Earth’s Maw, Whose Teeth are Threshold the Sun Cannot Cross
Threshold (officially Earth’s Maw, Whose Teeth are Threshold the Sun Cannot Cross) is a city-state in the Gloom. It is located southeast of The Endless Dance and east of Obsidi and Heliotros, and is roughly underground of Ilkatu. Its official languages are Undercommon, Primordial, and Dwarvish. The region is named for the coastal cavern in which its port is located.
Threshold is governed by a city council made up of councilors elected by popular vote. The council nominally runs the entirety of the government; however, in practice, their resources are dedicated to financial matters and governing Threshold’s City Proper, while landowners govern their own land on an individual basis.
The city-state is known for its agricultural production and exports due to the presence of the Heartwood, a Starstone that magically enhances plant growth, in the City Proper. Throughout its history Threshold has been a major hub of trade due to its location at the edge of the Gloom and its relative willingness to interact with people living in the Brights as well as its neighbors in the Gloom.
Map of Threshold. An interactive map can be found here
In addition to its location on the coast of the Gloom, Threshold also has many sources of fresh water. The region has abundant streams and lakes. Rivers wider than 5 meters and lakes larger than 50,000 liters are considered public land.
The cavern in which the City Proper and the Port of Threshold are located is one of the largest caverns in the known Gloom.
From the mouth of Earth's Maw, the lights of the City Proper are visible in the dark of the Gloom.
Threshold has three official regions, the City Proper, the City Vulgar, and the State. The City Proper contains the port, the university, and the dense district of marketplaces and businesses. The City Vulgar contains the City Proper as well as some smaller residential properties and beaches. The City Vulgar is sometimes referred to simply as the City. The State is made up mostly of larger properties and agricultural estates.
Map of Threshold's city proper.
Geography and natural resources
The Heartwood
The Heartwood is located in Threshold’s City Proper. Its influence supports rapid plant growth in Threshold. Threshold’s City Council manages access to the Heartwood. Thresholders are able to visit and leave offerings view, or pay respect to it, often by leaving an offering of food they’ve grown or leaving trinkets shaped after their patron spirits. Foreigners can view it from a further distance but cannot approach.The Outer Gates
Several tunnels lead out of Threshold’s State to other areas of the Gloom. Many of these are small and unmapped or poorly mapped, leading to areas of Gloom Wilds. Three of the larger passages have been fully mapped as routes to access other parts of the Gloom, however. Known routes to Obsidi, Heliotros, and Tel’Pennalilt are marked by decorated gates, each designed and named based on the area it provides access to. The gate to Tel’Pennalilt is located in the northwest of Threshold and is called the Dance Gate. The gate to Obsidi is located in the west of Threshold and is called the Lush Gate. The gate to Heliotros is located in the southwest of Threshold and is called the Forge Gate. It is unknown whether the passages marked by the Outer Gates are the most direct routes to these other Gloom regions; however, they are the safest and most accessible routes, and are used for the vast majority of trade and travel between the regions.Structure
Threshold is governed by a council of elected representatives. The city council formally has 421 seats; however, one of the seats is perpetually left vacant. While the council seats do not generally represent specific sections or populations of Threshold, the vacant seat is kept to represent the underwater civilization that grew from the aquatic people who initially discovered the Threshold.
City councilors are elected to three-year terms in general elections. Elections are offset, with 140 council seats up for election each year. Threshold residents are eligible to run or vote for all council seats.
The council convenes twice per week to propose and vote on motions. Their other time is spent in committee, writing and reading motions, or performing other tasks relevant to the City Proper. City councilors can propose motions to the floor for support. If the verbal proposition is supported by at least 21 other councilors, a committee is formed to draft an official proposition. By default, committees are headed by the councilor who brought forward the verbal proposition. The written proposition is disseminated to each councilor, and is voted on during the following convention. Propositions must receive 231 votes, 55% of the full assembly, to pass. Propositions which do not meet this threshold may be revised up to three times and voted on again before they expire.
Landholders' laws
Thresholders who own land are obligated to determine the laws that govern their land holdings. These laws are subordinate to council laws where they overlap or contradict. Council laws are generally limited to public land and matters of finance, trade, and banking. Over 90% of landholders use a set of laws known as the Pompey Landholder’s Laws unaltered, and over 99% use the Pompey laws with no more than minor alterations.Culture
Despite its role as the intermediary between the Brights and the Gloom, Thresholders consider themselves decidedly part of the Gloom. The region’s culture shares several similarities with the rest of the Gloom’s culture, including some shared festivals with Heliotros and Obsidi and a similar weight placed on social interactions shared with Tel’Pennalilt.
