of 7,500, and soon. Unfortunately, GAZ1 gave no figures forthe country’s total population. Subsequentsupplements, namely the three booksbelonging to the Poor Wizard’s Almanacseries, at last gave their own estimates aboutKarameikos’ population, setting it at about300,000 not counting humanoids - 250,000humans, 40,000 elves, and 10,000 otherdemihumans. TM2 – The Eastern CountriesTrail Map also gave a total population figureof 280,000, without explaining if this numberactually included demi-humans or not.Now, while this 300,000 figure is quiteacceptable for a mostly-wilderness countrylike the Karameikos shown in earliersupplements, it is quite difficult to use it withthe tenfold-increased urban population ofGAZ1. In fact, even considering onlysettlements with 10,000 people or more(namely Specularum, Kelvin, and FortDoom), we end up having an urbanpopulation which amounts to about 30% oftotal population – which is not at all in line6THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of Karameikoswith real-world Middle Age knownpopulation densities.Normally, tracing a comparison betweenhigh-fantasy, high-magic settings and the realworld would be tricky, because things likeclerical magic (with create food and waterspells and the like) and other supernaturalways to feed a large number of people couldalter the population figures and the urbanruralpopulation ratio quite a lot. However,Karameikos is quite a low-magic setting - aMedieval-style feudal country where magicdoes not seem to be a feature of everyday life;thus, real-world demography can indeed beused as inspiration and reference to solvesome of the issues to which Karameikanpopulation figures shown in officialsupplements give birth.average density of about 100, whileFlorence’s countryside even reached 240inhabitants per square mile (withoutcounting cities). The eastern and northernregions of Europe were much less populous:the Balkans had about 23 inhabitants persquare mile, while Scandinavia had 5.5 andRussia 7.3. Urbanization (cities with 10,000people or more) was very low: it went from18% in Italy and the Low Countries, to 12%of Spain, to 5% of France and the Balkans to0% of places like Scandinavia and Scotland.The urban-rural population ratio of 1:20 wasthus exceeded only in very rare cases andeven then only in countries (like the Italianpeninsula) with a stable and old urbantradition, and/or where cities had becomecenters of trade and politics.A LOOK AT MEDIEVALDEMOGRAPHYWhile not an exact science, real-worldMedieval demography has brought to lightsome estimates which help us understand thepopulation levels of Europe during theMiddle Ages. Without going into too muchdetail, and just for the sake of somecomparisons, let us consider some data. Inthe 15 th century, France, a country for whichmany historical sources are available, had anoverall density of 80 people per square mile,ranging from 150 in the area surroundingParis, to 100 in the most settled areas(Normandy, Picardy, Savoy, and Burgundy),to 60 in most of the average-populatedcountry (central France, Provence,Champagne), to less than 40 in scarcelypopulated areas (like the Pyrenees andGascony). Tuscany, in the same years, had anPOSSIBLE TAKES ONKARAMEIKANDEMOGRAPHYBack to our Grand Duchy; a frontier landlike Karameikos, with 300,000 people andan overall density of 7.6 inhabitants persquare mile, can hardly justify an urbanpopulation of 30% in a Medieval-stylesetting. This holds true even if the impact ofmagic in your campaign is considered; toactually justify the above number, the magictheme needs to be pushed well over thelimits of the low-magic description ofKarameikos given in GAZ1 – incurring therisk of altering too greatly the classic mannerof depicting the Grand Duchy. Of course, ahigh magic variant is possible, but the goalof this article is to provide two additional,different paths to solve these supposedinconsistencies.7THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of KarameikosA first solution would be altering thecountry’s urban population; better said,bringing it back to the levels at which earliersupplements had put them – with no cities,Specularum set at 5,000 people, Threshold at500, and so on. This would solve all theproblems posed by the urban-ruralpopulation ratio, and will allow you to usethe canonical population figures of 300,000.However, towns and cities as described inGAZ1 would need to be shrunk (perhapscreating some inconsistencies with GAZ1’stown and city maps).A second solution, which this articleadvocates, is changing the population figures.This will leave intact most of the materialfeatured in GAZ1, but you will end up havinga Grand Duchy with a population increasedby about 100% in regard to canonical figures.This is not much of a problem as long as youlike GAZ1’s version of Karameikos – theGrand Duchy continues to be your favoritemonster-filled, mostly-wilderness land.Nevertheless, it will now be more in touchwith real-world, 15 th century Europe fromwhich the Known World is inspired.Anyway, in case you prefer to keep officialpopulation figures, the last section of thisarticle deals with this issue, suggesting waysto tweak the material presented here towardcanonical population figures.AN OVERALL LOOK ATTHE GRAND DUCHYAREA AND POPULATIONWith a surface area of 39,592 square miles,Karameikos is comparable in size to realworldcountries like Bulgaria, Hungary,Iceland, and South Korea, or to US stateslike Kentucky or Indiana. Most of thecountry (about 35%) is uninhabited byintelligent creatures like humans, demihumans,or humanoids, while the rest is - atvarious degrees of control – held by thoseraces. The human government effectivelycontrols about 39% of Karameikos’ landarea, the demi-human clans about 12%, andthe humanoid tribes another 14%.Overall populaton of the Grand Duchy isabout 621,400 people, including 537,800humans, 41,900 demi-humans, 36,050humanoids, and 5,650 other creatures(taking into account only the races who arerepresented by not less than 100 membersin the country). Average population densityTable 1: Land area controlled by each Racial GroupRacial group# of 8-milehexescontrolled% of totalcountrymileagecontrolledTotal racialpopulationAverage racialdensity (peopleper sq. mile)Humans 278 0.39 537,800 26Demihumans 80 12% 41,900 7.7Elves 74 11% 18,800 4.3Gnomes 6 1% 16,100 46.4Humanoids 99 14% 36,050 6.58THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of Karameikos9THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of Karameikosfor the whole country is about 15.7 peopleper square mile.Table 1 shows data about the land eachpopulation group controls directly, their totalpopulation, and the average population inthe lands they control. Note that, while racialpopulation includes all the members of onegroup who dwell in Karameikos, averagedensity takes into account only members ofthat group who live in lands directlycontrolled by their group. For example,average human population density shown inthe table doesn’t take into account thehumans living in the wilderness, which are infact uncontrolled by the government of theGrand Duchy. The same is true for demihumans,whose population density in thetable doesn’t take into account the dwarvenand halfling population, who controls noland of their own but lives scattered amongthe lands of other humans and demi-humans.LAND CONTROL ANDGOVERNMENTKarameikos is a typical feudal monarchy,where the Grand Duke’s absolute rule iseffectively balanced by a number of localpowers which hold sway over one part oranother of the country’s population orresources. These powers are: the Thyatianaristocracy (ranging from great feudal nobilitylike the Kelvins or the von Hendrikses, to thelesser nobility of lords and knights, toimportant titled landowners); the Traladaranfamilies and clans (among which are the mostpowerful mercantile patrician families likethe Torenescu and the Radu, but also oldTraladaran landowning nobility like theMarilenev or the Dromilov, as well a numberof lesser noble clans like the Sulescu); thetrade guilds (Traladaran- or Thyatiancontrolledand based mostly in Specularum,but whose influence stretches far beyondthe city walls); and the churches (foremostamong which are the Church of Traladaraand the Church of Karameikos, each with itsown clerical and military orders, like theOrder of the Griffon).At present, thirty years since the presentGrand Duke’s rise to the throne, integrationbetween the two main human ethnic groups– Traladarans and Thyatians – still goes onslowly. Resentment and hatred against theThyatian nobility for events like the Thyatianconquest of one century ago or the crushingof the Marilenev Rebellion thirty years agostill runs high among the Traladaran clanswho were defeated. This – fear of anotherTraladaran uprising shall the governmentweaken itself - is one of the reasons thatmostly keeps the Thyatian aristocracy quitetightly allied with the Grand Duke, andwhich doesn’t allow the formation of aunited aristocratic front – regardless ofethnic group – to keep the central power incheck, like what happens in most feudalcountries of the Known World, like theEmpire of Thyatis. On the other hand, theGrand Duke needs the support of theThyatian aristocracy: Karameikos is still anew land in many aspects, mostlywilderness, a place difficult to control fromthe capital because of the lack of propercommunication routes and of a structuredbureaucracy, a country which still needs tobe settled and where in the borderlands thecivilization still struggles daily againstnonhuman creatures and a hostile nature.In fact, one of the limiting factors of theGrand Duke’s power is indeed his lack ofcontrol over most of the Grand Duchy’slands. Large regions of Karameikos are10THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of Karameikosunder the control of powerful demi-humanclans: the central forests (from the RadlebbWoods, to the westernmost part of theDymrak Forest, to the half of the same east ofRugalov River) are the hold of the ancientelven Callarii and Vyalia clans; the hill countrybetween Windrush and Hillfollow Rivers,with its rich mineral deposits, is instead thehold of the gnome clans. Demi-human clansare at worst neutral toward the humangovernment of the Grand Duchy, but there isalso a large part of the country which iscontrolled by hostile humanoid tribes:goblins, orcs, hobgoblins, and their kin holdsway over much of the central Dymrak Forest,the south-western woods, the CruthLowlands, the central Black Peaks range, partof the Wufwolde Hills and the Altan Tepesrange. Beside the areas under humanoidcontrol, there are those which are the hold ofother dangerous creatures, like the frostgiants of the northern Altan Tepes range, thestone giants of the Wufwolde Hills, and thedragons – a number of these fierce beastshaunts some of the forests, hills andmountains of Karameikos, where even anumber of local draconic kingdoms are found.LAND OCCUPATION ANDSOCIAL CLASSESMost of the Karameikan human populationbelong to the commoner social class (98%).Among the commoners, however, variousdegrees of wealth are represented: from thewretched conditions of the lower classes(mostly peasants, but also unskilledagricultural and city labourers, and beggars),to the middle class (city craftsmen,comfortable landowning peasants, traders,professionals in some field – usually law andaccountancy, but also culture, military, andclergy), to the high middle class (wealthynon-noble landowners, and rich merchants,mostly). About 2% of the human populationbelong to the aristocracy: wealthylandowning families who have been grantedlarge tracts of lands and authority to ruleover them; human aristocracy is mostly ofThyatian ethnicity, even if some Traladaranfamilies had their titles somewhat confirmedby the new government of the Grand Duke(like the Marilenev, the Dromilov, and soon).Among demi-humans, social classes aremuch more blurred – demi-human societiesare characterized by a lesser level ofinequality and by a greater application ofsolidarity between family groups - and tendto keep only the distinction among rulingand non-ruling clans. Humanoids have noproper social classes: existing inequalitiesare based on the use of force – strongerhordes or clans prevail over the weakerones, and make decisions.The human population of Karameikos,contrary to the neighboring ThyatianEmpire, enjoys a quite high amount of smallland ownership, which is mostly spread inthe borderlands and in scarcely-populatedareas. More fertile and safer areas tend to bethe property of rich landowning families,whose wealth comes from land rented topeasant families, because Grand DukeStefan has abolished both the practices ofslavery and of serfdom; this has led to animprovement of peasant conditions,because they have more freedom to moveand thus more bargaining power against thelandowners.Foremost among the rich landowners arethe members of the aristocracy who havebeen granted a fief by the government.Many small- and average-sized fiefdoms are11THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of KarameikosTable 2: Human Population and Density of Major DomainsDomainArea(square miles)HumanpopulationPopulation density(people per sq mile)BARONIES:Black Eagle 622 31,950 51.4Kelvin 714 44,800 62.8Threshold 92 10,950 119Vorloi 947 68,300 72.1ESTATES:Dmitrov 297 33,200 111.8Marilenev 818 86,400 105.6Penhaligon 325 7,900 24.3Rugalov 84 2,950 35.1Sulescu 100 3,800 38Vandevic 84 2,100 25Verge 89 1,850 20.8found in the more settled areas and in theborderlands they have the duty to defend,while a number of the largest ones arelocated around important cities or tradingtowns. Table 2 lists the most importantdomains of the Grand Duchy, with averagearea, human population, and density.Note that the population figures shown abovedon’t take into account the small percentageof demi-human population who may befound within those domains. For example,Threshold has a not-negligible population ofhalflings, gnomes and dwarves, while theBlack Eagle Barony hosts some humanoids.Many other minor noble estates dot theGrand Duchy’s lands: among these areHighdell (north of Threshold), Ourosco,Darinov, and Strolojca (on the coast betweenthe Black Eagle Barony and Sulescu), Brezovo(on the coast between Sulescu andMarilenev), Bergoi and Veseya (on theCastellan River south of Castellan Keep),Glucynthos and Locrida (on the coast southof the Dymrak Forest). These minor estatesusually range from 50 to 100 square miles ofland, often including a small keep, castle ormanor, and at least a medium-sized village,alongside some additional thorps orhamlets; their population varies accordingto the type of terrain and region in whichthey are found, ranging roughly from 500 to5,000 people.URBAN POPULATIONOverall, the Grand Duchy has an urbanpopulation of 14.5% - “urban population”here meaning only those living in cities withat least 10,000 people (that is the capital,Kelvin, and Fort Doom). If we also considersmaller towns down to 1,000 people, thispercentage rises to 20.4%. These12THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of Karameikospercentages should be taken carefullyhowever, because most of the population ofsmaller towns is still at least partiallyemployed in agricultural activities which arecarried out around the community; this issometimes also true for larger settlements,like the capital, whose South End is mostlyinhabited by agricultural labourers who workin the lands around the city.Karameikos’ urban population is quite high ifwe consider that a vast part of the country isbarely or sparsely settled. Nevertheless, thesouthern area of the Grand Duchy aroundSpecularum and other towns like Vorloi andDmitrov is very densely settled: there acombination of fertile lands, coupled with thevicinity of a huge trade center whosepopulation is always in need for food hasfavored this level of settlement. This has inturn allowed formation of a big metropolislike Specularum. Quite large cities are alsofound in other areas of the interior, like theconfluence of the Windrush, Highreach andHillfollow Rivers at Kelvin, and the coast ofthe Gulf of Halag – both regions have beenhistorical settlement areas during the ages.Elsewhere only small towns are found, oftenat the edges of border areas, born to protecttrade routes or to exploit some naturalresources.Here follows a list of known settlementsfound in the Grand Duchy, along with theirpopulation, if it is known.Cities and large towns: Fort Doom (pop.10,000), Kelvin (pop. 20,000), Specularum(pop. 59,800, including about 2,500 demihumans– the last city census was made in AC985 according to GAZ1, and gave a result of50,000 city dwellers, but the samesupplement confirms that population as ofAC 1000 is certainly greater; the given figureof 59,800 is a realistic estimate which takesinto account a stable increase toward theofficial population of 70,000 reached bySpecularum by AC 1013 according to thePoor Wizard’s Almanacs and Karameikos:Kingdom of Adventure supplements).Small towns: Dmitrov (pop. 6,500),Highforge (pop. 7,500, all gnomes anddwarves), Luln (pop. 5,000, including about200 demihumans), Penhaligon (pop. 3,750),Rifllian (pop. 1,700, nearly all Callarii woodelves), Threshold (pop. 5,000, includingabout 500 demihumans), Vorloi (pop.7,500).Villages: Callanya (a Callarii village southeastof the Barony of Kelvin), Eltan’s Spring(a small village on the mountain ridge northeastof Threshold), Guido’s Fort (a village onthe Shrill River, which flows from thesouthern spur of Altan Tepes into theHighreach River), Highdell (a mining13THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of Karameikoscommunity north of Threshold), Irenke (avillage west of Penhaligon, past the other sideof the Hillfollow River), Knosht (in the hillcountry east of Threshold), Kota-Hutan (aCallarii village in the Hantu Valley, south ofthe Temple of the Gray Mountain), Marilenev(pop. 900, the village around the old “CastleMarilenev”), Rugalov (pop. 650), Ryania (onthe Rugalov River, north of Rugalov),Seragrad (fortified settlement at theconfluence of the Castellan and HighreachRivers), Sisak (pop. 100, a small village on theWestron Road, halfway between RadlebbKeep and Specularum), Stallanford (on theHillfollow River, north of Penhaligon),Sulescu (pop. 950), Vandevicisny (pop. 100),Verge (pop. 500).MAIN RACESThe following entries list in order of theirnumber – from the most numerous to theleast numerous – the main races who dwellwithin Karameikos’ borders. Each entry givesa brief description of that race’s composition(ethnic subgroups, and the like), its holdingsin the Grand Duchy, relationships with otherraces, and some additional information. Notethat only races who number at least 100members within Karameikan territory aredescribed here. Other, less-represented races– alongside unintelligent creatures – arefound in the following chapter, Fauna andMinor Races.Humans (pop. 537,800)Humans constitute the vast majority of theKarameikan population. However, about 90%of Karameikos’ human population lives in lessthan one-fifth of Karameikos’ total land. Infact, most of the country is still an almostunsettledwilderness, and even elven andgnomish holdings are devoid of humanpopulation. Table 3 summarises data relatingto human settlement areas.Suburban areas with a very high populationdensity (over 130 people per square mile)are found only in the immediate countrysidearound the city of Specularum. Being thethird or fourth largest seaport in the KnownWorld, the capital of the Grand Duchy issurrounded by a heavily-farmed area whereinnumerable villages and hamlets of all sizesare found; most of them work to bring to thecity its daily sustenance of food.High population density areas (85-130people per square mile) are found in thelarger region around Specularum,encompassing the country where the oldruins of Krakatos and the village ofMarilenev are located; the southernmostcoastal areas of the Vorloi and Dmitrovpeninsula are classified as having a highpopulation density, as well as the riverplains around Kelvin, and the areaimmediately around Fort Doom, up to thecoast. The larger portion of the country’spopulation lives here, where agriculture isstill the main activity, together with herding.Average-population density areas (41-84people per square mile) include an evenwiderarea around the lower flow of theHillfollow River, both banks of the river upto Kelvin, the Hillfollow’s left bank north ofthe Barony of Kelvin’s border, the northernpart of Vorloi and Dmitrov’s peninsulas, andthe northern half of the Black Eagle Barony,and Threshold’s and Luln’s vicinity. Mostpeople in this area live as farmers, butherding, fishing, and logging are common.Areas with low population density (10-40people per square mile) are found aroundthe southern more populated lands, wherethe farming fields leave room to the woods,14THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of KarameikosTable 3: Land area controlled by each Racial GroupSettlement Numberof 8-milehexesSquaremileage% oftotalmileagePopulationdensityrange(people/sq.mile)Averagepopulationdensity(people/sq.mile)TotalPopulationpersettlementarea(averaged)Very high 4 224 0.57 Over 130 155 34,700 (+57,300)*% of totalpopulation(averaged)17High 23 1,288 3.25 85-130 104 133,950 (+42,800)*33Average 35 1,960 4.95 41-84 65 127,400 (+13,050)*Scarce 68 3,808 9.62 Oct-40 21 79,950 1526Borderland 148 8,288 20.93 1.3-9 5 41,450 8Wilderness 429 24,024 60.68 Below 1.3 0.3 7,200 1424660TOTAL 707 39,592 100 ** 13.55100(+ 113,150)** Numbers in parentheses indicate human urban population to be added to population** Population densities in the country can range from zero (wilderness areas uninhabited by humans ) toseveral thousands (even 20-30,000 in Specularum) people per square mile.15THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of Karameikosaround the medium course of HillfollowRiver, and in the northernmost woods of theVorloi and Dmitrov peninsula. This level ofsettlement is found in a tiny strip all aroundKarameikos’ coasts, from Rugalov to thebeginning of the Dmitrov and Vorloipeninsula, and from the border of the Estateof Marilenev westward, toward Sulescu,Vandevicisny, and the Black Eagle Barony.Lands between Luln, Radlebb Keep, and FortDoom belong to this level of settlement, as dothe vicinity of Riverfork Keep, the farmlandssouth of Threshold, the right bank of theWindrush River from Kelvin to Verge, and theleft banks of the Hillfollow River from theborders of the Estate of Penhaligon up toStallanford. A number of activities are foundin those areas, from agriculture, fishing, andlogging to herding, boating, trapping,hunting, and a little mining.Borderlands, which constitute the vastmajority - in terms of surface areas – of thelands where humanity is spread, are actuallyalmost uninhabited (1.3-9 people per squaremile). Tiny villages, hamlets, and huts areseparated by miles, with distances becominglonger in areas further away from the settledlands. Most of the woodlands of southernKarameikos are borderlands: the woodssouth and north of the Westron Road, thosebetween the Highreach River and the DymrakForest, and the woods immediately north ofthe Eastron Road. Borderlands include alsothe border areas of the Black Eagle Barony,the southern Cruth Lowlands around thelocal rivers, the plains south of Verge, valesaround Threshold and the lands east of thetown, up to the Hillfollow River. The easternhalf of the Barony of Kelvin, consisting ofmoors and forests, belongs to theborderlands as well, as do the outlying areasof the Estate of Penhaligon and the banks ofthe Hillfollow River past Stallanford, of theHighreach and Castellan rivers. Very fewpeople (less than 10%) live in theborderlands, which are dotted withindependent settlements and outposts aswell as with keeps of nobles – old Traladaranclans or people entitled by the Grand Duketo control far away areas. In theborderlands, agriculture is supplemented byherding, trapping, hunting, logging,boating, fishing, and mining. In fact, whatlittle mining is carried on by the humans in16THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of KarameikosKarameikos’ humans are split into two mainethnic groups – the Thyatians (15% of totalhuman population) and the Traladarans(65%) - alongside which in the last thirtyyears has appeared a large percentage ofhalf-bloods descended from intermarriagesbetween the two ethnic groups (18%).Moreover, there is a number of foreignimmigrants who populate the larger townsand cities (2%, coming especially fromYlaruam and Darokin). The Thyatians, mostrecent immigrants, tend to be morenumerous in larger population centers andconstitute a vast percentage of the nobleclass; the Traladarans are spread equally inall civilized areas, as well as in border areasof the country.Karameikos takes mostly place in theborderlands.And then there is the rest of the country,about 60% of total land area – which iswilderness (less than 1.3 people per squaremile in population density). Civilization hasnot taken hold there, and most of thewilderness is uninhabited by humans. Thesparse population which is found in theseareas consists of isolated houses of pioneers,bandit hideouts, exiles’ or fugitives’ shelters,lonely wizard towers, and the like. Thegovernment of the Grand Duke only controlsthis vast part of the country by name –actually most of it is controlled by humanoidtribes, monsters of various types, demihumanclans, and so on.Elves (pop. 18,800)A number of elves live in Karameikos,divided into two major alliances of clans ofdifferent cultures and traditions; bothgroupings are essentially independent fromthe government of the Grand Duchy.The first grouping is that of the wood elvesof the Callarii clan (58% of total elvenpopulation), who inhabit the RadlebbWoods (from the woods east of the cursedlands of Koriszegy to the Windrush River, onwhose banks the market town of Rifllian isfound), the western areas of the DymrakForest (as far as possible from the warlikeDymrak goblins), and the wooded hillssouth of Highforge. A lonely clan also livesin the forested hills north-east of Threshold,while another in the Hantu Valley, in theforested hills north-east of Penhaligon (nearthe famous Temple of the Gray Mountain).The wood elves live in small woodlandcommunities of about 100-200 inhabitantseach.17THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of KarameikosThe Callarii are in good standing withKarameikos’ humans and with the country’sgovernment. The clanmasters signed a treatywith the Grand Duke some thirty years ago, inwhich they agreed to send a number of theirwarriors to Specularum to serve as the eliteElvenguard of the Grand Duke, whilereceiving full acknowledgment of theirautonomy by Stefan Karameikos. Since then,about two hundred Callarii elves and theirimmediate relatives now live in Specularum.A number of other Callarii elves also livescattered among human settlements, andelven rangers, adventurers, and sometimesbandits can be found wandering theborderlands of the Grand Duchy.Of the 10,900 or so Callarii who live inKarameikos, about 7,800 live in the RadlebbWoods, where many of their tree-villages arefound. In the eastern half of the woods, elvendensities reach an average 7 people persquare mile, while in the western half theaverage lowers from 4 people to 1 people persquare mile. The elves avoid entirely theforest near the cursed lands of Koriszegy.About 900 wood elves are found in thewesternmost part of the Dymrak Forest,nearer to the Barony of Kelvin; populationdensity there averages 2.5 people per squaremile. Elven holdings in the forested hillssouth of Highforge, where about 650 woodelves live, average 4 people per square mile.Another about 750 wood elves live scatteredin small settlements outside the main elvenlands – like the Hantu Valley east of theDuke’s Road, which houses around 500 ofthem – or wandering in the wilderness. Theremaining 800 or so wood elves live in thehuman settlements (mainly Threshold, Luln,and Specularum).A second group is that of the Vyalia clans(40% of the total elven population), whobelong to the fair elf stock. They inhabit theeastern parts of the Dymrak Forest, beyondthe Rugalov River and to the south-east ofthe Lake of Lost Dreams. There are about7,500 of them, with an average populationdensity of 3.7 people per square mile –lower in western areas nearer to the RugalovRiver, higher in the forest near the Thyatianborder. The Karameikans tend to considerthe Vyalia a more reserved and mysteriouslot than the Callarii, even if it is known thatthey are in good standing with the ThyatianEmpire. All the Vyalia clans pledge fealty tothe Greenheight clanmaster, who rules fromGreenheight town (in the County of Vyalia,Thyatis) and holds the rank of Count in theimperial hierarchy. The Thyatian County ofVyalia includes only the small eastern part ofthe forest inhabited by the Vyalia, aroundthe Kerenda River; the rest, up to theRugalov River, while nominally under thecontrol of Karameikos, is effectivelyuncontrolled by the Grand Duke. The Vyaliaclans consider the whole lands from RugalovRiver to Kerenda River theirs, and they roamit freely. The percentage of Vyalia elvesshown here only takes into account the clanswho inhabit the areas of the Dymrak Forestwhich are found within the nominal bordersof Karameikos – the whole Vyaliapopulation, including the elves who dwellwithin Thyatian borders, amounts to nearly20,000 elves.A lonely clan of fair elves, the Lindenelm,lives in the eastern half of the AchelosWoods (1% of total elven population).Lindenelm elves are the last remnants of themercenary clans that sided with a Taymorannecromancer-king after civil war erupted inthat realm thousands of years ago. The18THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of Karameikosupper ranks of those mercenaries, who hadearlier helped the Taymorans in their warsagainst the giants, had mixed fully with thedecadent Taymor society, adopting theworship of Nyx and committing heinouscrimes during the Taymoran age. When theTaymoran civilization collapsed, this elvenruling class was overthrown. The Lindenelmancestors, while not involved in the worstexcesses of their kin, were still ostracized bythe Vyalia, and forced to flee the easternforests. They settled in the Achelos Woods,but their population never grew to asignificant extent - the clan nowadays hasabout 100 members.Lastly, there is a small number of elvenimmigrants (1% of the total elven population)who came to Karameikos to trade or travel;these foreigners are mostly Minrothad waterelves who live in the Grand Duchy’s coastalcities and towns, but some Darokinian,Alfheimer, Glantrian, Ierendian, and Thyatianelves may also be encountered.Goblins (pop. 16,350)Common goblins (Goblinus goblinus) are anumerous race in Karameikos. Theirpresence in the region can be traced back tothe humanoid invasions that befell Traladaraafter the Battle of Sardal Pass (BC 492). Thegoblins dominate most of the central DymrakForest west of the Rugalov River, where morethan eight thousand of them are found.Dymrak goblins are split among the largertribes of Karameikos – like the Dread Horde(which also includes a number ofhobgoblins), the Red Blade, and the Vipers –some of which are in league with localpowers such as the green dragons or theWitches of Dymrak. Many goblins also live inthe Altan Tepes mountains and in theforested hill country east of the HillfollowRiver, their clans often under the control ofhobgoblin or orc tribes – with the notableexception of the Yellow Fang tribe. Anumber of other dangerous goblin tribes arefound in the Wufwolde region between theWindrush and Hillfollow Rivers; foremostamong them is the Nightstalkers tribe,followed by the mountain clans who livenorth of Threshold and Verge, in the BlackPeaks Mountains. Lastly, some smallergoblin clans live in the southern area of theBlack Eagle Barony, where they lend theirservices as mercenaries to the Black EagleBaron.Gnomes (pop. 16,100)All Karameikan gnomes belong to the earthgnome stock. Their presence in this regioncan be traced back to BC 100, with a groupof gnome clans that survived the onslaughtof their kin at thehands of thekobolds under theHardangerMountains. After along exodus theyarrived in thelands between theWindrush and theHighfollow Riversand settled there.Most (around90%) of thegnomepopulation lives inthe Kingdom of Highforge; populationdensity here averages 37 people per squaremile. About 6,500 gnomes call Highforgetown their home; several smaller gnomesettlements (population up to 2,500) dot theregion around the town. The Kingdom ofHighforge – which encompasses the town19THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of Karameikosand the hill country several miles around it –is ruled by King Dorfus Hilltopper, advised inturn by a Council of Elders withrepresentatives from all the clans; it is aneffectively autonomous kingdom within theGrand Duchy. Highforge gnomes preservetheir customs and laws independently fromthose of the human population. They arevery good wood and metal craftsmen, but arequite reserved and prefer to be left alone andnot deal with the affairs of the outer world.Trade between the Grand Duchy andHighforge is strictly regulated by thetraditional gnome caravan which annuallyleaves the gnome town for Specularum,where it trades the gnomes’ goods for a fewdays. Highforge’s gnomes are often involvedin skirmishes with the goblins that live to thenorth-east of the town.Some gnomish families are also found inother parts of the Grand Duchy. This is dueto a local gnomish custom, according towhich a clan who cannot peacefully agreewith a decision of the Council of Elders mustleave the kingdom and settle elsewhere.Though this happens rarely, during thecourse of the centuries some small gnomeclans have indeed left Highforge to resettle inthe larger cities of the Grand Duchy or tofound mining or crafting settlements in theborderlands or wilderness areas.Orcs (pop. 10,000)Orcs are the second most numerous race ofhumanoids in Karameikos, and theirpresence in this land is quite old.About half of the orcs living in Karameikos arefound in the western part of the country.They were the first orcs who came toKarameikos; tribes of red orcs and commonorcs driven out of the hin lands to the west bythe halflings’ uprising (BC 744-610). Theseorcs settled the Cruth Lowlands regionbetween the Cruth and Achelos Rivers.Modern local orc tribes, like the Jagged Clawand the Blackstone, claim to be descendantsof those hordes. Later defeats at the handsof the hin in the following centuries (likethose of AC 700 and AC 944) have pushed astable flow of orcs into the Cruth Lowlandsregion. These orcs are often in league withgroups of ogres and control much of thelands north of Riverfork Keep, representinga real hindrance to the penetration ofhuman presence in that area. Other smallerorc hordes are part of mixed (goblin orgnoll) tribes who are stationed within oraround the lands of the Black Eagle Barony(with which they are allied), while severalhundred orcs directly serve the Black EagleBaron as mercenaries in his elite division,the Banner of the Black Eagle. The tribesliving in western Karameikos are mostly ofcommon orc (Orcus porcus) stock, but arelevant part of them (about 30%) belongsto the red orc (Orcus rubeus vulgaris) stock.Other large orc tribes, who belong entirelyto the common orc (Orcus porcus) stock, arefound in eastern Karameikos, mostly alongthe Altan Tepes range; among those areorc-only tribes (like the Hairless Dog or theBlack Web of the southern Altan Tepes) ormixed tribes (like the Jagged Rocks of thenorthern range). A couple of smaller tribesare also found around the medium flow ofCastellan River, between the Duke’s Roadand the upper Highreach River flow. All theorcs of eastern Karameikos arrived in thisregion during the humanoid invasions of theearly 5 th century BC, after the humanoiddefeat at the Battle of Sardal Pass (BC 492).20THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of KarameikosBesides these larger tribes, smaller bands oforc raiders, often in the service of humanvillains, can be occasionally found also inother parts of northern Karameikos.Hobgoblins (pop. 4,750)Hobgoblins of Karameikos belong to theeastern hobgoblin stock (Goblinus grandis)and came to this region together with otherhumanoid hordes after the Battle of SardalPass (BC 492). Hobgoblin-only tribes arequite rare, and their hordes tend to gathertogether with other humanoids to lead themand to form larger tribes. Hobgoblins aremost numerous in the Altan Tepes range,where their most fearsome tribe, theSteelwarriors (which also includes a numberof bugbears), is found. Other mixed tribes ofthe Altan Tepes who include large numbersof hobgoblins are the Chaos Horde, theBloody Head, and the Jagged Rocks. Ahobgoblin-only tribe, the Killer Sands, liveson the side of the Altan Tepes which looksupon Ylaruam. Hobgoblin minorities are alsofound within some mixed tribes of easternKarameikos or within some Dymrak goblintribes (like the Dread Horde). Hobgoblinsare not numerous in western Karameikos; ahobgoblin-only tribe, the Roaring Fiends, isfound between Luln and the Black EagleBarony, while a mixed bugbear-hobgoblintribe, the Bloodbears, threatens the WestronRoad from the southern woods.Dwarves (pop. 4,000)Only a small number of dwarves lives inKarameikos, most of them belonging to theStronghollow clan. The Stronghollows cameto Karameikos around AC 300 fromRockhome, and mosty settled within theborders of the Kingdom of Highforge, wherethe gnomes welcomed them. Other smallergroups of dwarven immigrants belonging toother clans arrived in the Grand Duchy inthe course of the following seven centuries,the larger number consisting of thosedwarves who fled persecution in theHighlands during the Year of Infamy (AC828). A thousand dwarves live alongside thegnomes in the town of Highforge, another500 in other gnomish settlements of theKingdom of Highforge (these are mostlyStronghollow ones), while the rest (dwarvesfrom other clans, mostly) is spread amongthe humans’ main towns and settlements(more than a thousand live in Specularum).Some of the dwarves live as mining pioneers(sometimes alongside gnomes) in thedangerous borderlands of the Altan Tepesand western Black Peaks mountains.Halflings (pop. 3,000)A number of halflings live among thehumans in a variety of villages and towns.The hin are all immigrants from the FiveShires, who came there over the course ofhistory. They form a strong presence in theForeign Quarter of Specularum.Centaurs (pop. 2,000)Centaurs live in the deepest woods andforests of the Grand Duchy, from theRadlebb Woods in the west to the DymrakForest – except the areas controlled by thegoblins – in the east.The Radlebb Woods centaurs do notparticularly like humans, but are goodfriends of the woodland races and of theelves, and fearsome enemies of thehumanoids. They don’t have large tribes,but live scattered in small family groups.The centaurs living in eastern Karameikosare instead grouped into three major tribes.21THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of KarameikosHALF-ORCS ANDHALF-OGRESThe history of Karameikos is one ofinvasions, conquests, pillages, and wars. Asyou can read in the section of this articleregarding the country’s history, thehumanoid races – gnolls, goblins, orcs, andthe like – were often protagonists of thoseevents; from the Great Beastmen Invasion oftwo thousands years ago to the more recentskirmishes against the orcs in the CruthLowlands. In some areas of the country thehuman population had to submit tohumanoid rule at one time or another, andmany humans had to live as their slaves. Stilltoday, sometimes humanoids take prisonersduring their raids and keep them as slavesfor their own purposes or to sell them later.All those cases of involuntary interactionbetween humanoids and human men andwomen opened the way to innumerablerapes and forced matings. Interfertility isnot always possible between humanoidraces and humans, but at least between orcsor ogres and humans it is known to be. If awoman becomes pregnant during hercaptivity with a humanoid tribe, sometimesshe is killed outright; if the woman isparticularly valuable to the tribe, the baby iskilled or abandoned as soon as he or she isborn. Otherwise, if the woman is allowed togive birth to the baby and to assist him orher, the child is most often raised to be aslave like his or her mother, unless the childdemonstrates some quality or skill muchappreciated by the tribe, in which very rarecase he or she is tolerated as a near-equalmember of the horde.On the other hand, when a womanbecomes pregnant with a humanoid childbut not in captivity (most often as the resultof a rape during a raid or pillage), the childis doomed to be an outcast in theKarameikan society. Many victims of thismisfortune abandon their child, bringingtheir infants to charitable religiousinstitutions (mostly manned by priests ofValerias, either independently or on thebehalf of the Churches of Karameikos orThyatis) where the priests take care of thebaby. This practice is not supported withits own institutions by the Church ofTraladara, and is mostly shunned byTraladarans, in particular in the rural orborderland areas; there, a mother pregnantwith a humanoid baby usually abandonsthe child in the wilds (where some luckybabies are picked up by the druids or byother benign beings) or commits suicidebefore giving birth.Prejudice and suspicion runs high in ruraland borderland areas against anyonelooking like an orc or a humanoid (as halfogresand half-orcs do). Such individualsare not likely to find any acceptance inthose places, unless they performexceptional deeds or services in favor of thecommunity. Most often they are shunned,persecuted, cast out, or hunted down, notmuch differently than what happens withnormal humanoids. Those feelings tend tobe weaker near and in larger and morecosmopolitan towns and cities, and whereThyatian presence is stronger. There, evenif the half-humanoids are not easilyaccepted as well, their presence is toleratedand they can earn a living as bodyguards,laborers, mercenaries and, in the worstcases, as thugs and beggars.22THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of KarameikosThe Firemane tribe lives in the wooded landsbetween The Moor and the Lake of the Lost Dreams.They are a warlike tribe who is hostile to humanpresence in the area. The Shurak tribe lives in thewoodlands around the Lake of the Lost Dreams,bordering the Vyalia and goblin lands. They are apeaceful tribe who mostly wants to be left alone.Lastly, there is the Stormwind tribe, who controlsthe north-eastern part of The Moor, outside theborders of the Barony of Kelvin. The Stormwindcentaurs dislike outsiders and prefer to stay awayfrom civilization, but have been known to helphumans in distress and even accept some of them asmembers of their tribe.Another group of individual centaurs (with somechevalls within their ranks) is the Clanless, whoconsist entirely of bards and druids roaming thewilds of Karameikos and acting as judges, sages,storytellers and healers for all the centaur tribes.Bugbears (pop. 1,650)All the bugbears of Karameikos belong to thecommon bugbear stock (Ursus bipedis vulgaris)and arrived in this region during the aftermath ofthe Battle of Sardal Pass (BC 492). The bugbearpresence in eastern Karameikos is limited to smallbands which are part of larger, mixed humanoidtribes (like the Steelwarriors hobgoblins of the AltanTepes). Bugbears are, however, quite numerous inwestern Karameikos, where the Vileraiders (abugbear-only tribe) and the Bloodbears (a mixedbugbear-hobgoblin tribe) are in control of largestretches of the woods south of the Westron Road;another bugbear-only tribe, called Bargle’sBugbears, lives within the border of the Black EagleBarony and serves the Baron’s infamous courtmagician.As a result, if you allow them inyour campaign, a number of halforcsand half-ogres should betaken into account whenexamining the Karameikanpopulation as a whole. In thearticle they have been included inthe population figures given forhumans. Half-ogres should notexceed one hundred, while halforcsmay be about one thousand,many of whom may be part ofthose “orcs” serving in the Bannerof the Black Eagle elite unit orliving in the Black Eagle Barony.If you want to have other halfbreedsin your Karameikancampaign, use this rule of thumbto determine their whole numberin the country: on average, thenumber of half-breeds is equal to5% of the population figure givenfor the relative humanoid race inKarameikos. As with half-orcs andhalf-ogres, the half-breeds shouldbe subtracted from the totalhuman population.Gnolls (pop. 1,400)Karameikan gnolls all belong to the laughing gnollstock (Canis erectus hilaris). Today’s gnolls areonly a pale reflection of the savage gnoll hordes of23THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of Karameikosthe ancient age. Their presence inKarameikos dates back to the Great BeastmenInvasion of BC 1000, when their ancestorsravaged the Traldar civilization and ultimatelycontributed to its decline. In the followingcenturies, gnoll numbers have occasionallybeen on the rise, but they never managed toovercome the Traladarans again and havebeen slowly reduced to mere bands and smalltribes scattered in Karameikos’ northernwilderness, forced to ally with otherhumanoids (orcs, usually) in order to survive.Gnoll bands, for example, are found in theHorned Heads orc tribe (in the northernAltan Tepes) and in the Rashak’s Reavers orctribe (another orc tribe stationed betweenFort Doom and Luln). Exceptions to this ruleare the Faceslashers tribe (who serve“Queen” Ilyeana Penhaligon at Haradraith’sKeep) and the powerful Death’s Head tribe,the last powerful gnoll tribe who controls theupper Foamfire valley and regularly threatensVerge and its surroundings. Individual gnollmercenaries can also be found in the serviceof some human (like the Black Eagle Baron)or humanoid villains.Ogres (pop. 1,400)Bands of common ogres (Homo monstrumbrutalis) came to Karameikos in theaftermath of the Battle of Sardal Pass (BC492). There are no known ogre tribes, asmost of the ogres live in family groupsscattered in the Cruth Lowlands region.Some of these groups have allied with localdominant orc tribes (like the Blackstone orthe Greyslayers). Elsewhere the ogrepresence is scarcer. They are mostly found asmercenaries among other humanoid tribes ofthe Black Peaks range (like the Death’s Headgnolls) and of eastern Karameikos.Wood Imps (pop. 1,000)These pesky evil creatures of the forestsgradually migrated to Karameikos fromAlfheim in the past centuries, spreading inthe land’s thick forests like the DymrakForest and the Radlebb Woods. The woodimp tribes are held at bay by the Vyalia andCallarii elven clans that inhabit the forestsand are seldom dangerous, but from time totime the imps manage to forge alliances withthe enemies of elves, like the goblin tribes orother monsters – and then they can becomea problem.Lupins (pop. 550)Small groups of lupins are scattered amongKarameikos’ southern towns. They aremostly immigrants from other countries(Thyatis in particular, from where mostrecent immigrants in the Grand Duchycome), who live at the edges of humansociety. In inland villages lupins often haveto face the hatred of local Traladaranpeasants, to whom they recall memories ofthe beastmen of ancient legends or thewerewolves. That is why those lupins wholive in Karameikos’ interior tend to stayalone in the wilderness, away from humanpresence. However, most lupins inKarameikos prefer to stick to morecosmopolitan settlements, like the cities andtowns. Karameikan lupins are mostlymongrels (30%), while represented breedsinclude the wolvenfolk (20%), who wanderthe woods and the wilderness, away fromcurious eyes, and a clan of Cimarron hairless(30%) who lives together with the HairlessDog orc tribe of the southern Altan Tepes.Minor breeds encountered in Karameikosare the great beagles (10%) and the shagheads(10%).24THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of KarameikosGiants (pop. 500)Giants are not a numerous race inKarameikos, but their presence is well-rootedin this land. The hill giants of Karameikos arethe last descendants of the ancient giantishKingdom of Grondheim, while frost andstone giants represent legacies of even moreancient ages.The most prominent giant population is thatof the frost giants (50%) who live around thehighest peaks of the Altan Tepes range, in thenorth-easternmost area of the Grand Duchy,a wild land from whose dwellers CastellanKeep protects the borderlands to thesouthwest. The frost giants live in clans of20-30 members each, who often wage warone upon another but who from time to timeunite under a charismatic warleader,becoming a serious threat for the civilizedlands. They keep a large number (somehundreds) of the snow apes who live in thisarea of the mountains as servants, and theyskirmish against the local humanoid tribesand white dragons as often as with thehumans.While less numerous (25%), the stone giantsof the Wufwolde Hills have betterrelationships with humans. They livepeacefully in small family clans scatteredbetween Threshold and the Castellan River,trading occasionally with the local humanpopulation and sometimes even paying visitsto their settlements.The giants’ presence in western Karameikosis limited to a number of primitive hill giantclans (25%) who live in the Cruth Lowlandsarea, with one foremost settlement on theupper flow of Achelos River. The hill giantsare warlike and in good standing with theCruth ogres and some of the local orc tribes.Kobolds (pop. 500)There are only two known relevant koboldtribes, both small and consisting entirely ofmountain kobolds (Canis minor militaris).The first is the Brokenshields tribe,descendants of kobolds that migrated fromthe Darokinian side of the Cruth mountains.The Brokenshields lurk within the ruins ofCastle Mistamere, north of Threshold, andhave struck a deal with a flock of harpies formutual defense and harassment of localtrade. The second is the Grey Rats, lastdescendants of the kobolds who arrived inKarameikos after the defeat of Queen Ubdalaat the Battle of Sardal Pass (BC 492). Theylive in the Caves of Chaos, trying to surviveamong the fiercer and stronger humanoidraces.Lycanthropes (pop. 500)A relatively high number of lycanthropeshides in the moors and wilderness ofKarameikos, in particular the western half ofthe region, from the vast area of the CruthLowlands to the Black Eagle Barony and tothe woods of south-western Karameikos.Lycanthropy here is as old as the land itself.The first lycanthropic bloodlines werecreated during the Taymoran age; togetherwith a second serious epidemic thathappened at the beginning of 5 th century AC,this curse has never been lifted from thecountry.The Karameikan lycanthropes are mostlywerewolves (60%), with a smaller presenceof wereboars (24%) and werebears (4%).Some of those werecreatures live in closeproximity to human settlements, which theysometimes use as hunting grounds. Rumorshold true that the Black Eagle Baron is inleague with the lycanthropic groups hiddento the north of his domain.25THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of KarameikosOther groups of werecreatures, mostlywererats (12%) and devil swines (2%), tendinstead to dwell in the very middle of humansettlements. Individuals or small groups ofthese lycanthropes can be found hidingwithin the population of the larger or moreisolated human settlements.Fairies (pop. 350)The members of the Good People are foundin the less-populated areas of the GrandDuchy, whose territory includes a handful ofhidden gateways to a number of fairy courts(a couple of those are rumored to exist in thewoods between Sulescu and Vandevicisny,and in the eastern Achelos Woods). Smallgroups of sprites live in the narrower valesbetween the wooded hills of the CruthLowlands. They mostly reside withinKarameikan territory, but sometimes theyforay into the hin Highshire. Pixie clans, onthe other hand, live in the most hidden anduninhabited depths of Karameikos’ southeasternforests. In the eastern half of theDymrak Forest, the domain of the Vyaliaelves, occasional encounters with sidhe andother fairies coming from nearby Haven arealways a possibility. Lastly, a numberTraladaran villages scattered in the GrandDuchy have plenty of folklore regardingbrownies and leprechauns.Thouls (pop. 250)Small clans of these creatures (about ahundred of them in total) serve a couple ofhobgoblin-led tribes in the Altan Tepes range-- the Bloody Head and the Steelwarriorstribes. Other thouls are scattered among theGrand Duchy’s wilderness, usually serving asmercenaries or bodyguard for more powerfulvillains.Brutemen (pop. 250)In the remote eastern reaches of the GrandDuchy also dwell the very last remnants ofthe almost extinct bruteman race, whostruggle to survive against the nearbyhumanoid tribes.Faenares (pop. 150)Small groups of these graceful creatures leadinsular lives on the highest peaks of theCruth mountains, in the desolate anduninhabited region of western Karameikos.Harpies (pop. 150)These fearsome creatures are scattered overthe whole Karameikan territory, from therocky peaks in the Cruth and Black Peaksmountains, to the coastal cliffs, to the darkerand most tangled depths of the forests.Sometimes a group of harpies forges aleague with weak humanoid tribes, like whathappened with the Brokenshields koboldtribe, north of Threshold.FAUNA AND MINOR RACESThe following paragraphs describe whichcreatures can be found in the lands ofKarameikos, including intelligent raceswhose number don’t exceed a hundredindividuals in the region. Creatures aregrouped according to their monster type(for a definition of monster types, see theRules Cyclopedia or DMR2 – CreatureCatalogue).Animals, GiantThe Grand Duchy is the home of manyunusual, giant, and dangerous animalspecies. Giant rats are very common; theyare found in the countryside and are often26THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of Karameikosattracted by the dirt toward large cities andtowns. Giant bats dwell in the Blight Swampand near undead lairs - like their much moredangerous relatives, the giant vampire bats– but sometimes are also found elsewhere.Giant ferrets are found in forests and woods;often those animals are trained as warding orfighting beasts by the humanoid tribes. Direwolves are found in the Altan Tepesmountains and in the region immediatelysouth of them; they are good neighbors of thegoblin tribes, and are often trained as mountsby them.Giant lizards are quite common. Thedangerous horned chameleon dwells in theforests, while geckos are found in any rockyterrain; the solitary and aggressive tuatara isfound in the Black Peaks mountain range.Among giant amphibians, the rock toad issometimes found in areas dotted with cavesor in the mountains.Animals, NormalThe Grand Duchy hosts many common farmanimals, like cattle, sheep, pigs, and mules,but also various wild species: in the hilly andmountainous country live the sturdymountain goats, while boars favorssouthern forests, where game of any kindabounds. Herds of wild horses are found inthe central regions of the realm, and avaluable breed of white horses is raised by theCallarii elves.Among flying animals, ravens are spreadeverywhere, while bats are mostly found inthe Wufwolde region and in the vicinities ofLuln.There are also many predators: black bearsdwell in every wooded area of the GrandDuchy; wolves are common everywhere andoften represent a real danger for lonetravelers; mountain lions are found in thenorthern regions of Karameikos.Snakes of medium and large size are quitecommon in Karameikos.The Grand Duchy is the home of twodifferent species of aggressive and savageprimates. The first are the rock baboons,which dwell in the Wufwolde region and areoften trained as pets and fighting beasts bythe humanoid tribes (like the Yellow Fanggoblin tribe); the second are the larger snowapes, which live in the Altan Tepesmountains, where many of them serve thefrost giant clans.The Dymrak Forest hosts a species ofconstrictor snake similar to the rockpython, while giant racers and pit viperscan be found anywhere in the central andnorthern areas of the Grand Duchy. Thespitting cobra is quite rare but verydangerous and may be encounteredanywhere. Giant rattlers are thankfullymuch rarer, while a species of smallrattlesnake called rock rattler is commonlyfound in the Black Peaks.Regarding fish life, it must be noted thatsome of the Grand Duchy’s ponds arehaunted by a very dangerous fish species,the cold water piranha.Animals, PrehistoricEven if it is not a properly prehistoricanimal, a unique species of great