Portal Magic
In the Realms of the Fae, the quickest way to get anywhere is via portals.
Natural Portals
In their most basic form, as a natural and liminal barrier between the mortal and fae realms, Portals have existed since the dawn of time. A ring of stone, a misty path in a deep wood, a tunnel - natural portals can come in many different forms and be found in many strange places. These are places where a confluence of gathered magics and a thinness in the 'veil' between worlds has created an opening from one land to another. One may find themselves transported unpredictably from the mortal realm into any of the four fae realms, and it is not always easy to find the way back. Examples of natural portals include the Bermuda Triangle, the rabbit hole from the tale of Alice in Wonderland, and fairy circles.Fae Constructed Portals
Eventually, Fae discovered the magic to create portals intentionally. It took years of intense study into various different teleportation magics and the natural portals found throughout the realms. But once the discovery was made, it revolutionized travel across the realms. Fae contructed portals were stable and safe, unlike their natural counterparts, though often limited in only allowing travel between two places. While the initial construction of these portals requires a great deal of magic and a talented portal mage to cast the spell, once a portal is established it can be activated by any person. The Great Market has a central hub with dozens upon dozens of portals, connecting all the furthest reaches of the realms together. Other portals have been made large enough to allow carts and ships to pass through, though these larger portals took small teams of mages to establish. Every time that the fairy courts have changed where they reside in the mortal realms, portals have been established to facilitate travel. Even when the courts move on to new cities, these old portals have remained. Some have fallen dormant, but many remain active, allowing the fae to easily travel around the mortal world.The most rare of all constructed portals are those with a coordinate stone inlay. These unique portals can connect to multiple locations- though usually only some half a dozen. Any more and... things can become unstable.While portal technology is a wonderful invention, incidents can be tragic. A portal that is destroyed or destabilized can cause a strong backlash on both ends. Tornadoes and floods have occured at the site of portal collapses in the mortal realm in times past.