Social families
Main article: Families of Threshold Threshold’s culture is built around its social families. Many social families are literal families, while others are closer to organizations, communities, or communes. Each family is closely associated with the production of a particular agricultural product, which they are the chief producer of within Threshold. Social families generally own estates in the State where they grow their products. Family eldarchs generally live on the family estate, but other central members often live permanently in the city vulgar or, in rare cases, the city proper to provide a location for the family to host social events.Patron spirits
Each social family has a patron spirit, an animal native to Astalia which represents their connections to the Heartwood, allowing the people of Threshold to access the Starstone’s power while giving them a personal investment that shows they will not overuse it. Families whose patron spirits are safe animals, such as cats or rabbits, will often keep those animals as pets. Families with wild animals as their patron spirits generally maintain or support wildlife preserves focused around their patrons. Patron spirits are used as motifs on family crests, in decorations in their homes, and on their clothing.Balls and events
Social families regularly host events for the extended members of their family or for other social families as a method of entertainment, networking, and playing shifgrethor. These events usually involve music, dancing, and a meal, with other elements present depending on the host family and occasion.Shifgrethor
Shifgrethor, a word that comes from proto-Undercommon, is often translated as “reputation”, though its etymology comes from a word roughly meaning “shadow”, Shifgrethor is a dynamic measure of social standing and relationships used among Threshold’s social families. In conversation, word choice and tone can be used to improve one’s own shifgrethor or diminish a conversation partner’s. Patterns of formality and politeness fall under shifgrethor. Shifgrethor is not measured in a written or defined manner, and is a relative and constantly changing relationship. A participant in a conversation can waive shifgrethor to speak frankly or ask advice without affecting their position relative to their partner. Some people who are very close, such as lovers or siblings, will always speak to each other without shifgrethor.Folklore
Thresholder folklore often consists of short fables and stories which involve invented members of actual families. Families that vocally value particular traits may be chosen for such stories, or families whose patron spirits are associated with the tale’s moral may be chosen. Storytellers are highly valued in Threshold’s culture, and individuals who show a particular passion or affinity for storytelling are highly encouraged to pursue formal training at the University of Earth’s Maw. However, the value is placed less on having formal training and more on the skill of the storyteller.Cuisine
Threshold cuisine, like other Gloom cuisine, makes use of hearty, dense foods, strong spices, and preservation methods. Dishes are generally cooked using simple methods, but contain many ingredients due to the high availability of diverse foodstuffs in the region. Root vegetables, mushrooms, and leafy greens make up the base of most dishes. Edible flowers are common garnishes, and are also often the source of some of the dishes’ spices, such as saffron and allium. Meats generally fall into three loose categories based on how available and expensive they are. Most animals raised in Threshold are used for other purposes before being used for meat, so meat eaten there is usually fairly sinewy due to coming from older animals. Inexpensive, easily available meats come from animals that are raised in Threshold, as well as some wild game when it is in season. Examples include beef, veal, crayfish, cave bug meat, and bats. Mid-price meats are either produced in Threshold, but not in large enough quantities to be readily available, or are produced in other parts of the Gloom. These types of meats are not eaten every day, but are common on special occasions or at festivals. Examples include chicken, fish and most seafood, pork, and higher-quality cuts of common meats or meat from younger animals. Expensive meats are not readily available, either imported from the Brights or limited in some other way. These are rarely eaten, and are considered delicacies and treats. Examples include turkey and other birds as well as out-of-season game.Fine arts
Threshold’s architecture is almost entirely built of stone. In combination with the stone walls and ceilings of the caverns in which the city-state is located, this can lead to a sense of monotony in undecorated buildings. This effect is used intentionally in some areas, such as the Handdara Fastnesses. Most buildings, however, are heavily decorated using dyes and paints on the edifices. Movement, weight, and line are popular elements of Threshold art. Sculpture and ceramics often mirror the shapes and motifs popular in painting, and stone or stone-like materials are popular media. Light is utilized in art, architecture, and decoration throughout Threshold. Colored lights are used to highlight details of building paintings. Lanterns, candles, or other flickering lights are utilized for moving effects on some paintings.Fashion
Threshold fashion makes use of bold colors. Clothing is worn in layers, since temperatures can change quickly in the Gloom. Individual Thresholders will often make use of shared motifs throughout their wardrobes. These include depictions of patron spirits, as well as other patterns or images that person enjoys on their clothing.Courtships and Marriage
