Karameikos - Vaults of Pandius

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