bearssimilar to the ancient cave bears dwells inthe Wufwolde hills.ConstructsThough Karameikos is no powerful wizards’land, many constructs are still found in the27THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of KarameikosGrand Duchy as a legacy of past civilizationswhich have succeeded one another in thedominion over this land. Gargoyles arefound all over the country. Living statuesmade of unusual materials (like silver, steel,or jade) were a specialty of hutaakan wizards,and many of these constructs still lay in theruins left by the Hutaakan civilization; verydangerous is the hutaakan variety of rockliving statue (so called rock/ooze), filled withgray ooze instead of lava and able to spray itover its opponents. Hutaakans, as well as thewizards who ruled the city of Tuma, alsocreated the varieties of living statues morecommonly encountered (crystal, iron, androck). The Tuman wizards also invented avariety of crystal living statue called wingedwarrior, able to fly. Today, Karameikanmagic-users skilled enough to createconstructs are few; among them the mostcommonly built constructs are, besidesgargoyles, wood and bone golems. Somefanciful magic-user is also known to haveembarked in the creation of even moreunusual constructs (like caldron magensand phase stingers).DragonsA number of dragons have dwelled inKarameikos for a long time. Black dragonslive in the Blight Swamp, white dragonsdwell on the peaks of the Altan Tepes, andgreen dragons hide in the depths of theforests. A large area of the Dymrak Forest, atraditional home of green dragons, is todaypart of Argosyl, a draconic realm ruled byArgos, a cunning green dragon who alsocontrols several goblin tribes. A very old reddragon lives in the northern Wufwolde hills– some of his offspring may be foundelsewhere in the Grand Duchy. Lastly, a golddragon hides in Threshold posing as abeggar, but his real intentions are unknownat the moment.Some specimens of wyverns are known todwell in the most rugged and wild regions.HumanoidsBesides the more numerous humanoid racesdescribed in the main section of this article,Karameikos still hosts some reptilian folks.These are very small families of lizard menand troglodytes, who perhaps migrated herefrom the Malpheggi Swamp or represent thelast degenerate remnants of their lostcivilizations. They can be rarelyencountered in the middle of the DymrakForest or in other areas far away fromhuman settlements (some even in the smallmountain swamps which are found nearCastellan Keep, in the Altan Tepes range).Quite inexplicably, two small groups ofreptilian humanoids native to a very distantregion, the westernmost edge of the SavageCoast, are also found in Karameikos: theyare a clan of cay-men, who dwell in theBlight Swamp, and a tribe of chameleonmen, who live in a mountain forest northeastof Threshold. Perhaps both groupswere transplanted to Karameikos as result ofa magical event or mishap, but the realreasons for their presence in this land areunknown.Among the humanoids must also be countedsome woodland or fairy races. Dryads havebeen spotted in the eastern forests which arethe home of the Vyalia, but they areextremely rare. Legends tell of a mountainlake in the Black Peaks where nixies dwell.Very rare as well, but much more dangerousand evil, black hags and crones of chaos lurkin the wilderness, alluring travelers to28THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of Karameikosdevour them or weaving some of the mostdiabolic plots.Lastly, very small clans of primitive rock menlive scattered among the Cruth and BlackPeaks mountains.Humanoids, GiantBesides the giants mentioned in the mainsection above, trolls are not unknown to theinhabitants of the Grand Duchy, even if theyhave been encountered only very rarely so far(they are individual creatures, not families orclans), probably brought here fromelsewhere by their underground wanderings.LowlifeMany varieties of insect swarms and giantinsects dwell in the Grand Duchy’s wildlands:giant bees, giant centipedes, giant fire andoil beetles, giant ants and robber flies.Among monstrous varieties, both therhagodessa and the common carrioncrawler are found in the Grand Duchy. Hotunderground caves host a strange species offiery insects known as steam weevils.Giant arachnids are encountered everywherein Karameikos. Besides more commonvarieties, the giant crab spider, the giantblack widow, and the giant tarantella, theland hosts two additional native species: thegiant sand spider, which lives in the mostbarren and rocky spots of the Black Peaksrange, and the giant hunting spider, whichis found in eastern Karameikos and which issometimes trained by the humanoid tribesthat use it as warding animal. Also, thedangerous intelligent arachnid known as thegiant shroud spider makes its lair on thesouthern slopes of the Altan Tepes mountainsand at the edges of the Dymrak Forest.Worms are uncommon in this country,though caeciliae and the occasional, veryrare purple worm have been known toappear in farming lands from below theground and wreak havoc all around. Redworms (the fyrsnaca’s immature larvae)have been spotted in some undergroundvolcanic caves – a fact that has led some tospeculate that even fyrsnacas may lurk there.Additionally, giant leeches are known toperiodically infest some of the sweetwaterbodies of the interior.Unintelligent oozes and slimes, like theochre jelly and the green slime, can beencountered in many abandoned dungeons,as well as gray oozes, many of which arefound in ancient hutaakan ruins (thehutaakans used them to fill their particularvariety of rock living statues).Monstrous plants and fungi thrive here aswell. Nasty specimens like shriekers,sirenflowers, and yellow molds plaguemost underground complexes, while thedangerous aquatic plant known as the giantserpentweed is found in the Blight Swamp.MonstersA large variety of monsters of all types live inKarameikos. A number of doppelgangershide in the more isolated settlements. Oftenthese shapechangers work as a team, killingwhole families and taking the identities oftheir members. A similar behavior isfollowed by the much rarer mujinas.Solitary nagpas, forced to wander by thecurse affecting their race, are sometimesencountered in Karameikos; also tabi andgremlins are rarely encountered, oftenarrived in the Grand Duchy following anagpa or disembarked from the flying city ofSerraine. A handful of solitary minotaurs is29THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of Karameikosscattered in Karameikos, most often in serviceto some villainous power as bodyguards ormercenaries.Dangerous beasts, like griffons, hippogriffs,and manticores, are quite rare and onlydwell in the Black Peaks and the eastern partof the Cruth range. A very large and fiercespecies of giant wolf, the ice wolf, lives in theAltan Tepes mountains, in the areas wheresnow and ice last longer. Some of thesecreatures are trained as pets or mounts bysome humanoid tribes or by the frost giantclans. Owlbears are found in all woodedareas, from the central forests to the woodedheights of the mountain ranges. Hellhoundsare found in the Black Peaks, but sometimesforay into southern areas.A solitary sphinx is known to dwell on arocky reef in the Gulf of Halag; she roarswarnings to sailors venturing too close to thehazardous coastlines. Among otherintelligent monsters are the friends of thewoodland races. Individual actaeons andchevalls, sent to Karameikos by the ImmortalZirchev himself, watch over the GrandDuchy’s fauna and nature; they oftencooperate with other woodland lovers, likethe elves, the centaurs, and the druids. Thesame is true for treants, which are mostlysubject of legends, even if a rumor holds thatone of them is asleep in Threshold’s city park.The Black Peaks are the home of a giant lizardspecies not found elsewhere: the unusualfoot-pad lizard, able to easily climb theregion’s rocky slopes and which is trained asmount and beast of burden by the degenerateTraldar of the Lost Valley of Hutaaka.Another very rare lizard, the lava lizard,dwells near underground magma flows. As oftoday it has been seen only in the eastern areaof the Grand Duchy. A hydra has recentlybeen spotted in the Blight Swamp.Two species of dangerous blood-suckingfliers live in Karameikos: the numerousstirges, spread everywhere, and the rarerpiranha-birds, which favor northern forests.Amorphous monsters like the blackpudding and the gelatinous cube may befound in old abandoned dungeons (thelatter in particular in those of hutaakanorigin).Far more worrisome are persistent rumorsof a hivebrood that has established its lair inthe southern Dymrak Forest, not too farfrom the village of Rugalov.While almost unknown, individualbeholders hide in certain undergroundtunnels which run in the north-eastern partof the Grand Duchy, linking with caveswhich extend under Rockhome.Lastly, two strange varieties of incorporealand seemingly (but not actually) undeadmonsters are found in Karameikos. The firstare shadows, which lurk in deep forests,ruins, and dungeons. The other is theghostly horde, which very rarely manifestsin places where great battlefield tragedieshave happened.Planar MonstersBeings of the Elemental Plane of Water, suchas water weirds, are sometimesencountered within ruins and dungeonswhich were the home of a wizard in the past.Native Medusae can be very rarelyencountered in the wilderness as well.Rumors also hold that a djinni and a waterelemental live somewhere in the town ofThreshold.30THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of KarameikosUndeadGiven Karameikos’ ancient history, it shouldbe no surprise that here the creatures ofdarkness thrive. Undead like skeletons andzombies can be found everywhere – neargraves, in particular - as the result of darkmagics, as well as ghouls. Karameikos alsohosts a variety of elder ghouls, who aredetectable by a green eerie glow around theirhead, able to sap their victims’ strength.Wights and spectres may be found inisolated areas, moors especially; wraithshaunt ancient ruins, where old hutaakanmummies are sometimes encountered aswell. The dread wyrd, elven undead spirits,are mainly found in central and easternKarameikos. The numerous burial moundsand tombs built in the most varied ages andscattered throughout the Grand Duchy aresometimes infested by apparitions (a type ofphantom) and haunts – banshees, who arefound mostly in barren hills and moors,ghosts, and poltergeists. A variety ofnightshade, the nightwing, has beenspotted in the Blight Swamp, near theborder with the Five Shires. The trueprinces of the undead, the vampires and thenosferatu, represent one of the reasons thatmake Karameikos stand out in the KnownWorld; although they are not so numerous,they are spread all across the land, oftenholding unsuspecting and influentialpositions in human settlements (like LordZemiros Sulescu), or terrorizing isolatedcommunities (like the mad Count ofKoriszegy). Lastly, even some very rareliches dwell in Karameikos, weaving theirdark plots from their hidden lairs (one ofthose is Oirtulev, whose lair is found in theAltan Tepes region bordering Thyatis).31THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of KarameikosAPPENDIX I: THE LOST VALLEY OF HUTAAKAThe Lost Valley of Hutaaka is a hidden valesurrounded by the highest mountains of theBlack Peaks including Mount Pavel. TheValley is inaccessible by means of paths andtrails, and its existence is a secret known onlyto the Immortals. The only way to access theValley is through the upper Foamfire Rivervalley (the territory of the Death’s Headgnolls), where a hidden and very ancient roadleads to the Lost Valley’s doors. The road canonly be detected by means of ancient magicaltapestries and needles created by thehutaakans, which now are lost.The Valley was the power seat of the HighPriest of Pflarr during the height of theHutaakan civilization; here most hutaakanswithdrew in secrecy on the eve of the GreatBeastmen Invasion (BC 1000), abandoningthe Traldar humans to their doom save ahandful they brought with them as slaves. Infact, the hutaakans kept to themselves andsevered any ties with the outside world.Though this decision saved the hutaakancivilization from the ravages of the BeastmenInvasion, it also triggered its decline. In BC500, when the Nithian Empire met its doom,the Immortal Pflarr, creator and patron of thehutaakan race, displeased by the isolation ofthe hutaakan culture, transplanted a randomnumber of hutaakans to the Hollow World,losing interest in the fate of the outer worldones. The hutaakan rule in the Lost Valleywas overturned in BC 100, when thedescendants of the Traldar slaves roseagainst their masters, starting a genocidewar that lasted for centuries and nearlycaused the extinction of both cultures.Today the Lost Valley is inhabited by the lastremnants of the outer world hutaakans, andby the degenerate descendants of therebellious Traldar slaves. The war betweenthe two groups, which over centuries hasdeclined to the level to band skirmishes,continues to this day. Meanwhile, darkerbeings, born out of dark magics orawakened from an even more ancient age,have taken control of the ruins of the GreatTemple of Pflarr and now wander freely inthe Valley.There are about five hundred of Hutaakansand degenerate Traldars, evenly split amongthe two groups. However, their number hasnot been included in the population figuresgiven in this article, because the Lost Valleyis a place apart, without any contact with theoutside world.32THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of KarameikosAPPENDIX II: HAVENThe spur of the Altan Tepes range whichstretches southward up to the Dymrak Forest,located between the Highreach River and theLake of Lost Dreams, is called the ThunderMountains (in Thyatian) or ZagrashMountains (in Traladaran). In a secludedvalley beyond the southern slopes of thesemountains lay the enchanted realm of Haven,a place created, through the patronage of thethe Immortal Ordana, by the ImmortalZirchev around BC 875, with the help of histwo mortal-life companions – the ImmortalsHalav and Petra -, as a sort of vacation spot forthe most worthy members of the human anddemihuman races, where they could livetogether in harmony and happiness.Haven actually lies in the Fairy Realm, and itonly occasionally appears in this location onthe Prime Material Plane, from where it thenbecomes accessible. Haven’s appearance inKarameikos depends on a mysterious seriesof star alignments which are predictable onlyby the most learned among Vyalian sages.When Haven is in the Fairy Realm, the area itwould otherwise occupy on Mystara becomesan empty land of forests and hills, bathed inmists and fogs. The Immortal patrons ofHaven can lead their chosen in a.nd out ofHaven when they wish.Haven hosts about five thousandinhabitants, mostly Vyalia fair elves (56%),together with minorities of humans (20%),gnomes (6%), dwarves (10%), and halflings(8%) - all of them mostly of Karameikan orThyatian origin. All of these people aredescendants of individuals who were led toHaven by the Immortals over the course ofcenturies, or discovered it by themselves. Anunknown number of members of the GoodPeople also live in the enchanted valley.Legends abound about the enchanted valley,telling of a marvelous castle made of shiningwhite marble, of a breathtakingly beautifulprincess who rules the land, of plentifulharvests and great festivals. A mysteriousrace of fairy “Protectors”, devoted to Haven’sImmortal patrons, watches over the valley,shielding it from dangers.As Haven represents a very special place andit is not part of Karameikos proper, itsinhabitants have been left out of thepopulation figures given in this article.33THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of KarameikosAPPENDIX III: PORTRAYING YOUR GRAND DUCHYAs you have seen while reading this article,population figures nearer to their real-worldhistorical counterparts generate a number ofinhabitants for the Grand Duchy which ismore or less double that indicated in officialsupplements. As you may have realized, thisin no way alters the description and flavor ofthe Grand Duchy as found in GAZ1.Nevertheless, you may find those higherfigures uncomfortable, so this last paragraphaddresses this issue, suggesting some ways touse the material presented here with officialpopulation figures.First of all let’s make a comparison betweenthe population figures given in the PoorWizard’s Almanac series supplements andthe ones presented in this article (Table 4).As you see, the main purpose of this article’sapproach to Karameikan demography is topreserve the5 official population figures forKarameikos’ cities, lowering the percentageof urban population on the total. On theother hand, the elves’ and gnomes’ figuresof the Poor Wizard’s Almanacs are quiteinconsistent, regarding the former, with theTable 4: Comparison Population Figures in PWAs and this articleRace PWAs This articleHumans 250,000 537,800Elves 40,000* 18,800Gnomes 5,000 16,100Dwarves 3,000 4,000Halflings 2,000 3,000Humanoids Unknown 36,050Other Unknown 5,650* Divided among 30,000 Callarii and 10,000 Vyalia. According to GAZ1 instead theCallarii were only about 7,500 (even if this figure was considered only a roughestimate from the humans’ point of view).Totals PWAs This articleTotal population 300,000* 621,400Overall population density 7.6* 15.7Urban population** 29.10% 14.50%* Excluding humanoids and other races, whose number is unknown.** Only considering cities with at least 10,000 inhabitants.34THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of Karameikospopulation of other Known World’s elvenclans – the Callarii alone would have nearlyhalf the population of whole Alfheim! – and,regarding the latter, with GAZ1 itself,according to which 6,500 gnomes live inHighforge alone. So, the whole PoorWizard’s Almanacs’ figures seem at least tohave been written a little too hastily, withoutproper consideration of other sources andsupplements.Anyway, how can those figures be preserved?My suggestion is to avoid touching thelocation and spread of the various levels ofsettlement, in order to leave unaltered whichareas are borderlands, which are wilderness,and so forth, and to work instead on thepopulation densities of each level. Inparticular, decreasing human populationdensities of each level of about 40% wouldgenerate the following figures:As mentioned at the beginning of the article,there seems to be no problem… until youtake into account the 125,750 people thatrepresent Karameikos’ urban population. Asyou see, for example, Specularum’s hugehuman population of 57,300 is more thandouble than the whole number of peoplewho live in the city’s suburban countryside.In fact, the figures above can only be kept ifyou bring back the urban population topre-GAZ1 level (one-tenth of the officialfigures, more or less). Thus, two solutionsare possible at this point.First solution: Add the urban population tothe figure indicated above. This wouldgenerate a total human population of363,200, which is halfway between theofficial figures and those presented in thisarticle. Should you adopt this solution, Isuggest halving the humanoid populationalso, bringing it to 18,000. Overall, theGrand Duchy would thus have a population(considering also all other races, and leavingtheir figures identical to those presented inthis article) of 428,750. Note however thatin this way the urban population of theGrand Duchy will reach the high pinnacle ofTable 5: Decreased Human Population LevelsSettlementAverage populationdensity (people/sq.mile)Total Population persettlement area(averaged)% on totalpopulation(averaged)Very high 93 20,800 8High 62 79,850 32Average 39 76,450 31Scarce 12 45,700 18Borderland 3 24,850 10Wilderness 0.1 2,400 1TOTAL 13.55 250,050 10035THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Demography of Karameikos21% (29.6% counting all settlements with1,000 inhabitants or more), which would callfor a stable supply of food from overseasand/or the employment of clerical magic tofeed part of the population.Second solution: Lower the urban populationto about half the official figures. This way,you will have Specularum at about 30,000people, Kelvin at 10,000, Fort Doom at 5,000,Threshold and Luln at 2,500, and so on.Specularum will still be a problem (the citywould have more people than those of thewhole area in which it is found): you couldlower by 50% the humanoid anddemihuman population (in the proportionyou deem fit), and add the numbersobtained to the population of very highpopulation density areas (in whichSpecularum is found). This way, the totalpopulation of the Grand Duchy would be313,900 people, with an urban populationwhich will sit at a quite high, but tolerable,rate of about 20% (and to even 12.7% if youconsider only cities with 10,000 inhabitantsof more, which in this version would be onlySpecularum and Kelvin).CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONSProposal Deadline: September 30th, 2013Manuscript Deadline: October 31st, 2013The Threshold editorial team invites all fansof the Mystara setting to submit contributionsto the second issue of the magazine.We are looking especially for contributionfitting the theme of the second issue, Vaultsof Pandius Spotlight.Threshold accepts (and invites) thesubmission of extended or revised versions ofworks having appeared on The Piazza or theVaults of Pandius.Contributions may include, but are notlimited to, articles (short stories, shortadventure modules, NPCs, historical treatisesand timelines, geographical entries, newmonsters and monster ecologies, etc.) andillustrations (portraits, maps, heraldry,illustrations, etc.)The Threshold editorial team strives foredition neutrality, but edition specificarticles (e.g., conversions) are also accepted.Statistics for new monsters and NPCs may beincluded in articles (e.g., adventuremodules, new monsters or NPCs) in anyversion of Dungeons & Dragons. Theeditorial team also offers help in providingconversions to some specific rules set(including BECMI/RC, 2nd Edition, 3rdedition/Pathfinder). However, they shouldbe limited to the minimum -- for most NPCs,it is sufficient to mention class, level, andalignment. For important NPCs, a one ortwo line stat block could be included.See inside back cover for submissionguidelines.36THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of KarameikosTHE TIME BEFORE THECATACLYSMIn the millennia before the Great Rain ofFire, the land today known as Karameikos satnear the pre-cataclysmic North Pole, in a coldand inhospitable land 1 . Some sparseremnants of the Brutemen race still dwelledin this northern land, where the expansionof human civilization had pushed them inthe course of the last thousands years 2 ; theircountry was only travelled, from time totime, by the occasional Oltec or Azcanpioneer, or by Blackmoorian explorers. Thetrue masters of this region were the frostgiants, who lived here in great number, anda few dragons – of which the redYealeletherveri (active around BC 5000) isremembered as one of the most powerfuland fearsome wyrms of history 3 .1TheHISTORYofThis article uses the version of Mystara’s history according towhich the Known World (Ethengar, in particular) was the NorthPole before the Great Rain of Fire (BC 3000); after the cataclysm,Blackmoor becomes the North Pole and the elven homeland ofEvergrun the South Pole. This version is found in mostsupplements of the Gazetteer series, as well as in the “Timeline ofHistory” featured in the Dungeon Master’s Sourcebook part of theHollow World campaign set; the latter’s poster Outer-World,Precataclysmic Map features instead a differently-rotated globe(with the Known World at about 30°N latitude), and is not used asa source for this article.2Brutemen, also called Neanderthals or Cavemen in the D&DBasic Set and Rules Cyclopedia, go extinct in the outer worldaround BC 10,000 (see Hollow World campaign set) and arepreserved by the Immortals in the Hollow World; however, someremnants of their race may well survive to these days, as they arefeatured in some of the adventure modules (like B5: Horror on theHill).3The tale of Yealeletherveri is told in the Son of Dawn novel (setaround AC 1010), where it is narrated by an ancient female bluedragon living in the Altan Tepes mountains, Blethinferelth;according to the story, Yealeletherveri had his lair in the AltanTepes mountains when the Blackmoor civilization was still young.I’ve further expanded the setting of Yealeletherveri’s andby Simone Neri (Zendrolion)The Great Rain of Fire changed all this,pushing the Known World from the arcticlatitude into the temperate one. Glaciersbegan to melt, frost giants started a retreattoward the highest mountains of the newarctic lands, and the country was slowlycarpeted with forests, springs, and rivers. Inthis age, the land known today asKarameikos did not border the Sea ofDread; now-submerged lands extendedmany miles to the south, well beyond thepresent day archipelagos of Ierendi andMinrothad.RISE AND FALL OF THETAYMORAN CIVILIZATIONThe first people to set foot in postcataclysmicKarameikos were humans fromcentral Brun; they crossed modern Darokinand arrived in BC 2500 from the north intothe southern Known World. They were theTaymora, who rapidly built an agriculturalcivilization of bronze-age city-states, mostlylocated along the southern coast of theKnown World (many miles south of modernKarameikos), and of which little is knowntoday 4 .Blethinferelth’s stories in my MGAZ1: The Central Altan Tepes atThe Vaults of Pandius.4The Taymora were first introduced in PC3: The Sea People,according to which they “moved south” and arrived in the “fertileplains surrounding the southern sea”, where they “establishedsettlements along the cliffs and on the plains”. From sparseelements found in the adventure “Voyage to the Bottom of theSea” (included within PC3), we may argue that - at least at thebeginning - the Taymora were a bronze-age civilization with a lovefor pastoral life. Likely they had not an empire, as canon sources37THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of Karameikos38THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of KarameikosElf travelers and colonists coming from theSerpent Peninsula began arriving from BC2250 in Taymoran lands 5 . They establishedfriendly relations with the humans, whoemployed them as mercenary troops inexchange for lands.Centuries later (BC 2100), a larger group ofelves who had split from Ilsundal’s migrationtoward the Sylvan Realm, came to theTaymoran lands; they were mostly dividedamong two clans: the Verdiers (wood andfair elves 6 ) and the Meditors (water elves).The Taymora allowed them to settle in theforests north and east of their city-states, inthe areas occupied by modern Karameikosand Minrothad.In the following decades, the Taymora had tocontend with the resurfacing power ofGrondheim, a local giantish kingdom 7 alongthe northern border. The modernrefer to Nithia as the first empire on Mystara after the fall ofBlackmoor, but were perhaps more like a collection of city-states.5The elves led by the Sheyallia clan split from Ilsundal’s migrationand settled in the Serpent Peninsula some time after BC 2250(around this year Ilsundal’s migration crossed the Great Waste; see“The Great Waste - Ancient History” in Champion of Mystara -Explorer’s Manual). Canon sources (GAZ9 and Hollow Worldcampaign setting among others) tell us that the Verdier andMeditor elven clans only settled in forested area that will becomeKarameikos in BC 2100. However, fan sources like G. Agosta’sTimeline of the Taymoran Age, 2800-1700 BC and G. Caroletti’sTaymoran timeline have elven settlers reaching Taymoran landsalready in BC 2250. In the present history, I preserved this earlyelven contact with the Taymora, considering it mostly developed bysmall elven families, clans, and groups coming from the SerpentPeninsula.6I subdivide the elven race into ethnicities according to the workof Marco Dalmonte, Razze di Mystara at The Vaults of Pandius (thebook is in Italian); of them, only the wood and fair elves are of someinterest for this history. Wood elves (also called sylvan elves) are alittle smaller than humans, with fair skin (which tends to tan underthe sun), and blonde, silver, grey or brown hair. Fair elves (alsocalled gold or noon elves) are tall as humans, have a paler skin (butwith golden tints in some individuals), and dark (usually black orbrown) hairs, with rarer blondes or redheads. This historyconsiders the Meditor elves all belonging to the water elf ethnicity,while the Verdier elves to be evenly divided between fair and woodelves.7The kingdom of Grondheim is taken from the fan works of JohnCalvin on “Mystara BC 2300”. The story of the giants’ struggleagainst the Taymora is further told in Giampaolo Agosta’ssupplement Lords of the Cruth Lowlands.Karameikos region became a battlefieldbetween the Taymora, with their elvenallies, and the giants. The latter were finallydefeated, and the kingdom of Grondheimcrumbled; many giants were killed in theprocess, while others were enslaved by theTaymora, who put them to work and beganbuilding cities in the modern Karameikosregion, to the north of their civilization’sheartlands.It is not known exactly how or when ithappened, but before BC 2000 some citiesof the Taymora began worshipping thepowers of Entropy, and parts of the countryslowly became dark places whose rulerswere devoted to gruesome bloody andnecromantic practices 8 . Undead creatures,such as nosferatu and vampires, made theirappearance at this time, as well as the firstrecorded lycanthropic bloodlines, likelycreated by Taymoran experiments 9 .At last (BC 2000), a great civil war betweenfollowers of rival entropic Immortalsravaged the country, while at the same timea long period of seismic instability hit thesouthern Known World, which was shockedby recurrent earthquakes over the course ofthe next three centuries 10 . Many people8Besides a short sentence found in PC3 (“The shark-kin inhabitmany of the ruined settlements, but there are some places wherethe shark-kin fear to go. These dark and sinister sites harbourmalignant entities, beings whose evil has festered for much longerthan they have been covered by the sea” – which, however, can bevariously interpreted), nothing in canon specifically supports theconnection between nosferatu or vampires and the Taymora,fan-created materials (from the works of J. Mishler and G. Agostato the more recent ones of J. Calvin) have for a long time workedon this connection, producing very interesting ideas. Thus, thishistory keeps the idea that the Taymora began to worship Entropyat some point in their history, while leaving the details of theintroduction of entropic cults in their culture as vague as possible.9This history assumes that the Alphatian lycanthropy was onlyone of the strains of this magical disease. Other strains in fact mayprecede the Alphatians’ landfall on Mystara. See Treatise onLycanthropy by J. Calvin and Lukka, the beast-men by G. Agosta.10The exact chronology of seismic events of the BC 2000-1720period is tricky, because canon sources are not always clear and39THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of Karameikosperished, and many cities were destroyed bythe earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, orby the civil war itself. Gradually, manyTaymora began to migrate northward hopingto find shelter in the forested country at themountains’ foothills 11 .By BC 1750, earthquakes had broken someparts of the Taymoran lands off the coast ofthe Known World and had plunged manyregions beneath the sea. Many vestiges of theTaymoran civilization had already beendestroyed by those events, and the lastremnants of the southern Taymoran citiesand lands disappeared under the waves inthe devastating volcanic explosion of BC1720, which gave the southern coast of theKnown World the appearance it has today,with the creation of the modern archipelagosof Ierendi and Minrothad.In their new lands, north of their losthomeland, the Taymora were unable torebuild their civilization, and slowly lostmost features of their advanced culture in acouple of centuries (BC 1700-1500). Neitherwere the few surviving giants, freed fromTaymoran slavery, able to establish fullcontrol over the area, and they retreated intothe wilder and more isolated areas.Elves also survived the catastrophe, but theMeditor water elf clan was stranded alone onone of the recently-formed islands south ofthe new coastline (the one later calledAlfeisle); some time later (BC 1720), theVerdier wood elves, wishing to reunite withoften one conflicts with another. See BC 1700 Catastrophes by J.Calvin for an overview of sources and a clarification. Basically, along period of seismic instability begins in BC 2000, detaching aseries of vast islands from the southern coast of the Known Worldin BC 1750, and culminating with the devastating volcanicexplosion of the Kikianu Caldera (see GAZ4) around BC 1720, anevent which creates the modern Ierendi and Minrothadarchipelagos.11See PC3 (“the few surviving Taymora fled the area and settledfarther north in the present day lands of Karameikos”).their kin, migrated from the coastal foreststo Alfeisle itself. The rest of the Verdier fairelves, instead, preferred to continue to livein their forests, in relative tranquillity; thelatter were the ancestors of the Vyalia clan.In the centuries between BC 1700 and BC1500, the population continued to declinein the Karameikos region. This was due tothe aftereffects of the recent seismiccataclysms, and also to the fearsomeexplosion of a Blackmoorian device whichhappened in the Broken Lands in the sameBC 1700; debris and dust lifted by the eventdarkened the skies for years, plunging theKnown World into another brief ice age.THE TRALDAR AGEAround BC 1500, a Nithian privateexpedition led by the Ptahr-al-Dar 12 clanscame from the sea and began to settle thecoasts of the land corresponding to modernKarameikos 13 ; inland, they found thedescendants of the Taymora, who theycalled the “People of the Night”, and swiftlysubdued them 14 . The legacy of the ancient12Being “Traldar” the name of the subsequent bronze-age culturethat will be later preserved by the Immortals into the HollowWorld, and those colonists coming from the Egyptian-like NithianEmpire, I’ve adopted the name “Ptahr-al-Dar” (originally createdby J. Mishler, see his Ancient Origins of the Traladarans toidentify them. Also, I’ve considered the Ptahr-al-Dar expedition tobe a private colonization attempt, as its later failure does nottrigger help or aid from the Nithian Empire, and also becouse theempire’s forays in the Sea of Dread happen quite later (BC 1100).13GAZ11 clarifies the routes that the Nithian colonists tooktoward modern Karameikos, saying “The Nithian Traldar clansland in Karameikos. As these colonists spread out, they becomethe first humans to inhabit Darokin”. It is quite evident that if theNithians had come to Karameikos by land, they would have settledpart of Darokin first (Selenica region, at least); the additional factthat they land in Karameikos further clarifies the issue. Moreover,GAZ1 says that they were “pioneers intent on colonizing distantareas” and that they “settled in the coastal forests in the area nowknown as Karameikos” – an additional reason to believe that theycame from the sea and that there were no Nithian lands nearby.14The name “People of the Night” was devised by F. Defferrari in40THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of Karameikos41THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of KarameikosTaymoran knowledge only survived in thesecret society known as the Sons of Night 15 ,a cadre of sorcerers devoted to darknesswhich still lives to this day. Subsequentexpeditions by the Ptahr-al-Dar also settledpart of modern Darokin (the sites of presentday Akorros, Selenica, Dolos, and DarokinCity); there they were the first humaninhabitants to build permanent settlements 16 .At the same time, the Immortal Pflarr createda race of jackal-headed humanoids in hisimage called the Hutaaka. He put colonies ofthem to live in the Black Peaks mountains,north of the lands conquered by the Ptahr-al-Dar. The Hutaakan culture borrowed most ofits traits from the Nithians, but with astronger accent put on mysticism andphilosophy. They lived as a federation oftribes, tied together by the authority of theHigh Priest of the Temple of Pflarr, located ina secluded valley in the heart of the BlackPeaks mountains.his History of Traladara. About the Nithian conquest of thedescendants of the Taymora, see PC3 (“They were later absorbed bythe Traldars when they arrived in the area”). I have marked a fewNithian settlements on the accompanying map: Os-Khmin (undermodern Specularum) was borrowed from the Fantasy Cities:Specularum project, the Shrine of Key-Hamintep is featured in theadventure Trouble in Threshold (part of Karameikos: Kingdom ofAdventure supplement), the Obelisk of Nekhefre was described byG. Agosta in his Lords of the Cruth Lowlands (I only added thename of the site) supplement; other settlements were created byme.15The Sons of Night were introduced in the adventure In theDread of Night, found in “Dungeon Magazine” no. 24; their linkwith the Taymora, their background and activities were furtherexplored by G. Agosta in his Lords of the Cruth Lowlandssupplement. Other known surviving Taymoran sites are marked onthe accompanying map: Magos and Kosmoteiros are described inG. Agosta’s Lords of the Cruth Lowlands, the Taymoran Temple ofNyx in the same’s Crywolf! adventure, while the Taymoran RiverFort (under modern Specularum) comes from the FantasyCities:Specularum project.16See note 13, above. Note that those settlements of the Ptahr-al-Dar in modern Darokin should have had Egyptian-sounding namesat that time, becouse the change that transforms the Ptahr-al-Darculture will only happen later, after their blending with thedescendants of the Taymora and their resurgence from the “new”stone age in which they have fallen. In the accompanying map Ihave included three of such settlements: Serekhermet (on the siteof modern Selenica), Sentut, and Pi-Khonsu – all three will bewiped out by the gnoll invasion in BC 1000.The Nithians’ colonizing attempt soonproved a complete failure. Overwhelmed bythe climate, plagues, fierce beasts, and theland’s savage conditions, within a centurythe Ptahr-al-Dar’s ruling aristocracy wasdecimated. They lost contact with theNithian Empire and with their sistercolonies in modern Darokin and reverted tostone age technologies and a pre-agrarianlifestyle, forgetting any knowledge ofmetallurgy. In these wretched conditions,the social differences between Nithianconquerors and the “People of the Night”slowly waned, as the two races blendedtogether, giving birth to a new culture thatwas no longer Nithian.Seeing the terrible conditions which hadbefallen the southern humans, the Hutaakaof the Black Peaks decided to help themrecover; they also saw the opportunity toestablish control over them, in order to gainplenty of servants and workers. Thus,around BC 1400 the Hutaaka slowly beganto take under their protection the humansettlements nearest to them, reteachingthem the agricultural techniques andbronze technologies they had lost. In theprocess they began to rule them asbenevolent masters, but kept from themsome advanced technology (like ironsmelting) out of fear of an uprising againstthem 17 . Later, local Traldar rulers(oligarchic councils and kings) arose inmany areas of the country, always advised(and watched over) by Hutaakan priests and17In spite of a passage in GAZ1 (“They never forgot the scientificsecrets the Hutaaka had taught them – the forging of iron […]”),the Hollow World Traldars are a bronze-age culture; this meansthat the Hutaaka never taught iron-smelting to the Traldars, or didit only in the eve of the Great Beastmen Invasion. Thus I supposedthat the few iron weapons and tools which may exist in the laterTraldar age arrived through trade or contacts with iron-agecultures by Traldar kingdoms that had emancipated themselvesfrom Hutaakan tutelage.42THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of Karameikossages. Eventually, under the leadership ofthe Hutaaka, the new bronze-age Traldarculture emerged, characterized by city-states,warrior-kings, and hero-worship.Thus began the Golden Age of the Traldars(BC 1300-1000), which saw a rapid growth ofthe population. The region became apatchwork of wilderness areas, Hutaakaruledand Traldar-ruled but Hutaaka-adviseddominions 18 . With the passing of decades,some southern cities even managed tobecome entirely independent fromHutaakan guardianship 19 ; they were mostlythe coastal settlements, which alsodeveloped a seafaring tradition that allowedthem to send colonizing expeditions to thesouthern archipelagos (modern Ierendi andMinrothad), to the coasts of modern Thyatis,and even to the western coast beyond theHins’ land (where they founded the city ofAthenos 20 ). (Meanwhile, the older Ptahr-al-Dar colonies in modern Darokin had been18Of the Traldar settlements featured on the accompanying map,only Hlas (Lavv), Krakatos, and Mirlenos (Marilenev) have somebasis in canon sources; the others were created by me (some of thenames or locations were borrowed from F. Defferrari’s map ofTraladara in BC 1200, even if Oyllenos can be linked with Halav’spast (see note 24, below), while Dymos could be the site of theancient tomb found in the dungeon featured in DDA4: The DymrakDread. Regarding the Hutaaka, besides the Temple of Pflarr onlyXitaqa (from B10) is mentioned in canon sources; Koxaqa shouldbe the Hutaakan settlement mentioned in GAZ1 under Threshold’sdescription (and found on the site of the subsequent CastleMistamere), while Achelos is described in G. Agosta’s Lords of theCruth Lowlands.19The Hollow World Traldars don’t have Hutaakan masters – quitethe contrary, the Hollow World Hutaaka live far away from theTraldar kingdoms. This means that the Hutaaka did not havecomplete control over all the Traldar kingdoms, otherwise theImmortals would have chosen to preserve their cultures in closecontact in the Hollow World – in other words, in my opinion thismeans that there was at least a part of the Traldar culture for whichthe Hutaakan culture was no longer instrumental.20Athenos could well have been founded during the Ptahr-al-Darage; I chose to have it founded during the Traldar age as part of theexploration and colonization effort undertaken by some Traldarkingdoms in this period. After all, the Hollow World Traldars arequite adept seafarers and sea raiders (Hollow World campaignsetting says that “Their war-galleys […] once dominated the regionof the Sea of Dread”), and their expansion in the southernarchipelagos is meant to underline this trait of them.wiped out by humanoid invasions comingfrom the Atruaghin lands; Akorros, forexample, was burned to the ground in BC1254. 21 )In the rest of Karameikos, Hutaakaninfluence was much stronger, in particularin the west, where the powerful Hutaakandominion centered on the city of Acheloswas founded 22 . Over the centuries tensiondeveloped between the Hutaaka and theTraldars, even leading to an open rebellionagainst the Hutaakan influence, enacted bya King Tahrek ‘the Bright’ around BC 1280.Tahrek was the ruler of a dominion incentral Karameikos who managed to winsome victories against the Hutaaka beforebeing abandoned by his allies andcrushed 23 . This was a singular episode ofconflict between the Hutaaka and theTraldars; aside from this, the Hutaakacontinued to advise and protect theTraldars, teaching them what technologyand magic they deemed wise, in exchangefor servile labor.Near the end of this age the Nithian Empireagain began to turn its greedy eyes on theSea of Dread, conquering the modernMinrothad and Ierendi archipelagos (BC1100-1000), and thus subjugating and21The burning of Akorros is mentioned in GAZ10. It’s quitepossible that what the GAZ calls “Akorros” had a Nithian name atthis time, or that a Nithian-named city had later changed its nameinto Traldar-sounding “Akorros” due to Traldar influence(brought there through trade along the Streel River from Athenos,for example).22The history of the Hutaakan dominion of Achelos is describedin greater detail G. Agosta’s Lords of the Cruth Lowlands.23The magic item card “Diadem of the Sun”, whose descriptionfeatures King Tahrek, is found in the Dungeon Master’s SurvivalKit supplement. According to it, “Centuries before Halav’s mortalreign, central Traladara was ruled by King Tahrek the Bright. […]The ballad ‘The Tragedy of Dymrak’ says that Tahrek annihilatedhis beast-man foes with the diadem.” Obviously there were nobeastmen before Halav’s reign in Traladara, so I supposed that thebeastmen of the ballad were actually Hutaaka; just like for the restof Traladara’s history, the passage of time blurred the differencebetween the jackal-headed humanoids and the gnolls.43THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of Karameikosabsorbing the Traldar colonies in thoseislands. Trade with the Nithian Empire inthose years brought iron weapons into thesouthern lands of the Traldars; leaders,kings, chieftains, and elite guards sportedthem, but most of the Traldar statescontinued to lack the knowledge needed tofabricate them.THE GREAT BEASTMENINVASIONThe Traldars’ prosperity came to a suddenend when a huge horde of gnolls – thegreater part of those tjat had fled from theNithian Empire in BC 1050 – poured beyondTraldar borders from the north-west (BC1000). The Hutaakans, aware they could notresist the gnolls’ savagery, decided to retreatto their most secure mountain shelter, theValley of Hutaaka (seat of the Temple ofPflarr), even abandoning some of theirgreatest cities like Achelos; they brought withthem some Traldar slaves, and disappearednot to be seen again, leaving the Traldarsalone to face the fierce enemy.The terrible Great Beastmen Invasion whichfollowed (BC 1000-992) saw the nearly totalextermination of the Traldars. The humanswere no match for the gnolls’ iron weaponsand unheard of ferocity. Many clans and theircities were destroyed, while other fledoverseas (like the inhabitants of Mirlenos – atown on the site of modern Marilenev, whowere led by King Milen in a long voyagebeyond the Nithian dominions, towardDavania). The whole western half of theregion was ravaged by the invaders. TheImmortals, fearing for the very fate of theTraldar civilization, decided to preserve it bybringing a number of them into the HollowWorld.In the most tragic hour, however, KingHalav of Lavv and Queen Petra of Krakatos,with the aid of the Hutaaka-educated heroZirchev 24 , managed to gather together theTraldar forces that were left and stoppedthe gnolls at the Battle of Volaga (BC 992) 25 .The battle saw the deaths of both KingHalav and of the gnoll chief Flaghr; leftwithout a leader, the gnolls beganquarreling amongst themselves and theirwar effort suffered. United by the memoryof King Halav, the Traldars managed toslowly get the upper hand against thegnolls, but another forty years would beneeded to see the last gnoll warbandsdriven out of Traldar lands to the northwest(about BC 950).The war against the gnolls and theinvasion’s consequences (famine and24Both the Hollow World campaign setting and HWR3: TheMilenian Empire say that Halav was king of Luln, and that hebanded his warriors together in a guerrilla defense which slowedthe gnolls’ advance. Halav’s story as told in GAZ1 and Wrath of theImmortals instead sees him taking the leadership in Lavv (modernKelvin) after killing the local king. While mention of Luln in theabove-mentioned sources is likely a mistake for Lavv, I think itcould be used to further detail Halav’s past in the following way.Obviously Luln didn’t exist in the Traldar age, but Halav couldhave well been the king of Oyllenos, a Traldar town found on thesite of modern Luln; after a desperate defense of his city, Halavhad to flee and abandon it to the gnolls. Oyllenos was destroyed,but he organized a successful guerrilla war against the invadersfrom the forests, something that began to portray him as a herobefore the Traldars. Later, as the gnolls overran the whole westernTraldar lands, he tried to convince the king of Lavv to forgealliances with other kings in order to put an united front beforethe invaders. When the king laughed at him and tried to have himimprisoned, Halav killed him and took the throne of Lavv. The restof his story is well-known. As a side note, the names Halav, Petra,and Zirchev told by the Traladaran tradition, likely were not thethree heroes’ original names; probably – given the fact that theancient Traldar tongue should somewhat resemble theMycenaean Greek tongue – they sounded more like Halawas,Pyledra, and Zirkeus, or something like that.25While most canon timelines, for simplicity’s sake, have all theevents of the gnoll invasion compressed in BC 1000, from GAZ1we learn that “fighting was indeed bloody and went on for years”.Thus I chose to have the climactic Battle of the Volaga River in BC992, eight years after the invasion had begun.44THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of KarameikosTHE ANCIENT CITY OF TUMAWHERE IS TUMA?Adventure module B8 – Journey to theRock, introduced the ancient city of Tumaand its background. Even though themodule had a generic setting, it gave somesuggestion on how to include its scenarioand background in the Known Worldsetting. Two options were given here: thefirst was to place Tuma in the mountain orhill region north of Lake Amsorak inDarokin; the second was to place thescenario in the mountain country west ofWereskalot, in the Five Shires, or west ofThreshold, in Karameikos. The lateradventure module B1-9 – In Search ofAdventure, supported B8’s second choiceby placing Tuma in Karameikos’ mountains,but had the Journey to the Rock adventurestart in the area north of Threshold.Placing Tuma’s setting is not so easy,because the area’s map featured in B8 isquite large (about three 8-miles hexes fromwest to east, and two from north to south)and placing it north of Threshold wouldalter the terrain featured in GAZ1’s andother supplements’ maps. The best choiceseems thus to place B8’s map north-east ofThreshold – looking at GAZ1’s 8-miles perhex map of the Grand Duchy, it would befound beyond the mountain hexes thatsurround Threshold in the north-east, in thehill hexes that border that border theRepublic of Darokin. This way, the wholeadventure area would be split betweenKarameikos (where Arkayz’ manor, thewooded lands west of it, The Barrens andBarkel Mountains would be found) andDarokin (where the ancient site of Tuma,Lake Neshonan, and Krayzen Mountainswould be located).The choice to have Tuma in Karameikosseems better, not only because it issupported by a later module (B1-9), but alsobecause it is easier to integrate this scenariowith the existing setting. The names ofancient Tuman kings featured in B8(Alcidaxes, Belkazar, Calobanes, andDelophenes) have a vague Greek or MiddleEastern flavor, and thus can naturally belinked with the ancient Taymora andTraldar cultures which existed in theKarameikan region. The rise and fall ofTuma, moreover, can be merged easily withthe history of Karameikos, in particular withthe ages before and after the GreatBeastmen Invasion, which were left quitevague by official supplements.Thus, this article (and also theaccompanying article about Karameikos’demography) assumes that Tuma waslocated in the mountains of Karameikos,suggesting the following way to integratehistory of the city in Karameikos’ history.A BRIEF HISTORY OF TUMATuma’s origins trace back to the fall of theTaymoran civilization. When thecatastrophic civil war and earthquakes thatmade the southern Taymoran lands sinkunder the sea, many refugees and survivorsfrom the southern lands sought safety in thenorthern forests, a small group of them45THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of Karameikospushed further north well into themountains, finding shelter in a secludedmountain valley of the Black Peaks. Therethey founded the settlement called Tumasome time after BC 2000.In the troubled centuries which followed,Tuma managed to survive the cataclysmsthat succeeded until BC 1700 unscathed,growing into the main local settlementthrough which passed the route that linkedthe southern lands to the rest of the KnownWorld.After some centuries, it established regulartrade with the Nithian Empire, acquiring theknowledge of iron smelting through it, andthen peaceful relationships with theHutaaka and the Traldar settlers to thesouth after BC 1500. Tuma was again46THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of Karameikossubstantially unhurt - thanks to its regularlinks with the Hutaaka and the NithianEmpire - by the hardships that reduced theTraldar settlers to the south to little morethan hunter-gatherers savages. With thepassing of years its relationship with nearbyHutaaka grew into a strong alliance, whichallowed in Tuma the birth of an advancedtradition of arcane studies centered onearth, metal and rock. When the Traldarsmanaged to rise again under the protectionof the Hutaaka, Tuma benefited from thisfact, establishing a lucrative trade with theTraldar kingdoms – while keeping fromthem iron technology and the mostpowerful arcane secrets, like what theHutaaka did. In this age, Tuma rose tobecome the foremost power of the region.The town grew into a powerful city, and itsdomains extended both to the north and tothe south of the Black Peaks range.When the Great Beastmen Invasion hit theTraldar lands, the Tumans were shocked bythe Hutaaka’s choice to abandon thehumans to their fate. At the start of the warthe Tumans sent contingents of theirsoldiers to fight alongside the Traldars, butthey preferred to retreat from theirsouthern holds when the fight seemed lost.Only after the worst of the gnolls’ invasionwas fought back by the Traldars did theTumans expand again southward, takingadvantage of the weakness of the Traldarsand taking part to the wars between thegnolls, the Traldars and the Vandars in the10 th century BC.During this age, Tuma was still a majorplayer of the area, but the decline of theTraldar kingdoms and the disappearance ofthe Hutaaka deprived the city of a large partof its wealthy trade. The decline in whichthe Tuman royal court fell in this centurystirred up dissension among the city’spopulace, who rose against the king aroundBC 900; the monarchy was overthrown andthe powerful magic-users of the cityestablished an oligarchic rule. They usedtheir rock- and metal-melding magic tochange the face of the city, which assumeda nearly-alien appearance in regards toother contemporary human settlements -hundreds-of-feet high buildings made ofmetal were raised, streets were paved withmetal as well, filled with magical constructs,and so on. But the wizards’ reserved andaloof attitude slowly isolated Tuma from theouter world; the city withdrew from majorconflicts, only fighting to defend itselfagainst new enemies, like the Vandars orthe humanoid hordes. With time, most ofTuma’s outlying possessions were lost.Nevertheless, thanks to the wizards’ magic,the population within city walls lived well.After BC 700 Tuma, left more and moreisolated, then become a target of powerfulNithian lords devoted to Entropy, whocoveted the ancient arcane secrets the city’swizards kept. They launched a series ofattacks on Tuma, supported by their armiesof mercenaries, humanoid slaves, andundead. After a century-long and valiantresistance, the Nithians and the darkpowers with which they had allied decidedthat if they were not to grasp those secrets,no one will ever had: they casted a powerfulcurse on the city, which removed it from thePrime Material Plane and imprisoned it andits inhabitants in another plane. Thus, thecity, its people, and its secrets disappearedfrom the face of the Known World in BC 600.47THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of KarameikosThe magic that kept Tumaimprisoned in another plane hasweakened during the course ofcenturies. Sometimes it happensthat the city – but not itsinhabitants – temporarilyreappears in its ancient site, onlyto fade some time later. Localadventurers may spot or evenenter it, and some tell tales aboutan alien magical city found in theBlack Peaks range. However, todaynothing is known about Tuma’sfate. Ancient historical recordsmay mention the city as one of theTraldar kingdoms of the ancientage, but not much else can begathered about its history. Onlyone man knows the truth: he isLirdrium Arkayz, one of the lasttwo members of the ruling councilof Tuma, who still tries to breakthe curse which affects its ancientpeople. Arkayz lives in a manoreast of Tuma’s ancient