Thresholders

Where One Realm Ends, Another Begins

"Once, in the halcyon days of my youth, I counted among my companions a man I dared to call friend—though his existence was burdened by a curse most cruel. From an age far too tender, he was marked to become a thresholder, a wanderer of those realms that lie beyond the boundaries of our perception. Through his eyes, I glimpsed the unthinkable horrors of the Otherworlds—what seethes and writhes just beyond the gleaming surface of a mirror, what stirs in the hushed silence of long-abandoned ruins, or waits, patient and implacable, at the very end of time itself. He bore the weight of his destiny with a bitterness I could scarcely fathom, and I, in my folly, sought to share his burden, though my own understanding was but a shadow of the dread that consumed him.
In those final years of his life, however, something within him shifted, as if a veil had been lifted. The fear that had once dominated his every thought seemed to melt away, replaced by a strange, almost reverent wonder. He began to speak of the Otherworlds not with dread, but with a longing—a fervor not unlike the yearning of a lover's touch. He grew distant from those around him, from the world we shared, and, in time, even from me. The call of that other reality claimed more and more of his days, until one day, he did not return.
To this day, I find myself pondering his fate."

— From: "The Compendium of Netherdyn: Volume III - A Study of Netherdyn’s Peoples" by Arvandus Quillborne

Thresholders are rare individuals capable of traversing the boundary between the Material Reality and the Otherworlds at will. Forever standing at the boundary between these realms, they embody a liminal state, neither fully belonging to the physical world nor the planes beyond. Their name reflects this duality—they exist perpetually at the threshold, balanced between two realities.
Crossing into the Otherworlds comes at a steep cost. Each journey demands a sacrifice, whether in memories, vitality, or fragments of their soul. These losses grant thresholders a profound understanding of the planes they explore but also hasten their dissolution. Many live with the haunting knowledge that their journeys will eventually unravel them, leaving them to fade into the Otherworlds entirely.
Thresholders occupy an uneasy position in society. Revered by some as mystics and intermediaries between incomprehensible realms, they are shunned by others as harbingers of instability and chaos. Their unique abilities make them invaluable to many scholars seeking knowledge hidden in the folds of reality. Yet, the unnatural nature of their existence also sparks unease, as their altered forms and fragmented memories set them apart from ordinary mortals.

Becoming a Thresholders: Of Flesh Made Unstable

The art of traversing between the Material Reality and the Otherworlds, known as "crossing," requires both profound knowledge and significant physical and mental transformation. thresholders acquire this rare ability through two key stages: mastering the arcane and altering their own being.

The Path of Study

The first step to becoming a thresholder involves rigorous scholarly dedication. Aspiring thresholders must study General Arcane Theory (G.A.T.), Ceremonial Sorcery, and Practical Spellcasting to learn how to force open doorways between worlds. This foundation is similar to the initial disciplines of wizardry, and thus many thresholders develop limited spellcasting abilities during their training.
However, this theoretical knowledge is only the beginning. The ritual magic required for crossing is complex and demanding, often involving precise incantations and powerful catalysts. Achieving this expertise can take years of focused study, making the initial stages of becoming a thresholder an endeavor few have the dedication—or the nerve—to complete.

Alteration of Body and Mind

The second stage, and the most controversial, involves alchemic transmutation to alter the body and mind, allowing a thresholder to perceive and interact with the subtle boundaries between worlds. This process invites the influence of the Otherworlds into the individual, a dangerous procedure not to taken lightly. Mistakes during these alterations can lead to severe scarring, mental instability, or complete loss of self.
Regions like the Witchrealm of Morvathia or the Golden Marquisate of Dorcroix are popular for these procedures due to their relatively lenient regulations on body transmutation and experimental magic. When successful, these changes heighten a thresholder's awareness, enabling them to detect places where the veil between realities is thin enough to cross.

