Working of the Weave
A common way to describe magic to new mages is an energy like life or fire woven into the fabric of everything much like life weaves itself into the world. As such, portals may be described as selecting two threads and knotting them together so that they are connected. Where the portals go are reliant on what threads you choose, and the permanence of the gate based on how tightly the knot is cinched. Of course this is a rather mundane way to describe the process but an illustrative one nonetheless.
Thread Theory
The thread selection process is by far the most tedius process. There are two basic approaches, the first being entirely random while the second being incredibly restrictive.
Thread Reaching
The first process does not include component bounding points, but instead during the casting of the spell the bounding point is determined by you. Threads from your own plane will obviously be easier to connect with, but there are vast spaces between planes which means you're likely to whiff if you try to reach for them using this method. Reaching within the plane you currently stand is much easier, but you're still just as likely to miss your determined location with this method. As such I would never recommend establishing permanent gateways using this method. Instead, take a common item and swap it with the location you're choosing. In this way you can gain glimpses of where you're reaching to and better identify the potential of the unknown location.
Thread Marking
The superior, but restrictive process is by thread marking. This requires taking an object and 'tieing' it to a thread at the destination, and then using that item as a bounding point component when casting from your starting point. Clearly this a much more restrictive process, requiring you to have been to the destination previously or having known someone smart enough to mark the thread for you. This guaranteed however, and necessary for establishing permanent gateways of any kind.
Third Thread Theory
While theoretically binding multiple threads together could work, the practicality of that is arguable. The requirement for an apparatus to determine from a join binding to which thread you intend to go would be a necessary hassle, and restrict movement through the gateway. I'll leave these problems for a future self.
Thread Distance
The further the plane, the more energy you'll need to dedicate to the casting. This explains why short-range teleportation spells cost so little energy while jumping planes can require a massive expenditure. However there are exceptions to even this. Our planes are not flat, instead they wave and pock like an angry sea. This movement may be erratic locale wise, but is usually cyclical in nature and this may be taken advantage of. As the planes wave, there are areas on the plane that become temporarily closer together. Which means the threads from the weaves of each plane are easier to bind. Thus, setting up more permanent gateways becomes possible upon finding locations where this is true to the desired plane.
Permanence
Gateways permanence relies on how the ritual is cast and where the energy flows from. Casting from yourself means as soon as your energy cuts out, so does the gateway. Additionally, if you do not cast on an apparatus then the casting will need to be repeated for each time the gateway is to be open.
To create a more permanent gateway, a more permanent apparatus is needed for enchantment. The same way you might enchant a wand or sword, a large stone or doorway may be enchanted such that it can be activated to open the gateway. To do this, you will need to instead bind the destination thread to the apparatus, so that the same thread may be referenced when opening the gateway.
Gateway Characteristics
It is commonly believed that the color emitted by a gateway is relevant to it's destination. While this can be true, it is a myth that should be dispelled. A gateway's color can depend on many things; the magic its architect weilded, the binding components used, the starting location, the stability of the binding or even an extra layer in the casting ritual. Yes, you can determine the colors of your own gateway.
Instability
Gateway instability is typically due to the ineptitude of the magician. But there are a few ways to divine the issue when practicing.
A gateway that flickers, has something wrong with it's activating apparatus, so it is activating and deactivating rapidly. Attempting to travel this type of gateway may be annoying, but is not dangerous.
A gateway that is fading has a failing binding. This type of gateway is very dangerous to travel through. Because the binding is slipping, traveling through a faded or fading gateway may not put you at your expected destination but could leave you somewhere in between.
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