site.plague) reduced the Traldar population to one-fifthof the previous one - many of their most prosperouscities had been destroyed, most of their warriorskilled; the wilderness reclaimed a vast part of theirlands, as there were no more people living on them.The remnants of this people temporarily stayedallied together under the banner of Halav’s andPetra’s descendants (who ruled the united centralkingdom of Krakatos and Lavv), but the Traldarcivilization had definitely fallen into decline. Withcommunications made more difficult by the lack ofinfrastructure maintenance and the country’sdepopulation, peripheral communities becomemore and more independent from the center, whilethe memory of King Halav’s days faded and passedinto legend. Thus began the Traldars’ Dark Ages.THE DARK AGES AND THEBIRTH OF TRALADARANCULTUREEven with the gnolls gone, the land would not knowpeace. In BC 933 the Vandars invaded the regionfrom the west; they were a northern human warriorpeople,who had migrated from Norwold centuriesbefore, and had taken part in the wars betweendwarves, halflings and orcs in the modern FiveShires region 26 . Skilled horsemen, they brought26The Vandars are an Antalian-related people native of modern Norwold; theyshould belong to the same language group of other Slavic-like tonguesspeaking peoples (see some of the NPCs in CM4, and also the Vatski and Yevoof some fan works - Empire of Zuyevo and Norwold Region); I included themto explain the passage from the Traldar culture (similar to the MycenaeanGreek one) to the Traladaran one (which is more Slavic-like), and also toestablish a link between Slavic-like tongue speaking people of Mystara. Theancestors of the Vandars migrated from Norwold on the eve of the GreatHorde’s invasion (BC 1722), living first in the Heldann and Northern Reachesarea, and then moving to southern Ethengar around BC 1000, pushed away bythe Nithian pressure from the south. The Vandars founded the short-livedrealm of Zölaströya in southern Ethengar, before moving south again whentensions with their neighbours became unbearable (BC 950). They crossed thesparsely-populated Darokin lands following rumors of easy and rich takes tobe made in the halfling realm of Hindon. The Vandars should be the humansmentioned in these passages of GAZ8 the Fall of Hindon and the Dark Years:“In the years that followed, human, dwarven, and orc bands roamed the landfighting viciously with each other. […] Human bands were largely interested48THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of Karameikos49THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of Karameikosfurther destruction in the already devastatedTraldar lands. The Vandars pushed deep intoTraldar territory, as more and more tribesmigrated there from the Five Shires (up toBC 910), but their cultural influence wasgreater in the western half of the country.Within a century, the Vandars adopted asedentary lifestyle, and settled as rulersamong many Traldar clans, even founding orre-founding some towns (like Achelos in BC900, and Halag in BC 800). During this timethe knowledge of iron smelting eventuallybecame widespread in the Traldar lands,which definitively entered the iron age. Onlyaround BC 800, when the worst effects ofplagues, famines, and wars began to lessen,did the population begin a very slowrecovery. For many decades, the politicalsituation continued to be troubled by warsand fights between the Traldars and Vandars,with the latter slowly gaining the upper hand.After BC 700, when the worst years of theVandar invasion and dominion had passed,the conquerors began a process ofintermarriage into Traldar clans, whichultimately brought about - around BC 500 -the blending of the two cultures into one.The culture of the Vandar masters imposeditself over the declining culture of the Traldarpeople, even as it adopted many traits of theTraldar culture. The most widely usedtongue of the country came to be a Vandardescendedtongue heavily influenced by theTraldar dialects. The merged peoplegradually became known as Traladarans, andtheir land as Traladara 27 . Although theTraladarans were divided into many villagesand communities, they were kept united byin fast and easy plunder but the dwarves and orcs were determinedto rule the land as their own.” Thus, before the determination oforcs and dwarves, the Vandars eventually left Hindon for the east,invading the beleaguered Traldar lands in BC 933.27At this point the old Mycenaean-like Traldar culture has givenway to the newer Slavic-like Vandar one.their faith in their Immortal patrons - Halav,Petra and Zirchev – whose stories were keptalive by the oral tradition of the Ballad ofKing Halav, which told the story of theirdeeds during the Great Beastmen Invasion;the veneration of Halav, Petra, and Zirchevbecame widespread across Traladara duringthis age, slowly replacing that of the oldTraldar and Vandar Immortals.This age also saw the arrival of the elves,who suddenly and mysteriously appearedin the lands to the east of the Traldars (BC800). They had abandoned their far-awayhomeland, the Sylvan Realm, through themagical Rainbow Bridge, under theleadership of Mealiden Starwatcher. Whilethe main body of the migration passedthrough Traladara to settle north of theBlack Peaks mountains (on the site of thefuture Canolbarth Forest), one of their clans- the Callarii wood elves - chose to split fromthe migration and to settle in the centralforests of modern Karameikos – theRadlebb Woods, parts of the Dymrak Forest,and the forested hill country between theHighreach and the Hillfollow Rivers. TheCallarii established friendly relations withthe more peaceful human clans and foughtagainst the more warlike ones 28 .Nevertheless, this age was troubled byrecurring humanoid invasions. Since BC650, the Hins’ successful struggle againsttheir orcish masters during the Time of28GAZ1 says that the Callarii migrate from Alfheim around theend of the 1 st century BC, and this take is followed by some fanworks, like G. Agosta’s A Karamikos Companion. However, latercanon sources, starting with GAZ5 and Hollow World campaignsetting, say that the Callarii clans split from Mealiden’s migrationtoward the future site of the Canolbarth Forest and chose to settlein the deep woods of Traladara while their brethen continuednorth in BC 800. I chose to adopt this second version, alsobecause I could not see why a number of elven clans should havemigrated from an idyllic fairy forest to a lands inhabited byhumans and threatened by scores of goblin hordes (like Traladarawas in the 1 st century BC).50THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of KarameikosHeroes had pushed a significant number oforcs into western Karameikos; many of them- like the Blackstone and the Jagged Clawtribes - settled in the Cruth Lowlands andpresented a serious problem for all thewestern Traladaran clans. Still another waveof invasions and raids descended on theTraladarans in BC 491; hordes of bugbears,goblins, hobgoblins, kobolds, orcs, andogres, fleeing the onslaught suffered againstthe dwarves in the Battle of Sardal Pass (BC492), poured from the north into Traladara.Some of their tribes, like the Greyslayers orcsand numerous ogre families, settled in theCruth Mountains and Lowlands area in BC491, while the rest staged a mass invasion ofcentral Traladara the following year, againbringing death and destruction. Althoughthey were initially attacking without a plan,the humanoids found a new and fierceleader in Leptar 29 , a brutal hobgoblin chief;they accomplished much devastation, themost infamous of which was the destructionof the cities of Krakatos and Lavv, lastlegacies of the old Traldar civilization inthese lands. The humanoid invasion alsobrought about a devastating plague whichravaged the whole country. The Traladarans,now strengthened by the Vandar warriortradition, managed to hold off thehumanoids; the hordes of Leptar weredefeated in BC 488 and his humanoid armysplintered into a number of small hordes,but the war against them continued up untilBC 480. At the end of the war, many bands ofthese creatures had settled in the southwesternwoods, in the Dymrak Forest, in themountains, and in the wilds of Traladara,where many of them still live today. Thearrival of the humanoids also hit the more29The mortal story of Leptar has been devised by Marco Dalmontein Hircismus (at The Vaults of Pandius) and further linked withTraladaran history by G. Agosta in his A Karameikos Companion.sparsely populated and isolated Callariisettlements which dotted the woodlands;many wood elves decided to retreat to thesecure depths of the Radlebb Woods or tothe western reaches of the Dymrak Forest(the rest had fallen into the hand of goblintribes), consolidating their hold on themand abandoning almost all their outlyingsettlements.THE REBIRTH AND THECULTURAL UNIFICATIONThe end of the humanoid invasions alsomarked the beginning of the late Dark Agesof Traladara. The fall of the Nithian Empire(BC 500) and the disappearance of itsculture from the Known World had norelevant consequences for Traladara. Afterthe slow recovery begun in the 9 th centuryBC had been halted by the events of the 6 thand 5 th centuries BC, the population begangrowing again, starting from the 4 th centuryBC. Settlements which had been on theverge of collapse began a stable recovery,while new settlements were built andprospered in coastal and riverside areas.The political landscape became morestable, as the main settlements became theseat of small principalities called “banates”.Toward the end of the first millennium BC,Marilenev arose to become the major city ofTraladara, followed by Halavos (built nearthe site of old Lavv), Lugsid (a settlementborn of the shore of Lake Windrush), andother towns 30 .30Lugsid is a canonic settlement found in the Hail the Heroesadventure. The names of most other settlements are borrowedfrom the fan works of G. Agosta (A Karameikos Companion andLords of the Cruth Lowlands), F. Defferrari (History ofTraladara), J. Guerra (Traladaran Clans), and J. Mishler(Thoughts on Darokin).51THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of Karameikos52THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of KarameikosThe end of the Dark Age also saw the firstsuccessful attempt at uniting the Traladarancommunities into one kingdom. On the eveof a war against the humanoids, anticipatedby a time of renewed humanoid raids all overTraladara, Ban Ithron Zlatarev 31 succeeded inBC 195 to the throne of Volaga and managedto unify under his banner some of the otherprinces, leading them to victory over thehumanoids. In the following years, heexpanded his domain through force anddiplomacy to nearly all of Traladara, and inBC 171 he was crowned in Marilenev bypriests of the Traladaran patrons as “King ofTraladara” – marking the first use of this titlein history. In BC 147 Ithron died, and hiskingdom would not outlive him for long; hissuccessors couldn’t manage to keep thequarrelsome clans united, and the kingdomslowly fragmented, until at the half of the 1 stcentury AC the title of king, by then empty,fell into disuse.Hostile humanoids were not the only ones tomigrate in the wild Traladaran lands. Anumber of rock gnomes led by theHilltopper clan, survivors of the slaughter oftheir own race perpetrated centuries beforeby the kobolds under the HardangerMountains, after many wanderings camefrom the north to Traladara around BC 100,and settled in the lands between theHillfollow and Windrush Rivers, where theybuilt their own settlements, the largest ofwhich was called Highforge.The turn of the first millennium AC markedthe beginning of an age of rapiddemographic growth for Traladara. Both theconsolidation of the Thyatian Empire to theeast and of the Kingdom of Darokin to the31Ithron is mentioned in Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure asone of the leaders that managed to claim the title of King ofTraladara; his surname was created by me.north-west helped Traladara to enter amore stable age. From the 1 st to the 4 thcentury AC, the population began a slowbut steady process of resettlement of thewilderness – mostly the woods and theforests. Settlements grew and some of thembecame prosperous trade cities. Thanks toits plentiful natural resources - such aswood, furs, and precious metals - Traladarabegan to be frequently traveled bymerchants of neighboring countries, mostlyThyatians, Darokinians, and Minrothians.Even a Rockhome dwarven clan, theStronghollow - following rumors ofprecious metal veins to be mined below theAltan Tepes - came to Traladara, where itwas welcomed by the gnomes in theirKingdom of Highforge; the dwarves settledthere around AC 300. The increase of tradeand steady passage of people though landroutes improved the cultural unification ofthe Traladarans.Religion was another powerful factor ofunity. Around AC 400, after centuries ofcultural contacts, Thyatian missionaries ledby Lucor 32 - who subsequently was made asaint by the Church of Traladara - translatedinto Thyatian the Ballad of King Halav 33 .32The character of Lucor is mentioned in B6: “Advancing towardthe gate is the Procession of Lucor. The procession is a religiouscelebration honoring a legendary local cleric named Lucor. […]The festival is of great importance.” The story of Saint Lucor wasfurther developed by G. Agosta as part of the Fantasy Cities:Specularum project .33It’s unlikely that literacy was introduced by Thyatians this late.The Hollow World campaign setting, under the description ofMilenian customs, says: “Milenian is the language of these people.Though it is descended from Traldar, it is not the same language.There is a written form of the language, which is not at all similarto the written form of Traldar.” So the Traldars did have a writtenlanguage; literacy among the Traldars surely suffered a hard blowduring the Dark Age, but some sort of literacy (based on the oldTraldar alphabet) may have resurfaced between BC 500 and AC400. Despite this, it may be that the Ballad was kept in oral formonly out of some religious tradition. I suppose that the translationof the Ballad into Thyatian marks the gradual adoption of theThyatian alphabet in the religious practices and then in theTraladaran tongue, in place of the old Traldar alphabet.53THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of Karameikoswas Bogdan Ivanovich 34 , Ban of Marilenev,who succeeded to the Marilenev throne inAC 301 and began a campaign of unificationof other settlements and clans, both bydiplomacy and war, which concluded in AC324 when he was crowned King ofTraladara in Marilenev; his son Anton evenmanaged to conquer the Cruth Lowlandsand the city of Achelos in AC 327, and tofound a vassal banate there. Unfortunately,internal strife erupted at Bodgan’s death inAC 356, breaking the recently-formedkingdom apart. In the Cruth Lowlands, thelegacy of Anton was preserved after hisdeath in AC 364, and the Ivanovich familykept control of the banate, allying itself withthe Hojah family of Halag.FROM THELYCANTHROPIC PLAGUETO THE TRALADARANLEAGUEThis event prompted the organization andthe consolidation of the churches devoted tothe Traladaran patrons, bringing about theformation of the Church of Traladara inMarilenev, as well as of other branches of thefaith, called churches of Halav, in the rest ofthe country.The Traladaran communities continued tostay divided and independent of oneanother. Depending upon the era, theywaged war or traded amongst each other,allying together only to repel a foreigninvader. Some nobles even managed tobecome quite powerful local lords duringthose centuries; in reality, their domains andauthority only reached as far as their swords.The most important of these petty noblesThe 5 th century AC saw some very importantevents for Traladara. Around AC 410,merchants coming from the southern islesbrought to Traladara the plagues oflycanthropy and vampirism with which theyhad been infected in the east. This sparselypopulatedregion of dense woods and smallvillages was the ideal hideout for a werewolfor a vampire. In the following decades,many communities were terrified by thesecreatures and Traladara became known asthe favourite haven of such horriblemonsters. Those years also saw a newemergence of old Taymoran-descended34This is another of the short-lived kings of Traladara mentionedin Karameikos:Kingdom of Adventure, where he is featured onlyas “Ivanovich”. Further details on Bogdan’s story can be found inG. Agosta’s A Karameikos Companion and Lords of the CruthLowlands.54THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of Karameikos55THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of Karameikosnosferatu. The religious hierarchies gatheredforces to counter those evil threats; in Halag,the order of the Knights of Halav was formedto fight vampires and lycanthropes. Thedemihumans – elves and gnomes, mostly -for whom those curses were deadly, closedtheir borders and were forced to begin truehunts to eradicate infected humans fromtheir lands. After a phase of dramatic, initialspread, the two curses were contained, butthey would again see a rise at the beginningof the 6 th century AC and would nevercompletely leave the region.The 5 th century also saw the beginning of theDarokinian attempts to subdue Traladara 35 .35The following part about the Traladaran Wars draws on theworks of A. Nowack (The Kings of Darokin) and G. Agosta (AKarameikos Companion). Demara is the third king of Traladaramentioned by name only in Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure.Four wars (called the Traladaran Wars inDarokinian histories: AC 412-17, 444-50,488, and 490-93) were fought in thiscentury between the Traladarans and theKingdom of Darokin, which also sawintervention by the insular city-states ofHarbortown and New Alphatia in theMinrothad archipelago; most of thoseconflicts were also internal wars spurred bypolitical and religious differences betweenvarious Traladaran clans. Even thoughDarokin was only successful in holding thenorthern part of Traladara for a shortperiod of time (the first time directly, thesecond time through the alliance with theTraladaran Duke Demara of Vaion, whomanaged to be crowned as King ofTraladara), the wars had a series ofimportant consequences.56THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of KarameikosFirst of all, cultural influences by Darokinand, to a lesser extent, by Thyatis, led to theabandonment of the old traditionalTraladaran noble titles (ban, zhupa) acrossthe country, in favor of imported Darokinianand Thyatian titles (like duke, count, andbaron). This process was slower in thewestern part of the country, where localcultural identity was stronger and lesspermeable to outside influences 36 .Second, the wars changed the politicallandscape of Traladara, leading to theemergence of newer clans (like theKoriszegy, the Vargos 37 of Halag, and theIvanovich of Achelos, who assumed the ducaltitle) and to the extinction or the exile of oldones (like the Hojah of Halag, whoabandoned Halag with a large number oftheir followers our of religious differences inAC 450, after their defeat in the SecondTraladaran War, migrating to the Gulf ofHule 38 ).Third, the alliance against the Darokinianthreat prompted the formation of theTraladaran League. At first only a militaryalliance to last until the defeat of Darokin,36Of the settlements marked on the accompanying map,Gorenenov (seat of the Gorevitch family) was created by J. Guerra(Traladaran Clans), the Barony of Ivorga comes from the work ofJ. Mishler (Thoughts on Darokin), while Ourosco comes from Nightof the Vampire adventure. The village of Lumm is mentioned inX12: Skarda’s Mirror; G. Agosta (A Karameikos Companion) madeit an historical Traladaran town, and I’m following his work here(I’ve only moved the village a little to the south-west, becouse themodule says it is “a few miles northeast of Kelven”).37The Vargos family was first created by P. Sullivan (Informationon Western Karameikos); I have adopted the modified story of thefamily, as told in G. Agosta’s Lords of the Cruth Lowlands, AKarameikos Companion and The Beast of Radlebb.38These Traladarans will found the city-states of the Gulf of Hule– Slagovich, Nova Svoga, Zvornik, and the rest. The story of theirflight was created by G. Agosta in his A Karameikos Companion andexpanded in Crywolf!, and draws from the following passage of RedSteel campaign setting: “an influx of Traldar arrived, possiblyfleeing religious persecution in their homeland”. Following thedefeat and the exile of the Hojah, the Vargos family took power inHalag, abandoning the old title of “bans” and assuming that of“barons”.the League was confirmed as a permanentinstitution after the Darokinian defeat in AC493, with a governing body – the Diet ofMarilenev – seated in Marilenev, which hadbecome the most important city ofTraladara. For a time it seemed that theTraladaran League could be the unifyingfactor of the Traladarans, and that the Dietcould make the various Traladaranprincipalities act as a single body – likewhen they chose the wizard Perrantin asFirst Speaker to oversee the sending of aTraladaran army to assist the Flaems of theHighlands defend against a feared dragonattack on the Known World, during theTime of the Second Dragonlord (AC 511) 39 .THE HOLY WARSHowever, hatred continued to run deepbetween Traladaran clans, and intrigueswere frequent and harsh. Rivalries amongthe clans, and uneasiness againstMarilenev’s leading position within theLeague, would have ripped the Leagueapart within AC 600. By this year, manynoblemen who ruled peripheral lands actedindipendently from, and without consultingwith, the League’s leadership in Marilenev.Around this year, a newly-risen descendantof Demara claimed the title of King of Vaion,thus marking the first exit from the League.Some years later (AC 612), after the39Mention of the Traladaran League and the character ofPerrantin are found in the Dragonlord Trilogy novels by T.Gunnarsson. I assumed that the whole story of the trilogy takesplace between AC 504 and AC 513. For a more detaileddescription of the events which invested the Known World duringthis time, see my History of Dragonkind. Together with SolveigWhite-Gold (alias of Valeria Doranius, scion of the ThyatianEmperor Cornelius Doranius, and one of the characters of thetrilogy), Perrantin later discovered the relic known as the Shieldof Halav around AC 521. The story of their finding, theconstruction of the Temple of the Shield and of the nearby villageof Zadreth on the shores of Lake Windrush are told in Hail theHeroes adventure (exact dating was my guess, however).57THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of KarameikosMarilenev-supported Baron of Halag,Ulstagh Vargos 40 , was killed, the new cadetbranchVargos ruler of Halag assumed thetitle of duke. In response, Duke VasilIvanovich of Achelos proclaimed himselfKing of Achelos.It was the end of the League, which wasformally dissolved in the same AC 612, andthe beginning of another age of strife. Also,the League’s dissolution marked the end ofMarilenev’s hegemony over Traladara; theweakening of the Duke and of the oldlandowning aristocracy of the city promptedthe new merchant families represented bythe trade guilds to take power in the city witha bloody coup, which ousted the old familiesand reduced the duke to a mere figureheadwhich now had to rule from CastleMarilenev, in the countyside south-west ofthe city 41 .Conflicts between the various clans and citieswould break out openly in AC 653. Anotherwave of vampirism and lycanthropy, togetherwith the spread and the increase of activity ofentropic cults, marked the beginning of atime of religious wars between the clans,known as the Holy Wars, which would go onuntil AC 728. Fear of an uncontrolled spreadof vampirism exploded when the King ofDarokin, Aden III, was discovered to be amember of the undead 42 . This discoveryturned into psychosis and war when it40Mention of Baron Ulstagh’s death in AC 612 is found in theBallad of Nob Nar, in GAZ8.41While this event is borrowed from G. Agosta’s A KarameikosCompanion and from the Fantasy Cities: Specularum project, Ichose to keep the dukes of Marilenev in existence after AC 612,even if deprived of their control over the city itself; this is due to thefact that a “king” of Marilenev is mentioned in Poor Wizard’sAlmanac I, a Radu (likely his name, not his surname) whohappened to be in charge in AC 872.42The story of King Aden III of Darokin was created by A. Nowack(The Kings of Darokin) and expanded by G. Agosta (A KarameikosCompanion).became clear that many Traladaran clanshosted night creatures within their ranks.This stream of conflicts was terrible andwiped out whole clans, going onintermittently among persecutions,stakings, famines, and plagues. Heroes andvillains were raised and perished during thisage; one of those was Gygar, the powerfulwizard-lord of Mistamere Castle (on LakeWindrush) who managed to carve a vastdominion in the surrounding area 43 . Butthis nearly century-long series of wars sawmany terrible events, like the rise and fall ofthe entropic cult of the infamous Monasteryon the Hill 44 , the transformation of theSulescu family head into a nosferatu, aresurgence of orcish and hill giant activity inthe Cruth Lowlands (caused by the defeatof orcs in the Shires around AC 700), andthe rise and defeat of Queen Elendorath ofVaion, who attempted to expand herdomain enlisting humanoid tribes underher banner 45 .The last years of the wars, known as theVampire War (AC 720-28) were particularlyterrible. The necromancer MorphailGorevitch-Woszlany, Count of Gorenenov,43What is known about Gygar comes from the background of thegroup adventure in D&D Basic Set: “Many years ago, this part ofthe Realm of Man was ruled by a magic-user named Gygar, a manof great and mysterioys powers. He ruled the lands from hismighty castle Mistamere, […] Gygar died after a long and peacefulrule, but no successor was named. […] Now, centuries later,[…]”. Gygar’s story and some of his creations (mostly weaponslike Comet’s Edge and the Sword of Gygar) were detailed by G.Agosta in his works (A Karameikos Companion and Lords of theCruth Lowlands); according to gim, Gygar should have died at thebeginning of the Vampire War (AC 720).44The Monstery on the Hill was introduced in B5: Horror on theHill adventure. The place’s background was further detailed andintegrated with Karameikan history by G. Agosta’s A KarameikosCompanion and other works. The Monastery’s location on theaccompanying map follows the hints found in B1-9: In Search ofAdventure.45Queen Elendorath was mentioned in B12: Queen’s Harvestadventure. Her story was further detailed and integrated withKarameikan history by G. Agosta’s A Karameikos Companion andother works.58THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of Karameikos59THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of Karameikoscalled the “Black Count of the Moor”,became a nosferatu after a dark pact with theImmortal Alphaks in AC 720; he began anaggressive expansionist policy against theother clans. Other cities, includingMarilenev, Vidrin and even Selenica, alliedagainst him, ultimately defeating Morphail inAC 728 and forcing him into exile 46 . At theend of the war, Gorenenov and Lumm 47 hadbeen destroyed; a number of clans alliedwith Morphail chose rather to follow theirruler and migrate to the Highlands thansubmit or continue fighting (those were theancestors of the Boldavians of theHighlands).Diseases, misery, and famines plaguedTraladara during the Holy Wars and duringthe whole 8 th century AC. Many settlementshad been destroyed, many clans wiped out,many people had died and many others hadleft for foreign lands. Once proud andwealthy cities and towns, like Vaion, Halavos,and Volaga, lay in ruins; Zadreth had beenabandoned at the beginning of the Holy Warsdue to a plague; and the survivors of Lugsidhad abandoned their town to pillage, seekingrefuge on the island of Fogor, in LakeWindrush 48 .Thus, the wars marked the beginning ofanother time of demographic loss. Darkforces, who had entered Traladara during46The canonic history of the Traladaran migration toward theHighlands has been expanded by J. Mishler (Thoughts on Darokin)and G. Agosta (A Karameikos Companion).47Lumm should survive as a small farming village after this event,because around AC 980 its inhabitants are kidnapped by the madwizard Skarda according to X12: Skarda’s Mirror.48G. Agosta in his A Karameikos Companion has both Lugsid andZadreth abandoned at the beginning of 10 th century AC. However,in the Hail the Heroes adventure the location of both towns isnearly unknown to the locals, and it is not unreasonable to thinkthat local folklore had knowledge of their location if they wereabandoned only a century ago or so. Thus I found more fitting if theabandonment or destruction of these two towns happened somecenturies earlier, and the Holy Wars seemed to me the right timefor this to happen.the wars, continued to feed on those foolenough to ally with them – like CountKoriszegy, whose lands were cursed andabandoned after he had signed a pact withEntropic powers (AC 783).THE THYATIANCONQUESTAnother two centuries would pass beforethe Traladarans would recover from thistime of wars and misery. In the first half of9 th century AC, dwarves fleeing frompersecution in the Highlands region duringthe Year of Infamy (828 AC) came south;most sailed toward Minrothad, where thelocal government granted them theopportunity to settle of Fortress Island, butsome stayed in Traladara, settling amongthe human communities. Meanwhile, themain branch of the Marilenev dynasty diedout when the last Duke of Marilenev, Radu,perished in AC 872; the ducal title wasabolished, and Castle Marilenev wasinherited by the cadet branch of the family,while the city also formally became anoligarchic republic 49 .On the eve of the 10 th century AC,Traladaran communities were again in aphase of great economic growth; coastalcities had again entered a time of economicrise, and even some inland settlement wasgrowing again (like Vatresh 50 , built over theruins of Lugsid). The Thyatian Empire,more than ever interested in the vast wood49See also note 41. Poor Wizard’s Almanac I says that AC 872was the fifteenth year of Radu’s rule over Marilenev. The cadetbranch is the one to which Valor Marilenev (husband of Magda)belongs.50The name of Vatresh was borrowed from F. Defferrari’s Historyof Traladara ; here, however, the name refers to a much oldersettlement on the same site.60THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

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The History of Karameikosdeposits of Traladara, then decided to put itshands on them by conquering the regionwith the force of arms before the Traladaranstates strengthened again or someone elsebegan their conquest.The campaign was launched in AC 900. TheThyatian armies, led by General FlavianOsteropolus 51 , quickly seized control ofsouthern Traladara, conquering Marilenevand declaring the whole country aprotectorate of the empire; Marilenev wasrenamed Specularum and became the seat ofthe Thyatian governor of the Province ofTraladara. Additional campaigns werelaunched in the following months against thenorthern and western clans; the north waseasily subdued, while the west held for alonger time against the Thyatians. Halag fellquickly to the forces of Legate Alharbius, butthe Kingdom of Achelos required greaterefforts to be conquered, which happened inAC 901 with the siege and destruction ofAchelos town 52 . However, skirmishes in theCruth Lowlands area would have continuedin the following years, up to AC 903. Latergovernors had to quell the uprising of thenorthern clans in the following years, andconsolidation of Thyatian rule over Traladaracould be said complete only by AC 910 53 .51The name of Flavian is found in DDA1: Arena of Thyatis: “Thechapel was built by Flavian, grandson of Eusebius and grandfatherof Helenites, in AC 901. He built it to honor Vanya for his safety andsuccess in the campaigns of conquest led by Emperor Gabrionus IVagainst the Traladarans (whose land is now known as the GrandDuchy of Karameikos). Its construction was financed by spoils ofthe war”. It’s quite likely that Flavian was already back to Thyatis inAC 901 (when an imperial governor may have been sent in hisplace), or that he sent home his accumulated money and gaveinstructions to build Villa Osteropolus’ chapel.52This story was originally created by P. Sullivan (Information onWestern Karameikos), and then revised by G. Agosta (Lords of theCruth Lowlands), whose version I’m following here. Alharbius’surname betrays his Alasiyan ancestry (the character’s name wasMuktar al Harb in Sullivan’s original writeup).53Some works – G. Agosta’s A Karameikos Companion and J.Guerra’s Traladaran Clans – have many Traladaran clans andsettlements destroyed by the Thyatians during the conquest.However, according to GAZ1 Thyatis’ seizure of Traladara seems tobe relatively bloodless, and resistance of the Traladarans toDespite some damage wrought by the troopmovements, for the first time in centuriesthe Thyatian conquest managed to tietogether the main parts of the country. Thepresence of small Thyatian garrisons helpedto make communication routes safer andTraladara’s inclusion within the tradenetwork of the large empire made tradingeven more lucrative. A number of Thyatiansmigrated in the following decades toTraladara, mostly settling in the cities and inthe southern communities. Lands far frommain trade routes and towns were howeverlargely neglected by the Thyatian provincialgovernment, and mostly left to themselves;this fate befell, for example, on the CruthLowlands area, depopulated by prolongedskirmishes between Thyatians and localrebel forces, and then invaded by orcschased again from the Shires in AC 944.Despite the beginning of the constructionof Riverfork Keep in that same year, thenorthern half of this area was graduallyabandoned by humans (who resettled tothe south, in Luln or Halag) and fell underthe control of the orcs within the nexttwenty years 54 .conquest scarce as well. So I chose to have only Boldizsarovich(from the work of B. Yarbrough, Fort Boldizsarovic: BackgroundInformation), Demiatic (from G. Agosta’s Crywolf!), and Achelos(from G. Agosta’s Lords of the Cruth Lowlands) destroyed.Likewise, most of the Traladaran clans marked in red on theaccompanying map were exhiled (like the Gogunov, who went toIerendi, and the Vidrina) or ousted (Vargos, Ivanovich), ratherthan killed (something which happened to the Boldizsarovichand, maybe, also to the Dragomir). Besides in the Cruth Lowlandsand Halag, the Thyatians encountered some staunch oppositionfrom the lords of south-western Traladara – the Ourosco clan andits allies, the Strolojca, the Dragomir, and the Sulescu. The latter’sdefeat opened the road to the reduction of their lands; theBrezovo and the Moubotka, on the other hands, stayed neutral,and saw their possessions untouched or even enlarged.54See G. Agosta’s Lords of the Cruth Lowlands for a moredetailed account of those events.62THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of KarameikosTHE TALE OF ROSENTOS’ EXPEDITIONThe adventure module included in AC2 –Combat Shield and Mini-Adventure, titledThe Treasure of the Hideous One,introduced the story of Colonel Rosentos,sent about a century ago by Duke Stefan ‘theHermit’ to explore and claim the wild landswest of Luln – that is the Blight Swamp. Atthat time, the module says, the duke’s land“were very new”. The module features amap, which however is quite difficult to fitwithin that of GAZ1 – even if AC2 itselfclarifies that the map is left very vague inorder to be fitted within whichever setting aDM feels right. This allows a certain freedomof use regarding the map, and the possibilityto tweak it to fit with GAZ1’s map.As the module’s tale is set a hundred yearsago, Colonel Rosentos’ mission was likelypart of the events which followed theThyatian conquest of Traladara. However,Luln didn’t exist at that time, being settledby refugees from the Black Eagle Baronyafter AC 971 - so you can substitute it withthe adjacent village of Lenov. [You may evensuppose that Luln was born as a ramshacklevillage of refugees on the verge of Lenov inAC 971, but later its population swelled somuch that eventually it absorbed Lenovitself, which became one of its suburbs.]After the occupation of the village of Lenov,Rosentos and his men were sent to explorethe Blight Swamp area, to chase someTraladaran rebels who had sought shelterthere, or simply to take possession of thesparse fishermen villages found there.Rosentos’ superior, Duke Stefan ‘theHermit’, could well be Stefan I Karameikos,great-grandfather of present Grand DukeStefan III Karameikos. Stefan I thus wouldbe the father of Boris Karameikos, who isfeatured in the Karameikos family treeshown in Karameikos: Kingdom ofAdventure supplement. Stefan I, beforebecoming Duke of Machetos, would havebeen one of the first Thyatian governors ofTraladara, as his lands “were very new” atthat time. Perhaps he was the very firstgovernor of Traladara after the conquest,or the second one if Flavian Osteropolus –general of the expeditionary force whichcompleted the conquest – was also theland’s first governor. Within AC 910, StefanI was likely called back to succeed to hisfamily Duchy of Machetos, but he couldalso have abdicated the throne to his sonBoris before dying if he finished his days asa hermit (like his nickname seems tosuggest). So the expedition led by Rosentosshould have taken place in the very firstyears of Stefan I’s rule over Traladara,which could be from AC 901 to AC 903.63THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of KarameikosSTEFAN KARAMEIKOSAND THE CREATION OFTHE GRAND DUCHYIn AC 970 the Thyatian Duke of Machetos,Stefan III Karameikos, was granted byEmperor Thincol the title of grand duke andthe Traladaran lands, in exchange for his richancestral duchy. Thincol, wishing to heal theempire’s finances using Machetos’ richassets, was eager to offer Stefan a good dealof autonomy. Thus, the new grand duke,even if ruling over an effectively autonomousrealm, benefited from the fact that,apparently, his lands were still part of theThyatian Empire.Stefan, who renamed Traladara with hisfamily name, brought with him his mosttrusted advisors and some of his relatives, towhom he entrusted titles and lands in hisnew dominion. Some of them tookpossession of older Traladaran settlementsand simply gave them a new Thyatian names(like what happened with Threshold andVorloi), others established wholly newsettlements (like Kelvin, built of the site ofancient Lavv, and Penhaligon, built on theruins of Vaion). The Thyatian noblemens’settlement was not always peaceful: in manycases they had to impose their authority withforce, and in some cases they wereresponsible for atrocities against theTraladarans, whose rights they didn’tacknowledge; the latter was the case of theGrand Duke’s cousin, Ludwig von Hendriks,who seized Halag and renamed it the BlackEagle Barony.The powerful Traladaran families ofSpecularum, who had until now controlledthe political and economic stage ofTraladara and had largely done as theypleased under the Thyatian governors,fearing a change of attitude by Stefan,caught the opportunity to try to recover thecontrol of their country. Their subtleintrigues failed when, in AC 971, clanMarilenev headed an untimely and violentrevolt in Specularum and of thesurrounding lands, which was brutallycrushed by the grand duke; the Marilenevclan was nearly exterminated, while therebellious forces from surrounding landswere cornered in the ruins of Krakatos anddefeated after a brief siege 55 .55A siege of Krakatos by a Duke Stefan is mentioned inBladderwick’s Human Catapult’s description in AC11: Book ofWondrous Inventions, and I decided to include it in the events ofMarilenev Rebellion. Likely the rebellion was something moreelaborated than a street riot, and saw the direct or covertparticipation of some important Traladaran clans besides the64THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of KarameikosIn the following years Stefan called to himmany cadet members of Thyatian noblefamilies, men and women gifted withheritage and skills to rule, but not destinedto inherit their family titles. Adventurers,nobles, and merchants came to Karameikosand they came to represent the largestimmigration ever experimented by thiscountry during its modern history.Intermarriage between Thyatians andTraladarans became increasingly commonafter AC 970, giving birth to young people ofmixed heritage who more and more tendedto see themselves as Karameikans – not asThyatians or Traladarans anymore. Indeed,in the thirty years after Stefan’s seizure ofTraladara, Thyatian presence has grown tonearly one-fifth of the human population ofKarameikos, with another fifth being peopleof mixed Thyatian-Traladaran ancestry.In his first thirty years of rule, the GrandDuke has improved infrastructure, fortifiedimportant communities and his realm’sborders, built an army to defend it, andcreated a network of loyalties and allianceswith the Traladaran clans and with hisThyatian vassals. Examples of this are thebuilding of Castellan, Rugalov, and Duke’sRoad Keeps, as well as the construction ofpaved roads like the Westron and the Duke’sRoads.Marilenev, like the Kopul of Radovar, the Dromilov of Dmitrov, andeven the support of the exiled Gogunov from Ierendi. The plancontemplated a rebellion of Specularum while a Traladaran armywould have descended upon the city from the north to occupy it.The capital’s rebellion failed, however, and the Traladaran armywas cornered in the ruins of Krakatos, where it fortified itself.Despite a fierce resistance, the Traladarans were defeated; theKopul were stripped of their title and lands, many of their memberswere executed for treason alongside most of the Marilenev clan.The Dromilov’s clanhead (who after all had had a limitedinvolvement in the events of the rebellion) chose to reach theGogunov in their Ierendian exile and thus the family managed tokeep their lands – albeit losing the whole northern half of them tothe Barony of Vorloi.Moreover, Stefan supported the Thyatianpatriarch Olliver Jowett, who had split fromthe Church of Thyatis, and his heterodoxideas, financing the creation of the Churchof Karameikos to further improve the senseof autonomy of his country from theThyatian Empire and to weaken the Churchof Traladara, which had opposed and stillwas opposing his rule. The new church hadan unexpected success, winning the favor ofsome young Traladarans and quicklybecoming the second faith of the country.This last migration of Thyatians has had amostly positive effect on Karameikos from ademographic perspective because, besidesgenerating a notable rise of the population,the Thyatian immigrants have given thecountry a new expansionist thrust towardthe widening of the arable lands and theconquest of the wilderness. Nevertheless, tooutside eyes Karameikos appears as aregion still extremely wild in most of itslands, where an adventurer or a pioneerwilling to risk their life fighting againstnature’s perils and monstrous enemies willfind cheap lands for the grab, and wherecivilization advances through constant strifeagainst he wilderness and their dangerousresidents.65THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of KarameikosZELLIGAR ‘THE UNKNOWN’AND ROGAHN THE FEARLESS’QUASQUETON’S DUNGEONThe Caves of Quasqueton were introducedin adventure module B1 – In Search of theUnknown. Later the dungeon’s location wasplaced near the source of Achelos River inthe map of the Known World included in1983’s Expert Set. B1 told the tale of twoadventuring companions, Zelligar the wizardand Rogahn the warrior, who had built ahuge underground complex far fromcivilization; after having saved the civilizedlands to the south from a barbarian invasion,the two disappeared altogether during anexpedition in the barbarian lands to thenorth.You can leave Quasqueton dungeon where itis (at the source of Achelos River), and usethe following background.THE STORY OFQUASQUETONZelligar and Rogahn were two powerfuladventurers - maybe they were foreigners, orin service of the Thyatian conquerors, astheir motives are described as «based onsome kind of vague (or chaotic) evil» andtheir alignments as «questionable». Theybegan construction of Quasqueton after theThyatian conquest of the Cruth Lowlands(about AC 910), employing powerful magics,and hundreds of slaves and laborers(humanoids, and perhaps even capturedTraladaran rebels); they took advantage ofthe control that the Thyatian Empire wasexerting over this region at the beginning.Construction of Quasqueton took about adecade, and Zelligar and Rogahn used it asthe base of their operations for a some time.Things became increasingly difficult whenThyatian control over the Cruth Lowlandsbegan to wane, isolating their dungeoneven more than they wished. At last theywere forced to intervene directly when alarge orcish horde, defeated by the Hins atthe Battle of Fire Rock in the Five Shires (AC944), poured into the Cruth Lowlands.Before the orcs could reach the southernsettlements of the Cruth Lowlands, the twomanaged to lead them into a narrow passbetween two hills and routed them. TheThyatian provincial government and thelocal population rewarded them for theirdeeds; after that, they again retreated inQuasqueton.Zelligar and Rogahn disappeared years later(before AC 970) in the wild orc territorywest of Quasqueton, in what was their lastadventure. They left their mysteriousdungeon abandoned. Today it has beenoccupied by orcs (some of whom are thedescendants of Rogahn’s and Zelligar’sslaves), troglodytes, and other creatures.Continued on page 6966THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of KarameikosTHE EYES OF TRALDAR AND OTHER STORIESTHE HANTU VALLEY ANDTHE GREY MOUNTAINB7 – Rahasia! adventure module introducedthe elven village of Kota-Hutan, located in aforest at the feet of the Gray Mountain.There stood a temple devoted to the elves’philosophy, called the Quiet Way, foundedby the elves’ ancient spiritual leader, ahuman sage called Elyas. The followers ofthe Quiet Way are called the Siswa. While theoriginal module’s setting was generic, laterB1-9 – In Search of Adventure supplementplaced Kota-Hutan in an area of enchantedforest in the wooded hills east of the Duke’sRoad tract which continues north ofPenhaligon. The area is known as the HantuValley.TOO MANY EYES,OPALS, AND ORBS!According to B7’s background, Elyas waslater killed in a fight against three witcheswho coveted one of the sage’s magical items,the Black Opal Eye, but managed to defeatthem, imprisoning their souls under a largemountain (the Gray Mountain), on whichthe elves later built their temple to honorElyas’ memory.Magic items similar to the Black Opal Eyewere also introduced in other supplements.The first was the adventure The Treasure ofthe Hideous One, included within AC2 –Combat Shield and Mini-Adventuresupplement, where the Essence-Orb ofTrikla the Black Seer, a powerful and evilmagician of ages past, was described. Thesecond was the Eye of Traldar, a powerfuldivination magical device introduced in theadventure DDA3 – Eye of Traldar.While these items are unrelated in officialsources, as they all have divination powers,it seemed interesting to develop a story thatlinked all of them together. Somecontributions by Mystara fans during thecourse of the years developed the storywhich identifies the Black Opal Eye withthe Essence-Orb of Trinkla the Black Seer,and which is summed up below.THE EYES OF TRALDARBefore the Traldar hero Zirchev becameImmortal around BC 870, he trained amortal apprentice and entrusted him withthe protection of the Traldar lands. He gavehim two most-powerful magic items withdivination powers, two orbs known as theEyes of Traldar: the Fire Opal Eye and theBlack Opal Eye. Zirchev’s apprentice tookresidence in a secluded place near the Lakeof Lost Dreams, and became known as apowerful sage and a benevolent magicuser.He was called by the locals the Seer ofthe Lake of Lost Dreams, the Seer of theLake of Lost Souls, or the Seer of Traldar.Various magic-users succeeded as Seers inthe course of the centuries, each onetrained by the previous Seer.TRINKLA THE BLACK SEERAs the Seer’s role became more evident,dark and evil forces began harassing him toeliminate the threat he represented to thefulfillment of their plans, or to steal fromhim the magic items which made him sopowerful. In BC 308, a young Traladaran67THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of Karameikosmagician corrupted by the Immortal Orcus,Trinkla, tricked the Seer into abandoning hishideout and, during his absence, stole theBlack Opal Eye. She fled to the BlightSwamp, where she hoped to uncoverZirchev’s secrets. During her experiments,she created the magical effect known as theSlough of Despair in BC 282. However, a fewyears later (BC 276) she died, being buriedin a hidden dungeon-tomb in the BlightSwamp. The Black Opal Eye was buried withher.ELYAS AND THE QUIET WAYElyas was born in Alphatian-ruled Thyatisaround BC 150. He was one of the firstnon-Alphatian natives of Thyatis to betrained as a magic-user by the Alphatianwizards because of his arcane potential. Hequickly became a powerful wizard, but hisstudious character kept him away frompolitics and human intrigues. Years later,tired of the methods of Alphatiangovernment and of the Thyatians’ intriguesto regain their freedom, he left his homelandand traveled much, at the end heading forthe remote wilderness of Traladara.There, he became a friend of the forest racesand did much to help and defend them frommonsters, humanoids, dark forces, andoutside dangers. In particular he befriendedan isolate elven community whosesettlements were found in the small HantuValley in the middle of the forested foothillsof the Black Peaks range. These wood elves,whose main village was called Kota-Hutan,were Callarii who were left there isolatedwhen many of their kins had retreated in thecentral forests of Traladara after the arrivalof humanoid tribes.Elyas came to be highly regarded by theseelves, and they gave him the opportunity tosettle in their valley. The wizard built alarge tower north of the village of Kota-Hutan. He even developed a new lawfulphilosophy of contemplation andmeditation, merging his own lore(gathered along his travels in the world)with elven traditions. This philosophy wascalled the Quiet Way and the elves of theHantu Valley became its followers (theSiswa, as they were called).ELYAS DEATHElyas continued to act for the good of theelves and other forest races. During hisadventures, he was noticed by the Seer ofTraldar and was later trained to succeedhim as the new Seer, which happened inBC 7. Some years later (BC 4), he evenbraved the dangers of Trinkla’s Tomb in theBlight Swamp and managed to recover theBlack Opal Eye. During his time as Seer ofTraldar, Elyas divided his time between histower in the Hantu Valley (where he keptthe Black Opal Eye) and the Lake of LostDreams (where he kept the Fire Opal Eye).Elyas’ deeds, however, again attracted theattention of the dark forces. In AC 3, theImmortal Orcus sent three of his mostpowerful witches, Karelena, Sorolena, andTrilena, to steal the Black Opal Eye and killthe Seer. They reached Elyas’ tower andused their power to make a huge mountainfall on his tower from the sky; Elyasmanaged to draw the three witches’ soulsunder his tower, entrapping them, but wascrushed under the mountain, and died.Continued on page 6968THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The History of KarameikosContinued from page 66HOW MANY YEARS AGO?B1’s background says that the twocharacters’ disappearance happened“some years ago”, but the most recentwritings in Zelligar’s diary (found withinthe wizard’s closet, in the dungeon) aremore than thirty years old. Thus, if theadventure takes place in AC 1000, Zelligar’sand Rogahn’s disappearance should havehappened before AC 970. Likely the twoexperienced increasing difficulties with theCruth Lowlands’ humanoid and giantpopulation, which eventually (after acouple of decades) convinced them thatthe only solution to save Quasquetonwould have been fighting directly againsttheir opponents to destroy them outright.Unfortunately for them, this adventure wasfar beyond their abilities, and the twonever returned from their expedition.When this happened, memory ofQuasqueton’s precise location hadprobably already fallen from commonknowledge. More than thirty years later,Quasqueton’s name is associated withmystery, treasure, and peril - and spinnedaround by bards and storytellers.Continued from page 68The wood elves of the Hantu Valleyhonored Elyas’ sacrifice building theTemple of the Gray Mountain, devoted tothe Quiet Way, on the site of the mountainfall. The three witches’ spirits continuedto be imprisoned in the ruins of Elyas’tower below the temple, as well as theBlack Opal Eye. Elyas’ sudden deathdiscontinued the tradition of the Seers ofTraldar; there were indeed additionalSeers after Elyas, but their power nevercame close to that of the ancient Seersbefore Elyas, as a part of their ancient lorewas lost with Elyas’ death.Today, the Black Opal Eye is believed lostor destroyed – actually both it and thethree witches’ spirits are watched underthe Gray Mountain by a powerfulsnakelike being created by Elyas, calledUlar-Taman. The Fire Opal Eye – or Eye ofTraldar, as it is now known – has stayed inpossession of the Seers who succeededElyas and who live near the Lake of theLost Dreams.FROMTHE VAULTSOF PANDIUSA number of features in this issue of Threshold carry a“From the Vaults of Pandius” tagline. As one of ourstated aims is “to promote the Vaults of Pandius and thematerial there”, we hope you will enjoy these revisedor extended treasures from that website.69THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Karameikos - The Hidden YearsFROMTHE VAULTSOF PANDIUSA historical timeline of the Karameikosfamily between 901-969 ACThe official history of the Grand Duchy ofKarameikos, as related by Aaron Allston inGAZ 1: The Grand Duchy of Karameikos,describes the Thyatian conquest of Traladarain 900 AC, but skims over the events of thedecades leading up to the arrival of DukeStefan Karameikos III in 970 AC. Earliermaterial relating to the Grand Duchypublished in AC2: The Treasure of theHideous One by David Cook clearly indicatesa ducal presence dating back to the originalconquest. Taken together with a genealogicaltable for the Karameikos family published inKarameikos: Kingdom of Adventure, ahistorical timeline may be imagined for theso-called “Hidden Years” preceding thearrival of the Duke who would be King.The HIDDEN YEARSby Demetrios J. SahlasTHE CONQUEST OFTRALADARA AND REIGNOF DUKE STEFAN “THEHERMIT”The Thyatian conquest of Traladara in 900 ACoccurred during the reign of EmperorGabronius IV. The general of the campaignmay well have been Flavian Osteropolous.Upon his return from Traladara he erected achapel at his estate in Thyatis dedicated toVanya, patroness of war and conquest. FromDDA1: Arena of Thyatis we learn that “Flavianwas undoubtedly the Osteropolous mostaccomplished in the martial arts, as well as,the most pious. He seems to have beensurprisingly honest in his political activities,as well.” The port of Marilenev was renamedSpecularum by the military governorinstalled by the victorious Emperorfollowing the brief but successful campaign.Several of the Thyatian noblemen whoplayed key roles in the conquest soon beganto maneuver for new fiefs. Most notableamong these was Stefan Karameikos, ayounger son of the Karameikos dynasty thathad long ruled the wealthy Duchy ofMachetos. With no immediate prospects to70THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Karameikos - The Hidden Yearsinherit land in Thyatis, Stefan married intothe prominent Traladaran family of Marilenevand set about restoring the ancestral estate.It was during the emperor’s first official visitto Specularum in 901 AC that Stefan wasformally invested as Duke of Marilenev,renewing a historic Traladaran fiefdom.According to Karameikos: Kingdom ofAdventure, Jan Vandevic, leader of a band ofmercenaries during the conquest, was alsorewarded for his loyal service to the Empirewith a fief.Duke Stefan controlled a strong militarypresence and constantly sought to expand histerritory. Soon after consolidating his holdon the Duchy of Marilenev, a ColonelRosentos was sent to explore and lay claim tothe unknown lands to the west, as describedin AC2: The Treasure of the Hideous One.Only a single