Imperial Portals

The young man stepped from the Crystal Archway. His skin was coppery brown, red hair partially covered by a brown wide brim hat with and two neat braids before his shoulders over the beaded broad neck & shoulder collar of last year's style. A well bred straight and narrow nose and hazel eyes over a confident mouth. Well dressed with traveling boots, silken sand colored hakama skirt in the popular puffed style, the purple sash of a Noble, with short sword in decorated scabbard, a v-necked sandy linen shirt and the outter jacket in red with House symbols of Black Dragons, one facing forward, the other back with stylized Hellebore blooms in their claws. He stopped five steps from the archway and listened to his servants and porters arrive.
"My Lord." Said the official with a bow. " I am Honjo. Welcome to the Outter Core!' He waved an olive skinned hand and two male beastman slaves of goat face and cloven hooves stepped forward with trays, one bearing a cup and watered wine, the other sliced fruit and cheeses. " I trust his lordship is fatigued from his travels and wishes his rooms?"

"I had expected my Uncle." The young man took the cup while the slave poured. "And, not really. We had stayed at an inn accustomed to serving court officials and noble travelers and took a late arrival to the Governor's palace. The Archway is marvelous. In the blink of an eye we travel from the Western shores of Eseret across a thousand miles of ocean to stand on the islands of the Outter Core!

Utility

The Portals are controlled by enchanted stones set in the gates by lesser mages of the Imperial school. The portals are activated by a minor magical ritual performed by the managing Mages.  The Emperor's Portal is only accessed by the Emperor via the Master Stone which is enchanted with multiple locations.  The Emperor also holds a Key Stone that allows any portal to transport him to the Emperor's Portal.  The isle of Kuan has several Portals - which connect to the Shards.  In the Shards are found portals that connect to the Portals in the Provinces at Governor's Keeps.  These in turn connect to Frontier portals or back to the Shards.

Social Impact

Imperial communications and dispatch of Monitors, legionairies, Messengers and officials is faster than almost any other organized method.  Travel that takes days, weeks or months by ship, mount or foot is completed in seconds.  Reinforcements and information is transferred in hours to any major holding in the Empire.

Access & Availability

On the Holy Island of Kuan, Portals exist in the Imperial College, the Imperial  School of Magic, the Legion headquarters, The Imperial Court and a closed one in the Imperial Palace that is exclusively for the Emperor's use. Each Portal allows passage of up to 20 persons or equivalent mass per hour.  These Portals have a unit of Legionaries and a monitor on guard at all times.  Special Stones of Power recharge the Portal within minutes and require two mages to place and activate them. The Sending Stones and Stones of Power are under guard by three veteran legionaries and the acting Mage of the hour. The Legionaries are changed every four hours in the Shards, Provinces and Frontiers.  In the Shard Islands, each House has a Portal and house guard attending- as well as the imperial guard. The Provincial Portals are within the Governor's compound which have watchmen and guards patrolling the grounds and walls.

Complexity

Portals are assembled by Imperial Mages with parts enchanted by students creating warp or transference magics. Sending Stones are enchanted with specific locations imbued by sympathy and contagion in the enchantment. They are enchanted with power foci and sealed and warded against invasion from otherworldly forces.  Most portals are centuries old and creating a new one is a significant effort by the Imperial School of Magic and it's students.