The new glossary features all manner of Nine Portals related lore and myth, however, some details which distinguish portals from wormholes, etc., are addressed in this post.
What is the difference between a rift and a portal?
A portal is a door between two separate places. Portals are for the most part artificial, and thus intentional. A rift is a tear in the fabric of the space/ time continuum. Rifts are usually natural openings. A rift breaches barriers between worlds and different time periods. Rifts work along ley lines (thesaurus: dragon tracks). Ley lines are energy streams which surround the earth. Where two or more ley lines cross, a nexus is created, and a rift will open in the nexus. There are spells for opening such rifts, but all rifts are relational to ley lines.
What is a natural portal?
A portal created by the gods or supernatural forces is considered by mortals to be a natural occurring portal. Natural portals were first created by the fire giants of Gygatherion, and the fairy folk who waded with their kin in the fiery depths of primordial earth.
What is an artificial portal?
An archway erected from stone, metal, or wood creates a doorway between worlds when blessed by divine magic, enchanted by arcane magic, or infused with super science and technological means. All portals are to some extent artificial, unless they are created by raw forces coincidentally, unintentionally.
What is an elemental portal?
When the first portals were hefted up by the Giants of Gygatherion, they implemented a system of elemental properties. That is, all dimensional doors of the universe had to be in harmony with cosmic principles. The first portal of ice was carved from the shard of Primordius, the eternal dark lord of the ultimate void. This ice portal was brought to Gaia Saar, and nested in mount Threshaven by the frost Giants. The next portal of primordial earth was the fire portal. This portal was set in the underworld of Gaia Saar in an infernal kingdom called Agnus. It's twin was hauled to the towering mount Threshaven, and hidden from mortals. The elements of water, salt, venom, metal and air contributed to the creation of earth, all being congealed into the ultimate elemental plane of middle earth by the Demi god, Gygatherion. The daughters of venom betrayed the elder gods, and gave knowledge of the primordial portals to the first sorcerers of earth. To amend for the offense to the gods, the Wizards of Gaia Saar set up a shrine to Gygatherion's father, Alu, in the temple city of Talos.
Elemental portals, for example, include earth, water, ice, metal, air, and fire portals. The secondary portals are mixed elemental portals. For instance, the Necro portal is a portal of salt and venom combined. The hydro portal, as well, is a secondary portal constructed from the principle polarities of water, ice, and metal portals.
Teleportation devices and other constructs can be referenced as portals in your portal router matrix diagram, or in the master control document. Ergo, not all teleport platforms are really doors between two places. The lightening portal, for instance, is a converter or transmutation apparatus. High powered electromagnetic frequencies scramble the atoms of a teleported creature, and move the separated components of the creature along a conveying path of electrical beams. Chaos portals completely disregard elemental laws of the Giants, but these arcane instruments are none-the-less portals in essence.
Questions regarding the use or implementation of portals in role-playing games are welcomed. Please address your questions to us on Twitter at @9portals or by leaving a comment on this post.