soldier, Captain Fondalus,returned from this expedition, laterrecounting his tale of the doomed mission toa Thyatian scribe. Meanwhile, the provincialgovernor of Traladara oversaw constructionof the fortress of Krakatos to the north ofSpecularum as a bulwark against invasionfrom the humanoid tribes who wererumoured to dwell within the interior.The Duchy of Marilenev soon had cause forcelebration, with the birth to the Duke andhis wife of a son. However, back in the Duchyof Machetos, Stefan’s older brother diedsuddenly, and his fief passed to a daughter.Her lands did not remain as a dowry for long,and she was soon married to a scion of theKorrigan family. Then, for reasons thatremain unclear, Stefan chose to abdicate in931 AC. He retired to a monastic community,earning him the epithet of Duke Stefan "theHermit". Fortunately, his son Boris was wellregarded, and his claim to the Duchy wassoon approved by the Thyatian Emperor.DUKE BORISKARAMEIKOS AND THEHOUSE OF VONHENDRIKSDuke Boris increased ties with Thyatis byarranging for a strategic marriage withAmelia von Hendriks of Hattias. Thistriggered a new wave of Thyatian immigrantsto the Traladara region, most notably fromHattias but also from throughout theEmpire. One of Amelia’s relatives wasgranted the fief of Halag to the west, andbegan constructing a fortress to safeguardthe populace. Others, such as members ofthe prominent Rodemus family of ThyatisCity, settled in and around the town of Luln.Boris and Amelia had two sons, namingthem Stefan and Victor. The boys grew upspeaking both Traladaran and Thyatian, andwere equally at ease in both cultures. Theywere weaned on Traladaran folk tales bytheir grandmother, but were also educatedby the finest tutors from the Thyatian capital.Both underwent the Traladaran custom ofshearing, which greatly contributed topopularizing its uptake among the earlyThyatian settlers.Stefan, the eldest, was widely anticipated tobecome Duke after his father , and spent hisyouth adventuring throughout theuncharted wilderness of Traladara. That hecould pass as a native Traladaran allowedhim to gain a familiarity with the commonfolk, and he often traveled between remotevillages and homesteads, becoming afamous and much-loved adventurer.71THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Karameikos - The Hidden YearsVictor, on the other hand, developed deepfriendships among the demi-human races,most notably the horse-riding Calarii elves.He wished to make his own way in the worldand so traveled eastward, eventuallybecoming a forester in Thyatis. He latermarried his cousin, Amanda Korrigan, thewealthy heiress of Machetos, and soultimately brought about a renewal of theKarameikos dynasty.DUKE STEFANKARAMEIKOS IIUpon the death of his father, StefanKarameikos II became the third Duke ofMarilenev. During this time, economic tieswere being strengthened between theTraladara region and both the Empire ofThyatis and the more distant Emirates ofYlaruam, with the development of a newtrade route across a southern spur of theAltan Tepe mountains. Construction wasinitiated on a fortified keep in the foothills ofthe mountains to protect and sheltermerchant caravans on their way toSpecularum from the Barony of Biazzan, anda castellan was installed to oversee itsoperations.Unfortunately, the prosperity which followedinevitably triggered an increasing number ofhumanoid raids, culminating in the siege anddestruction of Krakatos in 959 AC. Theseevents coincided with the Alphatian invasionof the Isle of Dawn, limiting what militaryassistance the Empire could provide. Worse,Duke Stephan Karameikos II was slain,plunging the small Duchy of Marilenev into asuccession crisis.In the chaos which followed, Valor Marilenev,an uncle of Duke Stefan II, successfullyrepelled the marauding humanoids, andsubsequently sought rulership of the Duchyof Marilenev. His claim was not recognizedby Emperor Gabronius V, who waspreoccupied with the war. In fact, there wasdissent among the powerful Traladaranfamilies, and the Traladara region was tornapart by further conflict.Andreas von Hendriks, the Baron of Halag,chose to invade the wealthy Duchy ofMarilenev. Leading an attack against Valor’sforces, a faction of the baron’s Traladaransubjects betrayed him and he was capturedand executed. His wife Bretonia Korrigan,and their young son Ludwig, were able toescape to seek asylum with relatives inThyatis.DUKE STEFANKARAMEIKOS IIIMeanwhile, in the nearby Duchy ofMachetos, Victor Karameikos and AmandaKorrigan had given birth to a son in 948,whom they named Stefan after his uncle.Tragically, the young Stefan Karameikos IIIlost his mother at the age of 9. His auntBretonia, wife of the late Baron Andreas vonHendriks, introduced Stefan to his cousinLudwig when the boys were 14 years-old.Together with various companions,including those who were to play a role inthe history of the Grand Duchy ofKarameikos in years to come, the young heirto the Duchy of Machetos came to knowformer gladiator Thrainkell Thorson, theman destined to become the future emperorThincol I of Thyatis. Stefan Karameikos IIIbecame the Duke of Machetos at the age of20, upon his father's untimely death. Withintwo years, however, he traded his ancestral72THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Karameikos - The Hidden Yearslands to the Emperor in exchange for theentire Traladara region (and autonomythereafter). Moreover, Stefan possessed avalid claim to the Duchy of Marilenev, andwhile Machetos was rich, it was a rather dullplace by comparison.The young Duke Stefan led a military forceinto Specularum and asserted his claim asDuke Stephan III of Karameikos, whichincluded the Estate of Marilenev. He wasjoined by several of his companions, and alsohad the support of the Calarii elves, inacknowledgemnt of the bond forged yearsago by his father. Valor Marilenev led thesubsequent Traladaran uprising and waskilled.Duke Stefan awarded fiefs to those who hadaccompanied him to Traladara. His cousinLudwig was awarded the Barony of Halag,which he renamed the Black Eagle Barony.Ludwig reconquered the town and renamedit Fort Doom as a stark reminder to thosefamilies whose members had betrayed hisfather. Stefan’s Thyatian peers DesmondKelvin and Philip Vorloi were also grantedfiefs. Lord Arturus Penhaligon was amongthe first of the Thyatian nobles to immigrateto the Grand Duchy. Finally, MerrikHalaran’s brother Sherlane agreed tobecome patriarch of the church inKarameikos. Sherlane later adopted Merrik’sdaughter Aleena after she was orphaned.The remainder of the history of the GrandDuchy of Karameikos to the present day iswell known. However, the motivations ofmany, including both the Duke himself andhis cousin Ludwig von Hendriks, canperhaps be better understood in light of pastevents. Knowledge of these “hidden years” isintended to spur additional creativity inconstructing the backstory for your ownmemorable campaign set in Karameikos.73THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Thorn s Mystarais a columnoutlining the community’s changesto the D&D Known World. In eachinstallment, a different take onMystara will be explored by adifferent member of the community.First outlined by David Cook in the 1981Expert Set and adventure module X1: Isleof Dread, the Known World wasexpanded by Frank Mentzer in the 1984Expert Set’s revision. Bruce Heard becamethe setting’s shepherd throughout the late80s and 90s, overseeing development(and writing a couple) of the Gazetteerline, giving readers in-depth view ofcountries of the Known World. Thesewere followed by the Dawn of theEmperors and Hollow World boxed sets,expanding from a single continent to theentire planet, inside and out. Bruce alsodeveloped Mystara through the Voyage ofthe Princess Ark and Known WorldGrimoire articles published in DragonMagazine between 1990 and 1993. Muchof that work was compiled into 1993’sChampions of Mystara boxed set. Thesetting was further revised and broughtover to AD&D 2nd Edition as the“Mystara” line in 1994. Official TSRsupport in-print of the setting ended in1995.by Robert Nuttman (RobJN)MY MYSTARA— known on the web and the Piazza forumsas “Thorn’s Mystara,” is a spin on theKnown World incorporating elements fromseveral d20 products. Thorn’s Mystara maynot be for everyone. Many of the more“whimsical” features have been ignored(rather, they have yet to be addressed), andthe picture that has been developing overthe past five years has been one of a muchdarker world, haunted by the long shadowcast by Blackmoor’s ruin. Sorry, no gnomishbiplanes, and no tropical resorts on Ierendi.It began with rethinking the cause of theGreat Rain of Fire. Rather than the canonical“Blackmoor devices” exploding, myMystara’s Great Rain of Fire was started byBlackmoor devices — one device, inparticular, the Planar Disjunction Device,dubbed by the developers as Andahar’sEngine.74THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

CHERRY PICKING:Ideas too good to pass up fromlater editions (or, How I Learnedto Stop Worrying and Love thed20)I blame much of this on KeithBaker and his setting-searchwinningEberron CampaignSetting. There was much in thatsetting that evoked much of thesame “pulp and sorcery” feel I getfrom Mystara. Magewrights andartificers make perfect fits fordwarven or gnomish subclasses,with their penchant fortechnomagical tinkerings.The rules for demonic possessionmade for fantastic ideas forvillains, as well as a delightfullysinister origin for magicalweapons in a world where “Magic”is a lost art. Not only that, I wasnever satisfied with the “tradingin” of weaponry for bigger andbetter plusses. A demon housed ina blade could be bargained with toprovide whichever power mightbe necessary for a given fightagainst any manner of foes,making for some fun role-playingopportunities. Or it could beboiled down to a “battle of wills”contest resolved with a few dicerolls.The following of the Silver Flamewas also carried over. It is not“native” to Mystara, having beenbrought over by the Alphatians.Magic users took care of the rest.Reckless summoning by beast men and Afridhi overthe course of three wars and two crusades left aplague of demons infesting the planet, theirnumbers becoming more and more difficult andcostly for the Blackmoor Empire to fight off.Blackmoor’s greatest minds at the Universitydevised the Planar Disjunction Device, which wouldsever the demons’ conduit between the Prime andtheir home plane, destroying their ability tophysically manifest. A second pulse from the Devicewas supposed to force the demons’ etherealessences back across the ethereal boundary.The secondary pulse, a planet-wide tidal wave, notof water, but of pure Radiance, did not burn thedemons away, as expected. Rather, it absorbed thedemons’ essences, as it would the soul of one failingan attempt to attain Immortality. The increase involume spilled over into the planet’s naturalmagical fields, tainting the source for “regular”(non-Radiant) magic as well. The more magic awizard used, the faster the rot and decayaccumulated, eventually driving them mad.It was in this madness that the magic users broughtdown mountains, sent seas rushing across thelands, remade continents and coastlines, andwrenched the very stars across the sky.Magic was not entirely lost, though. Clerical spellsstill work without any ill effects on its users, anddruidic magics have been found to weaken thelingering demons’ hold on the land itself. Magicfrom the Old World can be made to work, if the usercan find the rare, ancient texts. The madness caneven be staved off, if the mage is foolish enough toforge a pact with one of the demonic entitiessuffusing the Radiance, or with one brought overfrom the Ethereal Plane.The Radiance is not the only source of magicalpower on Mystara. It was simply the most75THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

With their connection to severalnewer strains of lycanthropy, itonly seems natural that theywould wield a power against it,capable of rooting outshapechangers.The notion that the world isseeded with magical stones ofvarying abilities was also too goodto pass up. Could they have beenscattered in the catastrophe thattilted the very planet on its axis?Do they occur naturally or (likecinnabryl), perhaps unnaturally?The Alphatian “spell weaving” isinspired by Robert Jordan’s Wheelof Time series, and the mechanicsare being developed based onthose presented in the d20 Wheelof Time Campaign Setting.accessible, and thus, was the most widely used untilits corruption. But much like the glare of the sun ismade up of many different colors of light, it wasdiscovered that magic itself operated much the sameway. The notion that it came exclusively from theSphere of Energy was erroneous: Energy was simplyeither the largest part of the pattern, or acted as the“carrier” to bring the magical effect into the Prime.Small pockets of would-be magic users felt their waythrough this re-weaving of magic, but it would not beuntil the arrival of the Alphatians — with theirstructured and methodical weaving of threads ofPower from the Spheres — that its use would flourish.MY MYSTARA’S GRAND DUCHYOF KARAMEIKOSThe lands of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos wereonce the seat of a Blackmoorresearccolony.Specifically, the Black Peaks betweenthe Cruth and Altan Tepes mountain ranges.Belerophon, as it was then known, sat atop greatcaverns where black dragonstones grew naturally —one of only three places on what was known, inBlackmoor’s day, as the Western Continent.Left to grow on their own, the dragonstones’properties were unstable. They had to be harvestedand cut precisely to be used to their fullest potential,and this work was not done at the colony’s labs. Lestit fall into enemy hands, the technology of honing thestones into tools and weapons was kept as far awayfrom the source as possible. As such, Belerophonhosted one of the Empire’s most active LightningRoads, exporting the black dragonstones toBlackmoor University, or to the World Mountainresearch facility near the planet’s northern polaropening.76THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

When the Great Rain of Fire struck, the colony wasshut down, the surviving inhabitants fleeing to thesurface, left in the care of the warforgedmaintenance crews. Twice in the first thousandyears of sleep, the colony was breached, first bygiants (who had no use for the puny Manlings’ pettymagics). The second time was by the Troll Queen ofGrondheim (not to be confused with her distantdescendant, Haa’k Hordar), intrigued by the giants’tales of the ‘corridors sheathed in steel’ and of vastcaverns full of black crystals. Her incursion awokethe colony’s master defense program, whichtriggered the collapse of the bulk of the facility. Onlythe secondary laboratories survived, mostly intact,to be rediscovered by the hutaaka settlers somethousands of years later. Their culture’sadvancement is thought to have been the result ofdiscovering the caches of dragonstones untouchedby the Troll Queen. Their culture would perish withthe coming of the Beast Man hordes. The remainingdefenses of the colony were overwhelmed, and itagain shut itself down, and its secrets slept beneaththe mountains until reawakened by a renegadedruid….The dragonstone caverns served as a magical falloutshelter for the ethereal demons. They survived theGreat Rain of Fire, hibernating in the imperfectprisons of uncut black dragonstones. From there,they seeped into the very bones of the land, to befreed accidentally, or by trickery, or, in the case ofAncient Taymora’s lycanthrope thralls, by design.Taymora’s breaking up and sinking into the Sea ofDread broke the stranglehold vampires andlycanthropes held over the land, and powerfulthough they were, their numbers dwindled whilethe human population only grew. The means andmethods of battling the monsters were passed downfrom family to family, generation after generation,and shaped the Traladaran culture into what seemsto outsiders as a superstitious and distrustful nation.MAGIC USERSMagic users do not ‘technically’exist as a class on Thorn’s Mystara.Typically, they are used as villains-- NPCs at best -- and many of theirspells are lost, wondrous things.Books and scrolls are extremelyrare, as the chaos of the Great Rainof Fire purged most originalmagical writings. This is not to saythat stray, mad wizards do not stillresearch That Which Should NotBe Known, or that the demonicpresences do not ‘help’ with thereconstruction of Old Magic. Forclarity, those practicing Old Magicwithout the ‘benefit’ of a demonicpresence, and thus at risk of goingmad, are referred to as “magicusers.” Those using Old Magicplaying host to a demonic essenceare referred to as “warlocks.” Bothare to be feared in equal measure.Anyone forming a pact with one ofthe demonic essences gains accessto “old magic,” multiclassing usingthe rules set forth in the HollowWorld Player’s Guide for Warrior-Elven learning magic later in life,p. 7)Decay, Insanity and CorruptionThe rules in the GlantriGazetteer’s section on use of theRadiance are expanded to allmagic user spells: there is a 1percent chance per spell level thatthe withering, rotting diseasetakes root, corrupting part of thewizard’s body beyond the ability of77THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

mortal magic to heal. This“percentage” also builds up,weighing on the wizard’s mindand sanity. So, a magic usercasting a 2nd level spell has a 2percent chance of becomingafflicted with the rotting disease,and adds 2 percent to his runningtotal of sanity loss. Spells of theRadiance carry double thepercentage chance. A wizardopening himself to demonicpossession is shielded from theeffects of the rot and insanity, butthat running total is still kept,applying instead to how muchcontrol the demon can exerciseover its host, as it gnaws away at itswarlock’s soul...Weavers: Sundsvall Initiates andCiprian WildersThose who follow the “new” or“untainted” method making use ofcast-off threads of Spheric Powerare known as weavers, as thegestures they use in manipulatingthe threads look much like thoseworked at a loom. They also referto their spells and spell-like effectsas ‘weaves.’ Weaves of similarproperties are grouped intofamilies called “Talents.”There are two schools of learning,based on the two ancientAlphatian cultures that have foundtheir way to Mystara. TheAlphatian method involves ahighly structured and disciplinedstudy of the forces and powersEvery Traladaran home contains at least oneimplement edged in silver, and even the youngest inthe family know better than to go out after sundownwithout it. If a stranger begs entry, it is best to bar thedoor. Never open the door in response to threeknocks. What seem strange habits to the Thyatianinvaders are what has kept the Traladaran peoplerelatively safe from the demons, werewolves, andvampires that haunt the land. None wish to repeat themistakes of the brothers Koriszegy.How have the slight changes to the historical canonchanged Thorn’s Karameikos?No Guild of Magic. The Grand Duke has allowed agray-robed sister from the Alphatian Tower of Lightsto remain at court, as both advisor and ambassador.Her retinue of red and blue-robed sisters are allowedwithin the borders of the Grand Duchy under strictsupervision, their rounds to the villages to seek outthose with an affinity for magic performed on a rigidschedule. All of those touched with the sparkenabling magical ability must receive the permissionof their families, and that of the Grand Duke, to leavehis lands to study at the Tower in Alphatia. The Toweris also to compensate the families for each year of thenovice’s training.A Fourth Church. Besides the Churches of Traladaraand Karameikos (and, though not officiallyrecognized, the Cult of Halav), most towns contain atleast a small shrine to the Alphatian Silver Flame, astrange worship brought by the Wandering Exiles tothe East. The patriarchs of the Traladaran andKarameikan pantheons both recognize the superiorabilities of the Silver Flame in dealing with deceptiveand hidden foes, but neither have seen fit to includethe alien, anima-spirit into their respective pantheons.The Eyes of Traldar: Legendary magical stones, saidto have been infused with the last of the pure magicof the World That Was. They appear throughout manyof the Old Traladaran legends, passed down throughthe Golden Age by the druids. Some stories claim78THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

there was but one Eye, the Fire Opal used by QueenPetra to foresee the defeat of the Beast Men at thecost of the life of Halav Red Hair. Others claim thatthere are other Eyes: A Black Opal Eye, said to havebound the souls of the Terrible Sisters Trilena andKarelena; its misuse has also been cited as the causefor the Silent Forest in the middle of Dymrak’sWood, as well as the Silver Princess’ curse thatclaimed Lost Haven. Legends tell of an Azure Eye,said to be the source of All Knowledge, the stonethrough which Zirchev learned and taught the skillsof forging bronze to Halav, and use of the loom andwheel to Petra. The Huntsman’s knowledge of thestirrup and laminate bow were also said to havebeen gleaned from the stone. Some say that hispeople, the Darine, pay to this very day for Zirchev’smastery of Runic magic, that the price will be metwhen they find and master the Last Eye, the ViridianEye of Time.The White Witches. Historical anomalies, thesefigures appear over and over again in the tales of theTraladarans, and, in fact, many other culturesthroughout the Known World of Thorn’s Mystara.Tapestries surviving from the earliest days after thedefeat of the Beast Men (such as one recovered fromthe Temple of the Shield) show them in thecompany of Halav and Petra. Woodcuts of theearliest Thyatian missionaries’ transcriptions of theSong of Halav — even verses of the Song itself —reference the pale golden-haired girls. Are theyelves? Faeries? No two sources agree on their originor purpose, except that they come to the aid ofheroes in their darkest hours. Or is it that they lureheroes to their doom?Zirchev’s Folk, and His Gift: One tribe chose toflee Traladara, rather than face the onslaught of theBeast Men, only to return some 400 years later afterwandering the Great Waste and the Plain of Fire farto the west. They have never truly been welcomedback, and are regarded with an even deeperbehind the weaves. Because theTower of Seven Lights is located inthe Alphatian capital, thosestudying methodical, rigidcoursework are called SundsvallInitiates. Their weaves tend to bemore powerful when workingwithin their Talents, but they areunable to do much beyond whatthey haven’t yet learned. Bycontrast, those who forego studyat the Tower to learn on their own,or with a non-Tower-trainedmentor follow the Cipriantradition of instinct and trial-anderror.This is the method favoredby the Flaemish weavers of Braejrand the Glantrian Alps. While theirweaves tend to pack slightly lesspunch than those of theirAlphatian counterparts, Ciprian“Wilders” (as those in Sundsvallrefer to them) have a widerbreadth of weaves to use withintheir chosen Talents.Clerical and druidic magicfunction just as written in the D&DRules Cyclopedia.These changes wrought on themagics of Thorn’s Mystara involvesignificant alterations to the twomagical powerhouse nations ofAlphatia and Glantri. But we’llhave to save those summaries forfuture issues of Threshold....79THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

suspicion by their kinsmen than most foreigners.They are Traldar’s lost tribe: the Darine, consistingof three main clans. The largest, and most commonlyencountered are the Kaledresh, wanderers with atalent for mending and tinkering. Their presence istolerated among the outlying farmsteads for as longas they are useful in patching pots and re-shoeinghorses. The Marikesh clan keeps sheep, goats, pigs,and horses. Their horses are said to only be matchedor bettered in quality by those of the elves. Thesmallest clan, the Lovani, are said to be of directlineage with Achelos and Zirchev. Their membersare among the wisest of sages and most powerfulseers. Their craftsmen make the finest cloth andleather goods.Members of each clan who take up Zirchev’s debtalso take up one of his many marks. The Kaledreshigain power over the roads and many means of travel.Those of Marikesh gain an affinity for animals andthe wild. Lovani are granted the ability to See overgreat distances, not only of miles and leagues, butalso years and centuries.CHANGES TO NPCS WITHINTHORN’S MYSTARAWhat discussion of Karameikos would be completewithout mention of Bargle and Aleena?Aleena Halaran, 6 th Level Human Female Cleric,Knight of the Griffon. First Lieutenant of the 13 thCompany of the Fourth Division, Castellan’s GuardBattalion. Soft-spoken, but no shrinking violet whenit comes to engaging the enemy, Aleena leads thesmall squad of Knights of the Griffon attached toCastellan’s Keep. Scuttlebutt amongst the rank andfile of the Fourth Division is that she only got placedthere because her uncle is a Patriarch within theChurch of Karameikos. This is not entirely untrue, asBaron Halaran has placed his niece as far away fromDRAGONSTONESInitially, Thorn’s Mystara was onlyhost to the three varieties of‘dragonstones’ outlined in theEberron Campaign Setting. Butthe more I thought about it, themore I wanted to make that ideainto something uniquely Mystaran.Eberron’s “land, sky, andunderdark” varieties were all welland good, but I have expandedMystara’s assortment toencompass all the colors of thechromatic dragons. Rather thanlinking to a “parent” dragon’stropes, though, the dragonstonesare tied more closely to theMystaran cosmology’s Spheres ofPower.Red stones allow the control ofobjects of Matter and Energy. Theuser can control flames, alter thecomposition of stone, and gainsresistance to heat. They take theirpower from the users’ blood.Black stones are linked to theSphere of Entropy, and allow themanipulation of electricity andshadow. They can also be used tocontrol any being with a soul, orbind a spirit or ethereal essenceinto the matrix of the stone. Theytake their power from the usersvitality.White dragonstones are alsolinked to the Sphere of Entropy,but in a positive manner: they areused for healing and warding. A80THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

the Black Eagle’s Barony of Halag as possible, lestshe lead another crusade against Von Hendricks’right-hand man.Bargle “the Infamous” 7 th Level Human Thief/2 ndLevel Warlock*. Scoundrel, trickster, hired hand ofthe Black Eagle Baron, Bargle is wanted in mosttownships of the northern baronies for robbery,extortion, theft, and at least one murder. He isknown to keep company with hounds of the IronRing, and is rumored to have provided them withinnumerable opportunities to collect slavesthroughout the Black Eagle Barony. He is knownto masquerade as a Darokinian spice merchant, abard from Rugalov, and an itinerant actor fromLuln. He was last seen departing the Twelve RosesInn at Luln, in the company of a young maidenthat — as the innkeeper put it — “if she was ’isdaughter as ’e claimed, then she certainly got all’er looks from ’er mother. ’Cept’n for those eyes.”Lord Valen Karameikos, 2 nd Level Human Thief.Recently Sheared, the Grand Duke’s youngest sonhas disappeared into the wilds of northernKarameikos, despite Lady Olivia’s best efforts, andthose of her information network to keep track ofhim. A report from Townguard Sergeant Artholindicated Lord Valen made a brief appearance inThreshold, but has not been seen there sinceshortly before the Festival of Lights, when therewas a misunderstanding about a purse, a pendant,and a peace-bond….white dragonstone’s powers arefueled by the life force of the user.Blue stones are tied to the Sphere ofThought, and are used to imprintinformation and memories. Theyallow the control of winds and theweather. Blue dragonstones feed onthe memories of their user.Green stones are bound to the Sphereof Time. They are used to effectdrastic change, allowing themanipulation of existing forms andthe speeding, slowing, and temporarystalling of time itself. Particularlypowerful green dragonstones allowthe breaking of the bonds of timeitself, making travel to the past orfuture possible. Users of greendragonstones activate its powers atthe cost of their own lifespans.Thorg’s Mystara Linkography:Thorn’s Chronicle BlogThorn’s Chronicle Thread index at the Piazza(thanks for compiling this, TAD!)Magic Items of Thorn’s MystaraThe Mystaran ArtificerExorcist of the SIlver Flame,a clerical “prestige” class:81THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Bruce Heard InterviewCommunity InterviewThe "Community Interviews" column aimsat providing insight on the the Mystaracommunity, by interviewing authors andcommunity members.To start this column, who could be morequalified than Bruce Heard, the man wholed the development of the setting thatwould be later named Mystara? Bruceauthored key products in the lines thatcompose the Mystara setting, including(among many others) two Gazetteers, thePrincipalities of Glantri and Orcs of Thar,and the well-loved Dragon Magazine series,"Voyages of the Princess Ark". Bruce hasrecently come back to the setting,authoring a blog at http://bruceheard.blogspot.it/.Without further ado,let's read his thoughts on the setting and hisplans for the future!Insert photoOf Bruce HeardTHRESHOLD Magazine: We understandthat you were deeply involved in thedevelopment of the Known World. Canyou explain the origins of the Gazetteerline?Bruce Heard: That was very straightforward.I didn’t like “generic” adventure modules,which formed the backbone of supplementsin the D&D Game lineup. I wanted to beable to place them somewhere in a setting.The Expert Set map was great, but too littleinformation was provided about the realmsthere. Before I came to Lake Geneva, I’d runa 1 st Edition AD&D campaign set inGreyhawk for about a year-and-a-half.. Thiswas my original background. No adventureever went forth without being locatedspecifically, or without some impact on theregion. Factors related to the campaign setalways influenced adventure plots and theheroes’ motivations. Transiting from this togeneric modules could only lead me to seeka colorful and detailed development of theKnown World, and of Mystara later on.Since Karameikos was the starting point inthe Basic D&D Set, so it became the first ofthe Gazetteers.You're listed in GAZ1 credits ascoordinator. Could you tell us aboutyour role in the creation of theKarameikos Gazetteer?My previous answer actually starts toillustrate the extent of my role at that time.The function of product manager for gameworlds did not yet exist officially at TSR. So82THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Bruce Heard Interviewthe credit was labeled as “coordinator.” Anumber of us in the Games Division alreadyacted as lead designers or “proto-linemanagers.”We did a lot more than merely“coordinate.” Mine was a sideways entry intothat field. I was first hired as a Frenchtranslator and relocated from France to LakeGeneva in Wisconsin. I was laid-off for a fewmonths and re-hired to “coordinate”freelance contracting for the GamesDivision—a tip of the hat to Harold Johnsonwho was instrumental in this decision. AfterFrank Mentzer’s departure from TSR, therewas no one left to steer the Basic D&D line.It probably was a political hot potato thatnobody wanted to deal with because of itslink to Frank, and therefore Gary Gygax. Bythen, Lorraine Williams had taken over TSR’supper management. Besides the politicalissue, most authors at TSR were moreinterested in the AD&D game because it hadmore bells and whistles to play with, and itowned a much greater exposure in thegames’ industry based on general salesnumbers. Since the vast majority of BasicD&D game supplements had to be farmedout to freelancers, by default, I became the“nanny” for Frank’s baby. This put me in theright place to devise the format for GAZ1,that is, its contents, length of chapters,general idea and goal, and physicalcomponents. I worked with the art managerat the time to select an outstanding internalillustrator, Steven Fabian, and with in-housecartographers to develop the hex-map styleinto a colored, poster-sized version. This wasthe beginning of a long and successfulcooperation with the mapping department,which eventually led to the Mystara TrailMaps, the first in that format at TSR. I alsoworked with Clyde Caldwell to settle on aconcept for the cover art. Finally, I pickedAaron Allston, with whom I had alreadycooperated in the past, as the author.Beyond the terms of the contract I issuedhim, I left Aaron a lot of leeway to furtherdevelop the concept and the contents, whichresulted in the Karameikos we all know today.Karameikos evolved quite a lot from theoriginal map in the Expert Set to theGazetteer. One key evolution was theintroduction of the ethnic divide betweenTraladarans and Thyatians. Was there aspecific interest in making the settingmore attractive to a more matureaudience?I think the answer to this lies in my gamingstyle, but also in my choice of freelanceauthors, who were mature writers—AaronAllston (Karameikos, Rockhome, to namejust these two), Ken Rolston (Ylaruam,Northern Reaches), Steve Perrin (Alfheim),Ed Greenwood (the Shires), etc. I wrote theGazetteers for Glantri and the Broken Lands,but my light-hearted approach didn’t alwaysplease everyone. These last two werenonetheless very successful, and GAZ3 set anew standard for this category of products,not just for Mystara, but other game lines atTSR and elsewhere.In Wrath of the Immortals we saw DukeStefan declaring himself King, and thisevolution is already hinted at in theGazetteer. Do you have any thoughts onwhere this young kingdom would go next?It’s bound to remain at odds with the empire,which should continually seek to re-attach itto its mainland possessions. Karameikosholds a tricky position. It can’t defeat theempire militarily, therefore it must rely ondiplomacy and strong links with internalforces in Thyatis, which would act on its83THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Bruce Heard Interviewbehalf. Surrounding realms aren’t likely toside with Karameikos if a full-blown conflictdeveloped. The solution for Karameikos is tonegotiate with imperial circles whilecultivating strategic ties, such as marriagesand alliances with opposing parties inThyatis. At worst, Karameikos could deal withAlphatia, but that would be counter-currentto the aspirations of its people. It would bean act of desperation that would destroyprevious associations with Thyatian partiesand Karameikan aristocracy.Why do you think Karameikos is such apopular gazetteer?It’s the first in a series, it describes the startingpoint of the Basic D&D game, and it’s welldone. The product’s style is spot on. Theformat is good. Art and maps are excellent.And the author’s concepts andinterpretations add yet another level.Therefore, it’s natural that this would be apopular title. All that in 64-pages. It was a bitpricey, at $10.00 retail, compared with“Northern Reaches” which ran 96 pages andwas packed with goodies, priced at $8.95 thefollowing year. Don’t ask why—I don’tremember how that happened. I surmise thatinitial sales for Karameikos were seriouslyunderestimated, resulting in a higher salesprice. It had to be reprinted a number oftimes, and by then, the remainder of theGazetteer series became a lot more crediblein the eyes of TSR’s upper management.From a financial point of view, GAZ1 provedvery profitable for TSR, and an auspiciousstart which earned upper management’slong-lasting support for this product line.How did you first get into working withAaron Allston? Do you have any particularmemories of your working together onMystara?When I was put in charge of “coordinating”the Games Division’s freelance acquisitions,I went through a thorough process ofidentifying writers and evaluating theirtalents and experience. Aaron had anestablished record as a contributor to otherpublishers. He also came warmlyrecommended when I asked around. If Irecall correctly, I hired him for N4 “TreasureHunt” in 1986, then “Skarda’s Mirror” in1987. Aaron did well in both cases, so Isolicited his services once more that year, forKarameikos, which he executed very well.His reliability at the time was anothersignificant factor that earned him eventuallya lead position with the Mystara productline. Aaron was easy to get along with,willing to follow my initial directions, veryprofessional, hard-working, down to Earth,a talented creative, and a reliable partner. Ienjoyed his interpretations of the requiredassignments and had more than my share ofchuckles when reading his first drafts.Besides, he has velcro-like hair, so when hesticks to you, you can’t get rid of him! Plushe lives in Austin, Texas, which is a coolplace. Did I miss anything?You've made your return to the Mystaracommunity in great style, with the indepthcoverage of Alphatia and the DogDays of Rougeain in your blog. What areyour plans for the future of the blog?Part of me wants to completely finish thetopic of Alphatia, to the degree I’ve reachedwith the present chapters (Ar, Ambur,Frisland). This requires substantial writeupsfor Limn, Stonewall, Stoutfellow, etc. Alsooriginally planned were surroundingcolonies, such as Bellissaria, Qeodhar,84THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Bruce Heard InterviewYannivey Islands, Aquas, etc. This is inquestion now, as the result of WotC’s refusalto work with me in reviving the “Adventuresof the Princess Ark”. I wrote those forDragon Magazine in the late 80s and early90s, and therefore they became DragonMagazine’s property. On a higher level,these stories were based on Mystara, whichwas a D&D Game intellectual propertyowned by TSR. All of it eventually went toWotC and is now unavailable for theforeseeable future. This situation promptedme to start a separate project with a newworld setting, a new ship, and a new crew inthe spirit of the Princess Ark and Mystara. Atleast judging from the amount of materialreleased, the result is a new series ofadventures of a much greater scope to seethe light both as e-books on Amazon.comand printed versions afterward. This is mypresent project. Concept work is nowcomplete, graphic contributors have beenselected, the logo is ready, maps are wellunderway, and efforts are in progress tobudget the endeavor and prepare a credibleKickstarter campaign slated for later this year.I’ll make announcements on the blog aboutthis as the right times come along.So, what does this really mean for theblog’s Mystara content?You might have noticed a slowdown in thenumber of posts these past few months.That’s because I’ve been busy working on thenew project. I expect to continuecontributing Mystara entries, at a reducedpace. Once the new project kicks in, therewill inevitably be a growing number of postsabout the latter. WotC may object to D&Drelatedarticles because this blog will bepromoting my project, rather than justMystara. If Wizards intervened, I would beforced either to cease any further support ofMystara (likely), or move Mystara-relatedmaterials to a separate blog (maybe). Youmight also have noticed I removed the termD&D from the blog’s header. Eventually, I’llhave to change its look as well, replacingClyde’s Glantri artwork (which I believeWotC owns) and using in its place what willbe available from the new project. If Wizardsdoes not interfere, I can go on contributingto Mystara on the side, which I would prefer.Mystara is a hard thing to give up.You recently announced on your blogand elsewhere that you are working oncreating a new setting and new stories.What can you tell us about this project?Do you think it will appeal to fans ofMystara and your work on Glantri and thePrincess Ark?The new setting is called Calidar, from thename of its main world. The present seriesof stories will have the subtitle “In StrangerSkies.” This universe is designed to promoteairships and their voyages in the skies andthrough outer space. Major efforts weremade during concept stages to create a styleand format familiar to fans of Mystara and thePrincess Ark. You might have noticedsurveys I posted on Facebook concerningMystara and the Princess Ark. These are toolsto help capture the essence of these settingsand what made them endearing to their fans.Copyright limitations prevent me entirelyfrom using names, geographical features, orelements particular to Mystara and thePrincess Ark; however, general analogiesshould help maintain a familiar feel and aneasy transition. The Calidar series remainnon-game-specific to avoid issues with theD&D product in general. The project followsthe same approximate structure as the one85THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Bruce Heard Interviewfrom the Princess Ark stories in DragonMagazine—a narrative followed by a worldsupplement, maps, and illustrations. Theinitial release will be a standalone title andprovide a great deal more material than themagazine articles ever could. Duringconcept stages, I focused on the rationale forconverting characters, not from a gamemechanics point of view, but from a plotdrivenone. The supernatural directlygoverns who or what enters this universe, forwhich reasons, and in what form. It enablescharacters to remain fully aware of theirjourney into another reality and the changesthat affected them, while other visitors canonly sense their transformations (which maybe substantial) without remembering theirprior existence. Flashbacks help characterspiece together some of what happened tothem without revealing too much, as neededby circumstances, providing them with theimpetus to go on a quest to find out more.Another high point of Calidar is a concept ofepic heroes, demigods, and godly pantheonsdesigned to provide a path from mortality tothe divine. I can’t get into too much detailnow, but I’d say that interactions betweenmortals and their deities are greater andmore open than those between peoples ofMystara and their Immortals, yet similar intheir intent. The links between people, theirgods, and the worlds from which they allcame are a centerpiece of Calidar’s universe.Finally, though this is a high-fantasy world,nothing happens there without a goodreason, be it from a mechanical sense (lawsof physics vs. universal magic) or a plotdrivenone (motivations and dark secrets).Certain cosmic forces are at work in thebackground that explain and justify Calidar’suncanny uniqueness. As the project firmsup, more information about its timing andcontents, and the upcoming Kickstartercampaign, will be released on my blog, atBruce-Heard.Blogspot.com. Look for thelabel “In Stranger Skies” to locate all relatedposts.Thanks for taking the time to answer ourquestions, Bruce.Bruce Heard will be guest of honour atLucca Comics & Games, the major gamingand comics fair in Italy to be held in Lucca(Tuscany) between October 31st andNovember 3rd. An exhibition about Bruceand his role in the development of theKnown World and Mystara, titled "BruceHeard: il giro del mondo in 36 livelli"("Bruce Heard: around the world in 36levels") will also be part of the fair.86THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Unveiling the Radu ClanThe origins of the Veiled Society go far backin the annals of Karameikos, before theDuke, before imperial occupation, perhapsas far as the Dark Ages of Traladara. It wasfounded as a loose democracy of powerfulTraladaran nobles and mercantile heads;hidden behind elaborate masks and cloaks,each man's purposes could be considered ontheir own merits, anonymity providing alevel playing field. Much later, when the eyesand legions of Thyatis imposed their owninterests on the nation, the Veiled Societybecame more of a cabal, a means for itsmembers to secretly maintain control of theirown economic and political goals in theshadow of the empire.Most recently the Radu clan, always aninfluential member of the Veiled Society, hasturned the cabal into a criminal enterprise.Playing on the fears of the Traladaranfamilies and their hatred of the new Duke,Anton Radu leveraged himself into a positionof power over the Society. He and his brotherCartha then flooded its ranks with Radu clanmembers and allied thugs.Today, through threats of blackmail,intimidation, and extortion, Anton rules theVeiled Society with an iron fist, and enjoysunprecedented power under the Duke's verynose. But though outwardly the Radu clanseems a united front, Anton's control maynot long outlive the man himself.The Veiled Society and the Radu family firstappeared in module B6: The Veiled Societyby David Cook. Anton Radu is detailed inGAZ1: Grand Duchy of Karameikos, andagain in Karameikos: Kingdom ofAdventure.Cartha Radu, brother ofAntonHistory: Anton and his younger brotherCartha were thick as thieves growing up, andthieves is what they eventually became,together transforming the Veiled Society intowhat it is today. While his brother used hisskills to dig up dirt on his foes for blackmail,and fanned the flames of discontent with theducal uprising to their advantage, Carthatook care of the more physical work.Intimidation, organizing riots, quietlydispatching the more outspoken opponentsof the family regime; these were the areas theyounger Radu excelled at.87THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Unveiling the Radu ClanPersonality: Alas, the success of the brothersand the corrupting influence that power andwealth have brought to them has driven awedge between them. Anton is reluctant togive up his control of the Veiled Society, anddistrusts Cartha's loyalties, while Cartharesents his brother for usurping what he feelsis his equal share of the spoils of their life'slabors. The tension between them is slowlybut inevitably stirring.Like Anton, Cartha is a calculating man,though their methods could not be moredifferent. Anton studies his foes and usestheir weaknesses to pressure them intocooperation; Cartha uses those sameweaknesses to dispatch them, permanently.Appearance: Tall and athletic, but not overlymuscular like his nephew Zweis, with blackhair just beginning to go to grey at the sides.A short beard covers a scar on his chin,earned dueling in his youth. Green, piercingeyes, and always impeccably dressed; eventhe ducally mandated bindings on his everpresentsword are of an elaborate silken cord.Relations: Cartha would prefer to discreditAnton as opposed to killing him, but he isstarting to feel his time to act is running out.His closest ally Pieter has been sent away fromthe city, and it has not escaped Cartha's noticethat Anton is grooming his own grandsonEmil as heir. Cartha may use that knowledge,as well as his suspicions about Theodosius'true parentage, against Anton.Zweis, son of AntonHistory: Zweis grew up during the period ofviolence and strife that accompanied DukeStefan's acquisition of Karameikos. As ayouth, he led a gang of toughs in the streetsof Specularum, often at odds with theThyatian invaders, the Torenescu clan, orhapless citizens. When Zweis came of age,his father enlisted his aid as an enforcer inthe Veiled Society in an attempt to turn hisfew talents to some good for the familyname. His brutish ways proved beneficial toAnton in his quest to remake the cabal intoa criminal organization.Personality: Anton's eldest son is a bullyand a ruffian. To his father's great dismay, helacks subtlety, and is rarely trusted with anybut the most simple of tasks. Zweis exercisesall the power and influence that is his, bothas a Radu, and a ranking member of theVeiled Society; alone among men, onlyAnton can put Zweis in his place. Like mostof his family, he is utterly loyal to the Raduclan. Though he has several daughters,Zweis was long frustrated by what he saw ashis wife's inability to produce a son for him,and often took it out on her verbally andphysically. Since Theodosius' birth, Zweishas doted on the boy endlessly; there is nomore precious thing to him than his son. Hewas also overjoyed when his illegitimate sonPieter turned up a few years ago, althoughrelations between them are not close.Appearance: Zweis is a ruggedly featuredman 40 years of age. He is tall, like his father,but sturdily built, with dark hair and browneyes. He has a pronounced tendency to glareand stare down anyone he meets. Zweis'clothes are of high quality, but worncarelessly.Relations: Though keenly aware thatAntonito was always the favored son, Zweisis nevertheless a loyal- and often unthinkinglieutenantof his father’s. He has no clue thatCartha plots against Anton, and even lesssuspicion that his own sons, Theodosius andPieter, are not his trueborn heirs. Should he88THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Unveiling the Radu Clanever learn the latter, there is no predicting towhat heights his violent temper may take him.Antonito, son of AntonHistory: Born in 967 AC, the Radu family hadconsolidated control of the Veiled Societywhile he was still a child, and thus Antonitogrew up in a wealthy lifestyle. His fatherfavored him greatly, and had him taught inthe finest schools, hoping he would becomeheir to the family leadership. Early in hisstudies, Antonito demonstrated a knack forspellcraft, and was tutored by a Radu alliedwizard. The lavish lifestyle he lived, coupledwith his ability to use magic to manipulateothers, caused Antonito to grow up spoiled.Personality: Antonito is used to getting hisway through his natural charm, his familyconnections, or his enchantment magic. Hehas never worked a day in his life and feelsconfident that he will rule the Veiled Society,just as soon as his old man kicks the bucket.He could not be more of a disappointment toAnton, who views his lack of ambition orvision with disdain.Appearance: He looks much like his fatherAnton, though slightly shorter, and withbrown hair. His looks and ever present grinare legendary among the lords and ladies ofKarameikan society. He is clean shaven andalways impeccably attired in silken finery andjewels.Relations: Antonito tolerates his brutisholder brother, whom he has always been ableto easily manipulate, as well as his uncleCartha, who is almost as good atmanipulating people as himself. He sees theaffection his father bestows on his only son,Emil, but does not suspect that Anton wouldever consider bypassing him as a choice foran heir. Should he ever learn of his father'splans, he might resort to charming his ownson to gain control of the family.Emil, son of AntonitoHistory: Antonito's only son, Emil, was bornwell after the Duke finally consolidated hisposition in Specularum, and has grown upin a world beginning to be marked byinevitable- if grudging- Thyatian andTraladaran integration. He has largely beenraised under the thumb of Anton Radu, ashis own father's self-interest andphilandering rarely give him leave to spendtime at home with his wife and children. Forhis Shearing, he apprenticed himself to theMerchant’s Guild, gaining an education infinance and following in Anton’s footsteps.Two years ago he was welcomed back to thefamily and given a ranking position amongthe Veiled Society.Personality: Though he yet lacks a widersense of the world outside of the city, Emilhas demonstrated all the markings of a truesuccessor to Anton's carefully craftedempire. He is educated, ambitious, and ashrewd judge of character. His onlyshortcoming, in Anton’s eyes, is his timidapproach to dealing with the Society’senemies; however, Anton is confident timewill drum this reluctance out of Emil.Appearance: Emil looks like a youngerversion of his father, though he bears acasual confidence in contrast to Antonito’sexuberant flamboyance. He wears his hairshort, like his beard.Relations: Emil genuinely regards hisgrandfather more highly than his own father,whom he resents for his philandering andneglect. He is the closest thing to a friend89THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Unveiling the Radu Clanthat his cousin, Theodosius, allows in his life.Suspicious of Cartha's loyalties, Emil recentlyconvinced Anton to maneuver Pieter out ofSpecularum to the Veiled Society's newoperations in Kelvin.Theodosius, son of ZweisHistory: Zweis Radu despaired of ever siringa male heir, and took his frustrations out onhis wife and four daughters. Needless to sayhe was overjoyed when, 15 years ago, shegave birth to little Theodosius. The boy grewup sullen and quiet, despite his father’s bestefforts to draw him out. Zweis dotes on himnonetheless, and was proud whenTheodosius recently informed him of hisintent to join the Veiled Society when he issheared in a few short months.Personality: Theodosius is quiet andreserved, unlike his father, but neverthelessbears a similar air of danger. Though Zweisnever once raised a hand to the boy, theabuses suffered by his mother and sisters lefthim with a cold sense of detachment towardsthe suffering of others. He has recently founda clinical amusement in killing and dissectingsmall rodents and livestock.Appearance: Lean of build and red haired,Theodosius looks nothing like Zweis.Fortunately for him, he resembles hismother’s side of the family instead of that ofhis true father- Vasile Torenescu. He rarelysmiles, his expression dark behind his grayeyes.Relations: None but his mother know thatTheodosius is the product of an affairbetween her and a member of the hatedTorenescu clan, although Cartha and Pieterquietly seek confirmation of their suspicions.Emil Radu is the closest thing Theodosius hasto a real friend, and will make him a deadlylieutenant one day. Pieter and Theodosius,despite being “brothers,” are not close.Pieter, son of ZweisHistory: As a youth, Zweis Radu fell deeplyin love with a peasant girl, Marika Petrescu.Theirs was a doomed affair, though, forAnton Radu had already betrothed his son toa more influential Traladaran family whilebuilding his power base. When Marikaturned up, pregnant, Anton had no choicebut to quietly relocate the young woman toa convent far outside of Specularum. Thefact that her child was actually Cartha’s (withwhom she had been having an affair), andnot Zweis’, made it all the more imperative.The object of that birth, bright-eyed Pieter,was thus raised within the Church ofTraladara. Following his Shearing ceremony,he immediately took his vows to becomeordained a cleric in its hierarchy.A few years ago, Pieter- now a ranking priestin the church hierarchy- showed up at theRadu family estate, revealing his parentageas the son of Zweis and Marika. Afterconfirmation of his “true” lineage by bothAnton and Cartha, Zweis welcomed himwith open arms and he was instated as alieutenant in the Society.Most recently, he was sent away to the city ofKelvin, under the auspices of his priestlyrole, but secretly to oversee the installationof a fledgling branch of the Veiled Societythere.Personality: Pieter takes his priestly dutiesvery seriously. He detests the Thyatianoccupation and the efforts of the Church ofThyatis to convert his Traladaran people.Incredibly, he sees no hypocrisy in also90THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Unveiling the Radu Clandirecting the efforts of the Veiled Society,which he views as a tool to help undermineThyatian interests in his homeland. While hisoutlook on the function of the Society maydiffer from that of Cartha, one opinion bothmen share is that the Veiled Society- and theRadu clan- are better off in the hands of theirside of the family than in Anton’s.Appearance: Pieter is short, even byTraladaran standards. Though barely 26, theease of his station has caused his formerlywiry build to turn to pudginess. That,combined with his soft features and smile,give him an almost fatherly appeal. He isnever seen in public without his robes ofoffice.Relations: Pieter and Cartha are thoroughlycomplicit in their plots to take over theVeiled Society, which is perhaps why Antonhad him stationed in Kelvin. Though he isdetermined to establish control over thecity, he is well aware that it is a fool’s errand;the lack of any real criminal undergroundand Baron Kelvin’s militant followers makeany such plans all but impossible. He knowsthat Cartha is his true father, and works withthe man to undermine Anton’s authoritywhile still manipulating his ties to Zweis, buthe feels little affection towards any memberof the Radu clan.91THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and DraconiusFROMTHE VAULTSOF PANDIUSNoble Housesof KarameikosStrolojca and DraconiusThe government of Karameikos relies on a social class of aristocrats who, having beeninvested with fiefs by the Duke, perform the role of local administration in remote regions,helping in the task of moving the Grand Duchy from a sparsely populated wilderness to amodern nation state.While the grand vassals, such as the Barons, enjoy most of the spotlight at court, there aremany other noble families, both Thyatian and Traladaran in ethnicity.In this article, we introduce the noble houses of Strolojca and Draconius. The former is along-standing Traladaran clan from the south-western coast, whereas the latter is aThyatian clan that was recently given lands along the Eastron Road.HOUSE STROLOJCA,The Strolojca family rose to prominenceduring the Rebirth of Traladara, the timeafter the Vandar invasion and settlement,when the Banates assumed a stable formunder a feudal organization.The first known ancestor, whose recordsdate to the first Traladaran writtendocuments after the introduction of literacyby Thyatian missionaries, is Boris izStrolojca. He appears to have lived in the Vcentury, when he was lord (Zhupa) of thevillage of Strolojca and a vassal of the VelikiZhupa (Count, in Thyatian terms) of Svoga,who in turn was a vassal of the Banate ofHalag, the regional power that held at thattime on the western coast of Traladara. Borisis mentioned in a list of captains of the Halagarmy at the end of the First Traladaran War.The Strolojca family's claim to historical famehowever, dates thirty years later when Boris'grandson, Vassily Strolojca, took part in theSecond Traladaran War. Where the First Warwas a defensive battle against the invadingarmies of the neighbouring Kingdom ofDarokin, the Second Traladaran War was acivil war, caused by the consolidation ofTraladaran religious hierarchies in the area.This war was sparked by quarrels that ensuedbetween the Church of Traladara, whichdominated the central and south-easternregions of the country, and "heretical" cultsfostered by the nobles of Halag to the westand Vaion to the north-east. While the northeasternheresies were mostly inspired byEntropic Immortals of the Dark Triad -- andprimarily Orcus -- the western cults werecentered on the same Traldar hero-worship92THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and Draconiustradition that informed the beliefs of the Church ofTraladara, but were also influenced by thepatriarchal Vandar customs -- the Vandar influencewas much stronger in the west, since Halag had beenthe first and foremost Vandar settlement -- and thusfocused on the worship of Halav as the god-king,relegating Petra and Zirchev to lesser roles. TheChurch of Halav, centered in Halag, was also moremilitant than the Church of Traladara, with itsKnights forming the élite ranks of the westernarmies, and therefore wielded significant politicalpower. This led to increasing frictions with thecentral states, which resented the missionaryattempts of the Church of Halav at a time when theywere confronted with the growing cults of Orcus.The political rivalries in the region pushed things toovert war, culminating in the Battle of Stolos Ford,when the forces of the Ban of Halag tried a last-ditchdefense against those of Marilenev.During the Battle of Stolos' Ford, Vassily Strolojcaand his followers, all vassals of Halag, passed toMarilenev's side, leading to the defeat of the"heretics", and the destruction of Old Svoga. Thanksto his key role in the war, Vassily widely improvedthe family fortunes, gaining his successors a seat atthe Diet of Marilenev and allowing them to take partin the Traladaran League as autonomous lords.Strolojca lords such as Anton I and Vassily II foughtin two successive wars. Later members of thedynasty increased the political relevance of thefamily, culminating in the historical speech by BorisIII at the Diet of Marilenev which led the lord ofStrolojca to be selected as the League’s ambassadorin a mission to Harbortown to solicit help against theDarokinian-backed King Demara.With the dissolution of the League at the beginningof the VII century, the lords of Strolojca were oncemore reduced to vassals of the Duchy of Halag, withthe rank of Barons, which they held until the defeatof the army of the Duke of Halag at the hands of theImperial Legate, Stefan Karameikos I (Stefan theGenealogy of theHouse of StrolojcaBoris I ???