Not all thresholders choose this life willingly. Some are marked by the Otherworlds through accidental exposure, often as children. Common tales include getting lost in an ancient forest, following an unnatural mist, or being lured away by a fae. Such individuals may spend hours—or even years—wandering the edges of reality before finding their way back.
Returning from these accidental crossings leaves permanent marks. These individuals are haunted by the Otherworlds and face an inevitable choice: cling to the Material Reality until they are eventually claimed by the planes beyond, or master their altered bodies and minds to regain control over their fate.

The Soulfire Lantern

To combat the memory loss caused by crossings, thresholders use a particular objects as mnemonic devices and as a compass on their travel: The Soulfire Lantern. This specifically crafted lantern houses a fragment of the thresholder's soul, to preserve and protect it while crossing. This lantern serves two purposes: preserving their soul during crossings and providing a guiding light to keep them anchored to the Material Reality.
The Soulfire Lantern comes in various forms. Some thresholders craft large, sturdy lanterns, carrying them by hand as both a light source and a spellcasting focus. Others opt for lightweight versions, wearing them as necklaces or other personal accessories to keep them close at all times. The lantern’s destruction severs the thresholder’s link to the Material Reality, leaving them stranded in the Otherworlds—a fate every thresholder fears above all else.

The Toll of Traversing Realms Beyond

The greatest strength of a thresholder lies in their ability to exist simultaneously in the Material Reality and the Otherworlds. This dual presence grants them unique insights: the ability to sense shifts in reality, perceive unseen dangers, and detect thinning veils between worlds. Thresholders often serve as anchors for others attempting to cross into the Otherworlds, using their expertise to guide companions and prevent them from becoming lost in these unstable planes. Because of this, thresholders are highly sought after by occult scholars, witches, and wizards seeking to explore the mysteries of the Otherworlds.
However, the ability to cross between realms comes at a steep and inevitable cost—a price paid with their very essence. Despite every safety measure, spending time in a plane beyond their own alters a thresholder irreversibly. Each return to the Material Reality becomes incrementally more difficult, as fragments of their body, mind, or soul remain behind.
The fate of all thresholders is a tragic one. Many eventually lose the ability—or the desire—to return to the Material Reality. Trapped in the Otherworlds, their ultimate fate remains undocumented, lost to speculation and myth. Each Otherworld is unique, and the consequences of being stranded vary. Some thresholders are said to merge with these alien realms, becoming new creatures or entities tied to their laws. Others are doomed to wander endlessly, their identities unraveling as they fade into the fabric of these strange worlds.
To slow the toll that crossings take, most thresholders focus their journeys on a single Otherworld. Specializing in one realm allows them to build familiarity with its nature and rules, reducing the strain on their minds and bodies. This approach preserves more of their connection to the Material Reality. Conversely, those who recklessly traverse multiple realms face accelerated deterioration, their link to the physical world fraying with every crossing.

The Gifts of Otherworld Affinities

Thresholders who specialize in traveling to a specific Otherworld often develop unique abilities tied to that realm, enabling them to navigate its dangers and harness its distinct energies. These abilities not only shape their connection to the Otherworlds but also make them invaluable in their expertise, often bringing fragments of those alien planes into the Material Reality.

Thresholders of the Faedim & Slumberwilds

Thresholders who traverse the Faedim often develop an innate talent for Oniromancy—the manipulation of dreams. This ethereal plane, shaped by both nightmarish horrors and surreal beauty, challenges the logic and perceptions of those who walk its ever-shifting landscapes. Over time, thresholders of the Faedim grow attuned to its peculiar rules, learning not only to navigate its illogical terrain but also to influence it through sheer will and emotion.
By wandering the Slumberwilds, the dream-infused regions connected to the Faedim, these thresholders gain glimpses into the desires, fears, and memories of sleeping mortals. This connection allows them to carry fragments of the dream world back into the Material Reality, briefly manifesting creatures, objects, or phenomena that once existed only in dreams. These dream-born manifestations are temporary, dissolving after a short time, but their effects—both wondrous and terrifying—can leave a lasting impression.

