Editorial
by John Calvin from Threshold Magazine issue 4Who would have known we could come up with so much material on a single subject? Certainly not the Editor in Chief of the past two issues of Threshold! He was nearly swept off the deck of his ship by the sheer amount of artistry that our contributors have supplied. A cornucopia of material that crashed upon our computer screens like the waves of the Sea of Dread crash upon the shores of Karameikos!
Honestly, I began this process with a lot of excitement, and more than a little trepidation. I’ve been a contributor to the Vaults for a long time (first through the MML, MMB, and finally now at the Piazza), and have contributed to other fan based products as well (most notably the Mystara Almanacs, and the Tome of Mystara), but I’ve never really been on this end of the editing process. I was extremely lucky that the editors of the previous issues of Threshold (Giampaolo Agosta and Andrew Theisen) both already had some experience in this venue, and I was able to learn a lot by watching them go through the process before me.
Despite this, nothing could have prepared me for the sheer amount of material that came flooding in on the Sea of Dread. I went from fearing that we would receive no articles, to fearing that we had received too many… so many in fact that we had to split the Sea of Dread topic into two issues - and I think i was still nearly overwhelming!
I’m really proud of the quality of the work that lies before you, especially given the quantity of it all. But I’m also more than a little tired. Serving as Editor in Chief of these past two issues has been a dream come true for me, but I’m ready to pass the torch onto the next brave soul. I’m going to find a beach, sip some rum, and quietly return to the other side of the editor’s table to pen a few articles of my own… at least for a while.
Having said all of that, I’m very excited about what we have to present you with in Issue #4 - there is going to be some truly epic material within these electronic pages! Set your eyes on the horizon as we prepare to Return to the Sea of Dread!
John Calvin (Chimpman)
Editor-in-chief, Threshold Issue #4
An unknown continent with lost worlds, a thousand dead empires and many powerful, rising nations. A land of wonderful cities and dangerous ruins, dinosaurs and great mammals, the original homeland of elves and halflings and, before them, the cradle of reptilian civilization.
That's not the Known World, traveller: That's Terra Incognita.
Here Be Dragons and much, much more. If you are brave - or fool - enough, join us to
Explore Davania
● Anticipated contents include:
● A Newbie guide to the continent
● Dread and ruins, beyond the sea of Dread to the shores
of north western Davania
● Rakastas of Davania
● Terrifying secrets of Y’hog
● Caducea: a gate to southern Mystara
● Tabernacle of Gildesh
● Nations of the Izondian Deep
… and much more!
[Image: Ships on a Stormy Sea]
Return to the Dread Sea
The Sea of Dread - these dark tempestuous waters loom off the southern coast of Brun, a raging force of nature that has shaped many of the nations in the Known World. Many of us have set sail upon these waters before, featured in adventure modules from X1 - The Isle of Dread, XSOLO - Lathan’s Gold, X7 - The War Rafts of Kron, and many more.
These waters are the birthplace for seafaring nations, Merchant Princes, empires, and pirates. Throughout time refugees have sought succor on the islands that dot its surface, tyrants have sailed armies across its waters, and adventurers have attempted to plumb its depths for treasure - sometimes to disastrous consequences.
The fourth issue of Threshold the Mystara Magazine yet pursues the deep, dark, waters off the the southern coast of Brun... Throw caution to the wind and set sail, as we once again Return to the Sea of Dread.