-416 First known Zhupaof Strolojca, died in battle in theFirst Traladaran War.Vlastimir 416-439 Killed by awerewolf while travelling to themarriage of the son of the Zhupaof Ourosco.Vassily I 439-465 Fought in theSecond Traladaran War, switchingsides to Marilenev in the Battle ofStolos Ford.Boris II 465-487 Known only fromdocuments regarding his sonAnton.Anton I 487-493 Died in battleagainst Mithras V of Darokin in theThird Traladaran War.Vassily II 493-502 Killed by awereboar during a hunting party.Anton II 502-549 "Anton II theYoung", succeeded his father atage 15.Boris III 549-581 "Boris IIIChrysostomos", great politicianand orator at the Diet ofMarilenev, is considered the mostprominent member of the family.Spassoje I 581-613 First Baron ofStrolojca.Viacheslav 613-635Petr I 635-677 "Petr I the Elder",Viacheslav's brother, died at theage of 88.93THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and DraconiusHermit, the great-grandfather of the currentDuke) in 900 AC.The coastal nobles, under the lead of Petros,Count of Ourosco, tried a last ditch defense, butwere finally defeated, and forced to surrender, byauxiliary troops under the leadership of JanVandevic, a mercenary captain of Glantrian originswho took a large part of the lands that once werepart of the Barony of Strolojca and the County ofOurosco. With Traladara reduced to a Thyatianprovince, the local nobles were summarilydemoted to the rank of landed lords -- the lowestrank in the Thyatian system, though they wereallowed to retain part of their ancestral lands. Inthe ensuing chaos, the firstborn line of theStrolojca clan was severely weakened, leading toits extinction in 952 with the death of Lord Barris.Following the extinction of the firstborn branch,Spassoje II 677-685 Murdered bya vampire.Petr II 685-710 "Petr II theAvenger", led a vampire hunt toavenge his father.Marek I 710-755 Succeeded to hisfather while a child, was under theregency of his mother Roxana until724 AC.Boris IV 755-783 Died during thedestruction of Castle Koriszegy.Vladimir 783-806 Second son ofBoris, inherited the family landswhen several of his relatives diedin Castle Koriszegy. Had threesons, Iovan, Boris, and Petr. Allliving Strolojca male-linedescendants are members of cadetbranches descended from Boris(Borisian branch) and Petr(Petrine branch), as the senior linewas estinguished with BarrisStrolojca in 952.Iovan 806-813 A retainer of theDuke of Halag, Uidar the Quick,disappeared mysteriously with hisliege during a hunting trip in theCruth Lowlands.Petr III 813-885 "Petr III the Longlived",was one year old when hisfather Iovan disappeared, andremained under the regency of hisuncle Boris “the Seneschal” up to828 AC.Vladislav 885-900 Died in battleagainst Stefan Karameikos I,without issue.94THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and Draconiusthe cadet Borisian branch, descended from a son ofVladimir Strolojca who had been Seneschal to hisnephew Lord Petr III in the IX century, took over thetitle and lands.As Stefan Karameikos III took over Traladara, thenoble houses of Halag and Demiatic were destroyed,but the leaders of the Strolojca, Ourosco, andMoubotka clans swore fealty to the new ruler,maintaining their rank and lands. In the case ofHouse Strolojca, this event was facilitated by thetransition to the Borisian branch under Marek III,which was considered nearer to the Thyatianinterests, as Marek’s father, Anton, had served in theThyatian military.Lord Marius Strolojca,landed lord of Strolojca (NM, L).Marius is slightly over 60 years old. He is a typicalTraladaran gentleman, pale and gaunt, and verysoft-spoken -- the elderly people in Strolojca say heand his brother, Anton, both bear a greatresemblance to their late father, Marek the Meek,both in visage and bearing. Marius was trained as anadministrator rather than a warrior, and is relativelycompetent at managing his fief. He was marriedearly in his life to a noblewoman of House Moubotka-- Marek III was trying to strengthen his family tieswith the other major clans of the area -- but his wifedied in childbirth, and Marius never remarried.Marius is a bit of a recluse -- most visitors toStrolojca, except nobles, will more likely meet hisnephew and heir, Lord Marek.Lord Anton Strolojca,court lord (NM, L).Almost a younger twin of Marius, Anton soughtemployment in the Karameikan government, sincehe had similar inclinations to Marius but no chanceof inheriting the fief. He therefore moved toSpecularum with his wife Avdotya, a member of theAnton III 900-900 Vladislav'sbrother, last Baron of Strolojca,died in battle against JanVandevic’s mercenaries.Marek II 900-937 Lord ofStrolojca, murdered by unknownhand at age 46; was under theregency of his mother Katerina upto 906 AC.Barris 937-945 Marek II'syounger brother, was of feeblehealth and had no offsprings. Heabdicated in favor of his nearestheir, Marek III, the senior memberof the Borisian cadet branch. Diedin 952 of natural causes.Marek III 945-961 "Marek III theMeek". Son of Sir Anton Strolojca,Knight of the Thyatian Empire (b.885 d. 944). A descendant of Boris“the Seneschal”, through his sonVladimir (d. 865), his grandsonSpassoje (d. 889) and his greatgrandsonMarek (d. 904), Anton’sfather.Marius 961-current Son of MarekIII, has no offsprings. Hasdesignated his nephew Marek ashis heir.95THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and DraconiusOurosco clan. He is currently an intendant ofthe Ministry of Trade, working with MinisterBartran Cordelius. Anton tries to advance theinterests of the south-eastern fiefs, but hasnot yet managed to obtain funding for theproject he champions, the construction of apaved coastal road from Specularum toVandevic and Strolojca. Anton and Avdotyahave four sons and one daughter. Anton is ameek but determined bureaucrat, and can beeasily met by characters interested indeveloping trade with the south-eastern fiefs.Lord Marek Strolojca,court lord & Seneschal of Strolojca (NM, L).Marek is a man in histhirties, thin andsomewhat sickly.Like his father anduncle, he favorsintellectual pursuitsand is a competentadministrator,trained at theScriveners’ Guild. Hecurrently resides inStrolojca, where hehas all but taken overthe day-to-day rulership of the fief from hisaging uncle. He is as of yet unmarried, but isconsidering several prospective brides --however, he has procrastinated marryinguntil now becauses he aims at unifying theStrolojca lands with those of the Vandevicclan by marrying the Vandevic heir, who isstill an infant. Lord Marek is the most likelyperson to be met by those interested in thegovernment of Strolojca. His demeanor ispolite, but business-like.Father Barris Strolojca, priest of theChurch of Traladara (C5, L). Where Marekcontinues the family looks, Barris is oftenthought of as “more an Ourosco than aStrolojca”, for his jolly, rubicund face andchubby physique take more after hismaternal side. Not aiming at a politicalcareer, but still more at ease with intellectualthan martial pursuits, Barris entered thepriesthood of the Church of Traladara. He iscurrently the assistant librarian of thepatriarchate of Marilenev. Thus, he lives inSpecularum, taking advantage of his father’smansion. Barris is a friendly and outgoingsort, and is likely to be encountered byTraladarans looking for information on thehistory of Traladara or the Church itself.Barris is unmarried and, not being expectedto inherit the family fortune, uninterested ingetting married. He does, however, havenumerous female friends -- the Church ofTraladara takes a very relaxed stance onpersonal relations, and Barris takesmaximum advantage of this, which does notmake him very popular with the prudishscholars of the Church of Karameikos hesometimes deals with professionally.Lady Avdotya Strolojca, court lady (MU 1,L). The only daughter of Anton Strolojca,this thirty-year old woman served as a lady inwaiting to Lady Selena Vandevic for severalyears, a typical occupation for youngnoblewomen who are not Sheared. Shepicked up some passing knowledge ofarcane magic from Lord Gustav and hisapprentices, until Lady Selena discovered it,had a furious quarrel with her husband forteaching dangerous and unladylike magicsto her lady-in-waiting, and finally sentAvdotya back to her family in Specularum.96THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and DraconiusShe now lives with her family in Specularum.She is considering asking to be Sheared,although it is rather late at this point in herlife, and joining the Magicians’ Guild.However, she lacks experience of the outsideworld and her reclusive temper, not unlikethat of her uncle Marius, has prevented herfrom actually making any step in thisdirection. Her parents are considering tryingto marry her off to some nobleman --although she is a bit old by now (by theirstandards), a middle-aged widower like SirUlric Brezovo could be a good match for her.Sir Hugo Strolojca, Knight of Karameikos(F9, N). This scion of the Strolojca line is anarrogant nobleman in his late twenties. Agood swordsman and duelist (Expert in thelong sword), Strolojca figures himself adashing figure and a ladies’ man – though herarely wins any favor due to his arroganceand outright brutality. Sir Hugo gained histitle after a short but brilliant service in themilitary at Rugalov Keep. While a lieutenant,and a promising candidate for a captaincy,he made an enemy of the Minister of War,Admiral Lucius Hyraksos, and was forced toresign his commission -- although he was97THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and Draconiusawarded the knightly title. He stands nochance to be named for a fief, so he is lookingfor an advantageous marriage which willenable him to inherit one. Hugo usuallyresides in the Specularum mansion his fatherowns, since it allows him to take part to thesocial life of the Traladaran aristocracy. He islikely to be met at parties, where his arrogantdemeanor may lead to altercations or even aduel.Lord Spassoje Strolojca, court lord (F5, N).The youngest son of Anton Strolojca,Spassoje is a successful adventurer in hismid twenties. With no chance to inherit thefamily fortune, no interest in a clericalcareer, and little aptitude except for thesword and shield, Spassoje looks to build areputation with the Church and thegovernment as a reliable troubleshooter anda loyal Karameikan. He plans to obtain aknightly title and a fief from Duke Stefan.HISTORY OF HOUSE DRACONIUSFAMILY HISTORY IN THYATISThe Draconius family is a quite old Thyatiangens which has been traditionally associatedwith the Empire’s airborne military orders,the Retebius Air Fleet and the Knights of theAir. Family history holds that the originalfamily head, Jovilios, was a simple mountainboy born in a village in the Altan Tepes range,an orphan who had lived in the company of ablue dragon cub he had found in thewilderness. According to this story, Jovilioswas noticed by Retebius, the founder of theThyatian Air Corps, and later trained by himto become the first Thyatian bluedragonrider. Since then, Jovilios’descendants adopted the family name ofDraconius (Draconia for females).In the following centuries members of theDraconius family held important militarypositions and were often soldiers and officersin the Retebius Air Fleet. Among the mostfamous is Xentarion (AC 119-184), who tookpart as blue dragonrider to the Empire’sAlasyian campaigns of AC 148-150 and whoseblue dragon Savirariash is said to have beenthe offspring of Jovilios’ blue dragon.Savirariash continued to be the dragonmount of Xentarion’s descendants, many ofwhom won the title of Lord or Knight, andwho were all members of the Knights of theAir. After serving five Draconius riders,Savirariash died together with the lastdescendant of the Draconius’ main branch,Dracolytus (AC 278-316), in battle againstthe Alphatians on the Isle of Dawn duringthe Thyatian Civil War (AC 313-320), bycrashing – on the verge of death - against theenemy’s flying airship and destroying it.The family’s two minor branches, descendedfrom Xentarion’s lesser brothers, followedtwo different paths. The junior branch,which later (around the beginning of the 5 thcentury AC) changed their family name toDrakonion, settled in the countryside ofThyatis City, followed a more canonicalmilitary path (in the imperial navy and army,even if some of them indeed became Knightsof the Air), became quite wealthylandowners, and had even some of itsmembers elected to the Senate.98THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and DraconiusDraconius Family Treefrom Fabius Victorianus Ito the present99THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and DraconiusThe senior branch instead, kept the old familyname. Having acquired lands in the region ofRetebius and settled down there, theycontinued the family airborne militarytradition. It is from this branch of the familythat the Karameikan Draconius descend.Among the foremost members of the oldThyatian Draconius are: Hypatius (AC 496-578), who – after a successful career in theRetebius Air Fleet as white dragonrider - wasprofessor at the Retebius Air Academy;Urianus (AC 589-661), who was Minister ofWar under Empress Valeria II of theMonomachos dinasty; Polydorus (grandsonof Urianus, AC 646-712), unsuccessfulgeneral of the Thyatian army during the waragainst Alphatia at the end of the 6 th centuryAC; Victoriana (AC 651-739, cousin ofPolydorus), a magic-user Knight of the Airwho was also the family’s first golddragonrider. Victoriana and her gold dragon,Yskuomar, became famous thanks to theiraerial assaults against the Alphatian forces,which slowed down their invasion of theThyatian mainland from Alasyia in AC 728.Victoriana married Flavian III, Duke ofRetebius at the end of the war (AC 732). In AC802, the great-grandson of Polydorus, FabiusVictorianus (AC 773-848), another bluedragonrider of the Retebius Air Fleet,received from the Duke of Retebius the titleof Baron of Clivus Draconis (“Dragonhill”),located on the banks of the upper MesonianRiver. Since then, the baronial title has passedfrom father to son; family tradition has alwaysrequired that the first male son of the familyhad to become a member of the Retebius AirFleet or of the Knights of the Air in order toinherit the barony. After Fabius Victorianus I’sdeath, the barony passed to his son FabiusVictorianus II (AC 824-898), to the latter’s sonNestorian (AC 873-925), then briefly toNestorian’s lesser brother Urianus (AC 882-926), and finally to Urianus’ son Tarastion(born in AC 917 and still living).Urianus was a pious adventuring cleric ofthe Church of Thyatis; he had not beentrained to become a member of the RetebiusAir Fleet because it was not expected that he,third son of Fabius Victorianus II, could havea chance to inherit the barony. Thus withhim the airborne tradition of the Draconiusfamily was broken. Moreover, his prematuredeath in AC 926, during one of hisadventures, left his wife Regula in charge ofhis sons Tarastion and Vanyarine (bothyounger than ten years at the time), and shedidn’t enforce the family tradition.Nevertheless, Tarastion was raised tobecome a proper nobleman, and served foryears as advisor to the present Duke ofRetebius’ father; Vanyarine, instead, chosethe military path, enlisting in the imperialarmy. He served on the Isle of Dawn(Redstone and Westrourke) during thepeaceful reign of Emperor Gabrionius V,then in 952 was chosen as legate to the nextGovernor General of Traladara, and movedthere with his recently-married wife GynethMabbot, a Westrourkian woman he had metwhile he was stationed at Newkirk.TARASTION S FAMILYTarastion married a cousin of the Duke ofRetebius, Glorianna, who bore him threechildren: Ovidius, Eudocia, and Diomedes.Ovidius, an enthusiastic admirer of thefamily’s past heroes, insisted he be trained asan air-knight, and managed to become agriffon-rider in the Retebius Air Fleet. Uponthe end of his service, he entered theKnights of the Air, and prepared to succeedhis father as baron, but didn’t outlive him,100THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and Draconiusdying in AC 992. Nevertheless, his marriagewith a woman of senatorial rank, HermiaKorocrasium, produced the next heir ofClivus Draconis, Fabius Victorianus III – whoalready rules the barony, but will inherit itformally only after his grandfather Tarastion’sdeath - and his younger brothers Jovilios andUrianus.Eudocia died at only thirty years; her firstdaughter Jacintha was married but died at age27 before giving birth to any children, whileher second daughter Justina died at age 9.Diomedes, the third son, enlisted in theimperial army very young, being attached asaide to the command staff of one of thelegions during the final stages of EmperorThincol’s reconquest of the Isle of Dawn (AC962). His fighting experience was almost nonexistent,but he made a good impression onhis superiors. In the following years heascended quickly through the army ranks,distinguishing himself in fights against localhumanoid tribes in Redstone and in the DustReaches, and becoming a tribune in AC 968;in those years he also befriended other youngnoblemen and important characters, likeStefan Karameikos. In fact, when Stefanreceived the land of Traladara with the title ofGrand Duke, Diomedes was asked to followhim and help him organize his army.FAMILY HISTORY INKARAMEIKOSIn his capacity of legate to the GovernorGeneral of Traladara, Vanyarine distinguishedhimself in various actions against Traladaranbrigands and humanoid bands. His wifeGyneth had three children by him: one son,Bessarion (born in AC 954), and twodaughters, Shaelyn (born in AC 960) andMildred (born in AC 961; the names of thetwo daughters were chosen by their mother,and follow Westrourkian usage). Despite hiswill to contribute to help his motherlandagainst the Alphatians in the war of AC 959-962, Vanyarine was ordered to stay inTraladara, where he helped the GovernorGeneral to keep the province under controland avoid anti-Thyatian uprisings, whichwere expected in the aftermath of thedramatic moments of the Alphatian SpikeAssault on Thyatis City in AC 960.During his stay in Traladara, Vanyarinemanaged to acquire a great deal ofknowledge about that province andcontinued to serve under the next GovernorGeneral, this time sent by the new EmperorThincol. During this time, he was mainlystationed in Specularum, were his childrengrew up. Meanwhile, his wife Gyneth haddied in AC 965.When Duke Stephan Karameikos ofMachetos was gifted by the Emperor withpermission to take the Province of Traladaraas Grand Duke in AC 970, Vanyarine was anatural choice as one of Karameikos’ militaryexperts. However, many of Stefan’s relativescame with him as well, trusted friends andadvisors from Thyatis – men like DesmondKelvin, and Lucius Hyraksos – and thehighest ranks, titles, and positions wereassigned to those men, leaving Vanyarine toserve under them. Most of them were youngmen, belonging to the same generation asStefan Karameikos, they shared hisenthusiasm, were eager to prove themselvesin this new land, and had little love for olderand more experienced men – like Vanyarine- who could tell them how to do things better.One of the men arriving in Traladara withStefan was indeed Vanyarine’s nephew,Diomedes who, despite being much101THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and Draconiusyounger than Vanyarine, was given the rankof General by Stefan and put in charge oforganizing an unit of his new army. Vanyarinewas asked by Diomedes to help him; resentfulwith the younger Diomedes for the higherposition he held, Vanyarine did so with scarceenthusiasm. Despite this the two did a goodjob organizing the fledgeling recruits and themercenary companies into a proper anddisciplined army.In the meantime, Diomedes managed tosecure a profitable marriage soon after hisarrival in Traladara, marrying in AC 971Romana Vorloi, one of the sisters of PhilipVorloi, the wealthy merchant who wasfinancing Stefan Karameikos’ takeover ofTraladara. While he and his cousin were inthe town of Vorloi attending the celebrationsfor the marriage, the Marilenev Rebellionbroke out in Specularum, only to be quicklycrushed by the Grand Duke, with theinstrumental aid of Desmond Kelvin. Even asDiomedes and Vanyarine rushed to theirliege’s side as soon as possible, the hotterfights of the rebellion had already takenplace, and they could only contribute to putdown some additional uprisings which hadtaken place in the capital’s countryside.Desmond Kelvin never passes up theopportunity to remark on Diomedes’ absencefrom the battlefield that day.In the following years, while Diomedes wasbusy maintaining control over westernKarameikos, and building or improving theGrand Duchy’s fortifications on that border(Radlebb Keep and Riverfork Keep),Vanyarine left active military service andentered the Ministry of War under LuciusHyraksos; he was charged with patrolling theeastern coast of Karameikos, south of theDymrak Forest, and overseeing the buildingworks of the Eastron Road to protect themagainst bandit and goblin attacks.While Diomedes’ marriage with RomanaVorloi produced three sons in a row(Xentarion in AC 973, Zenon in AC 977, andGratian in AC 979), Vanyarine tried toimprove his social standing throughmarriage as well. In AC 977 he married themuch-younger last heir of a dying Traladaranfamily, Andjela Grogosula, who brought as adowry her family lands, located on theeastern coast of the Grand Duchy, west ofRugalov. Vanyarine named these landsGlucynthos and received from the GrandDuke the Landed Lord title for them, inreward for his past services, in AC 978. Thisunexpected gift by the Grand Duke lessenedhis resentment toward Stefan Karameikos,and also his nephew, who now was a stepbehind him in the social ladder.VANYARINE S CHILDRENMeanwhile, Vanyarine’s first son, Bessarion,married a Thyatian adventurer and priestessof Valerias, Adrianina Lastarthus, in AC 972.Along with her brother Demetitus, also acleric, she had followed Olliver Jowett’sideas to found a new church in a new land,and had come to Traladara. Unfortunately,this great love of Bessarion died duringchildbirth two years later, leaving him with adaughter, Stephania. For a time, Bessariontried to take care of Stephania himself, butthe pain evoked by the memory of Adrianinawas too much, and he began leavingGlucynthos for longer periods of time,adventuring in the Grand Duchy. Duringthose years he perfected his martial skills,helping both the ducal forces and thepopulation in many areas of the country.102THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and DraconiusSeeing that his new marriage with Andjelawouldn’t produce additional children,Vanyarine began to build political alliancesfor his chosen heir Bessarion by marryinghim, and his sisters, to prominent noblefamilies of Karameikos.For Bessarion, Vanyarine chose a Traladaranwife, Anica Lutescu, nine years younger thanhim, belonging to a Traladaran clan oflandowners who held the nearby coastallands west of Rugalov River. Anica gaveBessarion a son, Petrus (born in AC 981), anda daughter, Arcadia (born in AC 982).Bessarion’s favoured child however,continued to be Stephania, who heconsidered the last legacy of his true loveAdrianina.Bessarion’s sisters, both of them praised fortheir beauty or intelligence, were married toThyatian noblemen instead: Shaelyn marriedAdrianes Acastaran - a fighter who hadrecently earned knightly rank - in AC 982, andMildred married Alvin Korrigan – lesserbrother of the Ducal Seneschal Alexius - inAC 989.Not everything was happy, however. In AC983, just one year after they married andafter many months of violent quarrelling,Shaelyn poisoned her husband Adrianes.Evidence of her crime was never found –Vanyarine’s influence ensured all traceswere eradicated, and that Shaelyn wasspared from magical examination – but theAcastaran family has been enemy of theDraconius ever since. Even though heprotected her from a public trial (whichwould have damaged the whole family),Vanyarine refused to meet or speak toShaelyn again, and she went to live inDmitrov.In AC 988, the second wife of Bessarion,Anica, died of a fatal brain disease. Eventheir son Petrus was endangered, but theclerics of the Church of Traladara managedto save him through theirmagic. ThereafterBessarion fell into a deepdepression, the griefcaused by the loss of hissecond wife was toomuch for him to bear. Hispain was furtheraugmented by his fatherVanyarine’s death in AC991.But then he began to reemergefrom hismelancholy, a strongerman than before. He hadsuffered so much for theloss of his beloved wives,and the pain had beennearly unbearable – but103THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and Draconiusnow he had emerged from it with a muchstronger will, and a much more completecomprehension of one’s path through his life.He left his two last sons with their auntMildred at Specularum, asked his father-inlawIonut Lutescu (the father of his deceasedsecond wife) to watch over Glucynthos, andtook Stephania on many voyages. He wasaway with her for two years, during whichthey adventured in the Known World –Ierendi islands, the Darokinian cities, AlfheimTown, the dwarven kingdom of Rockhome,and then the Empire of Thyatis, from themainland to the Isle of Dawn and Ochalea:Bessarion wanted to show her as much of theworld as possible, before she grew too muchand took her part of adult responsibilities. Hewas partly successful, because Stephaniadecided to embark on the path of arcanemagic, even if she took a more studious thanadventuring life. He also tried to teach herwhat he himself had understood after thosetragic events, and let her see what in theworld made life worth living, despite lossesand painful happenings.Bessarion’s other two children had longed forthe return of their father. While Petrus washappy when his father and half-sisterreturned in AC 994, Arcadia was angered: herfather had been away with Stephania for twoyears and had left them alone. She couldn’tstand this, and began to feel a deep hatred forStephania, which she – rightly – saw as herfather’s favourite daughter; she vowed toavenge herself.When Bessarion returned, he devoted histime to the rule of Glucynthos. He took amore active role in his children’s education,and in the Grand Duchy’s politics. WhenBessarion’s father-in-law, Ionut Lutescu,passed away in AC 998, he did much to haveLutescu’s son, Vlad (a stern priest of theChurch of Traladara; the two had becomegood friends after Bessarion’s return),named Landed Lord of the nearby village ofRugalov, which in the years had grown froma small hamlet to a sizeable village and tradepost – and succeeded. Thanks to theiralliance, the Draconius’ and the Lutescu’sfamily lands, together with Rugalov Keep,represent today the backbone of the GrandDuke’s control over his easternmost border.DIOMEDES AND HISCHILDRENOnce the construction of Stefan’s army wascomplete, Diomedes was appointed Generalof the 5 th Division, in charge of the westernkeeps he had contributed to build andimprove. His duties often kept him awayfrom Specularum, where his wife andchildren lived. As Diomedes was often awaycarrying out his duties as General, theirmother, Romana, brought their children tothe Vorloi family mansion in Specularum, orto the court of his brother Philip in Vorloitown itself. There, the three sons havegrown up good-natured but a little spoiled,surrounded by all sort of commodities, mostof their wishes being fulfilled immediately.To his disappointment, Diomedes could dolittle to avoid this; whenever he choseprivate tutors for his sons, upon his returnfrom his duties away from the capital, hesystematically found that Romana haddismissed them for one futile reason oranother – and so he gave up.Add still to his disappointment, that hedidn’t manage to secure advantageousmarriages – those which could bring themtitles or wealth - for his sons. His firstborn,Xentarion, became a source of constant104THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and Draconiusembarrassment for his bad-tempered (towardmen) and lecherous (toward women)behavior; Diomedes had him married withCelinda Penhaligon, the younger daughter ofLord Arturus, but this proved a disaster forDiomedes’ relations with the Penhaligonfamily when Xentarion’s many sexualescapades became known. Zenon insisted onundergoing the Shearing Ceremony at age 17and went to sea, but lost an eye during abattle against pirates and was back homethree years later. Gratian, a sickly boy, wasforbidden by his mother to undergo theShearing, and doesn’t show any interest inwomen.MEMBERS OF THE FAMILYBESSARION’S BRANCHAndjela Grogosula (Neutral NormalWoman) is Vanyarine’s second wife. Andjelais the last scion of the Grogosul clan, aTraladaran family who ruled the communitiesin the narrow coastal strip west of Rugalov.The Grogosul were already a clan in declinewhen the Thyatians conquered Traladara inAC 900, and the family slowly died out in thenext few decades. Her father and elderbrother went into the Dymrak Forest with acompany of soldiers to retaliate against thegoblins after their family lands had beenraided – but they were ambushed and killedby the goblins in AC 975. Andjela was leftalone trying keep together the pieces of herfamily fortunes; a very beautiful woman, sherefused many suitors because initially sheonly wished to avenge her family, and begana short training as a warrior. Soon, sherealized that her efforts could only at bestresult in her death, and that the best way toensure the safety of the people living in herlands was to marry someone able to defendthem. She chose to accept the marriage offerof Vanyarine Draconius, a Thyatian militaryman who was nearly thirty years older thanher. Vanyarine already had three children,and no need to produce an heir; if Andjela’smarriage was to be a loveless one, it wasbetter to chose a man that didn’t have theneed to pursue an intimate relationship withher. Andjela became a sort of second motherfor Bessarion’s last two children, Petrus andArcadia, when their mother died in AC 988,and the two became quite fond of her,especially in the years in which their fatherwas away with Stephania. Today Andjelaspends her time in Glucynthos, taking careof the Draconius’ family mansion andorganizing the tasks of the servants. She isquite an intelligent and cultured woman,well-versed in many languages, who has theuncomfortable habit to speak the truth evenin the most untimely circumstances.Arcadia (Neutral 2 nd -level Magic-User) isBessarion’s second daughter from hisLutescu wife, born in AC 982. As Petrus,Arcadia has almost no talent at magic, butmanaged to learn a little arcane lore fromher aunt. Arcadia hates her half-sisterbecause she is the favourite of their father,because she is so beautiful, because shelearnt magic much better than her, becauseshe stays at Specularum’s court and not infar-away Glucynthos, because she is allowedto marry who she wishes while Arcadia mustmarry who her father commands: in a word,Arcadia broods a hate as deep as possible forStephania, and for their father Bessarion aswell. Of all her family, Arcadia only admiresher aunt Shaelyn, and loves her acquiredgrandmother Andjela. Almost driven mad byher hate, she plans to poison Stephania asthe first step of her revenge.105THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and DraconiusBessarion (Lawful 9 th -level Fighter, Str 16,Wis 18) is the first son of VanyarineDraconius. He is a solidly built man, 5’10” tallfor 165 lbs. of weight, who doesn’t show at allhis 48 years of age: his hair is a full lightbrown colour, lacking any sign of age, and hisbody is a warrior’s, well-toned and muscled.His clean shaven face always has anauthoritative – if tired – air, and his blue eyesseem to look deep into one’s soul.Although the deaths of his two wives hauntedhis early adulthood, Bessarion has risen as amuch stronger man. During his travels withhis daughter Stephania in AC 991-994, hemanaged to trace the activities of a group ofslavers who were smuggling slaves into andout of Karameikos, and his deeds earned himthe title of Knight from the Grand Duke. Hewould have liked then to take paladin vowsand go wandering in the name of the Churchof Karameikos, but his family and politicalduties prevented this.Returning home, he assumed the rule ofGlucynthos, securing it against goblins andbandits, improving villages and roads,building bridges, and ploughing new lands tosettle and farm. He also built a chapel in hiscastle, devoted both to the Church ofTraladara (Traladaran clerics saved his sonPetrus from a fatal disease in AC 988), and tothe Church of Karameikos. Near his chamber,he erected a shrine to the Immortal Valerias,in front of which he prays every night for thesoul of his beloved Adrianina.In the years since his return, he has also tried(or is trying) to put his children on theirrespective roads: a life to be enjoyed forStephania, an advantageous marriage forArcadia, and the role of his heir for Petrus.Bessarion grew up in the Thyatian Provinceof Traladara, among Traladaran relatives,and as a result he doesn’t feel any realdifference between Thyatians andTraladarans; he feels that the Immortalshave led the Thyatians to Traladara for apurpose: bringing the Thyatian efficiencyand organisation and merging it with theTraladarans’ traditions and identity to createa new, prosperous culture. Bessarion isdeeply convinced that the Karameikos familywill succeed in giving his new people abright future, in spite of any difficulty ahead.Bessarion knows he has not been the best offathers, and knows that Arcadia wishes himill for the time he spent away with Stephania.Because of this, lately he has tried to spendmore time in Glucynthos with Petrus andArcadia, than in Specularum at the GrandDuke’s court.At court, Bessarion supports Stefan’s policyof a future of integration between the GrandDuchy’s two cultures. He is one of the morerespected Thyatian aristocrats, both becausethe wisdom he always shows in his words,because of the tragedies he had to bear in hisfamily life, and because of hisunquestionable martial prowess. ThereBessarion strongly represents the NewKarameikan nobility, born from mixed bloodfamilies, and indifferent to ethnic andreligious differences in favour of a commonKarameikan future. Bessarion is also a strongsupporter of the Karameikos family, and heis also on very good terms with the Korrigan,Prothemian, and Hyraksos families. He hasgone so far as to betrothing his son Petruswith a scion of the Prothemian house, theyoung Lady Selina (niece of the Duchess);the two should marry soon. Despite theresentment his father felt toward his cousin106THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and DraconiusDiomedes, now the two branches of thefamily are in good standing.Mildred (Neutral 4 th -level Magic-User, Int 18)is the younger daughter of Vanyarine, born inAC 961. She’s quite a plain woman whencompared to her sister, and has always livedin the shadow of Shaelyn’s rebelliousness.Mildred had a short arcane apprenticeshipunder Teldon at the Magicians’ Guild Hall ofSpecularum, but she had not enough will norinterest to pursue the boring path of themagic-user any further; Mildred would havebeen a very able magic-user, if only she hadhad the will to apply her otherwise highintelligence to arcane studies. Nevertheless,she’s a very cultured woman whose interestsrange from natural sciences to literature, andwho often sponsors important artists andscholars. Her father arranged for her the mostimportant marriage of the Draconius family,that with Alvin Korrigan, brother to the DucalSeneschal Alexius. After marrying and givingbirth to his son Milo (born in AC 990), shemostly lives with her family in Specularum;Mildred puts her great wit to use bycounselling her husband and her brother.Petrus (Lawful 1 st -level Magic-User) isBessarion’s first son from his second wife.Like his sister Arcadia, Petrus learnt magicwhile spending time with his aunt Mildred,despite having very little talent for it. He’ssincerely attached to his father and half-sisterStephania, and doesn’t share Arcadia’s hatredtoward them, but is much more interested incourtly feasts, balls, and pastimes than inruling a goblin-endangered dominion. He’scurrently betrothed to the Duchess’ niece,Selina Prothemian, and their wedding isplanned for the next year.Shaelyn (Chaotic 1 st -level Rake) is theattractive, older sister of Bessarion, themiddle child born in AC 960. UnlikeMildred, who was obedient and did what herfather Vanyarine ordered her to do, Shaelyndeveloped a rebellious character. Sherefused to study arcane magic like her sister,and was thus forced to stay in Glucynthosunder a private tutor, constantly angeringher father for her unruly behavior. Whenone day she came to his father claiming thather old tutor had tried to use violence onher, she wasn’t believed, and her situationeven worsened.At last, when her character seemed to havebeen subdued, Vanyarine married her toAdrianes Acastaran, a Thyatian adventurerwho had recently earned the title of Knightand acquired some properties in thecountryside of the capital – and who wasover ten years older than she was. After oneyear of life with this detested man, she couldnot bear anything more, and poisoned herhusband, killing him in AC 983. Then shefled from home as Vanyarine, while sparingher a public trial, didn’t allow her to returnwith his pardon. Only after her father’sdeath did Shaelyn once again see her sisterand brother, though she continued to live aseparate life in Dmitrov.Shaelyn is a passionate and unpredictableperson. She tends to follow her own whimswithout much thought for what others mightthink or want. Perhaps because of the eventsof her youth, she doesn’t like or trust men atall. Currently, at Dmitrov, she lives with aMakai girl, Ulani, who is nearly twenty yearsyounger than her. Shaelyn doesn’t hide herlove for the young woman, and her conductis becoming the source of a local scandal inDmitrov, despite Bessarion’s best efforts atkeeping things quiet.107THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and DraconiusStephania (Lawful 6 th -level Magic-User) is thefirst daughter of Bessarion Draconius andAdrianina Lastarthus. She was born in AC 974,and her mother died while giving birth to her.Her father has always loved her more than hisother children because she is the only legacyof his first wife - his one true love. Stephaniahas been doted upon by her father, and hasgrown a little spoiled as a result; she is alwaysused to the best standards, but not overlyhaughty or arrogant. In fact, she loves herfather as much as he loves her.After returning with her father from theirjourneys through the Known World,Stephania chose to learn arcane magic at heraunt Mildred’s suggestion. She soondiscovered she had some talent for it – andshe is much more studious than her aunt –becoming with time more accomplished thanMildred herself. Stephania’s arcane interestsmostly head toward divination and detectionspells; she studied under the tutoring of theTraladaran mage Claransa Tyrevic, known as‘the Seer’ (and a few years her elder).Stephania is very beautiful, with dark brownhair, and green eyes like her mother’s; poetsand courtiers claims that her beauty is rivalledonly by that of Marianna Vorloi, the daughterof Baron Philip Vorloi. She has received manymarriage proposals, but her father wants tolet her decide who her husband will be, andshe still awaits her love despite being wellinto marriage age (besides, this is anotherground of anger her half-sister Arcadia haswith her, because Bessarion instead plans apolitical marriage for her).Currently, Stephania acts as one of theDuchess’ ladies-in-waiting. She is rarely seenat the Magicians’ Guildhall of Specularum,even if she studied there, but often pays visitsto her father in Glucynthos or is visited byhim in Specularum. Stephania has had acouple of semi-secret love affairs in the lastfew years, but has since ended them both.She’s still awaiting for her true love – aknight or a noble adventurer whoperformed some spectacular deed for hermight even manage to win her heart.MEMBERS OF THE FAMILYDIOMEDES’ BRANCHDiomedes (Neutral 10 th -level Fighter,Expert with normal sword) is the third childof the Draconius family branch who ruledthe Barony of Clivus Draconis, in the Duchyof Retebius, Thyatis. A short man withthinning dark hair and a hawkish nose,Diomedes is one of the members of thelesser Thyatian aristocracy who answeredStefan Karameikos’ call in AC 970 for thecolonization of Traladara. A tribune with alimited but successful military experience onthe Isle of Dawn, Diomedes was put incharge of the new units of Stefan’s army, alight infantry force – while Desmond Kelvinwas in command of the cavalry, LuciusHyraksos of the navy, and finally ArturusPenhaligon in command of the Duke’sGuard, a heavy infantry unit. Diomedescould not take full part in the fights againstTraladaran rebels during the MarilenevRebellion – he was celebrating his marriagewith Romana in Vorloi at the time – butquelled the last uprisings in the countryside,and some time later contributed to thedefeat of the humanoid tribes in northernKarameikos.After those events, while his fellows earnedbetter positions and titles – Kelvin andPenhaligon received their own fiefs,Hyraksos became Minister of War -108THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and DraconiusDiomedes was put in charge of the westerndivision of the Karameikan army, with therank of General. He was unsatisfied with this‘honor’, feeling he deserved at least as muchrecognition as Kelvin and Penhaligon, whohad had the opportunity to work with betterequipped and trained units. Diomedessuspected that Desmond Kelvin, who hadalways remarked on his absence from thefight against the Marilenev rebels in AC 971,was behind his unjusttreatment by Stefan.In the following years,Diomedes drove theimprovement of thefortifications at RiverforkKeep first, and thensupervisedtheconstruction of RadlebbKeep. Initially skepticalabout the need to build afort in the middle of theRadlebb Woods, Diomedessoon realized that theRadlebb Keep was key tothe survival of theKarameikan control overwestern Traladara –without its presence, thesheer number ofhumanoid tribes in thesouthern Radlebb Woodsand in the Cruth Lowlands,combined with Baron vonHendriks’ obviousambitions, would have ledto the loss of RiverforkKeep and almost the entirewestern part ofKarameikos.Nowadays, Diomedesspends most of his time in Specularum,lobbying for additional funds for the 5 thDivision without much success. He pays ayearly visit to both forts under hissupervision, usually in late spring. Onceevery five years, he journeys to his father’sestate in the Duchy of Retebius (or is visitedby members of his family in Specularum);the last of these family meetings, that had inthe past seen the participation of the109THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and DraconiusKarameikan Retebius family branch alongwith Diomedes’ cousin’s family, happenedabout four years ago.In AC 971 Diomedes married the sister ofPhilip Vorloi, Romana, who had three sons byhim in the next ten years. The childrenhowever, were mostly raised by their motherand close to the rest of the Vorloi family,because Diomedes was often away formilitary duties. Diomedes’ had always beenproud of the fact that he held a higher officethan his uncle Vanyarine, despite the latter’slonger military experience, and this gave birthto some resentment between Vanyarine andhis nephew. In AC 978, however, whenVanyarine received the title of Landed Lord ofGlucynthos, it was Diomedes’ turn to feelenvy for his uncle’s noble status. Even if theirrelationship appeared to be cordial,Diomedes often complained about thissituation in private. After Vanyarine’s death inAC 991, Diomedes’ coldness towards hiscousin Bessarion’s family has indeed thawed,and the two are good allies at court, even ifDiomedes is not as staunch as his cousin inthe support of a Karameikan nation – he stillfeels the need for the Thyatians to keepexclusive control of Karameikos’ keypositions, and his loyalty lies with theThyatian Empire (where his father andbrother live).Today, General Diomedes is quitedisillusioned with Grand Duke Stefan’s abilityin judging people and, more in general, ingoverning a nation. While he disliked – andwas disliked in turn by - the first Baron Kelvin,after the death of Desmond I in a duel in AC996, he has stayed on good terms with thecurrent Baron Desmond II, a man whounderstands the need for a strong militarybetter than the Grand Duke. He is also ongood terms with Lord Retebius of Locrida,an estate found west of his cousinBessarion’s lands. Diomedes, together withhis cousin, is one of the foremost opponentsof the Black Eagle Baron at court. He was ingood standing with his brother-in-law,Baron Philip Vorloi, but after his sonXentarion’s illicit sexual affair with theBaron’s niece, Lucia, Philip has becomecolder toward him. Xentarion’s behavior hasalso been the cause of a recent grudgebetween Diomedes and the Cordelius,Antonic, and Penhaligon families: thegeneral consensus is that if he can’t controlhis son, he can’t be trusted, and soDiomedes’ image in front of them hassuffered because of this. He cooperates withother members of the military, though hedoesn’t trust the Traladaran officers -especially people like Captain Arkan Sulanovwho fought in the Marilenev Rebellion.The PCs can meet Diomedes if they enlist inthe army – new recruits reach their posts inRiverfork or Radlebb Keeps when theGeneral visits the fort. General Diomedestends to make quick judgments over people,so this first contact could be very importantfor their careers – quick thinking and strongaction in any unexpected encounter whileon the route to the forts is going to put themon Diomedes’ shortlist for promotion.Diomedes is also experimenting with a newidea to extend the Karameikan controlaround Riverfork and Radlebb Keeps – anunit of scouts acting as explorers and policeforce in the wilderness around the two forts.Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the funds forhis project, so he is instead considering thepossibility of letting the scouts keep aportion of smuggled or stolen goods theyfind as pay. If the PCs look like they could110THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and Draconiushandle themselves well in the wilderness, hemay propose this kind of deal.Gratian (Lawful Normal Man) is Diomedes’youngest son. A sickly boy since birth, he wasforbidden by his mother Romana to undergothe Shearing Ceremony after what happenedto his brother Zenon. Lazy, fearful, andskittish, he has settled for the life of a courtierat Vorloi and Specularum, much to thedisappointment of his father, who doesn’t seein him any real quality. Gratian has cultivateda somewhat artistic taste, becoming fond ofpoetry and drama; he’s often seen in thecompany of Specularum bards andcompanies of actors, and would like to writeplays and poetry himself. Despite his father’surge to marry him, Gratian has shown noenthusiasm about marriage – he much prefersthe company of young and beautiful courtiersand valets.Romana Vorloi (Lawful Norman Woman) isone of Baron Vorloi’s sisters and the wife ofDiomedes Draconius since AC 971, whentheir marriage was arranged to strengthen thealliance between families who had followedStefan Karameikos in Traladara. Despite her46 years of age, Romana still looks like thebeautiful lady she was twenty years ago, withher dark brown hair, azure eyes, and healthybody. In fact, she spends quite a lot of timetaking care of her appearance, never sparingmoney when makeup, clothings, body care,and jewelry are involved. Romana likes to bein the company of younger ladies, and to belooked upon by younger nobles – eventhough she would never betray her marriagevows. Quite lazy where her duties as head ofthe house are concerned, she has overlyworried about her children in the past, andher behavior has somewhat spoiled them.Today, Romana lives mostly in company ofher sons Gratian and Zenon in Vorloi and inSpecularum; she insist that Diomedesshould leave the military duties which worryhim so much to someone else, and insteadfocus on their courtly life in Specularum.Xentarion (Lawful 3 rd -level “Cleric” – seebelow -, Str 16, Wis 16) is Diomedes’ andRomana’s eldest son. He is of mediumheightand good-looking, with a robust andmuscular body, dark brown hair and blueeyes. Raised by his mother in the shadow ofthe Vorloi family, Xentarion has enjoyed allthe trappings of a courtly education. Whileadolescent, he became a source of trouble atVorloi’s courtwhen his affairswith some of thegirls there werediscovered, buthis lecherousbehavior couldnot be restrainedover the years,helped by hisattractiveness andby his unusualskills (see below).In AC 993Diomedes arranged for him a marriage withLord Arturus Penhaligon’s daughter Celinda– after failing to secure the hand of her eldersister Arteris - in the hope this would stopXentarion’s love escapades. But Diomedes’purpose failed spectacularly, and his son’saffairs didn’t cease. A scandal and seriousgrudge between Diomedes and theCordelius’ family exploded in AC 998 whenXentarion was found entertaining an affairwith both Fabiana Antonic – younger sisterof Sir Retameron and wife to the much-olderGuldahan Cordelius, Karameikanambassador to the Five Shires – and her111THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and Draconiushalf-sister Chrysantha. The Penhaligon andCordelius families required an official publicapology by Xentarion, which he gave, tryingafterwards to keep quiet for some months.Since then, he has tried to limit himself tonon-noble damsels, but the risk of himstumbling into the bed of some lady stilllurks behind every corner.Xentarion is used to doing as he pleases,fulfilling his wishes, be listened to andfawned over by others. He is quick to takeoffense when contradicted or criticized, andhis quarrels, fist-fights, and occasional duels(not always won by him) with othernoblemen have become a matter for gossip.Xentarion is good-natured and won’t doanything that seriously harmed a person (atleast consciously) – but this doesn’t includeembarrassing his family or those of the ladieshe has affairs with. He is an intelligent,orderly, and tidy person, and would make hisfather proud of him if only he could restrainhis lecherousness and bad-temper.Unknown to him and to his family, Xentarionpossess a special gift. He was conceivedduring Kaldmont 28 th of the year AC 972, aday full of mystical meanings and arcaneeffects. As a consequence, he developed overthe years a set of unusual abilities whichallow him to read and influence otherpeople’s minds, penetrate into their dreams,and the like. With time, he could even beable to contact the Spirit World if hemanaged to direct and train his abilities.Xentarion’s skills are controlled by hisinnermost wishes, which up until nowmostly revolve around women: he’s likely toread the mind of a girl he wants to seduce,influence her feelings toward him, orpenetrate into the dreams of a woman hedesires – but all of this happens without hisconscious control. Sometimes, his abilitiescould even be of some use in tense ordangerous situations.In game terms, consider Xentarion a 3 rd -levelcleric, without clerical weapon restrictions.He advances as a cleric, and has two “open”first-level spell slots (no need to memorizespells) which he can use to “cast” (he doesn’tdo any casting actually, these effects take justplace) the following spells: remove fear (andits reverse cause fear), ESP, command wordand fellowship (the last two are found inGAZ12 – The Golden Khan of Ethengar).Used slots are refreshed after Xentarion hashad a night’s sleep. Instead of the turnundead ability, Xentarion can use one of thefollowing powers with a successful Wisdomcheck:Read a person’s mind - after “reading”or talking to her for a couple ofminutes – to know what skills aperson possess or what her professionis, what she has done in the last houror so, and – if the check succeeds bymore than 5 points, even whatdiseases that person has had in thepast, what her alignment is, and whatspecial abilities she has.Penetrate into a person’s dreams byaccessing the “dreamlands” (Wisdomcheck is at –2 penalty, or at –4 if thesleeping target is not within 50’ ofXentarion). This power only manifestsitself while Xentarion is asleep, andonly once per day. A second Wisdomcheck at –4 is needed to locate thetarget’s dream. If the second roll is a20, Xentarion will be lost within anightmare and, once awake, will notbe able to rest again for the next day.112THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Strolojca and DraconiusWithin dreams, game rules apply asthey do in the real world – if one iskilled in the dreamlands, theyimmediately get up traumatized andlose 1d4 Wisdom points temporarily(they’re recovered at the rate of one perday).If he managed to understand and perfect hispowers, Xentarion could rise in level,acquiring additional spells or abilities at theDM’s discretion. The discovery of the SpiritWorld could also have an unexpected effecton his personality.Zenon (Neutral 5 th -level Thief, Dex 16) isDiomedes’ second son. Lean and frail, hepossess none of his father’s or older brother’sbuild and health. In AC 994 he insisted onbeing Sheared, and went to sea – or so he said.In truth he got in touch with the Kingdom ofThieves in Specularum, and for three years heperformed quite well as a burglar – one timeeven sneaking into the Vorloi family mansionin the capital! Once however, by chance, hewitnessed one of the heads of the VeiledSociety while he was unmasking himself, anddiscovered that it was Cartha Radu. Zenonwas taken and tortured by the thugs of theVeiled Society, but managed to escape beforethey could kill him, but not before they hadgouged out his left eye. Zenon fled the capitaland stayed in hiding for several months. Inthe end, in AC 998, scared and impoverished,he returned to his family saying he haddecided to quit his Shearing time after anunfortunate encounter with pirates at sea,which had cost him his eye. Since then, hehas lived in fear at the court of Baron Vorloi,hoping that the Radu could not reach himthere and refusing any offer for offices inSpecularum. Out of fear of being killed,Zenon never revealed what he saw, butCartha Radu has not forgotten him, and plansto strike at Zenon very soon.113THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Yuri Molotov - Death KnightFROMTHE VAULTSOF PANDIUSby John Calvin (Chimpman)Once held up as the shining paragon ofTraladaran culture, the name Yuri Molotovnow serves to send frightened children undertheir bed covers at night, and evokes signsagainst evil from all adults who hear it."How can you be sure it was him?" Gregorasked his sister."It was him," Mila replied. "A fortnight agosomeone attacked the caravan from Hattias,and none of the soldiers sent from Halagever returned. And," Mila continued beforeher brother could interrupt her, "you heardthe fisherman as well as I. He saw the whitedrake in the sky.""Tales told by fisherfolk... that's what we'rerisking our necks over?" Gregor did little tohide the contempt from his voice, but still hefollowed his sister into the dark woods."Bargle thinks it's him as well..." Mila saidinto the dark. The moon was new and littlelight shown through forest canopy to beginwith. "I've overheard him twice now cursingYuri's name."The two continued their journey in silencefor most of the night. There was no turningback now however, since Mila had stolenseveral of their supplies from her erstwhilemaster. "Stop. We're near now," she said andfound a patch of leaves to sit down on.Reaching into a black pouch at her side theTraladaran woman took out several runecoveredbones and threw them to the ground.Gregor could hear his own breathing. Theforest was still. Too still. It was anunnatural silence. He tried to calm himself,tried to control the heavy breaths thatescaped his mouth, but the burning in hislungs made that impossible.Then they were there, standing in front ofthem, almost as if they materialised just asthe first rays of the morning sun penetratedthe shadows. Two figures, their armourchipped and dented, their mail rusty, bonesclearly visible underneath their helms. Milacontinued to sit in the leaves, her legscrossed, and chanted softly under herbreath. The two figures advanced. In unisonthey drew swords. Mila continued herchanting.Suddenly she stopped and lurched to herfeet. The two figures halted and loweredtheir swords. "Take me to Yuri," Milacommanded.