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Teleportation Network

Teleportation magic is something that has existed for a long time. We can even assume it might have been one of the main goals when people first started exploring what magic could do, testing its limits, its capabilities. It's a very powerful kind of magic, one that needs a lot of focus and concentration so it doesn't go wrong, so not all magic-users are able to do it. You must have a lot of experience and a sharp mind so you won't end up somewhere you didn't mean to, or, even worse, end up in separate parts wherever you show up again, if you do at all.   This changed drastically with the creation of a teleportation circle network: a system connecting several parts of the Feywild through the means of teleportation circles. But just agreeing to its implementation in the first place was a huge battle, with many ups and downs, which lasted for centuries.
 

Connecting the Dots

 
The Fey Courts are never at war with each other, at least not openly. They live in constant disagreement, though, a situation fueled by whatever made the two Queen sisters go their separate ways all those millennia ago. It's hard for them to agree on anything, even harder to work together in the rare occasions when they do agree. In this case they both had to work with each other and collaborate with the representatives of the Courtless cities which were part of this deal. It took several decades to even find a way to bring everyone to the table. And once they were there, once they had agreed to meet, it took several more decades for them to agree on a system that everyone liked. Well, perhaps not liked per se, but at least a system that everyone didn't dislike enough that the compromises they would have to agree to were sufficient to balance everything out.   But eventually, after many steps forward, many steps backward, agreeing to this and that despite something else, giving up something so you could have another important thing, eventually, everyone agreed to build teleportation circles in their cities. Buildings or towers were created to house these circles, always heavily guarded. These circles are often comprised of a raised platform build in stone, with runes all around it, shining bright due to the magic contained within. Each takes one year to be built, with an enchanter concentrating on it every day to make sure the magical essence seeps within the stone, the runes. Once one steps within a circle, they will always end up with the other circle that one is connected to, with no chance of a mishap or a terrible accident.   There are teleportation circles connecting the major cities in the Feywild: Senaliesse, the capital of the Summer Court; Cendriane, the capital of the Winter Court; Astrazalian, also known as the "capital" city of the Eladrin, although it doesn't actually hold the power of a capital; The Nuvem Enclave, built upon the clouds; The City Beneath the Waves, a Courtless city, home to many aquatic Fey; and Mistwick, a hub between many of these places. Some of the teleportation buildings and towers also have more private teleportation circles which give you access to the Queen's palaces, for example. But only those with permission or a specific token from the Queens are ever allowed to use these.   And even then, access to these circles is still restricted, given that it's expensive to pay for such a trip. Not every Fey can walk into these buildings and appear on the other side of the Feywild because they felt like it. Many have to pay for their quick journeys, and pay heavily. The only exceptions are the rare Fey with a free pass given to them by the Queens, often a token of some kind. So sidhe might use these circles easily, as will the richer inhabitants of the cities which house them. But a common citizen of the Feywild will most likely have to walk wherever they wish to go, or find a mount, a carriage, a boat, or an airship to take them there.   Still, despite these limitations, it was a radical change in the Feywild. For one, it meant that many different parties had to collaborate to achieve their goal, something rarely seen in this land. And second, things are always shifting and changing location in the Feywild, but this means of travel always works, as long as the connected circles are still there. Many are still fighting for easier access to this teleportation network, but as always, it might take a long while before anything changes. As much as the land itself is in perpetual transformation, never staying the same, the Fey are a stubborn bunch who love tradition a little too much.

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Comments

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Jul 25, 2019 12:03

Cool article. Safe teleportation magic is definitely a big boom to any society and I like how you emphasised the difficulties of establishing such a network for the fey. I thought the article could have used some formatting (maybe in terms of sub-headers) but it was not long, so it's ok to read as it is.   The one thing I would like to have seen are tidbits of information which would make the teleportation network feel more real. For example: which is the city with more teleportation circles? (As I understood it from the text, they are one-on-one circles, meaning each circle can only ever take you to the same place) which is the city with the least amount of circles and why is it the least connected? I would also have loved to see a quote by a first time user of a teleportation circle, to see what people think of it.