Inter-Dimensional Travel

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Inter-Dimensional travel is the act of traveling between worlds within the Multi-Verse. This was first achieved magically and later technologically.

Magical Travel

Dimension-Hopping

There's no commonly accepted name for it, but the most frequently used method of travel is the "hop" or jump between worlds. It does in fact frequently requite a physical jump, and mages capable of the technique describe a sensation of 'falling through space' and landing at their destination.

More capable spellcasters can do it from a standstill, though upon arrival will still experience a small fall. Often, Wayshifters would be judged on the size of the fall; one who would manage less than a quarter of an inch was considered a master.

Hopping is limited to small groups, generally no more than a dozen. Only talented Wayshifters can bring large animals along, and the number is usually limited even further.

Phase-Shift

Phase-shifting is the only viable magical method for moving large numbers of people or objects. It requires a permanent ritual site at both ends and the co-operation of a number of powerful mages. Not all of the mages need to be Wayshifters, and if a site has been prepared properly, none of them need be.

Typical shifting calls for a flat, level, open area on both ends, surrounded by ritual elements. Structures in the area cannot be moved, but people, animals, and goods can. The key element is a separation between the ground and the object: a building is part of the land, but a stack of boxes is not.

The same method can also be used to move airborne objects such as SkyShips. Entire mage towers, if suspended in the air, have been transported.

Waystones

The waystones are a network of stones and menhirs, built during the Mage Wars for instant travel.

Other Methods

Various enchanted portals or objects have been discovered over the years, but these were often one-off or used some variation of the above techniques. One particularly clever artifact, the "Yeet-Beeper", could teleport its holder to several pre-set locations around the known worlds (similarly to the Waystone Network, but not requiring a ritual site) by entering a series of codes.

Various one-off portals and teleport items are known to exist, though most fell into disrepair after the Mage Wars. A few were preserved, including both ends of a portable two-way portal, used first in a magic act, and afterward as an amusement park attraction. That item eventually made it to Arden Song and remained on display for much of the Alliance era.

The Allusion Warships built by Samuel Fate included a mysterious technology referred to as "dimensional drive" which allowed them to travel between worlds. Following the Long Night this was used extensively by the Earth-Sphere Confederation as their primary means of inter-dimensional travel and the construction of their empire. This was in fact the only legitimate method of inter-dimensional travel under the ConFed's direct control; though they did purchase limited GATE access from the Foundation for "strictly economic" purposes. The ConFeds were also able to reproduce the Foundation's Ansible technology and made extensive use of it for communications and data. After the war with the ConFeds, no intact Allusion Warships were ecovered, so the exact function and nature of the Dimensional Drive remains unknown. It is theorized to be a form of Magic-Tech with functionality similar to a Yeet-Beeper.

The Well of Souls

Though commonly known as "a sex thing" per the Okina, the Well of Souls found in every Necromancer Temple were actually linked, and allowed for two-way travel between temples. At one time before the Necromanic Wars the Necromancers had a well-developed portal network facilitating trade and travel throughout the known worlds. The Necromancers only had the capability to link two existing temples, and required other means to travel to locations not already settled.

Technological Travel

GATE System

The G.A.T.E. Network, constructed and operated by the Gudersnipe Foundation is the first and most economically viable method of travel. It is the most common, and used across all of the Known Worlds starting in the late Golden Age.

Roads

The Road network can be considered a precursor to the GATE system. It was built by the Eladamri during Antiquity. The Road system is special insofar as it creates distinct portals with an event horizon as opposed to a form of teleportation such as is used by other systems. Using a Road requires another Road, it cannot take you to undefined points.

Breach Travel

This is a difficult to repeat process and requires thorough knowledge of Domain layouts, and can only be carried out at points where two domains overlap. As such it is unreliable and has never been used to great extent. Breaching can be done magically or technologically, and is thought to be how multi-dimensional travel was first discovered.

It is known that the Kamians breached access to Nos Vorm during the Kamian Succession Wars, and it was a common means of invading other worlds during the Mage Wars. In the Dynastic Period, many early multi-world empires began with their capitols at breach zones.

Communication

As with travel, modern inter-dimensional communication is dominated by the Gudersnipe Foundation. Two principle methods exist: Ansible and GSNet (short for Gudersnipe System Network). Communication is also facilitated through the GATE, and given the vagaries of inter-dimensional travel, in most cases it's actually faster (and easier) to get a letter from one world to another.

Real-time communication is possible via Ansible, but this technology has serious limitations and is reserved for governmental use. Phone and video calls are possible, but require substantial infrastructure and are quite expensive (usually several hundred credits per minute). Inter-dimensional text-messaging is included as part of any Eul-Speak, Inc. cellphone plan at the standard rate (sending a text message between worlds costs the same as between any two phones).

Non-real-time contact is much cheaper and easier, as data-storage systems can simply be moved back and forth through the GATE. A full cycle of the GATE transit takes a bit over a second. However, it can be made precise enough to transport a rack of equipment into place while running and with the network interfaces already in place. This lets data be moved, cached, and moved again with great efficiency.