***All of those years of seething hatred had ledMila and her brother to this place. At lastthe means to avenge their parents waswithin their grasp. Dozens of men, or atleast what appeared to have been men atone time, mulled silently around thecampsite. Mila ignored them as they lookedup, revealing dead eyes and yellowingbones. She focused her attention on the114THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Yuri Molotov - Death Knight115THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Yuri Molotov - Death Knightfigure seated in the makeshift throne in thecentre of the camp.Mia dropped to one knee. "My lord, we havetravelled far to seek your guidance. Wepledge ourselves to you and your cause," shedeclared. "All we ask is the chance to avengeourselves upon the hated Thyatians."The thing that was Yuri stood up. Red flaresof light flickered in the darkness that onceheld his eyes. "I will grant your wish," hishollow voice rang out.Mila cringed, nearly screaming out in painas cold hands gripped her shoulders. Behindher Gregor did let out a gasp. Their formerguides seized them and forced them to theground on their knees. Yuri's sword raspedas he drew it from its rusty scabbard."No my lord!" Mila gasped. "We offerourselves freely to your cause. We pledge ourlives to you." The sweat was beading downher face. "We will serve you!""Yes," Yuri's hollow voice echoed through thecamp as he brought down his sword. "I knowyou will..."***Yuri s BackgroundYuri grew up in a small nameless villageunder the shadows of the Dymrak Forest ineastern Traladara. Working on his father’sfarm from a very young age, he mucked outstables and tended fields of stunted grains.Yuri spent his free time with the animals,which he considered more his friends thanany of his peers. He could do little but silentlyseethe when the Thyatians came to collecttheir taxes, and found himself watchinghelplessly as they slowly but steadilysiphoned away what little vitality was left oftheir small community. Not wanting to seehis father’s farm wither away intonothingness, Yuri decided to leave. At twelveyears of age he snuck off, determined tomake a better life for himself, and followedthe coast westward until arriving atSpecularum.Yet the city proved a disappointment to Yuri,who found little more to support himselfthan the same type of stable work he had leftbehind on the farm. Still, his affinity foranimals served him well when happenstancefavored him with the care of Sir ValdriTescu’s hunting falcon. Impressed with theboy’s skills, Tescu took him on as a squireand began teaching Yuri the art ofknighthood.Yuri s RiseValdri was a member of the Order of theWhite Drake – elite soldiers trained in theThyatian arts of aerial combat, each swearinga personal oath of service to the Emperor ofThyatis himself. Despite his misgivings forthe Thyatian order, Yuri accepted Tescu’stutelage and prospered, quickly attainingknighthood alongside his mentor. He wasinducted into the Order of the White Drakein AC 937, at the age of 18. During his timeas a knight he repulsed humanoid raidersfrom Radlebb, hunted rogue wyverns overKelvin, and even led several strikes againstthe frost giants of the Altan Tepes. On onesuch raid Yuri returned with the whitedragon Bruhminghet (Hoarfrost) in tow,subdued and submissive to Yuri'scommands.Like Valdri Tescu before him, Yuri activelysought out others disenfranchised by theThyatians to fill out the membership of theOrder, slowly replacing the aging Thyatian116THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Yuri Molotov - Death Knightelite. The local Traladaran populace nearlyworshipped him, proclaiming him to be oneof the Traldar heroes of old, returned to freetheir people. With all of his skills andcharisma, it was little wonder that Yuriquickly ascended to be Master of the Order.Yuri’s Downfall and FateWhen the Alphatians began their SpikeAssault in AC 960, Yuri saw his chance. Hedeployed those of his order still loyal toThyatis to the far corners of Traladara. Therest – those loyal to himself – he held back inreserve, and watched as skyships bombardedThyatian cities. When Thincol Torion’srebellion succeeded, however, Yuri’s hopeswere dashed. The new Emperor of Thyatisbranded Yuri and his followers as traitors,and sent the legions to Traladara to quell allunrest and reinstate Thyatian law.Those who once extolled Yuri as a hero nowshunned him for fear of Thyatian retribution.Emperor Thincol sent the court wizardDemetrion and his pet dragon Hytiliaph tobring Yuri to justice, but Yuri would not godown without a fight. High over the darkpines of Dymrak the pair battled atop theirdragon mounts, but Bruhminghet was nomatch for the gold dragon. Yuri and hisdragon fell to their deaths in a blaze of flameand ice… and blood.Yuri’s spirit, however, would not slumber inpeace.Yuri Molotov (Death Knight)Yuri’s skin is stretched thin across his face,every inch of it desiccated and blackened byfrost. The bronze armor he wears ispermeated with magic from another age. Hissword Unifier, gifted to him by Valdri Tescu,is an heirloom of Traladaran heroes passeddown throughout the ages.Yuri Molotov (Death Knight): AC 1; HD 14;hp 80; MV 60’ (20’); #AT 1; D 1-4 coldtouch, or by weapon; Save as F14; ML 10; ALC. Yuri also wears magical armor (banded+2, protection from cold, and a shield), andcarries Unifier (short sword +2, +3 vs.gnolls).Bruhminghet (Undead Dragon)Once a powerful and vibrant large whitedragon, Bruhminghet’s rotting remains areanimated by the same malignant force thatbrought Yuri back from the dead. She servesYuri in death, even as she did in life, actingas his mount and closest ally. Despite beingimbued with a dark intelligence all her own,the once white dragon is completelydevoted to her master.Bruhminghet (Undead White Dragon): AC1; HD 9; hp 65; MV 120’ (40’), Fly 300’(100’); #AT 2 claws/1 bite; Airborne up to 6;D 2d8+4 (bite or crush), 1d6+1 (claws,kicks, wings, tail); Save as F18; ML 12; AL c.DMing NotesFrost giants both fear and hate Yuri,remembering the time he once huntedthem. Many of their dead have joined hisranks. In addition to the undead footsoldiers who serve him, former members ofthe order have also joined his ranks – mostriding undead versions of the white wyvernsthey rode in life. Despite this, Yuri’s ownallegiances have changed since he was living.As a Death Knight he no longer cares aboutthe petty politics of the world. Instead hiswrath drives Yuri to bring pain and anguishto the living… and to extinguish such life117THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Yuri Molotov - Death Knightwhen he can. He may be courted by otherdark organizations in the world and onoccasion even see fit to lend them support,but ultimately Yuri owes allegiance to himselfalone.Yuri’s camp moves constantly and rangesthroughout the Dymrak from the Barony ofVorloi to the peaks of the Altan Tepes.Wherever he goes freezing winds follows him,and locals curse his name during every earlyfrost or late winter.Even in death Yuri is drawn toward hischildhood home, and camps often nearRugalov Keep. His true goal is to retake thekeep with his undead army and unleash thepower locked deep inside the formerAerodrome where a secret portal to the Planeof Air awaits. Once used by the Order of theWhite Drake to control the winds ofTraladara, Yuri plans to corrupt the portal forhis own ends. He will unleash an endless,freezing zephyr that will cover his formerhomeland in a deep and everlasting ice.Adventure Ideas1) The armor Yuri wears once belonged tothe First King of Traladara, Ithron Ivanov,crafted for the king shortly before heunified the Traladaran clans in BC 171,and the Seers say he desecrates it with hispresence. They have put a call out to endYuri’s evil and return his sword andarmor to the Traladaran church.2)Undead giants infused with the cold ofwinter have begun pouring out of theAltan Tepes Mountains, threateningnearby settlements. Hushed whispersname Yuri Molotov as the power behindthese horrors. Despite the peril, theseattacks in the north are mere feintsdesigned to draw his opponents astray, asYuri’s attention lies further south.3) Rugalov Keep, once the famed Aerodromeof the Order of the White Drake, hasfallen on dark times. Sentries disappear,silent creatures roam the countryside,and a frost laden wind blows down fromthe north. Yuri knows the secretpassageways within the keep and plans totake it from within. He will then use it asa base of operations to spread his colddeath both into Thyatis and Karameikos.Spources:Yuri Molotov - Death Knight by John CalvinHytiliaph by John CalvinThe Order of the White Drake - A Historyby Geoff Gander, with special thanks toJames Ruhland, Tharquil, and JamugaKhanHistory of Traladaraby Francesco Defferrari118THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Rise of Dhrom DhumFROM THE VAULTS OF PANDIUSby Francesco Defferrari (Sturm)Dhrom Dhum was born several years ago in asmall village in the Dymrak forest that wasembroiled in continuous fights with humansand elves. When he was still a young goblin,two accidental encounters changed his lifeforever. The first one was with a young femaleCallarii elf, the second with an old,persecuted, wandering goblin shaman ofHela. In the following years Dhrom Dhumbecame a shaman of the goddess himself and,with the help of his elven friend, tried toconvince his tribe and the surrounding onesto change their ways, pressing for adiplomatic solution to stop the wars and thehuman encroachment into goblin’s land. Hisefforts were not rewarded, as his friend waskilled by humans and goblins were framed forher murder. The more radical elements soonprevailed among elves, humans and goblins,and Dhrom Dhum was almost killed himselfand had to escape the forest. Forced to hidein the Wufwolde hills, he met theNightstalkers, a goblin tribe beset byenemies, that he led to victory after victory,making them a regional power andconverting most of the goblins to the cult ofHela (even if he did not ban the traditionalcult of Wogar).Driven by a powerful vision from hisgoddess, the goal of Dhrom Dhum isnothing less than uniting all the non-humanraces of Karameikos against what he sees asthe common threat: men.119THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Rise of Dhrom DhumDhrom Dhumspeaks:I am Dhrom Dhum, shaman of Hela. I speak to all the humanoids inTra Gar and to all the humanoids in the world. I had a vision from mygoddess. I saw many wolves scattered around a big forest. Hunterscame to kill them. Many hunters with long bows. They came and killedthe wolves, because every wolf was alone. The hunters killed the bigwolves then, laughing, they killed the whelps. And I knew the wolveswere us. Killed by our enemies, the humans, one by one, tribe by tribe,because we were scattered in the world like the wolves of my visionwere in the forest. I speak to goblins and kobolds, to trolls, orcs andogres, to gnolls and bugbears. Our enemies will kill us all. Our enemiesare not the elves. Our enemies are not the giants, not the dwarves, norgnomes or halflings. Our enemies are the humans. They are asnumberless as lice, and they breed like rats, stealing our lands andkilling us all. They enter our caves and kill warriors and females andwhelps. They search for us in the forest, ten one day, a hundred the nextday, a thousand the next day. They search for us in the tallest andloneliest mountain and come to kill us. They want to steal the land ofall the other races, and they will kill us all. We have to forget hatredbetween tribes. We have to forget enmity with elves and dwarves.Humans have forced elves to hide in the forest, dwarves to hide in themountains. Many moons ago we were numberless, and here in theworld there were only us and the elves and the dwarves and halflingsand giants. Then humans came, and easily defeated us all, because wewere fighting each other. Now there are humans everywhere, and theyspread in the world like a pestilence. Their cities are bigger every moon,and every moon they want more land.They want all the world, and they will kill us all.THE NIGHTSTALKERSLed by the visionary shaman Dhrom Dhum(Goblin 7/Shaman 6), the Nightstalkers are atypical Goblin tribe, worshippers of Wogar,but also of Hel; the chief himself is a shamanof this northern Immortal.Dhrom Dhum controls five hordes of goblinwolfriders in the area between Highforge andPenhaligon, north of the Faz-Plak territory.The shaman has a powerful vision of aunited Goblinoid nation, and is trying tobring the northern tribes and those of theDymrak to his side, but he is opposed by theWitches of Dymrak and, indirectly, by thegreen dragon Argos.The Nightstalkers favour the use of handaxes, maces and short bows. They use greygreencloaks and their shamans carry wardrums in battle.120THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Rise of Dhrom DhumA PLEA FOR AIDTo His Highness King Stephan Karameikos and the royal courtTo the Lords of Penhaligon and Threshold and their courtsTo the Lord commander of the Duke’s road keepA very urgent request of aid from the towns of Irenke and KnoshtYour Graces,We have sent several petitions already to anyone who could help us. We are just twosmall towns in the wilderlands that have fared well for some years being on a traderoad between Threshold and Penhaligon, and being somehow favorite places foryoung wizards and adventurers. We have had our share of troubles with goblinoidsand such lot in the past, but never before has the situation been so bad as it is now.The Nightstalkers goblins have always been a threat here in the Wufwolde hills, yetmany young adventurers from our towns or from many other places in Karameikosand other lands have several times aided us against them, keeping their strength andraids in check. But in the last year things have changed for the worse. At least threedifferent groups of adventurers never returned from the wilds, many caravans andmerchants have been robbed by goblins and just a few days ago goblin emissariescame to both our towns with a white flag, but they had no intention of surrender,my lords. They demanded our surrender, meaning that our towns should from nowon be under the rule of the goblin kingdom of Wufwolde, or else.I well know we are free towns, we are not part of the dominions of Threshold orPenhaligon, yet we are part of the Kingdom of Karameikos, so we ask for help fromany one of your high lords willing to aid us, because we fear the goblins are growingstronger and stronger, and we will not be able to resist them.What this meansDhrom Dhum is now ready to go to the nextlevel and declare unilateral independencefrom the Kingdom of Karameikos, thusratifying the de facto situation of theWufwolde hills, that humans have never beenable to colonize in all the history ofKarameikos and even Traladara.Yet obviously the King will not accept thisand will probably send adventurers, at theleast, or even a full army, to deal with thegoblins. But Dhrom Dhum is smart and willavoid any wanton slaughter, trying insteadto demonstrate to anyone sent against himthat the Wufwolde hills have always beengoblin territory and the humans have noright to claim them.121THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Rise of Dhrom DhumHe is right, and he even collected severaldocuments to support this - very old humanand elven chronicles that describe the hills asinhabited by goblins from many centuriesago. He is also ready to address his petition tothe Western Defense League and any foreignambassador in Karameikos, with the goal ofembarrassing the King or exposing hishypocrisy if he refuses without grounds thegoblins’ claim for independence. If PCs areinvolved, they should resort to diplomacyrather than violence, as Dhrom Dhum hasmany warriors that know the hills very well,and could be rather difficult to defeat. Indeedthe underground areas under the Wufwoldeare so extensive that even the task of simplyfinding Dhrom Dhum would be reallydaunting.ARGOS WILL“You will do as commanded,” said the darkgreen robed figure.The big goblin shifted on his feet, troubled.“But the runt has always been our enemy,” hesaid, disgruntled. “We exiled him”.Because my stupid minions failed to killhim, he also thought.It’s the will of the Green Lord and you willobey,” said the figure in her quiet voice, withjust a slight note of irritation.Kosivikh shivered. In his life he had survivedmuch and feared very little. Indeed, he fearedonly the Green Lord and the witches in all theworld. And one of the witches was nowstanding quietly before him. He almost hadn’tthe strength to reply again, but thensomehow managed to speak.“He worships another immortal. Theshamans of all the hordes will bedispleased.”The figure made a sound. It sounded almostlike a laughter, but it terrified him.Your immortals are not here. I am here. Andthe Green Lord is near,” she said.As a whelp, Kosivikh was taught it wasfoolish to defy immortals and shamans,unless you were powerful enough to do it.He bowed before the dark green figure.We will ask Dhrom Dhum to join the goblinkingdom as his loyal subjects,” he said. Healmost choked on the words and felt sick. Hedidn’t look up, but he knew the witch wassmiling.What this meansIn the past, the green dragon Argos hasactively tried to kill Dhrom Dhum, as theonly goblin leader unwilling to bow beforehim. But the idea of creating a goblinkingdom amuses him so much he hasdecided to join it. Not overtly, obviously, buthe is sure the event could only beadvantageous to him.122THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Rise of Dhrom DhumIf the goblin succeeds, Argos could one dayreplace him with a more suitable ruler; i.eone he can better control. If the goblin fails,he could use the event to unleash anhumanoid war upon all Karameikos. In eithercase, Argos will win.NIGHT’S DARKENCOUNTERShe was not cloaked in a black cloak, or cape,or anything like that. She had a simple andmodest brown dress, with only small silverlinings as decorations on the sleeves. Not inany way a concession to vanity, but areminder of the Lady to herself. She wasn’tdark of hair or eyes either, even if the Ladywas always pictured thus in classiciconographies. She was blonde, and hadgreen eyes. None of this mattered to thegoblin, to whom she was just a human, apotentially useful one. Some humans saidthat Dhrom Dhum was a bloodthirsty savagelike any goblin, and wanted only to slaughterevery man and woman alive and eat theirbabies. That wasn’t true. He was therebecause he was willing to ally with somehumans to stop those who were encroachingon goblins land. He wouldn’t eat babieseither, he wouldn’t even enslave them. Hestrongly believed cruelty was stupid, and itwas far more useful to adopt enemy prisonersinto the tribe rather than exterminate them.Humans said humanoids are bloodthirstysavages, but they committed the worst wars ofextermination.“And so are you sure there will not bereligious conflicts between us?” the womanasked, interrupting his thoughts.Why should there be?” he asked. “Ourimmortal Ladies have similar philosophies.Some say my Lady spawned yours,” headded, smiling.“It could be,” the woman shrugged, earningmore points in Dhrom Dhum’s opinion. “Yetwe believe in undeath. Will your peopleaccept it? Will you?” the woman asked,looking at him with her intense green eyes.Even Dhrom Dhum found the eyescharming, and he imagined they wouldappeal greatly to a human male. “I thinkyour ‘undeath-for-all’ is something of a longterm plan,” he said. “First of all we shouldgain independence for my people and yours.Independence and recognition, forcing theking and all the other rulers to accept andrespect our existence. Don’t you think thatwould be enough for a start?”The woman smiled, too. “I suppose it wouldbe,” she said. “Yet you and I will have to facethis religious debate sooner or later, don’tyou think?”“I look forward to it,” he replied.The woman kept on smiling and nodded.Dhrom Dhum made a little bow before her.And so the alliance between theNightstalkers and the Darkers was done.What this meansThe Darkers, a secret organization offollowers of Nyx (see the article onKoskatep), has waited centuries to openlypractice their religion. The new goblinkingdom could give them that chance. AndDhrom Dhum could use their magicalexpertise and, - if necessary - their ability increating powerful undead.123THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Rise of Dhrom DhumINTEGRATING THISSCENARIO WITH OTHERMYSTARA MODULESThe “Mystara modules and placement” 1article by Andrew Theisen in the Vaults ofPandius provides useful information tointegrate Dhrom Dhum and the Nightstalkersin Karameikos.B8: Journey to the Rock. The placement ofthis module is not very consistent withKarameikos geography, but if the DM hasalready used it in the area north of Threshold,as shown in this map by Simone Neri in thearticle Detail of the Threshold Region, theNightstalkers goblins could have relationswith some of the people mentioned here. Inthe module this area is inhabited by thewizard Lirdrium Arkayz and his championJenlar Temlin and many other people:gnomes, a tribe of dwarves, the elves ofSylvanhome, a camp of ogres, bugbears,sprites, many harpies, some human goatherders, a hidden city of chameleon men,rock men, rock baboons, and the SingingSkulls goblins. There is also a Crone of Chaosin the Hall of the Rock and the lost city ofTuma, moved to another plane. Many thingscan change if the Crone is defeated and thetalisman is retrieved, or if Tuma returns. Thecity, as a beacon of law, would certainlyoppose a shaman of Hel like Dhrom Dhum,but other inhabitants of the area could allywith him.B9 Castle Caldwell and beyond: TheSanctuary of Elwyn the Ardent is right in thecentre of the area controlled by DhromDhum. Elwyn should be a cleric of Chardastes1Mystara Modules and Placement at The Vaults ofPandiusthat stole the sacred bell and turned toLeptar. She has orc allies and a black dragon.If she was defeated by adventurers thecomplex could be now empty and DhromDhum would probably take it.B10 Night’s Dark Terror: If PC’s have alreadydefeated or killed some goblin chiefs of theDymrak woods they could be weaker, thusfalling more easily under Dhrom Dhum’sinfluence.B11 and B12: If Ilyana Penhaligon is stillalive and in control of Haradraith’s keep sheis unlikely to ally with Dhrom Dhum and willprobably be a very dangerous enemy forhim. If she is dead the goblins could havetaken control of the keep and of severalformer minions of Ilyana’s. The Dark Weborcs, followers of Nyx enslaved by Ilyana,could become willing allies of DhromDhum. The Faceslashers gnolls would beless willing, but the goblin’s strength couldforce them to escape into the mountains.GAZ1: One very old Red Dragon ismentioned in the northern Wufwolde Hills.Could he be an ally of Dhrom Dhum, oreven the real power behind him, the rise ofthe goblin shaman just his plot to replaceArgos as the dragon ruler of Karameikos?Could the gold dragon posing as a beggar inThreshold also be involved?DDA4 The Dymrak Dread: If the PCs havekilled Kosivikh he will not be the leader ofthe Dymrak goblin horde anymore, but asabove that would just make things easier forDhrom Dhum. According to the modulethere are also lizardmen in the forest. LordRoderick the Forester could be theKarameikan official in charge of theunsettled lands, thus being a likely delegateto parley with the goblins.124THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Rise of Dhrom DhumThe Sound of Madness (From Karameikos:Kingdom of Adventure): Around Eltan’sSpring, there is a hag that leads some goblins.She could have become an ally of theNightstalkers, or her former goblin bandcould if she has been killed. There are alsostone giant clans east of Threshold. If thegoblins respect their lands they could bepersuaded to join Dhrom Dhum’s kingdom.Hail the Heroes: There are goblins and ogresaround the ruins of Zadreth. If DhromDhum’s goblins have taken control of theplace, the quest to retrieve the Shield of Halavcould become much more demanding.GOBLIN POPULATIONAND MILITARYSTRENGTHBy the lowest estimate, the Nightstalkersshould number around 2,000 betweengoblins, hobgoblins, bugbears and others,and have a number of possible warriorsbetween 1,000 and 1,500. In this case theyshould control only an area of 16x24 miles orless in the forested hills between Threshold,Penhaligon, Highforge and Irenke 2 .If the DM would like the Nightstalkers to bestronger, they could have expanded throughthe hills all the way up to the border withDarokin, effectively surrounding the humanvillages of Irenke and Knosht, controlling atotal territory of approximately 24x40 miles.2 For more detail, see the map of Goblinoid tribes andthe small-scale map of Karameikos by Agathokles at theVaults of Pandius: Map of the Tribes of Karameikosand 3.2 miles/hex map of KarameikosThat’s the scenario supposed in this article,and therefore the Nightstalker populationcould have grown up to 7,000 humanoids inrecent years, with a number of warriorsbetween 3,500 and 5,000.The Dymrak Dread goblins (and otherhumanoids) should number between10,000 and 20,000, depending on the extentof the forest area the DM would like them tocontrol, with 50 to 75% as warriors.All these calculations assume a basichumanoid density of 6.5 per square mile asin the “Demography of Mystara:Karameikos” article by Simone Neri (seepage 5 of this issue). Read it for moreaccurate numbers about the estimatedhumanoid population in the nation.If the DM plans a population explosion or ifthe goblins have gained access to moreresources (for example they are usingherding, horticulture or magic to have morefood available) their numbers could be evenhigher, as the basic density could easily bedoubled.In any case, the goblins’ strength shouldmake them a very serious threat forKarameikos, one that PCs should face withstealth and diplomacy rather than bruteforce.125THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Dangers of the Dymrak WildsFROM THE VAULTS OF PANDIUSby HåvardThe lands of Men have their kings and nobles.So too does the wilderness of Karameikoshave its hierarchy of lords and minions,power and intrigue. Dating back to theBeastman Invasions and the age of KingHalav, the Dymrak Forest has always been ahaven to the evils of Karameikos. These forcesare ever seeking to expand their influencenorth into the Kelvin Moors and beyond. Atthe same time, there are forces of good withinthe wilderness trying to forge alliancesagainst these evils, hoping perhaps that thewilderness itself can stand against thedarkness instead of depending on heroesfrom the so-called civilized parts of the GrandDuchy. These conflicts go back to the ancienthistory of the Traladaran Lands and warsbetween enemies have been fought in thewilderness without civilized men evenknowing about it.ARGOS THE WORRIERThe True Master of the Dymrak Forest isMighty Argos, the green Dragon. Theentrance to his lair is reached through theLake of Lost Dreams, but Argos rarely leaveshis den -- in draconic form, that is. Once, hewas almost bound to servitude by the dragonqueen Attura, and he vowed never to be sopowerless. This led him to make a pact withthe Immortal Orcus. He became a Cleric ofOrcus, thus enabling him to cast both clericaland arcane spells. However, an alliance witha Demon Prince cannot become knownamong other dragons or Argos will becomean outcast from Draconic society.Another gift from the Demon Prince was thepower to take on humanoid shape. Thisability was also passed on to Argos threechildren. One of these children, the DragonVerdilith was even able to infiltrate the courtat Penhaligon and is working his way intoKarameikan politics by using this ability (Seethe Penhaligon Trilogy for more details).Allies: Argos has also been able to dominatemost of the goblin tribes of Dymrak Forest,on both sides of the Rugalov River. This hehas achieved by forging a magical weapon --the Blood Blade -- a sword made of rare RedSteel. Through the aid of his ImmortalPatron, Orcus, Argos was able to empowerthe weapon with intelligence of its own.Argos gave the sword to Ghnass, the leaderof a goblin tribe. The goblin chieftain quicklyfell under the Blood Blade’s domination.With the aid of this blade the goblinsforming the Red Blade Tribe were able tosubjugate several other Wolf Riding tribes,all of whom now serve Argos and revere thedragon as a god. Orcus in return providesclerical spells for the goblin shamans.Some of the goblin tribes still resistdomination by the dragon and have alliedthemselves with other powers of Dymrak,such as the Witches who live there, but it isonly a matter of time before Argos decides todeal with this problem.126THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Dangers of the Dymrak WildsEnemies: Among dragons, Argos’ main rivalis Attura, a powerful dragon whom he oncetried to mate. The Witches of Dymrak contestwith Argos for the domination of the goblintribes, but Argos feels confident that he candeal with them. Since Argos made the pactwith Orcus, his main enemy has become theSeer of the Lake of Lost Dreams. The Seer isan agent of the forces who seek to protectKarameikos against the likes of Argos and hismasters and this has actually made it moredifficult for Argos to move around.Game Statistics: See Who’s Who AmongDragons. Has the ability to take human form.THE WITCHES OFDYMRAKAnother powerful force of evil lurking in theDymrak Forest are the The Witches ofDymrak. These powerful Crones of Chaos aresometimes rivals and sometimes allies ofArgos. This ancient circle of nine Witchesdates many centuries back. The Witches havedivided the forest between them and usuallyprefer to work on their own individualschemes. However, they are the mostdangerous when they join forces. TheCrones, who refer to each other as “sisters”,see themselves as the representatives of theDark Fey Court of Karameikos. They hateeach other, but will always come to the aid ofanother if one is in trouble. If all nineWitches are gathered, they are able to weavepowerful magic.Best known is the Witch Grizzelda (powerfulCrone of Chaos, HD8** Hp 60, Wokan 6, ALC). She has had some dealings with thevarious Centaur tribes of the Kelvin Moors.Grizzelda is allied with the FiremaneCentaurs, who have provided various servicesfor her. It is not known which services shehas given the Firemanes in return, but theFiremanes rivals the Stormwinds havetheories of their own. Magical weapons inthe hands of the Firemanes is at least one ofthe gifts that they must have received.Grizzelda has been harassing nearby familiesof forest gnomes (Earth Gnomes) living inher area, and these gnomes fear the Witchgreatly. In spite of her malicious nature,Grizzelda has surprisingly managed to stayon relatively friendly terms with the Seer ofthe Lake of Lost Dreams. It has even beenspeculated that she has aided the Seer in hisbattles against evil in the past. Grizzelda livesin the northern edge of the forest in a smallgrove of dead trees. The trees are actuallyundead Treants who guard her cottage.Grizzelda is closest to her sister Esmeralda(Crone of Chaos, HD 6*, Hp 55, Wokan 3, ALC) who is allied with the Dymrak Horde, agoblin tribe in the western parts of theforest. A third Witch, Gelphora (HD6*, AL C)is among those witches most closely devoutto Orcus.THE SEER OF THE LAKEOF LOST DREAMSWhen Halav and his companions werefighting the Beastmen, Halav sought outOberon of the Fey Realm for help. Oberonagreed, but at a price. The pact betweenHalav and Oberon involved the fate of Havenand is still honored to this day. The keeperof the Pact is known only as the Seer.This old hermit lives in a small woodencottage on the coast of the Lake of LostDreams in eastern Karameikos. The Seer isknown for his great wisdom and knowledgeof the lands of Karameikos and its history127THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Dangers of the Dymrak Wildsand legends. Also, he is known to havepowers of divination. The origin of hispowers is not known to the common man.Some say he was trained by the Witches ofDymrak. Others say that he is a demigod andthe son of King Halav himself. That he hassome connection with the Traladaran Threeis undisputed. The Seer seems to see himselfas a protector of the Traladaran lands. Heshows little interest in mortal affairs ingeneral, but when the land itself is threatened-- such as when the servants of Arik attempt tofree their master -- the Seer always intervenesif he can. He has very few dealings with thenobility and other high ranking members ofKarameikan society, butThe Seer is a popular figure among theTraladaran commoners, especially the ruralpopulation. While he lives in a remotelocation, the Seer often travels thecountryside, giving aid to commonTraladarans.The Seer is a friend of the people of Haven.He is also on friendly terms with the ThreeSidhe Priestesses of Halav who reside on theIsland in the middle of the Lake of LostDreams. While Sidhe cannot normallybecome Clerics, it is believed that these Threeserve the Pact just like the Seer does. It is saidthat it was the Sidhe Priestesses who gave theSeer his most valued possession, the Eye ofTraldar.The Eye of Traldar is actually one of two suchmagical gemstones. The one in thepossession of the Seer is known as the WhiteDiamond Eye while another, the Black OpalEye, is found somewhere in the RadlebbWoods. The two eyes were created by aNithian Wizard called Traldar. According tosome legends, he was the one who originallyled the Traldar from Nithia to their currenthomelands. Some say that the Eyes ofTraldar were actually Traldar's own eyes,which had become gemstones after theWizard had died and still contained hismagical powers.Appearance: The Seer is an old man, yetphysically he is in a better shape than manyyoungsters. His skin is tanned from the sunand his grey hair is set in a ponytail. The Seerhas a trimmed grey moustache and beard.He wears old grey robes, held together by arope belt. From the belt hang numerousitems of mystical significance such as a bird’sleg, a bag of coloured sand and thefingerbone of a goblin.Game Statistics: 11 th level Magic-user. St:14, Dx 15, Co 17, In 18, Wi 18, Ch 16. AL: N.Possessions: Wooden staff, robes, the Eyeof Traldar (a magical artifact with severaldivining and detection magic spells. It alsofunctions as a Crystal Ball, but only areaswithin Karameikos and Haven [from moduleB3] can be scried.)Notes: The Seer of the Lake of Lost Dreamswas originally mentioned in DDA1 Eye ofTraldar. There he was referred to as the Seerof the Lake of Lost Souls.THE CENTAURSThe lands north of the Dymrak Forest arehome to a large number of Centaur Clans.These are of a barbaric and warlike race,placing great value on physical strength,courage and honour. They are a proud raceand often show a hostile attitude towardsnon centaurs. The Centaurs often wear theirhair Mohawk-style or spiked. They covertheir upper (human) body with runic tattoosand in times of war use blue war paint. The128THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Dangers of the Dymrak WildsCentaurs worship spirits of nature andancestors as well as the Immortals of Nature(Terra, Ordana, Djaea and Faunus). Theyspeak a form of archaic Traladaranresembling the old Vandar tongue.The clans are divided into two major tribes;the Firemane Tribe and the Stormwind Tribe.The Firemane Tribe is a chaotic and wildbunch. They tend to have red hair and goldbrowneyes. This tribe is known to be themost aggressive and warlike. They arerumoured to occasionally sell human captivesto the Iron Ring, and have had an alliancewith Grizzelda, one of the Witches of Dymrak(See the Witches of Dymrak) in the past. TheFiremanes live in the lands between theKelvin Moors and the Lake of Lost Dreams.Fire is holy to the Firemane Tribe. Theirleader is Rathanuk Flamehoof, a powerfulwarrior easily recognised by his flaming redlion-like hair and a scar below his left eye.He wields a powerful scimitar, said to burstinto flames when engaged in combat.(Centaur 7, HD7 Hp 56, St 14, Dx 13, In 11,Wis 10, Co 12, Cha 12, Al C, Sword ofFlaming),The other clan, the Stormwinds, isconsidered to be more reliable. Still, theStormwinds dislike outsiders and prefer tostay away from civilisation. However,someone meeting with the Stormwinds willnotice that they have many humans livingamong them. These humans find acceptanceby the centaurs, in spite of the usualresentment most of that race have forhumans. The Stormwinds live on the KelvinMoors. They have black hair and deep blueeyes. Stormy weather is considered ablessing by the Stormwinds. Their leader isArthane Stormchild (Centaur 6, HD7 Hp 56,St 17, Dx 12, In 10, Wis 15, Co 13, Cha 14,AL N) an aging, yet powerful centaurwarrior, with greying black hair worn in aponytail, who is never seen without his greatspear and a rune carved hunting hornhanging from a leather string around hisneck.There is a third group of centaurs also livingin these lands. These are the Clanless, agroup consisting entirely of centaurs andchevalls many of whom are druids (SeeMonster Spellcaster Rules). These centaursact as judges, sages, storytellers and healersand enjoy great respect from all centaurs.129THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Dangers of the Dymrak WildsThe most powerful of all the Clanless is thechevall druid Loshad (see B10). He wastrained by a treant druid (Treant 10, Druid7, HD 10, Hp 79 St 15, Dx 12, In 13, Wis 18,Co 13, Cha 14, AL N) known as MasterTemor. Loshad works to protect horses, andpreserve the peace between the centaurs. Hehates the werewolves of the realm with apassion and has sometimes allied himselfwith werewolf hunters from Kelvin in orderto destroy this evil.Notes● Argos the Worrier and Attura originallyappeared in Who’s Who Among Dragonsby Bruce Heard.● Gelphora was created by Agathokles andfirst appeared in his adventure DymrakDread.● Loshad the Chevall originally appearedin module B10 Dark Night’s Terror.● The Seer and the Eye of Traldar firstappeared in the module DDA3 Eye ofTraldar.130THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Fort Doomby Niels Just RasmussenBefore the Thyatian invasion thewesternmost Traladaran people used tokeep to themselves, as they were isolatedfrom other Traladaran settlements byominous forests full of humanoids and otherdangerous creatures. The small fishingvillage of “Old Halag” had both daringfishermen that sailed into the Gulf of Halagcatching big game with long lines and coastalfishermen using nets. In the flat landsaround Old Halag you could find someexcellent farmland where thousands offarmers made their living. All of these peoplehad together built a walled inland town -“New Halag” - which was protected bothfrom pirate attacks from the sea and fromhumanoid attacks from the forests. There,fishermen and farmers could exchangegoods under the jurisdiction of a Mayorappointed by all the male elders of theregion -- all free men of 40 years of age andolder could vote. The Mayor was appointedfor life (or until his wits failed him) and hesat in the council with an elder fishermanand an elder farmer that together had thepower to veto the Mayor's decisions orremove him from office if they agreed he wasunable to lead.When the Thyatians invaded in 900 AC andtook over Marilenev (renaming itSpecularum) the Halag region was mostlyunaffected, since it was far away and not inany way a trade center that was tax worthy.The Halag Traladarans were verysuperstitious and regarded halflings, elvesand dwarves as tricksters to be avoided. Sothey kept to themselves as they had donefor centuries, not even trading with thehalflings in the Five Shires just across theGulf of Halag.Their age-old isolation was brutally brokenin 970 AC when the Ludwig von Hendriksand his Hattian cavalry suddenly camecrashing out of the woods into the plainswith far greater speed and coordinationthat any humanoid raid. The Traladaranswere overwhelmed and many farmerscould not flee in time to safety behind thewalls of New Halag. The attacking Hattianshad taken many farmers hostage andthreatened to kill them before the wallsunless Halag opened its gates. The horrifiedpopulace was at first indecisive, but theelders bade them stand firm. But after thedisplays of cruelty before the walls, manyfarmers faltered, fearing that their familymembers were the next to be killed, and131THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Fort Doomthey opened the gates. The Hattians pouredin; von Hendriks and his men confiscated allproperty and rounded up all the leaders andtheir families and executed them in the mainsquare as punishment. Those who hadopened the gates for the Thyatians werespared and allowed to keep some of theirproperty.Over the last 30 years the Traladaranpopulation has been reduced to slavery,working at strengthening the fortifications ofthe town and building castles and manorsfor the Thyatian elite led by von Hendriks.The entire Traladaran population, with theexception of the few traitors who hadturned to work for the Thyatians, has beenrelocated to New Halag, now known as FortDoom (or, as the Hattians call it, "FestungVerhängnis"). The new town is much largerthan the old one -- 10,000 people now livethere.LAYOUT OF THE TOWNThe buildings around the market square,which was the original center of the town,have been confiscated and repurposed intoarmy barracks, bureaucratic offices and foodstorage. Goods and produce brought in fromthe surrounding farmlands and fish caughtby the fishermen are registered, labelled,and stored here, mostly for use of theThyatian élite.The city is protected by walls, and fourgates allow entrance to the town. TheNortheastern gate is the largest andcontrols a paved road leading to Luln. Theroad is sufficiently well kept as to allowwagons to pass. The Southwestern gate isthe second largest. It leads to the harbour,which lies around five miles away. The roadhere is also paved, but it is narrower thanthe Luln road.132THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Fort DoomThe Northern and Southern gates have gravelroads leading out to the surrounding farms.These two gates are a lot narrower and notwell suited for large wagons, although cartscan negotiate them.The city walls are five meters high, andguards patrol the parapets (4 meters up).Fortified guard houses protect the gates,overseeing the raising and lowering of doubleiron gates. All gates are down during thenight. Guards also control every movement inand out of the town asking for papers andsearching all belongings and goodsthoroughly.The town is bureaucratically split into 5different districts:1. Center District is the smallest districtand is for the soldiers, bureaucratsand their families, and otherdignitaries either local or visiting.This district is exclusively inhabitedby Thyatians (or foreignerssupporting the regime).2. Western District is the home of theTraladaran fishermen. It is the largestdistrict spanning the northwest all tothe southwest of the town.133THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Fort Doom3. Northern District is the secondsmallest district and is for the farmerstending the farms which lay to thenorth of the town.4. Northeast District is a medium-sizeddistrict and is home to Thyatianmerchants as well as Traladaranprisoners working on the giganticBlack Eagle Castle being built to theNortheast of the town.5. Southern District is the second largestand is for the farming familiesworking to the east and south of thetown.The buildings in town are mostly closestanding,single-storied cottages for thefishing and farming families. Buildingsaround the center square have severalstories. Also ,some of the houses in theNortheast district along the road leadingfrom the town center to Luln are multistoried.While Fort Doom is an inland town, thewestern road leads to a harbour area a fewmiles away. Many fishing boats and the greatship "Eisen Flotte" lies here, but few live herepermanently. Guards are stationed to patrolit, but the Traladaran fishermen are forced tolive inside of Fort Doom itself. The harbourhas a pier and several small warehouses, aswell as a large guardhouse. The barracks ofthe 6 th Fähnlein, one of the units of theBaron’s army, are located here as well.Half a mile north of the harbour, a tower isunder construction for the use of theBaron’s magist, Bargle. So far only threeunderground levels and the base level arecompleted. The tower also has its own smallharbour.A couple of miles northeast of Fort Doom,along the road to Luln, Ludwig vonHendriks is building an enormous castle onan artificial hill. Traladaran prisoners workthemselves to death on this immensebuilding project 1 . The Baron has had thecastle designed on a grand scale, to rival thelargest fortifications in the Known World.IMPORTANTCHARACTERS OF THEREALMFreiherr (Baron)Ludwig vonHendriksA first cousin ofDuke StefanKarameikos,Ludwig vonHendriks is halfHattian (throughhis father) andhalf Kerendan, buthe stronglyidentifies as aHattian conservative, to the point that heemploys the traditional Hattian title“Freiherr”, rather than his actual Thyatiantitle of Baron. He hates both his cousins,Stefan Karameikos and Alexius Korrigan, forbeing both more popular and lucky thanhimself in their youth.Ludwig is a pathological liar and apsychopath, who utterly believes he isalways right 2 . He can be very charming1 The end layout will be something like the crusadercastle "Krac de Chevaliers" in modern day Syria.2 A detect lie spell will not work on him, since he is134THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Fort Doomtowards people when he wants to, as whenreceiving guests or when he wants to achievesome political goal or favour, but his charmis only skin-deep.From an outside point of view, Ludwig is anevil, totally self-centered man, utterlyuncaring for anyone but himself. In his ownperspective, however, he is the good guy --Ludwig sees himself as a protector of the true“Thyatianism” in its purest form, as held bythe Hattian conservative ideology. In fact,Ludwig believes that Duke StefanKarameikos is a very dangerous man -- atraitor to the Thyatians. The Duke, indeed, isbuilding a country that supports equalitybetween Thyatians, Traladarans and evenmixed “bastards”, as von Hendriks would callthem. “What's next? The Duke wants to mixThyatians with goblins and orcs”, is acommon quote -- quite ironic, since theBaron routinely employs goblinoids. TheDuke, in Ludwig’s eyes, is clearly both tooweak to support the Thyatian ideals, andpursuing evil goals.Ludwig knows that to demonstrate the errorsof the Duke’s rulership and win the hearts ofthe more conservative Thyatians, he needs toprove his point in practice. Thus, his plan isto portray the old Traladaran town of Halagas a perfect example of cleanliness andorder, where Thyatian superiority keepscontrol over conquered lesser people.Visitors are told that Freiherr von Hendriks is“educating" and "correcting" the Traladaranpeople to the "light of culture andcivilisation", but since many of them tend toretain their antiquated, superstitious ways,they need to be "ruled by a firm hand fortheir own good".fully convinced whatever comes out of his mouth isthe truth.Freiherr von Hendriks is formally a followerof Vanya. He surrounds himself withfanatical followers of that Immortal,primarily Hattians. Von Hendriksappreciates these kind of people since theyare easy to understand and control. Incontrast, he is deeply suspicious of peoplewith personal ethics or that questionorders, as he expects blind obedience fromhis followers. In truth, Ludwig vonHendriks only follows Vanya because helikes war and hates peace. He has nopersonal reverence for Vanya 3 . War is theway to achieve glory and recognition and tokeep the Thyatian spirit strong and fearedamong other nations -- "War is characterbuilding,"as Ludwig likes to say.His other prestige project is the immensecastle he is building northeast of FortDoom. Its gates and castle are to project animage of martial power and orderedcleanliness in contrast to Traladaranprovincialism, and demonstrate all thesigns that Hattian culture is holding true toThyatian principles. He has commissionedimmense marble statues, one of Vanya asthe triumphant goddess, and an equestrianone of himself, in field plate with shield andraised sword.Duke Stefan Karameikos is yet unaware thathis cousin Ludwig has been plotting hisdemise since childhood. Thus far the Dukehas been lucky to survive several attemptson his life from both his cousin Ludwig andfrom Traladarans. The Duke is stillconvinced his cousin Ludwig is a lawful andfaithful follower and that he is beingwrongfully accused by political opponentsas a result of the initial Traladaran rebellion.3 Vanya does not seem to mind, though.135THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Fort DoomTraladaran refugees in both Luln and Specularumhave told stories about the evils going on in FortDoom. Townmistress Sascia of Luln, in particular,has been very vocal about Baron von Hendriks inher reports to Specularum. Even one powerfulThyatian, Lord Alexius Korrigan, the Duke’sSeneschal, has voiced concern about continuingcrimes being committed against the Traladaranpopulation. The Duke is caught in a difficultposition, as he is pressed to believe one of hiscousins over the other. Thus, he has actedindecisively up to now.Meanwhile, Freiherr von Hendriks has startedagitating among the Thyatians against theaccusations. In Ludwig von Hendriks’ own view heis the good guy and the efforts done by Lord AlexiusKorrigan in spreading these lies are essentially thespreading of evil. If other Thyatians start to listen tothese lies, they could destroy years of work inbringing prosperity to Karameikos, and they couldeven lead to a new Traladaran uprising.The key concept in his campaign is the following, asstated at political meetings by Ludwig himself:"Rebellious forces of the Traladaran resistance tryto remove me and spread discord among theThyatians. But should I fall, the Duke will be nextand all Thyatian holdings will be in jeopardy".Whether this is true or not, most Thyatians believeit.Thus removing his cousin could spark a Traladaranuprising, since these horrors will have to be formallyadmitted, instead of remaining rumours. The Dukealso knows that hardline Thyatians might take theside of "cousin Ludwig" and lead to a civil waramong the Thyatians, another event that couldeasily spark a Traladaran uprising. His politicaladvisors tell him to remain ignorant and naive in thematter, so that is his policy towards his cousinunless he goes into open rebellion: "See nothing,hear nothing, say nothing."New spell:6th level clerical spell.Range: 500 yards in radius from aWar Banner of Vanya.Duration: Until battle has endedEffect: All sentient creatureswithin rangeThe caster establishes a centerpoint on the consecratedbattlefield, which must be abanner of Vanya. The caster musthold the banner when casting thespell, but can then give it toanother person. Around thisbanner, the power of Vanyaensures that “proper” fightingtakes place, making it impossiblefor casters on both sides toconcentrate on their spells or foritems to be activated. This is a kindof internal anti-magic shell. Magicbonuses to items will still functionnormally.Any creatures arriving to fightvoluntarily get no saving throw,but creatures caught in range ofthe spell that had no intent to fightget a save. If they miss, they willflee the battlefield for the durationof the battle. If they succeed, theycan observe the battle unaffected,but should they join the fight theywill be affected by the spell and beunable to cast spells or usemagical items. It also makespeople dispel any magic cast onthemselves or the area, becausethey get in a fighting mood. Only136THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Fort Doomunaffected non-combatants canhave spells active.All armies (both friends and foesof the caster) fighting in this zonewill never retreat, surrender orshow mercy. The caster's armygets a +10 bonus to Morale andignores any Fatigue if using WarMachine. Enemy armies don’treceive a Morale bonus, but willnot be subject to fatigue either.The spell remains in effect untilone side is annihilated.New spell:7th level magic user spell.Range: Touch (victims mind has tobe broken down first).Duration: Permanent.Effect: One living human,demihuman, or humanoid.The victim has first to be mentallybroken down until it is lethargicand in a state of total apathy. Thenthe caster imprints his mind onthe "tabula rasa" - the blank slate.The victim gets no saving throw,since it is already broken mentally.The victim is then convinced thathe is the caster (it is after all theonly "mind" in its skull now), butbeing controlled by somesupreme being. The victim isutterly loyal to this supreme beingand will not act on its own accord.The caster can control the puppetthrough his own thoughtsRitter Konrad von Messerfeld,High priest of VanyaFreiherr Ludwig