Thresholders of the Sepulchral Verge

Thresholders who frequent the Sepulchral Verge—the borderland between worlds—often develop the ability to commune with the dead or influence the delicate balance between life and death. This realm, known as the Pale Lands, exists outside the conventional flow of time and space. Those who wander its spectral landscapes experience an unusual form of aging; rather than growing older, their bodies gradually lose color, fading to pale, as if echoing the realm itself.
Thresholders of the Sepulchral Verge are often magnets for spirits, particularly those of the recently deceased or souls unable to move on. These entities are drawn to the thresholder, clinging to them in hopes of finding a path back to the living world. Through their unique connection to this transitory plane, thresholders can sometimes pull a spirit with them into the Material Reality during a crossing. These spirits rarely remain for long, as the Pale Lands inevitably call them back, but their brief presence can offer closure—or chaos—to the living.

Thresholders of the Gloamgarde

The Gloamgarde is the shadowy fringes of the Material Reality—a vast, silent expanse formed from forgotten spaces, lost memories, and the abandoned corners of existence. In this realm of perpetual twilight, thresholders develop a natural affinity for Obscurism, a magical discipline focused on manipulating shadows and light for concealment, protection, and offense.
The stillness of the Gloamgarde, where even sound is consumed by the oppressive quiet, imparts another eerie ability to these thresholders. When crossing back into the Material Reality, they can manifest zones of unnatural silence, muffling all noise within their vicinity. These areas carry faint echoes of the Gloamgarde itself—fragments of forgotten conversations, ancient laments, and whispers lost to time.

Thresholders of Kaleidalis

The Kaleidalis is a realm of endless mirrors, prisms, and crystalline shards, where infinite reflections distort and refract reality itself. For the uninitiated, this fractured landscape can be maddening, but thresholders touched by Kaleidalis learn to navigate its complexities, remaining whole amidst the chaos as they traverse the mirrors of this shimmering plane.
As Kaleidalis is already a reflection of the Material Reality, thresholders from this realm can draw existing reflections into the physical world, creating duplicates of objects, people, or even entire places. These illusions, often twisted or refracted, can be mesmerizing and disorienting, but the ability to manifest them comes with inherent risks.
The most dangerous aspect of Kaleidalis lies in its inhabitants—Fractals, living reflections that exist within the mirrored plane. These entities often linger at the edges of reality, yearning to encounter their real-world counterparts. When a thresholder creates a reflection, they may inadvertently give a Fractal the opportunity to slip into the Material Reality.

Thresholders of Drearfall

Few thresholders willingly venture into the Drearfall, and fewer still choose to specialize in its bleak, rotting expanse. Those who do are marked by the realm’s relentless embrace of decay and entropy, thriving amidst its eternal unraveling. The Drearfall represents the inevitable collapse of all things—memory, time, and existence itself. Within its desolate boundaries, once-thriving civilizations crumble into ash, the decaying corpses of long-forgotten gods and archdemons lie in grotesque repose, and even the flow of time unravels into chaotic disarray.
Thresholders attuned to the Drearfall gain the ability to harness the corrosive rot that permeates all things in this realm. This power is potent, capable of eroding matter, life, and even magic. However, this gift is as dangerous as it is cruel. Manifesting the Drearfall into the Material Reality risks infestation by Sorespawn—parasitic entities native to the plane. These creatures spread corrosive decay to anything they touch, consuming the living, the inanimate, and the magical alike in their relentless hunger.

Thresholders of the Netherhells

Thresholders of the Netherhells are in high demand within the Witchrealm of Morvathia. The Netherhells are a network of loosely connected demi-planes bound together by the Tether, a sentient and volatile force that serves as the foundation of all witchcraft. Scholars and demonologists tirelessly study the Tether, hoping to unlock secrets of witchcraft that extend beyond current understanding. However, as these planes are primarily inhabited by demons and malevolent spirits, thresholders are essential for ensuring the relative safety of such research—though "safe" is a highly subjective term in this context.
During their travels through the Netherhells, thresholders often develop abilities that mimic aspects of witchcraft. By learning to manipulate the Tether, they can manifest elements of the Thirteen Circles of the Netherhells into the Material Reality.