Some Threshold families arrange marriages for their children, especially heirs in blood lineage-based families. Most commonly, this takes the form of encouraging their children to seek a match with a particular family rather than pairing specific individuals; however, either form of arranged marriage is seen as acceptable and pursued by some families. Over the past 30 years or so, a tradition has arisen among couples who have only ever been in a relationship with each other to spend a year pursuing dates and/or relationships with others before becoming engaged to each other. This tradition is intended to ensure that couples are comfortable in their relationships and future marriages, and to reinforce trust between them by trusting that the other will not fall in love with someone else while apart from their long-term partner.History
Pre-Retribution
The Ancients created the Heartwood fairly early on in order to efficiently produce food. Its creation destroyed the ecosystem of the area of the Brights where it was originally planned to be used, so the completed Starstone was relocated. The Gloom was chosen for its constant climate, and the Heartwood was placed in a location that was easily accessible through the large sea cavern into the Gloom. Large, dense farms were built around the Heartwood and shipped throughout the world to the Ancients. These farms were constructed quickly and went unchanged for the majority of the Ancients’ time in Astalia. In the decades leading up to the Retribution, the Ancients’ farms began to falter and grew increasingly wild and overgrown with weeds, requiring more active attention to maintain. The yields also began to decline immediately preceding the Retribution.During the Retribution
Due to the issues the Ancients were facing with the Heartwood, they abandoned it and its farms to focus on fighting back against the gods. The abandoned farms decayed rapidly, and the Heartwood itself was overgrown and buried beneath large amounts of plant matter.Discovery of the Threshold (ca. 1500-1600 AR)
Early aquatic humanoids discovered the cavern through which the Ancients had traveled between the Brights and Gloom. Sunken pieces of Ancient tech in the cavern deterred these people from settling within the cavern, and superstitions were formed around the cavern. The aquatic humanoids named the area Earth’s Maw, Whose Teeth are Threshold the Sun Cannot Cross.Early settlement (ca. 1600-1900 AR)
Word of the Threshold reached some other early groups of humanoids, who investigated the area and similarly avoided the Threshold itself, but did establish settlements in some smaller caves and the overgrown area in the Gloom. Over time, some of these settlements began to explore the area further and discovered the heart of the overgrowth. The Heartwood was discovered in the mid-1900s AR, during a period of growing curiosity and collaboration between the small settlements. In 1957, a temporary settlement was formed near the Heartwood to exchange discoveries, sharing and building their collective knowledge and understanding of the area and study the newly-discovered Starstone.Establishment of the City of Threshold (ca. 1900-2600 AR)
As investigation into the Heartwood’s properties continued, the settlement grew both in size and population. In the late 1900s, construction of a permanent city began. The city was known by several names during its initial construction including Heartwood and Discovery before the name Threshold was chosen after the old myths about the cavern it is located in. Early Thresholders began clearing the overgrowth and building new farms around the city. The Heartwood caused these farms to produce an abundance of food, quickly resulting in excesses. These early Thresholders feared the abundance would give way to famine, so built on existing methods of preservation to establish stores of food. The feared famine never came, however, and as study of the Heartwood continued, the Thresholders realized its magic supported abundant agriculture. As farmers began to specialize and expand their land, social families began to form. During this time, Thresholders were collaborative and friendly, but not particularly unified. Various modes of government surfaced, but never lasted long. During this time, various loose confederations formed and dissolved in attempts, often half-hearted, to unite Threshold politically. These were usually oligarchical and made up of members of major families, but proved either unmanageably large or were not considered good representations of the people. Combined with the fact that many were hesitant to overstep their bounds, these governments were short-lived and ineffective. Threshold’s early themes of exploring the unfamiliar and scattered groups coming together continued as the region became more established and began to solidify its culture. The original small groups that came to make up Threshold, as well as those who had formed the early city, ventured out deeper into the Gloom. There, they encountered the other Gloom societies/settlements and began trade, since they had an excess of food. On the other side of the city, the aquatic members of the early Threshold community began venturing out into the ocean, studying the water in and around the Threshold and eventually making contact with settlements in the Brights. The difference in resources was more stark here, so they also initiated trade in order to get some of the unique Brights resources.Expansion and innovation (ca. 2600-5200 AR)
The network of trade grew, as did the city, and Threshold settled into a role as the financial threshold between the Brights and Gloom, as the rest of the Gloom was less interested in direct interaction with the Brights. To better manage this role, the city-state’s modern government was formed in the mid-3500s. By this time, a large area of the Gloom was fully mapped out, as were access tunnels to Tel’Pennalilt, Obsidi, and Heliotros. The majority of the Heartwood’s area of influence was developed into farms and homesteads. The long-standing tradition of research and collating knowledge led to the establishment of the University of Earth’s Maw in 3865. The University was founded to formally collect, further, and disseminate knowledge to the Gloom. Its press was founded shortly thereafter in 3868. Initially, the books it produced were traded only with the rest of the Gloom, and only students from the Gloom were admitted.Local squabbles (ca. 5200-5500 AR)
