When they were near Gale or more to the northern edge of Valorim, they were not able to return through the amulet. It can be used only in a specific range around Fort Emergence. Anaximander gave them the amulet to return more quickly and report their actions against the monsters. The Amulet of Returning was given to the adventurers, who saved the Empire, by destroying the Vahnatai Plagues. Even human-made portals are formed with the use of structured crystals, a magic known to be a specialty of the Vahnatai, suggesting that the lore may at one point have been learnt from them. Humans have advanced far on the lore of creating portals, but it is believed this science originated with the Vahnatai. The same applies to Variable Portals, but they must have been frequently used to travel to the given destination to leave a distinct mark at that place. Only very skilled mages are able to deduce the location of the starting point, however. It is also possible to detect the presence of a one-way portal's destination, from the heavy traces of residue it leaves behind there. Through the analysis of a portal, it is easy for a trained mage to identify where it leads. It was this skill that allowed a group of Unspecified Services agents to tail members of the Cult of the Sacred Item to their lair and reclaim from them the stolen Orb of Thralni. The residue of the teleportation affected nearby attuned objects, such that by observing a portal she was able to recognize the origin and destination of such a transport. Seles, probably the Tower of Magi's most talented portal mage, had developed this skill to such an extent that she was able to detect any other source of teleportation magic in the vicinity of a certain portal. These portals are usually very unstable and risky to use.Ī very complex field of teleportation magic is the analysis of a portal's behavior in order to gain various information. Some places can form natural portals due to heavy magical residue or a natural source of magical energy. These coordinates were calculated by mages skilled in teleportation, and often recorded on obelisks scattered throughout Avernum. For example, Ell Pit Esk would calibrate the portal to a spot in the Black Waters. The coordinates were three syllable phrases that were spoken loudly before entering the portal, which allows it to 'lock' onto a destination. This portal originally used a coordinate system for destination positioning. Variable portals are by definition one-way, although some linked portals are able to 'switch' between several destinations (where other portals stand) in a way similar to a variable portal. Archmage Erika Redmark constructed such a portal to send a group of assassins to the surface to slay Hawthorne III. These portals are far more flexible, especially for swift attacks. The Empire has also been reported to utilize unstable cousins of the portal. The Cult of the Sacred Item possessed a similar portal, although it was far less stable, more dangerous, and more difficult to configure - the cult itself suffered various fatalities through its use. Mahdavi of the Tower of Magi built a portal that was capable of sending its user anywhere in Exile, given a set of coded coordinates. A one-way portal is necessary of course for destinations that have never been traveled to before (although a spell is used more frequently in this case), but it is also useful if the connection is not supposed to be detected on the other side, or the user is not supposed to return. Although the effect is similar, this is far more complex magic and requires a lot more power. The mass teleporter built by the Empire was also linked, in order to achieve its unprecedented capability.Ī one-way portal sends its user to a place where no other portal is installed.

The portal to Avernum was such a linked portal for the latter reason the one-way nature was achieved by a simple barrier. This is very convenient for two-way journeys, but it also is a far more stable contraption than a one-way portal and requires less energy per use. Two portals stand in different places, and anyone entering one portal will emerge from the other. Its user requires no more skill or knowledge to pass through it than for passing through a simple doorway. Once it has been built, it requires enormous amounts of energy, but can fare quite well on its own. The convenience of most portals is their ease of use and maintainance. Some portals can change their destination, although this commonly requires a lot of skill and care. A portal can be activated by a mechanism or spell, or it can be permanently active. A portal, in magical terms, is described as a fixed device (or simply a place) that sends anyone who activates it to a certain destination. Portals are possibly the most widely used contraptions for teleportation.

Avernum 6 orb of thralni location