von Hendriks has a trusted"lieutenant" (as much as it is possible for him totrust anyone), Ritter Konrad von Messerfeld (C12).Von Messerfeld is the high priest of Vanya in theBarony and is an utterly fanatical Hattianconservative. He is most grateful that Vanya hassuch a warmongering benefactor. In case of a civilwar with the Duke, the high priest will order hisfollowers to side with Ludwig von Hendriks againstthe Duke. Konrad von Messerfeld and his men areready for war and has personally been blessed byVanya with a new spell recently, Vanya’s Battlefield.Bargle the Sybarite 4Spionagechef (Spymaster) Bargle (MU15) is amuch less trusted "lieutenant". Bargle is head of the"Iron Ring" network. He is not its creator, but hastaken control of it, which makes him able toprovide Ludwig von Hendriks with intelligencefrom the underworld outside his realm. Not thatthe Baron fully trusts this intelligence -- he hasnumerous Thyatian informers of his own acrossboth Karameikos and Thyatis. Bargle, however,gives him enough information to remain importantand the two men have an uneasy truce. So long asBargle knows his place, the status quo is preserved.Bargle appears to Freiherr von Hendriks as a flashy,30 year old dandy magician interested insophistication and fine dining. He tries to appearmuch less powerful and ambitious than he actuallyis, though he suspects that the paranoid Freiherr isnot easily fooled. For now Bargle is not interestedin rulership, since he is quite bored by politics.Being a crime kingpin is much more fun.4Sybaris was an ancient Thyatian town known for itshedonist population, which caused its fall as the populationgrew weak.137THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Fort DoomLudwig von Hendriks has commissioned a Wizard’sKeep for Bargle, to compensate him for his services.Spies and prisoners can be shipped in and out ofthis tower through the "Eisen Flotte" fairlyunnoticed. The tower is distant enough from thetown to allow the wizard to conduct his experimentswithout causing undue disturbances. Indeed Bargle,both out of scientific curiosity and being apsychopath, has a keen interest in testing the limitsof human, demihuman and humanoid endurance todifferent types of pain, as well as the use of pain forindoctrination and information gathering.No one is known to have seen Bargle’s true formand survived. The wizard is always in disguise andhas a number of doubles. These doubles are thehighest measure of his powers as well as the focusof his current magical studies. Each double looksexactly like Bargle’s public persona, thanks toextensive magical transformation. Each double’smind has been completely shattered, and eachbelieves themself to be Bargle, but in the service ofan unknown master that reports to themtelepathically and in dreams. With their mindsdisrupted to this extent, however, the doubles arequite helpless, unless closely directed by Barglehimself. He can use them to cast spells, although hecan manage only low level magics. Every report ofBargle being killed is likely to be a double and itonly increases the fear when he seems to come backagain and again.Bargle has so far made four doubles, three of whichare still alive 5 , and is working on creating more. Thefirst double remains at Ludwig von Hendriks’ courtin his castle. Bargle uses this double to mask hisactivities, and appear less ambitious and farreaching than he really is. The second is stationed inSpecularum -- Bargle uses it to control the Iron Ringthere. The third remains in the Wizard Keep, fromwhere it controls the Iron Ring operations in thetelepathically - so long as they areon the same plane - since there isa shared mental link betweenthem.The puppets have limited magicalcapabilities. They can cast 1st and2nd level spells memorized by thepuppetmaster at the point of theircreation, but are themselvesincapable of learning new spells.The puppets are immune to allmind-affecting spells since they arealready mind-controlled. Thepuppets have no idea otherpuppets exist and will neverbelieve it even if shown theevidence.The caster can have 1 puppet forevery 2 levels of experience, butno more than their Intelligenceability score. A 36th level MagicUser with 18 Intelligence can thuscontrol 18 puppets.5The last double was killed while trying to capture AleenaHalaran.138THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Fort Doomharbour. The real Bargle is down in thedungeons in disguise as "Chief TorturerGelbar" (an anagram of Bargle) or travellingincognito around the world to increase hisknowledge and power. If anyone goes afterhim, they will likely kill the wrong Bargle.ARMY OF THEBLACK EAGLE BARONYFreiherr (Baron) Ludwig von Hendriks isthe overall commander (General) of thearmy if he takes to the field.Ritter (Knight) and High Priest of VanyaKonrad von Messerfeld is the "Oberst"(Colonel) of "Der Schwarze Adler SchwereBataillon" (The Black Eagle HeavyBattalion), which is composed of 200Hattian heavy cavalry. This unit patrols thenorth and northeastern part of the Barony,especially along the Luln road 6 . VonMesserfeld is in command of the whole armywhen Freiherr Ludwig von Hendriks is notpresent. He carries a Banner of Vanya (seesidebar for spell description) into battles asthe Hattian Warriors are clerics or followersof her.The nickname of the unit is"Verhängnislanze" (Lance of Doom) anddoom is certainly what they have brought tothe many Traladarans trying to escapetowards Luln or humanoids trying to attack.The men are equipped with field plate,lances, long swords and kite shields and thehorses have plate armour.Von Messerfeld is assisted by two"Rittmeister" (Captains), who are regarded6 The flat farmlands surrounding Fort Doom are idealfor horseback fighting.as "Edler" (Landed Lords). They eachcontrol one hundred cavalrymen of theBlack Eagle Heavy Battalion. Each of thesesubdivisions are called "Schwadron"(squadron). The two Rittmeister areAdelbert von Lindenhof and Gerhardt vonSchmeissen. Both are followers of Vanya,but they are ordinary fighters, not clerics.The two sub-units are known as"Schwadron von Lindenhof" and"Schwadron von Schmeissen".Six "Leutnants" (Lieutenants) are regardedas "Junkers" (Court Lords), which allowsthem to include a "von" in their names. Thisrank does not exist in the Black Eagle HeavyBattalion -- Officers of this rank commandsauxiliary non-Hattian platoons called"Fähnlein".Five of the Leutnants are appointed andpromoted from a Black Eagle HeavyBattalion "Feldwebel" (sergeants) to lead aplatoon, except for the 1 st Fähnlein that (asa Thyatian mercenary unit) is allowed topromote its leader from their own ranks.There are 6 platoons, numbered Fähnlein1-6. The leader of the 6 th Fähnlein is called"Kommandant" instead. The Leutnants canthen later get promoted back into the BlackEagle Heavy Battalion as Rittmeister.Several "Feldwebel" (Sergeants) leads 10men in the Black Eagle Division or 5 men inthe Fähnleins. A Hattian/Thyatian generalsoldier is called a "Landsknecht" (rank ascorporal) while the Traladarans andHumanoid are called "Schlägerkopf(e)" -meaning "Clubhead(s)" - which is thelowest rank (private).1 st Fähnlein: 50 Kerendian-ThyatianMercenaries. The "Equitum Honoris"(Honour Cavalry) is the most prestigious of139THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Fort Doomthe six platoons. It is also the only platoonwhere non-Hattians are allowed officer rank,so they have a Kerendian "Leutnant"(Lieutenant). They guard the gates andpatrol the walls. Ten men are assigned toeach gate, with the remaining held asreserve. They also act as a mounted fightingforce when needed. They are regarded asmedium cavalry, more mobile and fasterthan the Black Eagle Heavy Battalion. Themercenaries are equipped with chain mailarmor, long sword and spear, while thehorses are unarmoured.2 nd Fähnlein: 50 Hattian, Thyatian or mixedheritage young Skirmishers and Scouts "DieJungen Wölfe". This unit also enjoys someprestige, but is not regarded as an élite unit-- it is primarily the training ground for thesons of veteran soldiers. Here they can learnbefore being moved to the élite Black EagleHeavy Battalion or the 1 st Fähnlein. Theseskirmishers are footmen in charge of thehostages brought into the city center andalso take part in the hunt for fleeingTraladarans beyond the town walls. Each isequipped with leather armour and a longsword.3 rd Fähnlein: 50 Traladaran Criminals."Pumnale Sãngeroase" (Bloody daggers).This is the dirty jobs platoon, used to keepthe population in fear. It is regarded withutter contempt by the Thyatians, but themembers are secured a much better life in itthan out of it. The members have noalternatives, as they are wanted criminalselsewhere, so they are very loyal. They areonly patrolling inside Fort Doom. They carryclubs and serrated daggers, but have noarmour.4 th Fähnlein: 50 Orc warriors. "DieSchweine-Hunde" (The Pig-Dogs). Theseunusually loyal raiders can avoid beingnoisy and overly smelly compared to otherorcs. They are mostly sent on missionstowards Luln. They have mixed equipmentof all kinds, mostly of poor quality and theyare on foot.5 th Fähnlein: 50 Elite Goblinoids (bugbear,hobgoblin) from the woods south of FortDoom. "Die Nachtschatten-Jäger"(Nightshade Hunters). The strongestwarriors of the tribes from the southernwoods join this force. They are employed toharass food transports to Radlebb Keep andkeep the garrison there spread outpatrolling, as well as to keep otherhumanoids from entering Black Eagleterritory. They have mixed equipment of allkinds, mostly of poor quality and they areon foot.6 th Fähnlein: 92 Mercenary navalpersonnel of mixed background (includingmany foreigners). "Die Eisen Flotte" (TheIron Fleet). With a somewhat exaggeratedname, the “Iron Fleet” is just a TroopTransport armed with 2 light catapults. Itscrew includes the "Kommandant"(equivalent to a Leutnant), 20 sailors, 12light catapult operators and 30 marines. Itis mainly used to capture people along thecoast and hold them in the cargo deck untilsold as slaves (or given to Bargle for hisexperiments for instance). It is also used intrade, as it is strong enough to avoid mostpirate attacks.Thirty more marines guard the harbour,register catches and escort fishermen toand from Fort Doom. The crew on the boatare called 6 th Fähnlein A and the crew onland are called 6 th Fähnlein B, though themarines rotate their duties from A to B140THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Fort Doomevery month. Equipment consists of leatherarmour, crossbows and short swords.Serving in the 3 rd or 6 th Fähnlein is a way forTraladarans to escape the Baron’soppression, although it comes at a terriblecost. Veterans from these units can receive ascompensation farms that are more distantfrom Fort Doom. These Traladaran familiesstill have to have all their grain and animalsregistered, but are allowed to keep more fora better lifestyle. They can live on their farmand do not have to rapport back in town orsend hostages.The 3 rd Fähnlein members are the worst ofall - even worse than the humanoids. Theyprove themselves "eager" by performingtruly horrendous acts. While the Hattians aremostly cold, fanatical combat machines,these traitors love what they are doing, andthey are rewarded for their sadism. Thehumanoids have orders to hold back and areselected for their (relative) discipline,whereas these Traladarans are chosen fortheir cruelty.LAWS OF FORT DOOMThe law in Fort Doom is based on theThyatian attitude of "Vae Victis" (“woe to theconquered”). If you are weak enough to letyourself be conquered, then you cannotexpect any rights. Only "Might makes Right"and Vanya blesses the stronger warriors. TheTraladarans were easily vanquished and thusare beneath contempt. They are rightlyslaves and have no rights. Even more, theirpathetic immortals and their superstitionsmake them hardly more sophisticated thanhumanoids.To keep the Traladarans where they belonga system of patrolling and personalidentification and registration (throughidentification papers) is employed. Streetpatrolling is done by the 3 rd , 4 th and 5 thFähnlein in Fort Doom, and 6 th Fähnlein Bat the harbour, since it is not considered ajob suitable for Thyatians. Identificationpapers also report infractions and crimes(“disobediences”) committed by theholder, allowing the patrols to keep track ofwrongdoers. Copies of the personal papersare kept by the bureaucracy at the centersquare.The troops are allowed to harass the localpopulation, although the extent of suchharassment depends on the victim’s worthto the Baron’s regime. Traladarans with nodisobediences are only to be asked forpapers and inspected - but not otherwisemistreated. Traladarans with onedisobedience should not be killed, but canbe otherwise mistreated. Traladarans withtwo disobediences are imprisoned in thespecial camps in the NorthEast District towork on the Black Eagle Castle. They can bekilled if they cause any disturbance or donot work fast enough. Three disobedienceslead to execution on the town square.Guidelines for the patrol1) Traladarans are expected to carry theirpersonal papers on them at all time, evenwhen at home. Forgetting to have paperson the person when inspected will result inone disobedience. Guards will follow theperson home to wherever he say he hasforgotten the papers. Loss of papers willwarrant a further disobedience. Traladaransare only allowed to move within their owndistrict and center square. Catching aperson in an illegal district gives onedisobedience.141THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Fort Doom2) Traladarans can be inspected andsearched anywhere by any Black Eaglesoldier or Schlägerkopf, even within theirown homes and at any hour. Traladarans donot own anything so any item can be taken.Beware not to take materials essential totheir profession (fishermen and farmersneed their tools).3) Traladarans not showing proper respect(for instance looking a soldier in the eyes)will get one disobedience. Showing opencontempt by gestures or words gives twodisobediences. Physically attacking a soldiergives three disobediences. Such offendersare to be captured and brought in.4) Every family that has members that worksoutside of the walls (fishermen, farmers,workers at the castle) must each morningbefore work escort a family member to thecenter square where he/she will be a hostageuntil the worker returns to Fort Doom. Theyhave to be back within 24 hours or they willbe regarded as trying to escape. People with“special remarks” can stay away up to 48 oreven 72 hours before being regarded asescaping -- this allows for higher sea fishing,but is allowed only to known collaborators.The hostages will be provided food andwater to survive at the guardhouses, but areotherwise treated according to their numberof disobediences.5) Traladarans caught trying to flee FortDoom are executed at the town square,together with the hostage. If the person isnot caught, then all his immediate relativesare executed.6) It is illegal to even mention the names ofHalav, Petra and Zirchev. It will cost onedisobedience. Being a priest of theseimmortals will bring death by execution onthe town square and two disobediences forall the family members for not havingreported it. If the family reports the priest,they will get a special remark instead.7) A Traladaran can receive a special remarkthat will subtract disobedience (thoughthey are never deleted from the papers).Informing on a person talking about Halav,Petra and Zirchev, on people trying toescape, or people talking negatively aboutthe regime will give a special remark (iftrue), that can negate one disobedience. Ifthe accusations turn out to be false, nothingwill happen at first, but after three falseaccusations (for instance reporting that afamily has escaped at night, when theyclearly are still present the next day) theinformer will be given a disobedience forwasting the bureaucracy's time.8) A Traladaran town is unkempt, but itshall not be so under Thyatian leadership.Any family that has members not workingoutside or being hostages have to workkeeping the streets clean. Families with nodisobedience are not harassed, but it istypical for guards to soil the streets to makethe Traladarans clean all over again if theyhave disobediences in their papers. Failureto clean streets on demand will cost onedisobedience.9) The Baron wants to keep his men ontheir toes so each morning a special law isput on the town square. It is the duty ofeveryone (soldiers and Traladarans) toknow this law. These laws provideentertainment for the Baron, and teachflexibility to soldiers and bureaucrats all.10) Guardsmen have to keep an eye out forTraladarans with fire in their eyes. Openprovocation (typically mistreatment of142THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Fort Doomrelatives who cannot defend themselves) is atypical technique adopted to root outTraladarans that hide some will to fight theconquerors.But they also are to look out for assets --Traladarans that can be of use for the regime,like the members of the 3 rd Fähnlein.Traladarans eager to help are to be tested --if they are true to their intentions, greaterrewards will await them the more they provethemselves.Wise Traladaran rules ofsurvival“We Traladarans are constantly harassed bythe guards for the slightest imagined insult.You have to have eyes and ears openconstantly to avoid the patrols. Learn theirroutines, so you can avoid meeting them. Ifyou run into them, you have to learn to standpassively with eyes on the ground acceptingany insult, pushing and inspection.They want to have the Traladaran peopletotally broken, so the guards especially lookfor people that have "fire" in their eyes. Learnto ignore the horrors around you.Many are forced to spy on relatives, thoughsome do it willingly. The bureaucracy willoften encourage such behavior fromhostages or when a Traladaran gets their firstdisobedience. So keep your thoughts toyourself. Trust no one, not even your ownfamily.Beware the “special” laws, which the Baronmakes up daily to entertain his troops andcause misery to the Traladarans. They areput up on the main square, when peoplearrive to deliver their hostages. Not knowingtoday's law, because you haven't seen it is noexcuse. Be up early to learn it yourself, assome could lie about it to you.You must always carry your personal paperson you; they state your name, physicaldescription, family members, address andoccupation. Any kind of disobedience willbe stamped on the papers. If your papersget to many disobediences, you’ll be put towork at Freiherr von Hendrick’s monstrouscastle -- but many don't last long since thehard work kills them. If you end here allhope is lost. The work sites of the castle iscalled "Knochenmühle" - the bone-grinder -by the Hattians.Many desperate families try to escape butthey are almost always hunted down andtortured and executed in public. Often onlysingle young men or the occasional bravewoman are able to escape, though it meansdeath for the rest of the family.The city is extraordinarily clean and a greatshowcase when foreign dignitaries areallowed to visit. Then everyone has to standoutside our homes and smile and acthappy. Guards will severely punish anyonenot putting up a good show. Guests areonly allowed into town by invitation fromthe Freiherr von Hendriks.Traladarans have to keep the streets aroundtheir home perfectly clean, so it amuses theguards to mess it up right after cleaning andlaughing at them when they have to startover. Don't get upset over this.The harbour lies a few miles from thewalled city and is patrolled by guards. AllTraladarans have to unload their catch tothese guards, who register everything. TheyContinued on page 157143THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Mirror of the Eternal Nightby Francesco Defferrari (Sturm)Kosketep… the mountain of bones inTraladaran, is a strange shaped hill on theupper course of Achelos river, filled withhigh stones that look like bones in the lightof the moon. The name changed its meaningover time but the original Azcan one wasvery similar, Koskatepetl, the gem of themountains, a bustling mining city before theGreat Rain of Fire. In the depths under thecity there was a shrine sacred to Ixion,protected by priests who, according to locallore, were not human and guarded anancient, dangerous secret. When, at theheight of Blackmoor times, technology andrationalism started to prevail all over theworld, the ruling council of Koskatepetltried to force the priests of Ixion to revealtheir secret, and the priests sealed theentrance of the shrine with a terribleearthquake.After the disaster the city was abandonedand became infested with many kinds ofmonsters, but rumors that the ruinscontained treasures and secrets, and theImmortals schemes, made it a contestedground for several regional powers. Forsome times after the Great Rain of Fire,Koskatep was occupied by a band ofbeastmen, primitive bugbears that weresoon displaced by lizardmen and troglodytessent by the realm of Mogreth. The rule of thelizardfolk was short lived too, as an Intiexpedition conquered Koskatep, led bypriests of the Sun lords. After some time,they too were supplanted by fairies andgiants that controlled the place for a longtime under the rule of the troll queen ofGrondheim.144THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Mirror of the Eternal NightAt last as Taymora became more and morepowerful, the Church of Nyx conqueredKoskatep and chose the place to build a greattemple that soon enough attracted pilgrimsand colonists, but not too many, because itstrue purpose had to remain secret. Thegoddess of the Night found it amusing andfitting to no end that her temple was builtover a place once sacred to the Lord of theLight, and she chose the city to hide a verypowerful artifact - a constellation map whosepurpose was to slowly absorb magical powerand bring eternal night to the world.In Taymoran the city was namedKosmoteiros, signs of the universe. But intime of Taymoran decadence, when the fightbetween followers of Nyx and Thanatos wasat its height, a powerful army in service of theDark Lord conquered the city with theultimate goal of stealing the artifact, so thepriests of Nyx destroyed the temple, openinga chasm to the depths of the earth. Thestruggle for the artifact would havecontinued, but the destruction of Taymoraalso destroyed any memory of the city and itssecret. The Tal people of the area, and laterthe Traldars too, considered the place cursedand never went to live there. Others tried toreconquer the ruins - orcs, gnolls, fairy folk,bandits, dwarves, and ogres. Many of thesegroups were inspired by the immortals,because obviously Nyx and Thanatos had notforgotten what was hidden below, andneither had Ixion. Many times during thecenturies the three immortals have sentpriests and adventurers to Koskatep, toretrieve the artifact or to prevent the othersfrom obtaining it or, in the case of Ixion, toprotect his ancient secrets. Yet none of theimmortals was able to conquer the ruins onceand for all... at least until a few years ago.THE PEOPLE OF THENIGHTIn the History of Traladara "People of theNight" was the name that the first Traldarsgave to the Tal people, the descendants ofnorthern Taymorans surviving in the areaafter the destruction of their empire. Duringthe centuries they were absorbed in thegeneral traldar population, but notcompletely.Some of the Tals didn't integrate becausethey had very different traditions, the mostimportant of which was the cult of Nyx.When the Traldars arrived there was acenturies old bitter struggle going onbetween the cult of Nyx and Thanatos, withHel also involved occasionally on one sideor the other. Initially the Traldars aided thecult of Nyx and the neutral orientednosferatus against the evil vampires andfollowers of Thanatos. There was also ashort time of nosferatu kings that endedwhen Tarku Radu, the last nosferatu king,turned from Nyx to Thanatos and unleashedthe three years of winter on Traladara beforehis ultimate destruction...From this moment on vampires andnosferatus were lumped as "evil beings" inthe minds of the Traldars, and the followersof Nyx were often persecuted along with thefollowers of Thanatos... A succession ofcrusades were unleashed by Traldar clansand kings against undead, the first in 1423BC, then in 1147 BC and 343 BC. In 342 BCqueen Irina Lutescu concluded the Peace ofthe night with the still unintegrated Talpeople. The queen agreed to stoppersecuting nosferatu and the followers ofNyx.145THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Mirror of the Eternal NightYet another persecution ensued in 445 ACduring the Silver Purge. By this time theSulescu family was the only major clanprotecting the Tal people, and indeed in thisyear Ion Sulescu left the council of nobles inprotest. But despite this in 450 AC king BorisAchelos Halarov massacred the last of the freeTals in central Traladara. That was indeed theend of the People of the Night as a distinctculture.Neverthless, a major centre of the cult of Nyxsurvived to these days in Sulescu. Duringanother persecution by the king ArkuMarilenev in 703 AC, the current LordSulescu, recently turned into a Nosferatu, wasable to defeat the king's troops, establishing ade facto independent territory. Sulescubowed to the Thyatians in 900 and 970 AC inexchange for the unwritten agreement thatforeign religions would not come to botherhis land.THE CHURCH OF NYX INKARAMEIKOSSulescu however is not the only centre of thechurch in the nation. A centuries old cabal ofwizards, The Sons of Night, has preserved thetraditions and the knowledge of Nyx secretlyin Karameikos, and much, much more. Onlya handful of people in Karameikos knowanything about them. Even the very efficientspies of Duchess Olivia have heard only thatthese wizards are headed by a "Fraternity ofthe Grand Darkers”, and have caused sometroubles in western Karameikos, in their mad,impossible plan to bring forth what they callthe “Dread Night”.The Sons of Night are in truth an organizationmuch more powerful than anyone knows.Throughout the centuries Nyx and her priestsstored in several locations of Karameikos’underdeep, in ancient tombs and lost cities,not only a vast supply of magical objects andpower, but also many faithful followersturned into two new kind of undeaddeveloped by the Church. The Undecayedappear as normal, slightly pale people, yetthey are dead and can potentially liveforever. (Statistics for zombies can be used,but their appearance is normal and theyretain memories and intelligence). TheUncorporeal are ghosts who can possess thebodies of any Undecayed or of living people(an unwilling victim will obviously beallowed a saving throw). Beyond their armyof Undecayed and Uncorporeal, the Sons ofNight have also many living followers,mostly wizards and priests but also warriors,thieves and common people, hiding in thegeneral population - and now they arealmost ready to reclaim their rightful placein the nation.In 998 AC the Sons of Night have indeedestablished their main fraternity among theruins of Koskatep... they have currentlyretrieved the artifact but so far haven't founda way to use it... yet. It will probably takeseveral years to perfectionate their plan, buteventually they’ll proclaim a newindependent theocracy of the Lady of theNight in all the Cruth mountains andsurrounding hills. And they will be ready toresist any attempt by the King’s troops todeny their rights.Note: If the DM wants to use Dhrom Dhumin their campaign (see page 119) theDarkers will engineer their declaration ofindependence at the same time as thegoblin, trying to win the support of theCruth ogres and Traladaran freedom fightersin the area too. (see Agathokles’ excellentLords of the Cruth Lowlands campaign.146THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Mirror of the Eternal NightTIMELINE OF KOSKATEPIn the Dawn of time: Ashira betrays Ixionand creates The Dream of Fire. Ixion cannotbear to destroy his beloved daughter and putsher in stasis along with the powerful artifactshe created. A chosen corp of Sollux priests,wizards and warriors is put in charge ofguarding the temple. Groups of dragons,giants and fairies discover the existence of theplace several times during the millennia, butthe church of Ixion always manages to stopthem before The Dream of Fire can becomecommon knowledge.11.000 BC: A brutemen shaman tries to useThe Dream but the sollux convince him tostop, and Ahyar and his tribe becomeadditional guardians of the temple.10.000 BC: Oltec men are drawn to the areaand began to worship the place, building atemple above ground. Ixion intends to usethem as more guardians, as the existence ofThe Dream is no longer a secret amongImmortals.5.100 BC: Precious and semi-precious gemsare found in the area and the local people,ancestors of the Azcan, build some minesnearby. Slowly the temple becomes a town,and later a city, that falls under the influenceof the Oltec empire and is namedKoskatepetl, the gem of the mountains.3.525 BC: The Azcan empire is formed andKoskatepetl becomes not only a source ofgems but also of metals, to build new lethalweapons for the war.3.057 BC: The Azcan emperor declares thatthe underground, secret, temple of Ixion hasto be opened to share its secret with thepeople. The priests refuse and destroy thecity to seal the temple. A revolt of the Churchof Ixion throws the empire into civil war andchaos; the site of Koskatepetl is abandonedand for several years infested by bandits andmonsters that try in vain to occupy the place.2.998 BC: Human refugees hide from theGreat Rain of Fire in the ruins ofKoskatepetl, but are soon slaughtered by agroup of beastmen that take residenceamong the ruins. The inner temple survivesthe cataclysm and the invasions unscathed.2.504 BC: The Inti, lead by the church ofIxion, occupy the ruins and rebuild the cityof Koskatepetl.2.379 BC: The Queen of Grondheimconquers the city, renaming it Krystallac.Just a few years later sidhe priests discoverthe existence of the inner temple and begina century long negotiation with the Solluxand the Brutemen below to gain access tothe artifact.2.282 BC: As the Queen grows impatientabout the unwillingness of Ixion tocompromise, she sends her best troops toopen the temple. Inti troops soon attack theplace, and Taymora intervenes shortlythereafter. This is the beginning of the Warof the Empires, or the War of SouthernGrondheim, that will last decades and willdevastate the region. Mogreth intervenes aswell a few years later.2.080 BC: In a time of crisis in Grondheim,Taymora, and Intua, lizardmen andtroglodytes escaped from Mogreth occupyKrystallac and keep it for a hundred years.1.976 BC: After a long siege Taymoraconquers Krystallac and renames itKosmoteiros. Nyx knows about Ixion’sartifact but rather than try to steal or destroyit she decides to exploit the magical aura of147THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Mirror of the Eternal Nightthe place to build her own strongest artifactthat will bring fulfillment of her Dream.1.777 BC: To prevent Kosmoteiros fromfalling into the hands of Thanatos, the priestsof Nyx destroy the city with a terribleearthquake. Thousands die and the place isabandoned for many years as seismic activityincreases in the area.1.664 BC: After the destruction of Taymora,fairies of the Unseelie court take possessionof the place and try to use the Starlake, but donot know of the hidden temple of Ixion below.1.597 BC: Lord Keiros, a Tal nosferatu andfollower of Nyx, conquers Koskatep from thedark fairies. Vampiric followers of Thanatosattack several times but are defeated.1.412 BC: Hutaakans conquer the site forIxion and Pflarr, a seriously wounded LordKeiros is forced to hide, and his followers areexterminated.1.021 BC: Orcs sacks Koskatep, somehutaakan priests survive hiding in the lowerlevels, and will become more guardians forthe hidden temple of Ixion.954 BC: After several battles a dwarven armydefeats the orcs and conquers Koskatep, butare soon in constant warfare with the gnollsthat rule over the region.912 BC: The dwarves are finally defeated bythe gnolls, who build their own city over theruins. Shamans of Ranivorus and Thanatosbegin to study the Starlake.841 BC: Followers of Nyx, aided by ogres andgiants, attack Koskatep but are unable toconquer it from the gnolls. Yet they succeedin killing the most powerful shamans ofThanatos and burning their notes.603 BC: The ogre king Kulfan conquersKoskatep in the name of Nyx and ogres ruleover the area for centuries. Human priests ofthe Lady of the Night live in the city alongwith them.95 AC: The Darkers almost complete theritual to use the Starlake and bring forth theEternal Night, but are stopped at the lastmoment by priests of Ixion, who drive outthe ogres and occupy Koskatep for years.227 AC: The priests of Ixion have repelledseveral attempts by ogres, giants andfollowers of Nyx trying to reclaim the ruins,but are destroyed at last by a very powerfuland ancient vampire sent by Thanatos, TheLast One. Some of them escape to the lowestlevel and become defenders of the innertemple. In the following centuries ogres,giants, followers of Nyx and evenadventurers sent by Ixion try to reclaimKoskatep, but The Last One destroys themall.912 AC: Traladaran freedom fighters hide inthe ruins for some time, but are destroyed bythe Thyatian army. The Thyatians soon leavethe place.998 AC (or later if the DM prefers): LadySonya, the Grand Daughter of the Night, apowerful priestess of Nyx, and her followers,are able to defeat The Last One and reclaimKoskatep.1031 AC: The next alignment. On this datethe Starlake could be used to bring forth TheEternal Night.148THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Mirror of the Eternal NightLEVELS OF KOSKATEPEven if from the outside the “mountain ofbones” doesn’t seem a very big place, thetruth is that Koskatep is not a simple dungeonand not even a simple city. It’s several citiesbuilt one upon another, with 13 main levels.For this reason it’s almost impossible toinclude a full map of the place, but thelocation may be detailed in the next issues ofThreshold magazine.Note that at the centre of Koskatep from theseventh level there is an open, windy, anddark chasm that goes all the way down to thetwelfth level, a result of the two earthquakesprovoked by the churches of Ixion and Nyxduring Blackmoorian and Taymoran times.Note also that all the levels are broken,interrupted, and rugged in many places, sothat full exploration of the ruins should bevery difficult.The PCs could even be themselves agents ofthe Sons of Night sent to explore the placeor agents of a rival organization (probablythe Church of Ixion) sent to stop theDarkers. The ruins are apparently lessinhabited before the Darkers take them, butthey aren’t less dangerous, as a great evillurks in the deep levels, giving even theupper levels an inexplicable disquietingmood.When the Sons of Night have taken controlof the place the location is well organizedand guarded, and that means that PCsshould explore the place with stealth and/ordiplomacy, or be quickly destroyed. If theDM would like to have them exploreKoskatep after the Sons of Night takecontrol, use this text, marked in light purple.149THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Mirror of the Eternal NightLevel ONE, the DEBRISThis level, partially in the open, is composedof the upper remains of the ogre’s city (seebelow) and has been inhabited by banditsand Traladaran freedom fighters in pastcenturies, and recently used only as a shelterby little bands of ogres and hill giants. Thesefolks may or may not be hostile depending onPCs actions, but they know something onlyabout the first two levels. They do knowhowever, that the dungeon goes deeper anddeeper. This level doesn’t contain muchexcept for the weapons and possessions ofthe ogres and the giants.The secret of this level: In a forgotten andclosed room there is still the tomb of aTraladaran knight who died in 900 ACfighting the Thyatians, with his magical armorand sword.After the Darkers take control, many ogresand hill giants live here (at least more than20), well paid by the Darkers to keepintruders away. These folks are organized andfinely equipped so trying to avoid them ratherthan fight them all would be much wiser.Level TWO, the OGRE KINGKulfan, an ogre king, established his thronehall on this level five centuries ago. No oneremembers how his once powerful kingdomcame to an end; the ogres say it was a humanattack, but it could have been a war betweenogres and giants, or the wrath of a dragon.This level is indeed partially burned andmuch of what was once contained within wasdestroyed or pillaged long ago. The walls andthe rooms were built by giants and ogres withsurprisingly good craftsmanship, and theremay still be undiscovered rooms or tombsthat contains the treasures of the ogreskingdom. This level is empty except forsome random dungeon critters such asoozes, giant insects, and worms.The secret: Kulfan occupied the ruins in thename of Nyx but was destroyed by powerfulclerics of Ixion, that were soon destroyedthemselves by an ancient evil sent byThanatos. Nothing is left of their bones anditems, but the worn out diary of the maincleric of Ixion is still hidden in a crack of thethrone room.After the Darkers take control, some femaleogres and female giants with children, wivesof the ones above, live here and are slowlycleaning and rebuilding the place. They willobviously be hostile if intruders have killedtheir husbands and either way they willimmediately try to warn the Darkers in thelevels below.Level THREE,GNOLLS WERE HEREThis level was a powerful gnoll city duringthe time of their invasion of Traladara andthe following centuries (900 - 600 BC). Themany treasures gnolls amassed in centuriesof war and pillaging have been taken longago by ogres and giants and now only somestone statues resembling gnolls remain.This level is inhabited by several dangerousghosts.The secret: This level was really a Hutaakancity before the gnolls arrived, hence thestatues. The ghosts are Hutaakan priests andgnoll shamans that The Last One belowawakened as guardians. There is still a sublevelwith the ghost of a powerful Hutaakanpriest guarding his still intact tomb andwilling to help any group aligned with Ixion,the Traldar immortals, or Pflarr.150THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Mirror of the Eternal NightAfter the Darkers take control, there aresometimes small groups of Sons of Night (3-5wizards and priests) who check on the ogresand giants above.Level FOUR, DWARVEN GOLDDwarves occupied the place for a short timearound 950 BC, taking it from the orcs butquickly losing it to the gnolls. Their gold andcrafts were also taken long ago, leavingbehind only some good stonemasonry hereand there. This level was also part of theHutaakan settlement before, in particular thetemple of Pflarr, of which very small traces areleft. It is inhabited by a strong and dangerousundead dwarf.The secret: A well hidden stash of dwarvengold (and Hutaakan gold) lie under the floorof the biggest hall in this level. Buried with itthere is the dwarf ruler of the time, who willawaken from death as a powerful mummy todefend his treasure.After the Darkers destroyed the undead dwarfthey create five guardian golems, once olddwarven statues, that will attack anyone whodoesn’t know the passing words.Level FIVE, ORCS ANDNOSFERATUThis level was a short living orc city around1000 BC. What’s left of it now are somescratches and signs crudely drawn on thewalls. Before that, it was part of the hutaakansettlement, mostly cellars, and before that itwas a city built by followers of Nyx andnosferatu. A small host of undead orcs infestthe level.The secret: Under an altar in this level there isa sleeping nosferatu, Lord Keiros, more than2500 years old. When the hutaakans seizedthe place he was wounded and forced tohide. He will not automatically be hostileand knows much about this level and theothers below, yet he is aligned with Nyx andwants the place for his goddess. Lord Keirosis very powerful and could be the only onestrong enough to confront the ancient evilhidden in level 10 (see below)Two Darker priests of Nyx, Lord Kivid andLady Ilena - husband and wife fromSpecularum - will free Keiros if PCs do notdo it before, and will later inhabit this levelwith him and five apprentices, two male andthree femaleLevel SIX, FAIRY AND DARKAfter the destruction of Taymora, and beforeLord Keiros came here, the ruins wereinhabited for a short time by some darkfairies aligned with no one. Keiros was ableto banish them at the time, but the ancientevil that occupies the ruins awakened themagain. They are basically powerful ghosts ofseveral fairy folk, malevolent andmischievous, that will try to hurt anyonepassing by in the most creative and funny (tothem) possible way.The secrets: There is a shortcut to avoid thislevel entirely both in the seventh and in thefifth levels, but it’s hid by secret doors verydifficult to spot.The Darkers were not really able to defeatthe fairies but appeased them, granting themagain a corporeal form and the rule of thislevel. Now the place seems like a twisted,dark forest where dozens of dark fairies live,from sidhe to satyrs to pookas. The darkfairies are really just biding their time toavenge themselves on Lord Keiros, whobanished them so long ago. They are willingto ally with anyone willing to promise themrevenge.151THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Mirror of the Eternal NightLevel SEVEN,SIGNS OF THE UNIVERSEThis level was the Taymoran city ofKosmoteiros, that the Church of Nyx herselfpartially destroyed to prevent from fallinginto the hands of Thanatos’ followers. Theholiest room is the great cave containing theStarlake, a great pool that mysteriously reflectstars and constellations. The artifact, being asmall lake, cannot be obviously removedfrom here. “Night is truth, Light is lie” says thesilver engraved inscription, in old Taymoran,on the walls of the cave.Here resides The Last One, a vampirefollower of Thanatos, immensely powerful,last surviving member of The Death Hand, agroup of vampires that terrorized oldTraladara 2500 years ago. He has magic andundead minions in large supply and only verypowerful PCs, or PCs with very powerfulallies, should be able to defeat him. Even ifthey can, he will not die but will escape tolevel TEN.The secret: The Last One has defiled theStarlake. The waters will now slowly (3-12years) kill any living being touching them andslowly corrupt any undead creature. Theeffect is so slow that it cannot be easilydetected and indeed Nyx herself isn’t yetaware of it.If several spells are cast on the lake during aparticular cosmic alignment happening onceevery 936 years, a permanent gate to Nyx’shome plane will be opened, the Sun will beextinguished, and the True Life of Nyx(Undeath for all) will triumph. Her followerscould not complete the ritual in 1777 BCbecause the city was assaulted by Thanatos’followers. Neither could they in 841 BC asgnolls had occupied the city and could not bedefeated. In 95 AC the Darkers almostsucceeded, but were killed at the lastmoment by priests of Ixion. The nextalignment is in 1031 AC, and they will notmiss it. Obviously Ixion will do almostanything to avoid this and Thanatos will doalmost anything to use the event for his ownends. If the defilement of The Last One is notdiscovered in time, the rite will open apermanent gate to the home plane ofThanatos, and not to the one of Nyx asintended.The Darkers will think, wrongly, to havedestroyed The Last One along with hisminions and will transform the level into themain headquarters of the Sons of Night inKarameikos. At least a hundred people willlive here permanently, with more comingand going. Among them there will be severalpowerful wizards and priests, like Mogren,the Grand Darker and most powerfulwizard, and the Grand Daughter of theNight, Lady Sonya, the most powerfulpriestess of Nyx. The followers of Nyx will behere studying the place day and night.In the year 1031 AC at the very last, everyplan should come to fruition and if any sidemanages to use the artifact, the fate ofKarameikos could change forever. The PC’sactions should decide the outcome of themillennia old fight for Koskatep.Level EIGHT, SERPENT EYELizardmen and troglodytes lived here for acentury in ancient times, and they madescaly decorations, serpent heads, and eyesdrawn and sculpted on the walls, giving thislevel a slightly disquieting look. Gems wereinlaid everywhere, but were long agoplundered by Taymorans and only emptysockets remains now. Just for fun, The Last152THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Mirror of the Eternal NightOne has awakened a hundred remains ofancient lizardmen and troglodytes to infestthis level. Most of them are zombies, many ofthem are mummies, and some are vampireswith magical abilities. They would gladly turnagainst him if given the chance.The secret: One of the lizardmen, once ashaman, knows how to open a portal to theBlight Swamp. He would like to search for thedescendants of his people there, andproposes an alliance to anyone workingagainst The Last One.When the Darkers arrive, they will strike abargain with the lizardman shaman, so thislevel will be full of lizardmen and troglodytesalive and undead, busy opening portals tocontact all of their kind living in westernKarameikos in order to win them over to thecause of Nyx.Level NINE, CRYSTAL HEARTThis level was Krystallac, a holy place of thefairy and giant realm of Grondheim. The wallsof this levels are heavily decorated withmagically enlightened, coloured crystals andbeautiful natural designs. This level is empty,apparently everything of value was plunderedwhen the city fell to the lizardmen manycenturies ago.The secrets: Even though fairy folk weredriven away from the city so many years ago,they have always maintained a hiddenmagical gate in a small, unassuming room.Now sidhe lords from across the KnownWorld, Oberon’s court, and Storm Giants aregathering their strength to reconquerKrystallac. Unknown to the Darkers, at thetime of Grondheim, sidhe priests discoveredthe Starlake could indeed be used to openany permanent gate to any other plane, andthe fairies would like to open one to theDreamlands. Yet, as the Starlake is defiled,the gate would now open to the Unseeliecourt, unless it is first purified.Before the Darkers arrive, this level is empty,and afterwards it still is, even though theDarkers are slowly exploring it, hoping tofind some lost fairy folk artifact.Level TEN, GEM OF THE SUNThis level was the Inti city 3500 years ago.Not much is left of that time except for somedecorations of the sun that have beendefiled by The Last One. He found some Intimummies on this level and animated them.The mummies were priests of Ixion and sodespise him so much that they are slowlybreaking away from his control, and one daysoon they will be able to rebel.The secrets: Quehuar, the most ancientmummy and shaman, has a useful weaponhidden in a secret compartment in his oldsepulchral room, the Gem of the Sun, anenchanted item that can turn undead as a36th level Lawful Cleric. Once he gains hisfreedom from The Last One’s control, he willuse it.After the Darkers take control, The Last Onehides here, commanding the Inti mummiesto hide as well, and casting a powerfulillusion to make this level look empty. TheDarkers fall for it, but sooner or later theywill make plans to use this level and The LastOne will be forced to fight them again. Toprepare himself he is arranging thesummoning of several demons and vampiresfaithful to the Most Dark One.What he does not know is that Quehuar isplanning his revolt, and when the time isright he will receive huge support from the153THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Mirror of the Eternal Nightthirteenth level. Once Ixion’s followers havedestroyed The Last One and his minions, theywill destroy Nyx’s followers as well. After that,Ixion’s plan is to bring Koskatep into theworld as his most important temple, makingit a centre of learning for his clerics, fullyintegrated in the young nation of Karameikos.He now believes it is worthless to try to keepit a secret any longer.Level ELEVEN, THE BLACKHEARTHBeastmen followers of Hel, primitivebugbears, occupied this level for many yearsafter the Great Rain of Fire. Massacred by theInti, they have left no apparent tracewhatsoever, as the new masters of Koskatepconsidered them unclean, so they cleared thelevel of any trace of their presence to use it asstorerooms. As the fairies of Grondheimnever bothered to clear it up, old Inti cratesand goods, most all completely decayed, stilllitter these rooms. Searching for many hours,it is still possible to find several ancient Intimagical weapons, as well as precious andsemi-precious stones.The secrets: Hel wanted to know what Ixionhid here and even though the Sun lord’sfollowers reconquered the place somecenturies after, before her followers wereable to break into the inner temple, she hadforeseen that and made preparations. Sheinspired some beastmen to secretly create avery big parallel level next to this one, wherewhole families moved before the Inti attack.They have lived in this system of great cavernsever since, with radiance items, adequatewater and food (mostly mushrooms andinsects), and magical light, growing andpreparing their invasion. They have dug moretunnels toward level Thirteen and now theyare almost ready to strike. Out of nowherethousands of ancient Beastmen will attackthe Inner Temple and conquer The Dreamof Fire, and Hel, Lady of Death, will foreverrule over the infinite worlds.After the Darkers take control, The Last One- now hiding in the level above - hasanimated some ancient beastmen as ghosts,who now roam this level. Questioning oneof them, he, and consequently Thanatos, haslearned of Hel’s plan. He just loves it: he willtake control of the beastmen with hisundead minions, make them undead, andthen will use all to storm the Inner temple ofIxion. He just has to decide if it’s better tomassacre Nyx’s puny followers before orafter that...Level TWELVE, GEM OF THEMOUNTAINSKoskatepetl, the original Azcan city beforethe Great Rain of Fire, was once here. As itwas purposely destroyed by the priests ofIxion from the level below, just a mass ofdebris and corpses - long ago turned to dust,is all of what’s left of the once proud andgreat city. Yet, as the beastmen did notexplore it much, and the Inti found itimpractical to try to clear, almost all thecontent of the city at the time is still here,buried in the ruins. That means here is oneof the greatest treasure troves of the worldand one of the most intact archeologicalsites of Blackmoorian times. At first look thecity is just a maze of fallen tunnels full ofrubble, difficult to cross, with some partiallycrumbled skeleton or skull around, but it issufficient to have the patience to dig a littleto find metals, gems, gold, clothes,furniture, blades, treasures, ancient codes154THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Mirror of the Eternal Nightand spells, and very dangerous items such asradiance machinery and weapons.The secrets: The DM should point out to overenthusiastic PC’s that randomly pillaging theruins is a major archeological crime. WhilePCs probably will not care about this, all theitems found in Koskatepetl are still infectedwith the Wasting, the terrible disease thatkilled millions after the Great Rain of Fire - sofoolish PCs will soon learn the error of theirways.No undead inhabit old Koskatepetl nor doany lifeforms - not even oozes or smallinsects. That should give PCs a clue about thedangers of the place.Nothing changes here after the Darkers takecontrol. During the centuries The Last Onehas explored the city extensively but, much tohis frustration, found it impossible to animatethe dead here (an effect of the Temple),found the radiance items quite useless, andno passage whatsoever to the Inner templehe knows to lie below. Should he find himselfin serious danger on Level Ten he might tryto escape here, and be quite hard to find inthe huge maze of rubble.Level THIRTEEN, THE DREAMOF FIREIt is impossible to reach the Inner Temple ofIxion, except as a consequence of the actionsof Hel’s beastmen (see Level Eleven), or if theTemple is voluntarily opened from below byIxion’s followers -- which may happen ifQuehuar revolts against The Last One or toattack the Darkers before their ceremony in1031 AC. Attempts to reach the Inner Templewith gates, teleport, or other magical meanswill fail, even if the PC’s somehow knowabout it -- note that only a few powerfulindividuals from the levels above are awareof the Temple’s existence at all and none ofthem would willingly share this information.This level is a huge compound dedicated toIxion, and is home to thousands of peoplewho have chosen to become its guardiansover the millennia. There are Sollux,brutemen, Hutaakan and human priests,and warriors living here under the earthfrom innumerable generations.Obviously If the PCs have arrived here asenemies they will be fought to the bitter end,but a small group of people will never beable to conquer the temple, as it’s heavilyguarded and there are very powerful priestsamong the guardians. Only an organizedarmy of Hel’s, Nyx’s or Thanatos’ followerscould do it, or a large number of fairies andgiants. If the PCs arrived here as followers orallies of Ixion, however, they will bewelcomed as the temple is preparing toreveal itself to the world and the inhabitantsvery much need information about the landin which they will emerge - and they coulduse the PC’s as emissaries and ambassadorsto the Karameikan court. The priests will nothide the fact that they guard a powerfulartifact, but will not explain the details of itsnature and powers.The secrets: The most sacred place is indeedthe Inner Temple. Here is a huge chamberwith a crystalline sarcophagus where Ashira,daughter of the Sun, has slept since thedawn of Time with the Dream of Fire. Theartifact appears as a bronze box she keeps ather side, with her left hand over it. SeveralSollux priests and warriors are always here,guarding her resting place, and the Dream.If the PC’s have managed to arrive here,either by stealth or by violence, Ishan, thehighest priest, will not immediately attack155THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Mirror of the Eternal Nightthem, but will warn them against the dangersof the artifact and will beg them to renouncethe idea of using it.Even if PC’s are able to defeat the guardians,“only someone willing to forfeit her life toavenge a great wrong” will be able to breakthe sarcophagus. That’s also written on thebase of Ashira’s resting place, but in alanguage so ancient only an Immortal couldread it. Only a woman, or a female being ofany other race could open the sarcophagus,and only if she is willing to die to avenge agreat wrong done to her people. Such awoman would be able to awake Ashira, andthe Daughter of the Sun would grant herdesire, and literally change the world. Thus,if Lady Sonya of the Darkers ever manages toarrive at The Dream, she would be able toundo the destruction of Taymora. If aTraladaran freedom fighter makes their wayhere, she would be able to undo the Thyatianinvasion. If a Sidhe priestess could do it, shewould be able to bring back the Fairy GoldenAge, and so on, effectively erasing the existingtimeline and supplanting it with another one.If anyone ever manages to penetrate this farand is ready to awaken Ashira, Ixion himselfwill appear in his corporeal form of a solluxwith burning hair. He cannot prevent thewilling sacrifice of someone who wants toawake his daughter, but he will plead forthem not to do it.