Though still abundant in resources, the original unity of Threshold was tenuous at this time. Some of the internal families and factions showed blatant disregard for the authority of the council, especially those whose farms were further afield. As a compromise and attempt to pacify some of the tensions, the city council allowed landowners to create their own sets of laws to apply to their land. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this caused a lot of confusion and while some areas benefited greatly from this self-determination, it also allowed for some tensions to boil over into feuds and battles. “War” is too strong a word for these conflicts, as they were largely between factions of comparable power and the largest were the size of small towns, but pockets of unrest abounded.Unification and social growth (ca. 5500-5900 AR)
The local unrest was finally resolved with a peace movement based around appealing to shared Gloom and Threshold culture, as well as some fearmongering about trade partners taking advantage of a weakened Threshold. With their prosperity in real or perceived danger, the set of landowner laws devised earlier in this period by Eulalia Pompey was widely adopted. With the worst of the violent feuds mollified, people found new ways to get at each other’s throats: social events. The families and factions which had long existed in Threshold organized themselves more formally and began advertising their relationships with other groups of a similar caliber. Lavish courtships became common ways to show social alliances, and people devised ways to make rivalries seem polite as well.The Age of Collaboration (ca. 5900 AR-present)
Over the past century or so, Threshold has grown more amicable in their relationships with the Brights. While trade is still heavily regulated and taxed, communication has increased greatly. The University of Earth’s Maw began accepting students from the Brights, and immigrants from the Brights are increasingly seen as members of the community rather than interlopers. The University has also begun to collaborate more directly with universities in the Brights.Demography and Population
Threshold has a population of about 40 million people. Its population is growing slowly, and the rate of immigration is slightly higher than the rate of emigration.
Demographics
About 85% of Thresholders are from the Gloom or sea, while about 15% are originally from the Brights or border provinces. University students and sailors who found one reason or another to stay in Threshold make up the majority of its Brights-born population. About 2% of Thresholders live in the City Proper. The City Vulgar contains a much higher proportion of the population, around a third. The other two-thirds live in the State. Dwarves are the most common race in Threshold, followed by elves, humans, and goblins.Language
Threshold has three official languages: Undercommon, Dwarvish, and Primordial. Undercommon is the official business language, and business is often conducted in Common as well as Undercommon.Religion
Religion
Religion in Threshold tends to be personal and varied, with individuals choosing which god or gods they pray to and what form their worship takes. The City Proper has temples dedicated to individual gods as well as more generic religious sites, designed to accommodate various methods of worship. In the State, temples are generic where they exist, though most people who have dedicated worship practices will do them at home. Several more organized religious groups do exist as minorities in Threshold.Handdara
The Handdarata are a polytheistic cult that worship Enki, Aestus, Serphala, and Arren. The core of the Handdara religion is the idea of learning what questions cannot (or should not— the difference, if they believe there is one, is unimportant) be answered, and not answering them. Some members of the religion are Foretellers, diviners who can answer any question they deem "answerable", for a price.Yomesh
The Yomesh is a cult that broke off from Handdara, which worships Enki, Aestus, and Venificus. Its founder, Meshe, was a Handdara Weaver who was pushed to answer an unanswerable question and as a result saw not only the specific future related to the question, but all of the future and past simultaneously for the rest of xyr life. The Yomesh believe that all can be seen and known, and seek omniscience. The core tenet of this cult is centrality, the idea that everything exists simultaneously and so we are always at the center of everything.Cult of Aconi
The Cult of Aconi is a group that is very focused on small rituals. They are known for being one of the few religious groups with dedicated temples to a particular practice (rather than a particular god or gods) in Threshold. Their temples are small buildings, only big enough for a few people to squeeze in and an altar, made of living trees. This cult generally aims to pray for the prosperity of animals, often with individual members praying for the prosperity of populations of their own patron spirits.Foreign Relations
In the Gloom
Threshold shares some cultural touchstones with other Gloom regions and has a robust system of free, open trade with them. Threshold considers itself an ally of the rest of the Gloom. Citizens of Tel’Pennalilt, Obsidi, and Heliotros can access most of the resources available to Thresholders including childcare and free tuition to the University of Earth’s Maw (though they do have to pay an application fee). Citizens of the Gloom can also apply to visit the Heartwood.With the Brights
Threshold is generally friendly with the Brights, especially in matters of trade, but considers itself more separate. Relations have become warmer in the Age of Collaboration, though many Thresholders are still hesitant to become more closely involved with the Brights.Agriculture & Industry
Threshold is a relatively wealthy and equitable region. Thresholders receive a small yearly stipend worth approximately 50 gold per adult and 30 gold per child from the city council, designed to allow citizens to participate in the economy and purchase imported items.
