A magically created portal which leads to another dimension. Created by mysterious entities in the First Age of Alastari, the Gates have been used, abused and confused by countless civilizations since. In the Second Age, the Folstrom Empire used the Gates to raid countless dimensions, bringing back wealth and magic to Alastari. Most of the "chaos artifacts" (of which Sheila Greywand's wand is the most famous) date from this period. While most of the Gates lead to reasonably harmless worlds, a few are portals to worlds of warlike or otherwise dangerous creatures. No one knows the exact number or location of all the Gates, much less where they all lead to; for some time all the Gates have been sealed by Sheila Greywand.

A Gate consists of two nexus points, one in each of the dimensions connected by the Gate. Between these two points there is an environment called the linkworld which does not exist in any dimension, although beings using the gate generally perceive the linkworld as having and "up" and "down" and something to walk on. Theoretically, a linkworld may be occupied by an infinite number of creatures at once; however, linkworld environments are malleable. A sufficiently strong-willed person may structure the environment as he or she wishes by force of will; thus, a Gate may be blocked by someone entering the linkworld and "deciding" that it is only large enough to accommodate one being. As sitting in a nonexistent space willing it to keep everyone else out is one of the most tedious jobs in the universe, very few Gates were blocked on a permanent basis. Even a blocked Gate can be passed; it simply requires that someone with a stronger will or better control of what will they've got enter the linkworld and wrest control of it from the guardian. Such battles are generally visualized as physical or magical duels by the combatants, though since physical and magical law do not hold true in the linkworlds, they are probably neither.

For the last several hundred years the Gates have, for the most part, been sealed shut by the power of the Grey Wand. A number of minor, harmless Gates remain open by accident or design, allowing a certain amount of interdimensional trade. This mass closure was accomplished during the Eleventh Age, when the last great dimensional invasion occurred. After sending champions into the linkworlds to block the invading armies, Sheila used the Wand to close the Alastari-side nexus points.

It is Sheila's intention, once she gets enough warriors trained to her standards, to reopen the Gates. With a limitless supply of warriors, she can afford to rotate the Gate guardians and keep the Gates open on a safe and permanent basis...once, of course, the assorted nasties on the other end are convinced not to invade again

Encyclopedia Alastaria

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