“Everyone would like to live forever.Everyone would like his or her family, his orher people, to live forever. This place coulddo it, it could give eternal life to you andyour people. Have not the fairy folk whoonce ruled the world the right to bring backtheir days of glory? Have not the massacredTal people the right to be avenged? Have notthe Traladarans the right to be free? And thedragons, the giants, the brutemen, thelizard men? All were once proud and strongpeople that time devoured and other peopleconquered and destroyed. They all have theright to return and live forever, but shouldthat happen, the future will never come tobe. That is why we guarded this place andthat is why we tried to prevent anyone fromusing its power”.If the PC’s ignore Ixion’s plea and do itanyway he will not attack them, he will try tointegrate the temple into the rest of theworld anyway - whatever world it has nowbecome. He will also ask his daughter tocome with him, but she will refuse to stay onthe prime plane. PC’s will have to live in anew world and will have to chose whetheror not to help Ashira. Ixion will notpersecute them. The Dream of Fire willbecome only a normal bronze box, its powerforever expired.After the Darkers take control, the dangerfor the temple increases considerably as TheLast One has learned of Hel’s plan andwould like to use it for his own ends. Ixionand his priests do not know yet about this,but they wish to destroy The Last Oneanyway, and they will try to do so with theaid of Quehuar’s rebellion. Even if theymanage to destroy The Last One before hecan enslave Hel’s beastmen, they would stillrisk a fight on two sides at once -- with Nyx’sfollowers above and Hel’s beastmen below,which could lead to their defeat. If PCs arenot aligned with Hel or Nyx and are willingto help the Church of Ixion, they could be adecisive element in the oncoming strugglefor control of Koskatep.For the DM there are several possible eventsand consequences to consider: The Last Onecould be defeated but not killed, and could156THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Mirror of the Eternal Nightthen hide in Level Twelve. Fairies and giantscould intervene in the struggle. Andobviously, PCs, or any of the several sidesinvolved in this struggle, could manage toawaken Ashira, using the Dream of Fire tochange reality according to their own wishes.ConsequencesKoskatep contains two powerful artifacts, theStarlake and the Dream of Fire. Theirpotential effects are similar but not at all thesame. The Starlake “only” opens apermanent gate to an Outer Plane, thusallowing the inhabitants of that plane to comefreely to the Prime Material. Any side able touse the Starlake would probably be able totake control of Karameikos within a few years.Followers of Nyx would bring to the nationmany intelligent undead, therefore creating anew Taymora. Yet the effects of the Starlakeare reversible as someone might be able toclose the gate and destroy the artifact, even ifdoing so would require a long and difficulttask.The Dream of Fire is much more powerful. Itcan change the reality of the entire world ofMystara, resurrecting a dead timeline fromcenturies or even millennia ago. The fartherfrom the present such a timeline is, the morechanges would appear in the present time. Soundoing the Thyatian invasion of Traladarawould probably change things mostly in justone nation, but undoing the destruction ofTaymora would change things in all theKnown World, and undoing the fall of theFairy Courts would change things on theentire planet. PCs and the DM should beaware that use of The Dream of Fire wouldradically change the current campaign.FORT DOOMContinued from page 143are only allowed to bring home what theycan survive on. All Traladarans are forced tolive in the town. They same goes for thefarmers. They are given enough food tosurvive, but all production is registered andconfiscated.Producing too little or catching too few fishcan be seen as disobedience, if it isrecurrent, and you can risk beingtransferred to working on the castle.”157THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Return to the Ice WallFROM THE VAULTS OF PANDIUSRETURN tothe ICE WALLby Shawn Stanley (stanles)"We were out beyond Lake Ludaš, past theterritory of the Jagged Rocks, when weentered a strange, icy world. Even though itwas early Fyrmont the ground was coveredin a thin layer of ice and the plants werefrozen and brittle and similarly covered inice; it looked like a winter wonderland. Thecreatures in the area were also affected; wenoticed giant spiders weaving icy webs.Overnight we were attacked by strangebluish-coloured wolves that emitted adangerous frosty blast. After we dispatchedthe beast, later in the early morning when itwas Pyotr's watch, we were attacked by afrost giant. He never alerted us, it attackedus without warning; we were unpreparedand we suffered serious losses. Afterwardswe never found Pyotr or even his body; wedon't know what happened to him. Weescaped back here, we only have some of thespider webs to show for our journey - see, Ihave some of it here - they haven't evenmelted, whatever good they are. It's adangerous place, I will never return."- Heard from Yuri Golitsyn, an adventurer,in an alehouse in Novaci158THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Return to the Ice WallHISTORYOver the centuries gnomes have been moved- and moved on - around southeastern Brunas various humanoid hordes were raised andrampaged through the area. The gnomesalways moved and rebuilt, sometimes evenallying with humans. One such group ofgnomes was a mix of refugees from thoserelocated from the Cruth and Altan TepesMountains by the Horde of Queen Udbala in492 BC and those relocated from the FalunCaverns in the Northern Reaches byrampaging kobolds in 490 BC. Some of thesedisplaced gnomes had found each other andallied with the human Cynidicean Empire, theheart of which is in present day Ylaruam.Over the years the gnomes lost close contactwith the Cynidiceans through increasingdistaste over the growing Church of Zargon.After a couple of hundred years of relativestability for the gnomes - if not for theirhuman allies - the human city of Cynidiceawas itself attacked by an Antalian horde fromthe north, in 98 BC. The gnomes were againrelocated by the Antalian horde and, whilefleeing, the Cynidiceans and gnomes againfound themselves working together againstthe common threat. The gnomes helped theCynidiceans found an underground city but,uneasy with the clerics of Zargon and theinfluence it had gained over the remnants ofthe Cynidicean Empire, the gnomes quicklymoved on.Fleeing southwest from the underground citythe gnomes headed towards their ancestralhomes in the Altan Tepes. At this time theimmortal Brandan, patron immortal of thegnomes of Snarta, was expanding his sights -ultimately he was hoping to find newfollowers beyond the Vulcanian gnomes.Brandan had been following the plight of thegnomes of southeastern Brun and decidedthat now was the time to act, although he waswary of acting too overtly. Brandan hadobserved the human Traladara andconsidered them to be a healthier group ofhumans - compared to the Cynidiceans - forthe gnomes to associate themselves with.Brandan sent dreams to some of the gnomesfleeing towards the Altan Tepes, guidingthem to the overland route through thenarrow pass in the Altan Tepes now known asthe Gap of Yebedeska, and from there intothe Traladaran lands. However, Brandan waswary of the possibility of renewed contactbetween the gnomes and the Cynidiceans,and so decided to implement the most overtpart of his plan - while also satisfying his urgeto create new and fantastic things. Brandan -also known as Brandan Earth-Mover, BrandanEarthshaker and Brandan the Builder -decided to create a great wall to protect thefleeing gnomes; a wall of ice.Brandan chose the narrowest place in theGap of Yebedeska for his construction.Unfortunately, this was also the place where,a millennium beforehand, the Nithians hadengaged in their own attempt at terraforming.Nithians had been fighting Beastmen in theirown territories, forcing them to flee throughthe Altan Tepes to Traldar lands. In order toensure that they did not return, a council ofpowerful Nithian wizards raised the land in apart of the gap that effectively destroyed thenatural passageway. Afterwards, once thelandscape settled, and the avalanches andlandslides has dissipated, a much narrowerpass still existed; however the beastmennever returned. It was in this narrow pass thatBrandan constructed his wall.159THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Return to the Ice WallTHE ICE BOXThe Ice Box appears to be a small mechanicaldevice contained snugly in a small box-likeobject about 45 cm long, 10 cm high and 15cm deep. The Box is made of thin sheets oftranslucent mica, which make the devicedifficult to examine in detail, although it lookslike a mechanical construction with severalcogs, wheels, pistons and belts in evidence.The Ice Box is a Greater Artifact with 450power points. Brandan programmed the IceBox with a simple set of instructions and withthe details for the maximum dimensions ofthe intended wall. The device follows theseinstructions in order to build and maintainthe structural integrity of the Wall. In the firsthour of a day the Ice Box uses its locate objectpower to identify areas within the dimensionsof the intended Wall where there is no ice. Ifthere are gaps, in the next hour the Boxactivates its ice wall and permanence powers;in the next hour, it activates its controltemperature and permanence powers; then,in the next hour, it activates create waterwhich quickly freezes in the sub-zerotemperatures, helping to cement everythingtogether. If the Ice Box has detected no areaswithout ice, or once it has completed its iceconstruction, it then activates its defensivepowers which Brandan included to ensurethat nobody comes to tamper with the Wall.It activates its sense life power and theneither feeblemind or mass charm powersdepending upon the number of creaturesidentified which might want to harm theWall.Attacks: feeblemind (40), mass charm (75)Information and Movement: locate object(20), sense life* (20)Transformations: control temperature(35), create water (20), permanence (90)Defences: ice wall (25)Handicaps: Magic Error, Memory Penalty,Polymorph.Penalties: Alignment Change (to Lawful),Forgetfulness, Obsession, Paranoia, WeakMagic.* Sense Life is a first level spell from 3.5E,a similar spell has probably been createdfor Mystara at some stage. I gave it a slightlyhigher power point cost than similardetection spells as it is slightly morepowerful/useful than those.THE WALLBrandan has always been an inventor and atinker; he wanted to create a permanentbarrier, but he didn't want to create just asimple wall. Instead, he created somethingwhich could itself create and maintain a hugewall of ice - the Ice Box. Once Brandan hadset the Ice Box in place and noted that itseemed to be working, he turned hisattentions back to the gnomes who werenow resettling at Highforge.The resultant Wall is constructed on anarrow, half-mile, winding trail through thehigh mountains. The Wall itself rises up to aheight of 50 feet from the ground andextends across the mountain trail andthrough the impassable slopes on either sideto a maximum length of 2 miles. It has athickness of 10 feet. The base of the Wall160THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Return to the Ice Wallfollows the sloping topography perfectly, creating animpregnable barrier to overland movement.The area where the Ice Box functions still has aremnant magic about it, left over from the great spellwhich the Nithian wizards worked a thousand yearsbeforehand. The magic of the area interacted with thedevice, and vice versa, and it started to affect how itshandicaps and penalties acted on creatures, so thatthey now act upon creatures in the immediate vicinityof the Wall which the Ice Box creates instead of justupon mortal users of the Ice Box. Some of theseeffects were also altered as described below. Inaddition, certain cold-related creatures such as whitedragons and frost giants seem to be attracted to theWall.Simple non-humanoid creatures that remain in theimmediate vicinity of the Wall (that is creatures withless than 6 hit dice or levels) have a 35% chance plus10% per continuous day of remaining in theimmediate vicinity of the wall to be polymorphed intoice variants of their base forms; see the Ice Creaturessidebar. More powerful non-humanoid creatures thatremain in the immediate vicinity of the Wall (that iscreatures with 6 or more hit dice or levels) may besimilarly polymorphed into ice variants of their baseforms but also have a 25% chance plus 10% percontinuous day of remaining in the immediatevicinity of the wall of being affected by a combinationof the memory loss and feeblemind effects of the IceBox, effectively leaving the creatures with 8 lessintelligence, with a minimum intelligence of 2, andno memory of what led them to the place. It shouldbe noted that these effects are in addition to theactive feeblemind-ing which the Box itself continuesto do to any creatures in the immediate vicinity.Humanoid creatures that remain in the immediatevicinity of the Wall have a 35% chance plus 10% percontinuous day of remaining in the immediatevicinity of the wall to be polymorphed into an icevariantfrost giant with Hit Dice equal to the level ofthe humanoid creature. Humanoid creatures have theICE CREATURESCreatures affected by the Ice Box,as described above, gain thefollowing abilities which may betreated as a template in a non-BECMI system. The creatures gaina bluish-white tinge and seem toexude an aura of coldness, withtheir normal breath coming out incold clouds and their skin beingfreezing to the touch. In BECMIterms the creature is hardier,gaining +2 hit points per hit die ofthe normal creature. The creaturealso gains the ability to emit an icyblast at a single target within 15feet. The attack does 1d4 points ofdamage per hit die, or level, of thenormal creature. The target maymake a saving throw vs. dragonbreath to take half damage. Icecreatures are immune to normalcold damage and take half damagefrom magical cold effects, takingonly one-quarter damage if anyallowed saving throw is made.Conversely, they are vulnerable tofire, taking +1 point per die ofdamage from normal fire effectsand double damage from magicalfire effects, taking only normaldamage if any allowed saving throwis made. The experience value ofthe new creature should beamended accordingly, includingthe special abilities gained whichare treated as two additionalasterisks to the base creature.161THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Return to the Ice Wallsame chance of being affected by intelligenceand memory loss as described above forpowerful non-humanoid creatures.TALFRISThree hundred years ago the Traladaranmagic-user Talfris found the Wall while hewas flying through the area. He was intriguedby the palpable magical aura which emanatedfrom the Wall and, having an obsessiontowards cold-related magics, he was alsoattracted to the Wall itself. Talfris noticed thispull, which he correctly surmised as anunnatural attraction coming from somethingrelated to the Wall. Talfris was a magic-user ofsome power and as a result had gained ahealthy cautious attitude towards powerfulunknown objects. So, over the followingmonths he travelled to the area regularly forhours, and then a day, and then a couple ofdays, conducting research and experiments.Talfris realised that an item of great powerwas associated with the Wall, but with time hegrew increasingly annoyed by his lack ofprogress in discovering how it came about.He had also noticed the unusual propensityof particularly dim-witted young frost giantsand white dragons to congregate in thevicinity of the Wall, as well as otherwiseregular creatures with peculiar abilities.Correctly surmising that this was somehowrelated to the Wall itself, Talfris tested histheories by introducing and penning innormal creatures in the vicinity of the Wall. Bythis means, Talfris deduced thepolymorphing effects of the Wall, and soobtained magical items for protection.Properly equipped, he decided to build atower and relocate himself to the area so thathe could continue his research andexperimentation.Talfris built a tower out of a spike of icewhich he conjured about a mile away fromthe Wall; he infused the ice with protectivespells and wards, particularly to keep himsafe from the polymorphing and stupefyingeffects of the Wall. From his new base heworked with a particular obsession,continuing his research into cold-relatedmagics and learning what he could about theWall, and ultimately he gleaned someknowledge about the device containedinside. Through these studies Talfris learneda little about immortality and ultimatelystarted his own journey.Unfortunately for Talfris, while on thisjourney he encountered a powerful firemage, Barimoor, who lived under the desertof Ylaruam to the northeast. He becameunnaturally paranoid of Barimoor and sawhim as a direct threat which needed to bedealt with. Despite his researches on the IceBox, Talfris never appreciated that hisobsession and paranoia were being causedby the Ice Box itself. On the day on whichTalfris directly confronted Barimoor he alsonever appreciated that he was under theeffect of the magic error, forgetfulness andweak magic effects from the Ice Box. As aresult, Barimoor was a little bit morepowerful than Talfris expected. In theensuing battle Barimoor drew Talfris awayfrom his mountainous home and away fromthe Wall; Barimoor had also noticed themagical aura coming from the Wall,although he was wholly uninterested in it -he just wanted to draw Talfris away from apossible source of personal power.Barimoor lured Talfris to Thirst Hollow nearthe ruins of Iunyt and there slew hischallenger.162THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Return to the Ice WallTHE LEGACY OF TALFRISAlthough Talfris was slain many years ago -about 820 AC - he has left behind sometreasures for erstwhile adventurers, and aterrible legacy for everyone. Talfris' Towerhas remained undiscovered since his passingand contains his research into cold-relatedmagics as well as scribblings from his researchon the Wall (which in some writings Talfrispurports to have created himself) and the IceBox. Of course, as this is the tower of areclusive, obsessed and paranoid magic-user,there are protections; the careless shouldbeware.Through his studies Talfris had also identifiedthe residual magic in the area left behind bythe great working of the ancient Nithians,although despite his researches he neveridentified the source of the great working.Although he knew that the two effects hadbecome intertwined somehow, he never trulyappreciated all of the intricacies of how theresidual magic was interacting with the IceBox; and yet he tampered and tinkered withhis magic. The tampering of Talfris has leftbehind a legacy, which he himself had notidentified when he died.About 745 AC, a magical experiment whichTalfris was conducting in the vicinity of theWall went awry. It linked itself with thecontrol temperature effect which the Ice Boxwas at that time manifesting and amplifiedand extended it. From that day forth, the IceBox has been dropping the temperature in anever-widening sphere around itself to subfreezingtemperatures. Additionally, thepolymorphing effects of the Wall occur withinthis spherical area of effect, not just in theimmediate vicinity of the Wall. Vegetablematter in the area freezes in the form which itwas in, while the land itself becomessimilarly cold and ice-rimed. The areaaffected has been growing each year, andnot only that the rate of growth has beenincreasing.ICE-RIMEAs noted, the area affected by the ice-rimehas been growing exponentially, and whilethe growth has not yet been noticed, that isabout to change... perhaps for everyone.Once Talfris conducted his spell, almostovernight an area within a 100-foot radiusaround the Ice Box became ice-rimed. Overthe next 128 years this slowly grew until anarea double the size was covered; at thistime the rate of growth changed, so that ittook half the amount of time for twice theamount of area to be affected.Consequently, by 873 AC the area within justover 200 feet was ice-rimed, and as of 1Nuwmont 1000 AC a spherical area within 5miles around the Ice Box has been affected.In only three more months it will cover 10miles. By 25 Klarmont Specularum itself willbe affected, and within a few days the Outerand Hollow Worlds will similarly be underan icy grasp.GOING TO THE WALLHow player characters may become involvedin dealing with the ice-rime depends uponwhere in Karameikos or the surroundingarea that the player characters are;characters who are too far afield may not beable to reach the area in time before thewhole planet is affected. Characters inCastellan Keep will be alerted around late-Yarthmont – early-Klarmont when the icerimewill be approaching; the keep itself is163THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Return to the Ice Wall164THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Return to the Ice Wallexpected to be ice-rimed on 8 Klarmont andat this stage the ice-rime is advancing at about1 mile per day; as the ice-rime reachesCastellan Keep the ice-rime will againaccelerate to 4 miles per day (for the next 10days, etc). Once word of the ice-rimingreaches the keep the news will quickly spreadaround Karameikos and eventually toSpecularum and erstwhile adventurers willcome to the area to investigate.Once the ice-riming nears Highforge Brandanalso starts to take notice and alerts anyfollowers in the community; he also starts hisown investigation as he has a nagging thoughtthat it might involve something which he didin the past. As he investigates he quickly findsthat his device might somehow be involved inthe current predicament. However, he alsorealises that something went awry and he isunwilling to get directly involved unless hehas to. As he continues his investigations hesends messages to his clerics in the area toalert them to specific details – namely thatthere is a device within a wall of ice which isinvolved with causing the predicament. Healso eventually alerts them to Talfris’ Tower.Once player characters arrive in the regionthey will hopefully do an aerialreconnaissance of the area and identify that itis expanding in a spherical manner from acentral point. Pinpointing that area will bringthe characters to the Wall and the nearbytower. Although the investigations at the Wallwill prove fruitless at this time, a furtherinvestigation of the tower will move thecharacters to the next step. If necessary,gnomes from Highforge could arrive at anytime to help the characters towards theTalfris' Tower, or the Wall itself if required.Talfris' Tower, being the retreat of a powerful,paranoid, magic-user still has a number ofmagical traps to be overcome, but onceinside, the protections against thepolymorphing and stupefying effects of theIce Box are also still in place and the towercan make a good base for the characters touse while they investigate the Wall. Thecharacters will have to go through the worksof Talfris, and piece together what helearned to try and work out a safe way toaccess the Ice Box and undo the ice-rime.It is only through the relocation,destruction, or reprogramming of the IceBox that the ice-rime will be stopped. Torelocate or destroy the Ice Box, it must firstbe reached through the Wall. The Ice Box islocated on a stone plinth about two feet offthe ground in the centre of the Wall. The DMis encouraged to be inventive in the amountof effort required to deal with the Ice Box.DEALING WITH THE ICEBOXReprogramming the Ice Box would besimplest method of dealing with it, as it doesnot require directly accessing it, although itcan only be done through thought controlwithin about 1 mile of the Ice Box. Thestudies of Talfris provide the greatestinsights on the techniques about how it canbe done. The more time which is spentstudying Talfris' papers will ultimately leadcharacters to a method to turn the Ice Boxoff, although if time is a factor thenreprogramming it - most efficiently byresetting the control temperature setting -would halt the ice-rime.If characters are not inclined, or do not thinkabout reprogramming the Ice Box then theyneed to access it so that they can relocate ordestroy it.165THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Return to the Ice WallTalfris' studies showed that the Wall was vulnerableto certain frequencies of sound. Sphinxes from thenearby Iunyt region could be enticed to try and crackthe Wall; the concentrated blast from a number ofsphinxes should be sufficient to crack the Wall.Unless inappropriate for the party, the application ofa device like a horn of blasting seems to create soundat an appropriate frequency.Alternatively, the application of a powerful flamesuch as the breath weapon of a red or gold dragon,could be employed. Conversely, unless appropriate,lobbing fireballs at the Wall doesn't seem to createsufficient heat to melt the Wall.Once accessed, the Ice Box could be relocated.Simply moving the Ice Box away from the areaaffected residually by the Nithian magic would beinsufficient as the two have become too closelylinked. Instead, the Ice Box would need to berelocated to another plane. If this were an option,Brandan himself could be convinced to take the IceBox away. Alternatively if the characters wish toattempt to destroy the artifact then some suitablydifficult, but readily achievable - given the timeconstraints at this stage - scheme would need to beconsidered.From the VaultsThe Return to the Ice Wall wasinspired by Gordon McCormick'sarticle introducing the Ice Wall.For more information on theimmortal Brandan see MarcoDalmonte's article BrandanEarthshaker . Elements of thehistory were taken from JoaquinMenchaca's article on the HighforgeGnomes and the Dungeon Master'sGuide to Cynidicea edited by GeoffGander. The map was recreated,with some significant amendmentsfrom Simone Neri's map in theCentral Altan Tepes mini-Gazetteer, thanks are offered toSimone who agreed to its use andmodification. Additionalinformation for the region isavailable in the mini-Gazetteer andin Giampaolo Agosta's AKarameikan Companion.166THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Guild Warsby Giampaolo Agosta (Agathokles)This adventure is a sort of urban side-trek,taking the form of a classical whodunit. It issuitable for basic level adventurers -- access tospells like “Speak with Dead” or powerfuldivinations would allow the characters tobypass most of the investigation.The adventure takes advantage of thecomplex world of Specularum guild politics.Infighting is rampant within the Apothecaries'Guild, and members of the Torenescu factiontry to frame the Guildmaster, Dimitri Levinik,for the murder of a political rival, a crime hedid not commit. The PCs are called toinvestigate, and may find out that Levinik,while innocent of this specific crime, is linkedto the Veiled Society. They must decidewhether to let Levinik be sentenced for acrime he didn't commit, or to let him use theGuild to support the Veiled Society.The plot of this adventure is based Italianmystery novel "Cosa è successo alla signoraperbene" by Loriano Machiavelli (nottranslated in English, a French edition isavailable under the title "Bologne ville avendre").BACKGROUNDThe adventure starts after one of theTraladaran riots in Specularum, near theMagicians' Guildhall. The precise nature ofthe riot is not critical, but it shouldpolitically motivated. If it fits the campaign,this riot could be part of the eventsfollowing "Davinos' Complaint", otherwise itcould be a riot motivated by a perceivedpro-Thyatian bias in the Magicians' Guilditself, which is accused of refusing aid to theTraladaran population of the ward.A man, Iosif Gogean, is killed by a crossbowbolt during the riot. By itself, this kind ofincident would usually be written off as theact of Traladaran extremists, and a few suchfigures, in this case two Traladaran students,would be summarily tried and sentenced.However, the victim, Iosif Gogean was asecond tier politician -- a Consul of theApothecaries' Guild in charge ofcollaborating with the Magicians' indefeating the "atabe plague" in theSpecularum Series adventure Omens andPortents, so an investigation is required, asinvolvement of organized crime is suspected.167THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Guild WarsINVOLVING THE PARTYThere are several ways for the Player Characters to beinvolved in the investigation.● One or more PCs are members of the PhorsisGuard 1 or a unit of the Second Division. In thelatter case, the Phorsis Guards are exoneratedfrom the investigation due to the accusation ofbeing involved in the murder, and the PCs' unitis assigned the case instead.● The party is already known to Specularumgovernment agents (Zogref Yarol, LucasTormandros, captain Mikel, Aloysius Vandevicor a member of the ruling family).● One or more PCs are members of the Magicians'Guild or the Apothecaries' Guild, or anotherparty involved in the matter (this may changedepending on the setting).● One or more PCs are friends of the twoTraladaran suspects, Daniel and Mihail. Theirfriends ask the PCs to save them from a certaindeath at the hands of Karameikos' judiciarysystem.Tracking theTorenescuThe adventure, as written,assumes that the Torenescuinfiltrator who cannot be trackeddown or otherwise detected bythe PCs. However, skilled,inventive, or well-connected PCsmay try to follow this route -- mostlikely after the main part of theadventure is completed. TheinfiItrator, Malora Cooper (femaleForest Elf 5, N), is a member of theMinrothaddan Thieves’ Guild,contracted by the Torenescuthrough their contacts with theEbonov family. She will leaveSpecularum on the first shipbound to Minrothad, and this maybe a good opportunity to lead theparty to the Minrothad Guilds, andinvolve them in a deadlier type ofTHE INVESTIGATIONThe investigation itself is rather free-form, and takesthe better part of the adventure. Its actual playdepends heavily on player choices -- it is up to themwho to question and which actions to undertake.This section provides information useful to run theinvestigation, but the DM will need to present it in away that fits the events triggered by the PCs.Murder scene: The killing bolt was shot from abuilding near the Magicians' Guildhall, apparentlyone occupied by Traladaran insurgents DanielDodrescu and Mihail Hagi. However, neighter of thetwo is an especially good shot with a crossbow, and1 See The Specularum City Guard at The Vaults of Pandius168THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Guild Warsthe distance was considerable (over the rangefor a Basic Mastery shot). The killing boltitself is also peculiar, as it is a silver bolt.Investigation on the deceased body, however(short of infecting another person with Iosif'sblood), will not result in any trait that couldlead to think to lycanthropy (e.g., unusualhairiness or the like).Political intrigue: As the charactersinvestigate, they discover that both thedeceased (a member of the Torenescufaction) and the Guildmaster (Dimitri Levinik,a supporter of the Radu faction) have lots ofshady dealings to hide -- the Consul wasdiverting funds to a person or groupidentified only as "V." 2 in his documents,while the Guildmaster is involved in drugtrafficking -- forged records of sale ofrestricted alchemical substances importedfrom Ylaruam, Ierendi, and Sind were used tohide the sale of drugs to the Veiled Society.Moreover, Consul Gogean was known to begoing to run for the Guildmaster position onthe next term, and was the most prominentopposition to the Guildmaster within theguild.Guildmaster Levinik is totally uninvolved inthe crime -- it was merely a lucky break forhim that his primary rival was killed -- but hispolitical enemies in the Apothecaries' Guildwant to take advantage of Consul Gogean'sdeath and the suspicions falling on Levinik toturn the advantage to their own faction. Theydo so by planting two false clues. The firstclue is rather straightforward: thieves hiredby the Torenescu faction plant a silver-tippedbolt in Leviniks's office. If the party searchesthe room, the bolt is easily found (no need to2 “V.” is actually the Minister of Finances, Valdo Tisza.See the Gazetteer for more details of Valdo and hissecrets.roll skill checks). The bolt is superficiallysimilar to the one used in the crime, but anexpert weaponsmith will notice subtledifferences in the workmanship. Thissecond bolt is professionally manufacturedby a specialist -- most likely one the manyweaponsmiths in Specularum, whereas thebolt used in the murder seems to have beenproduced by an amateur. The second clueis more subtle. Characters investigatingLevinik will soon characterize him as alecherous old man. A good contact in theSpecularum underground will be able to putthe characters in contact with a hooker who,apparently, saw Levinik talk with a man whoresembled Gogean. The hooker has trulyseen Levinik (several times), but notGogean. She has been magically persuadedto lie by a Torenescu magician. Themagician was disguised, and his identitycannot be ascertained (unless the DM wantsto extend the adventure in this direction),but the tampering with the hooker's mindcan be detected by the usual means (forexample, as an enchanted being, she isaffected by Protection from Evil spells).Family matters: To further complicatethings, the victim had a complex familystory, and several of his relatives saw Iosifthe day he died or somewhat earlier, so theinvestigators may want to hear them.Iosif was a widower, and had recentlyremarried. His second wife, Otilia, marriedhim out of interest, and the two had rapidlyfallen out, but were keeping their marriagefor the sake of appearances -- Iosif even hada mistress, though he kept this a guardedsecret. Gossipers also talk of a possible loveaffair between Otilia and Iosif's son, Simion.Simion is a student at the Scrivener's Guild,and is only a few years younger than Otilia.169THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Guild WarsSeveral witnesses, including the servants ofGogean House, will be able to report thatSimion was on bad terms with his father, andthat the two had a loud quarrel just beforeIosif went out of his house to a meeting at theMagicians' Guild. While these clues maypoint towards Simion, none of them aredecisive -- in particular, Simion and Otiliadeny any affair, and there is no proof of itbeyond gossip, and Simion went to meetother students at the Priest and Jug tavern,and would not have had the time to procurea crossbow and a silver bolt, reach thebuilding near the Magicians' Guild, kill hisfather and then dispose of the weapon andreach the tavern.The last member of the Gogean family isIosif's cousin, Aurel, who lives in the outskirtsof the village of Marilenev, but had visitedIosif the week before. According to the otherrelatives and to Iosif's colleagues, the twowere on good, if rather distant, terms, andvisited each other only rarely. InvestigatingAurel will reveal he is a former guild hunterand a remarkably good shot with a crossbow.If an identikit of Aurel is given to the guardson duty at the city gates on the road toMarilenev on the day of the murder, they willidentify Aurel as having entered Specularumearly in the morning.Iosif Gogean's mistress is a tougher nut tocrack. Her identity is known only to Simion,although Otilia is aware of her. This woman,Mirela Prunea, knows Iosif was working tobring down Guildmaster Levinik and hadcollected proof of disappearances ofrestricted alchemical substances, as well as ofmanipulation of the related records in theguild archives.RESOLUTIONThe truth is quite different from the initialappearances. Iosif had contracted wereratlycanthropy, and, with no cure likely tocome from his church, had asked his cousin,Aurel Gogean, to kill him using a silverheadedcrossbow bolt. Aurel had fashionedthe bolt himself, using silver from an oldchandelier, and had killed Iosif on a randomday -- Iosif did not want to know when hewas going to die exactly. Aurel is a tough oldman, but may be coerced (e.g., magically) orpersuaded to talk, especially if the characterspoint out that an innocent is going to pay forIosif's death.A second moral dilemma will be offered tothe PCs in the form of Guildmaster Levinik:some proof might be found of hismisdoings, but with Gogean dead, Levinik'spowerful political and undergroundconnections would spare him a trial for taxevasion. On the other hand, he is certainlynot responsible for Gogean's death, but hehad good reasons to wish Gogean's death,and someone has already fabricatedreasonable (though false) proofs of hisinvolvement. A trial for murder of his mostprominent political rival would certainlydisrupt any chance for re-election to theGuildmaster position, and may well ruinLevinik's career.Depending on the reason why the PCs wereoriginally involved in the adventure, thereward may change. If the PCs were friendsof Daniel and Mihail, then the primaryreward is an increase in popularity amongthe anti-Thyatian fringes. PCs will be able tohide in the Old Quarter for at least a week, ifthey are ever wanted by the Karameikanauthorities.170THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Guild WarsIf the PCs are members of the Phorsis Guardor another branch of the Karameikan military,solving the mystery may lead to promotion.Members of the Magicians’ Guild, on theother hand, will receive a free spell of theirchoice (level 1-3).If the characters are freelancer hired by LordZogrev Yarol or another member of theKarameikan government, they will be paid asper whatever agreement they had in place.CONSEQUENCESThis section describes how the political sceneof Specularum will evolve depending on theoutcomes of the adventure, as well as theconsequences for the PCs. While the politicalscene will certainly be affected by theoutcome of the adventure, the PCs might not,if their involvement was kept a secret. Applythe results only if the involved faction isaware of their role in the case.Allowing Levinik be tried and/or sentenced:The PCs will lose favor with Radu and VeiledSociety, while they will gain favor with theNew Karameikan faction, as well as theTorenescu faction -- the latter, though, only ifthe Torenescu know the PCs were aware ofthe false clues and did not expose them.Levinik will fall in disgrace, even if he is finallyexonerated, as suspicions and rumors abouthis involvement in the crime will stillcirculate. Deprived of strong leadership, theApothecaries’ Guild may drop in status,though not enough to make it a minor guild.The guild will be contended between Raduand Torenescu, with the latter having agreater chance of gaining control.Exonerating Levinik: In this case, the PCs willgain favor with the Radu faction, and possiblywith the Veiled Society (if they already have aconnection there), but they will lose favorwith the Torenescu faction. Levinik’sposition will be strengthened, and theApothecaries’ Guild will remain strongly inthe Radu faction for years.LettSng Daniel and Mihail be tried andsentenced: If the PCs allow these two NPCsto lose their life to a false accusation, theywill be marked as pro-Thyatians, and willlose favor with all the Traladaran factions,and in particular will gain enemies in theanti-Thyatian fringe, while at the same timegaining some favor with Thyatian faction.The anti-Thyatian fringe will gain strength,and riots will be frequent in the followingmonths or perhaps even years. TheMarilenev faction will grow stronger andmore radical, possibly even getting closer tothe Veiled Society.The reverse will happen if the PCscontribute to exonerating the students --they will be looked upon favourably by mostTraladarans (except as noted above for otherparts of the resolution), and will becomeknown as local heroes. However, theThyatian faction will consider themdangerous troublemakers, and they will gainpowerful enemies at court.Revealing Aurel as the culprit and Iosif as alycanthrope: This solution will bring the PCsto the eyes of important political figures, inparticular the Duchess and Master Teldon.While they will likely earn the enmity ofsome of the political factions (as the result ofexonerating Levinik and the Traladaranstudents), they will be considered by theseNPCs as reliable and not tied to factioninterests. Master Teldon, in particular, willshow his appreciation (and that of theMagicians’ Guild) by awarding a potion toeach PC. Select appropriate potions based171THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Guild Warson character level; Magic User PCs may obtaina free spell of level 1-2 instead, if they aremembers of the Magicians’ Guild, or will beoffered membership if they are not. TheDuchess will not directly contact the PCs, butEmilio the Great may contact them to asktheir help in some mission (without revealingwho his patron his, for the time being).On the other hand, revealing the reason ofGogean’s death may lead to unpredictableeffects -- for one, members of the Oderbryfaction in the Church of Karameikos mayattack the Church of Traladara for its inabilityor unwillingness to treat dangerous diseases.On the opposite side, followers of Zirchevmay be inspired by Gogean’s death tocampaign for the rights of lycanthropes (seeNight Howlers for similar ideas in the settingof Glantri), perhaps with the financial help ofDwarven philanthropes (orphilolycanthropes, more precisely).DRAMATIS PERSONAEThe victim: Iosif Gogean (male Traladaran,age 54, L, Consul of the Apothecaries' Guild).Iosif was quite the religious person, being adevout follower of the Church of Traladara,as well as a minor political figure inSpecularum for the Torenescu faction. As amember of the professional upper class, helived in a comfortable house at the borderbetween Bricktop and Hill districts.Dimitri Levinik (male Traladaran, age 58, N,Guildmaster of the Apothecaries' Guild).Dimitri is a member of the Radu faction, aswell as an external supporter of the VeiledSociety, and a powerful political figure in theguild system. He is involved in a number ofshady dealings.Mirela Prunea (female Traladaran, age 29,N, Iosif's mistress). This woman is distantlyrelated to the Torenescu family. She iseducated, intelligent and willful, and wasone of the most important counselors forIosif, besides being his mistress.Simion Gogean (male Traladaran, age 20, N,student). Simion is Iosif's son. He's a not sobrilliant, but well funded, student at theScriveners' Guild. He is also a painter ofunremarkable skill. He loves the studentlifestyle and surrounds himself withbohemien acquaintances.Otilia (female Traladaran, age 25, N, Iosif'swife). Otilia is a Traladaran woman from amiddle class family -- her father is a minortrader. She married Iosif primarily toimprove her station, and likes to flaunt heracquired wealth.Aurel Gogean (male Traladaran, age 52, L,F3 skilled w/ crossbow, retired hunter).Aurel is Iosif's cousin on his father's side. Heis a semi-retired member of the Hunters'Guild, having purchased a small patch offarmland near Marilenev. He is quite arecluse, and has never married.172THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Guild WarsDaniel Dodrescu (male Traladaran, age 22, N, NM,student) and Mihail Hagi (male Traladaran, age 23,N, T1, student). These two students, Traladarannationalists and would-be insurgents are initiallyaccused of killing Iosif Gogean. Both come fromlower-middle class backgrounds, and have used theirShearing time to gather funds for pursuing education(and a position in the guild system, most likely).Both only know the victim by fame, and neither iseven a passable shot with a crossbow.Adding more ActionThe adventure is designed ascombat-free, which makes it agood choice for unusual parties(e.g., those without Fighters), orfor a one-night side-trek whensome players are missing.However, it is possible (or the PCactions can make it necessary) toadd some combat encounters.Four groups are likely to recur toviolence to hinder or stop theinvestigation (or some specificdirection): the Traladaraninsurgents, the Veiled Society, theTorenescu, and members of theOderbry faction in the Church ofKarameikos.These combat encounters arelikely to take the form ofambushes or barroom brawls, ormay be part of larger riots. TheVeiled Society may act to protectLevinik, while the Traladaraninsurgents could target anycharacter perceived as a Thyatiansupporter -- these may be ThyatianPCs or Traladaran “turncoats”. TheTorenescu are less likely to beinvolved in open violence, but thePCs may attack them whileinvestigating the false clues aboutGuildmaster Levinik (see“Tracking the Torenescu”).Finally, the Oderbry faction takesthe same role as the Traladaraninsurgents, on the opposite side --these NPCs are only likely to attackunarmed PCs in barroom brawls.173THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Time s Travels174THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

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Artwork Sources and CreditsARTWORK SOURCES AND CREDITSPage 9: Demographic Map of Karameikos in AC 1000Simone Neri (Zendrolion). "Map of Karameikos in AC 1000 -Showing human population spread and density, and areas undernon-human control". Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0).Page 13: Audience at Dorfus Hilltopper's court"Kuno Listens to the Wise Man's Talk" from Fairy Circles: Tales and sourceLegends of Giants, Dwarfs, Fairies, Water-Sprites and Hobgoblins.Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.Page 16: Thyatian knights at court."Godfrey de Bouillon and barons in imperial palace of Alexius I sourceComnenus". Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.Page 17: Traladaran commonersIvan Yakovlevich Bilibin (1876–1942). "Fenist the Bright Falcon". sourceWikimedia Commons. Public Domain.Page 19: Highforge Rock GnomeGiampaolo Agosta (Agathokles). "Rock Gnome". CreativeCommons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported(CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).Page 38: Map of the Taymoran/Nithian AgeSimone Neri (Zendrolion). "Traladara during the middle Nithianage". Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).Page 41: Map of the Golden AgeSimone Neri (Zendrolion). "The Traldar Golden Age". CreativeCommons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported(CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).Page 46: Placement of TumaSimone Neri (Zendrolion). "Placing Tuma and the Rock inKarameikos". Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).Page 49: Map of the Dark AgeSimone Neri (Zendrolion). "Traladara during the Dark Age".Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).176THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Artwork Sources and CreditsPage 52:Page 54:Page 55:Page 56:Page 59:Page 61:Page 64:Page 71:Page 74:Page 75:Page 88:Map of the rebirthSimone Neri (Zendrolion). "The Rebirth of Traladara". CreativeCommons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported(CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).Bogdan Ivanovich as King of TraladaraIvan Yakovlevich Bilibin (1876–1942). "Prince Igor". WikimediaCommons. Public Domain.Map of the Traladaran LeagueSimone Neri (Zendrolion). "The time of the Traladaran League".Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).A village burned during the Traladaran WarsNikolai Dmitriev-Orenburgsky (1837–1898). "Fire in the village".Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.Map of the Holy WarsSimone Neri (Zendrolion). "Traladara at the end of the 8th centuryAC". Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).Map of the Thyatian ConquestSimone Neri (Zendrolion). "Traladara in the 10th century AC".Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).Duke Stefan kills a would-be assassin during the MarilenevRebellion.Gustave Doré (1832-1883). "Edward I kills his attempted assassin".Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.General Flavian Oesteropulos negotiates the surrender of the lastDuke of HalagKlavdiy Lebedev (1852-1916). "Svyatoslav's meeting with EmperorJohn, as described by Leo the Deacon". Wikimedia Commons.Public Domain.Karameikan GewnealogyDemetrios Sahlas. "Karameikos genealogy". Used with permissionThe Druid ThornJohn Calvin (Chimpman). "The Druid Thorn". Used withpermission.Radu Coat of ArmsGiampaolo Agosta (Agathokles). "Radu family Coat of Arms".Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0).sourcesourcesourcesource177THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Artwork Sources and CreditsPage 92:Page 95:Page97:Page 98:Page 100:Page 104:Page 110:Page 112:Page 116:Page 120:Page 123:Radu Family TreeAllan Palmer (AllanP); “Radu Family Tree” based on original in“Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure” and adapted to reflectarticle.Traladaran knights at the Battle of Stolos' FordIvan Yakovlevich Bilibin (1876–1942). "Bogatyr Volga with hisdrujina". Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.Marek StrolojcaGiampaolo Agosta (Agathokles). "Marek Strolojca". CreativeCommons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported(CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).Coats of Arms of House StrolojcaGiampaolo Agosta (Agathokles). "Strolojca Family Coats of Arms".Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).Draconius Family TreeSimone Neri (Zendrolion). "Draconius Family Tree". CreativeCommons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported(CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).Coats of Arms of House Draconius: Vanyarine BranchGiampaolo Agosta (Agathokles). "Draconius Family Coats of Arms,part 1". Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported(CC BY-SA 3.0).Coats of Arms of House Draconius: Tarastion branchFrancesco Defferrari (Sturm). Pietra di Bismantova (photograph).Used with permission.Xentarion DraconiusGiampaolo Agosta (Agathokles). "Xentarion Draconius". CreativeCommons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported(CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).Death knight Yuri Molotov astride BruhminghetI. Calvin. "Death knight Yuri Molotov astride Bruhminghet". Usedwith permission.View to the entrance of the underground goblin city in theWufwolode HillsFrancesco Defferrari (Sturm). Pietra di Bismantova (photograph).Used with permission.The entrance is lit by fires during the nightFrancesco Defferrari (Sturm). Pietra di Bismantova (photograph).Used with permission.source178THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Artwork Sources and CreditsPage 130:Page 131:Page 132:Page 133:Page 134:Page 144:Page 149:Page 157:Page 158:Page 164:Page 167:Centaurs in the Dymrak WildsEugène Fromentin (1820–1876). "Des centaures s'exerçant au tir àl'arc". Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.Traladarans fleeing Halag during Baron Von Hendricks'"conquest".Edmund Leighton (1853–1922). "In Time of Peril". WikimediaCommons. Public Domain.Map of Fort DoomGiampaolo Agosta (Agathokles). "Map of Fort Doom". CreativeCommons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported(CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).Map of Fort Doom City DistrictsGiampaolo Agosta (Agathokles). "Map of Fort Doom". CreativeCommons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported(CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).Freiherr Ludwig von HendricksGiampaolo Agosta (Agathokles). "The Black Eagle Baron". CreativeCommons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported(CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).Nyx, Lady of the NighJohn William Waterhouse (1849–1917). "Circe Invidiosa".Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.Overview of KoskatepFrancesco Defferrari (Sturm). Overview of Koskatep. Used withpermission.Ashira, Daughter of the SunDante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882). "Pandora". WikimediaCommons. Public Domain.A view of the Altan Tepes foothills from Castellan's KeepGiampaolo Agosta (Agathokles). The Fortress of San Leo(photograph). Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0).Map of the Ice Wall RegionShawn Stanley. Map of the Altan Tepes, based on an original bySimone Neri (Zendrolion). Used with permission.CrossbowCrossbow picture from Nordisk Familjebok. Wikimedia Commons.Public Domain.sourcesourcesourcesourcesource179THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Next IssuePage 168:Page 172:Silver bolt found in Guildmaster Levinik's officeModified from "Bolt of a crossbow from the 14th century. Length79 mm , diameter 10mm". Wikimedia Commons. CreativeCommons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.Dimitri Levinik, Guildmaster of the Apothecaries' GuildIvan Yakovlevich Bilibin (1876–1942). "The MerchantKalashnikov". Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.NEXT ISSUEsourcesourceNext time, we're putting the spotlight not onthe Known World itself, but on thatrepository of community lore that hashelped to keep the flames of Mystara aliveand well long after its discontinuation as acampaign world, to allow us to share thewealth of creativity of this internationalcommunity, and which has served as aresource to fans new and old alike:Watch out forfurther announcementsAnticipated contents include:● Dark Glantri revisited● Known World 3050 BC● Tribute to the Hollow Moon● Community Interviewwith Shawn Stanley● A History of theMystara Fan Community● My Mystara: Geoff Gander(Seer of Yhog)● Leeha Gazetteer &F-Gaz series overviewAnd more!YOUR OPINIONS?The Editorial Team welcomes your feedbackon this issue of THRESHOLD are welcomed.Please post your comments either by postingin The Piazza ForumsOr by email to the Editorial address:Threshold.Mystara@gmail.comPlease begin the subject line with the tag“[LETTER]”180THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

Submission GuidelinesProposalsAll proposal submissions can be sent by mailto the editors at the following addressThreshold.Mystara@gmail.com, and must bereceived by the proposal deadline † . TheThreshold editorial team will contact youwithin 7 days of the proposal deadlineregarding the status of your proposal.Submission proposals should be sent inlinein the mail, using the following subject format:[ISSUE#][Proposal]The mail content should include thefollowing:● Proposed article title● The type of article being proposed (shortstory, adventure, geographical location,organization, etc...)● A one paragraph description of what thearticle is about.● An estimated word count of the article(articles should range anywhere from1000 to 7000 words, depending on thetype of article submitted).ManuscriptsManuscripts should only be submitted afteryou proposal has been accepted by theThreshold editorial staff, and must bereceived by the manuscript deadline † . Whensubmitting a manuscript file, please use thefollowing naming convention:threshold_#_your_title.(extension: see below for recommended fileformats)and the following subject format:[ISSUE#][Manuscript]The mail content should include thefollowing:● The article title.● An attached document containing thearticle contents.● The final word count of the article.Other types of contributions: the editorialteam will consider on a case by case basisother types of contributions. Please contactus to inquire if and how we canaccommodate unusual contribution formats.The following guidelines apply to differenttypes of submissions:Illustrations: please submit art and maps inlossless format (e.g., PNG).Articles: manuscript submissions can be sentby mail as plain text, doc(x) or odt, or sharedas Google Doc. The issue editor will create ashared document (for each article) to allowthe author and editorial team to work on it.Articles can be as short as a single page, or aslong as 6 pages, depending on the specificcontent. The editorial team will do its best toaccommodate the contributions, butespecially long works may be split overseveral issues.Tables: Tables should be numbered (TableX: Name of Table), and any references in thearticle should refer to that table number(and not to "the table below," for example).Author Bios: Please include a short blurb(one or two sentences) biography/blurbabout yourself for our "contributing authors"section. It can be serious or silly, but don'tget too carried away with it, please.Other types of contributions: the editorialteam will consider on a case by case basisother types of contributions. Please contactus to inquire if and how we canaccommodate unusual contribution formats.† Refer to “Call for Contributions” (page 36)for next issue deadline dates.#Insert relevant issue number in place of ‘#’THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1

The Mystara MagazineGrand Duchy ofBack to the Borderlands of KarameikosAnd so, we are back where it all began: whether you cameto Mystara through the Expert Set, the Gazetteers, or theAD&D 2e boxed sets, chances are the Grand Duchy ofKarameikos was your gateway to the Known World andbeyond.A land of adventure, with dangerous borderlands teemingwith hostile goblinoids, giants, and dragons but alsomagical realms, treasures and relics of distant ages, as wellas towns and cities posing their own challenges, the GrandDuchy of Karameikos is, after more than 30 years from itsoriginal appearance, still the starting point for manyadventurers.As such, the first issue of Threshold, the Mystara Magazine,aims at spinning new tales from the Grand Duchy, as wellas revisiting a few lost gems.www.pandius.comThreshold.Mystara@gmail.com