In order to export items from Threshold, an active personal or business export license is required. Personal export licenses last for 250 years, while business export licenses last for 10 years.
Since the beginning of the Age of Collaboration, some attempts have been made to increase the proportion of Thresholders who own land. These have seen limited success due to the historic and heirloom estates that make up most of Threshold’s area. Rent control measures have been more successful, especially in the City Proper where student housing for the University of Earth’s Maw has become much more affordable over the past few decades.
Agriculture
The majority of Threshold’s economy is based around agriculture. Approximately 60% of Thresholders work in the agriculture industry.Guilds
Threshold has strong labor laws due in part to the large dwarvish population. Every profession is required to have a guild or union available to join. Workers are not required to join these unions, though the vast majority are members. Many agricultural products will have their own guilds in addition to the broader agricultural guild; for example, the guild of almond farmers and the guild of beet farmers.Trade & Transport
Trade
Threshold is known for its role in global trade as the “threshold” between the Brights and the Gloom. Thousands of ships pass through the Port of Threshold each day. Threshold’s major exports include vegetables and mushrooms, spices and seasonings, animal products, and paper and books. Major imports include fruits, textiles, metals, and manufactured goods. Much sea trade is conducted through the Port of Threshold, largely with regions in the Brights. Land travel routes connect Threshold to the rest of the Gloom. Threshold has free, open trade with Tel’Pennalilt, Obsidi, Heliotros, and many undersea settlements. Trade with the Brights and the Verges is also open and friendly; however, Threshold imposes high tariffs on goods from outside the Gloom. In Threshold law, the Gloom is defined based on access to sunlight. Undersea settlements that are located in the twilight zone or deeper are considered part of the Gloom for purposes of trade with Threshold.Smuggling
Smuggling is something of an open secret in Threshold. Due to the high taxes on imported goods, products that cannot be produced in the Gloom are expensive. Many smuggling operations use Threshold as a stop, both because Threshold’s social families have high demand for luxury items such as fruit and fabrics and because passing through Threshold is the easiest way to pass between the Brights and the Gloom.Education
Education in Threshold is considered a lifelong pursuit. Formal schooling is available for free to Thresholder children, as is early childcare. Families who are friendly with each other will often trade children to play together and give the adults turns to work while their children are watched by friends.
University of Earth's Maw
The University of Earth’s Maw is a prominent research institution and home to Threshold’s largest press. Application and tuition are free to Thresholders. The founder of the university, Betha Somerled, was a sea elf woman with a rich background in education. She was a lifelong advocate for open education, and founded several primary schools both in and outside of Threshold prior to founding the university. She was an admirer and close friend of the founder of Warka's Academy of the Circle, Administrator Albitu, during the last part of Albitu's life. One of the oldest buildings at the University of Earth's Maw is named for Albitu.
Founding Date
1957
Type
Geopolitical, City-state
Alternative Names
Threshold, Earth's Maw
Demonym
Thresholder
Government System
Democracy, Representative
Major Exports
Vegetables, spices, agricultural products, paper and books
Major Imports
Fruit, textiles, glass, metal, manufactured goods
Location
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Comments