AFS 129, August 20th
… a shuffling noise is heard accompanied by the grunts of an elderly man as he sets up a small tripod contraption in the back of the Broken Rabit Inn. This should come as a surprise of many due to the fact no one really saw him enter. The man is dressed in what looks to be heavy flowing robes shaded in deep blues, has a neatly trimmed beard, but wildly overgrown hair. Astute observers would notice the small name tag he wears which reads, “MagCon 129, Kinsley; Hello my name is Archmage Grindill” . After setting up the tripod he opens a small hand bag and pulls out a rather large sized billboard and puts it on the stand.
The sign reads:
The Magical Wonders of Portals.
Seminar starts in 5 minutes.
He then starts to pull out many small metal contraptions which he assembles into what eventually resembles a Bunsen burner with a pot on top. He rudely and seemingly carelessly ignores all questions or people in the tavern, seeming to be completely entranced in what he is doing. He seems to add a few ingredients to the pot and including some liquid from a small jug. All these items he pulls form his bag which can in no possible way hold all these items. After a few moments he pulls a small cup from his bag and then pours what many can recognize from smell as coffee from the pot.
After what is almost exactly five minutes from when he set up the sign he takes a sip from his coffee and seemingly enjoying it greatly, pulls a wand from his sleeve and taps it on the closest table. Upon doing so all the lights in the pub dims so that only a few lights around him are at full power. With a confidence and an authoritive teaching tone he begins his speech:
“A portal is ANY thing that can make an archway or portal. This includes, but is not limited to, doorways, arches, windows, rubble that has fallen over to make an archway of some sort, or pretty much anything that could be considered a fully encased opening you can fit through. Portals are not limited by their size however; a portal can appear in the largest known opening to a hoe the size of a pin prick. As long as it makes an area that is surrounded on all side but one can walk, crawl, or fit through it can be a portal. Portals do not appear out of thin air out in the middle of a field. They appear in the forms I just mentioned.”
The words from the sign fade and give way to a whimsical stick figure with arrows showing a man walking through a doorway and entering a different environment. The elderly scholar takes a sip from his slightly steaming cup, and then continues on.
“Okay, moving on: so to open a portal you need a port key or keys, and these can be anything. For example: a cup of cold coffee and something blue. It doesn’t matter if the person was trying to open it or not, if they have the keys on them it opens unless it is magically locked. Keys can also be none tangible things such as sadness or a child’s laughter.”
The pictures change to different scenarios where a person walks by a opening but nothing happens, than another walks through with a certain item that active the portal and they pop out in a different place.
“Port keys can be one time use; meaning they disappear or get ‘used’ once it works, or can be used infinite times. It all depends on the portal. Portals can also be set or random. This means that a known portal could lead anywhere at almost any given time, or it could always lead to the same place all the time. One time portals happen, but very rarely. Normally if you find a portal and it goes to place X, it will go back there again if all the stipulation of the portal opening back to that place is met.”
Once again the pictures change to help represent that some port keys get “used” while others do not. There is also an example where a figure has to wait for a certain time to open a portal.
“Portals also normally only stay open for a very short time after opening. One would say on average, ohhh, maybe 2 to 5 seconds or so. So be careful. Many portals also only allow a certain number of people through at a time. OH, and yes, when a portal opens up here it opens up there as well. SO be careful; sometimes things will come through this side you wish never did.”
He once again takes a lengthy pause as he sips from his cup again and mumbles to himself. While doing so the pictures change to show a group walking along and unknowingly opening a portal. While half the party makes it through the portal snaps shut leaving the other half behind. Another example shows a portal opening and people racing to make it through as the attempt to example a hideous monster. One doesn’t make it in time and meets a grisly demise. He straightens is robes in an aggravated way and looks back to the tavern populous and goes on.
“So, portals go anywhere. What about getting back? Getting back can require the same key or keys, that is if the portal is a two way portal… You can imagine the slight dangers in that. To quickly answer a few common questions: Yes, if you go through a portal from the other direction it could lead somewhere else. Yes if you close a double door it is now a different portal. Yes the possibilities are almost endless.”
The images go through almost countless examples of what seems to be endless possibilities to portals, their destinations, and how they can work. He thinks to himself for a moment, seeming to attempt to gather all his thoughts.
“Aw, yes, getting home. There are many known set portals in every Ward that lead back to different nation’s home cities. These portals have keys that are ‘a person of origin’. Meaning if you were born there you are the key. If you live somewhere that you were not born I suggest you find a buddy that has a key to travel back and forth because the portals only work for said person. These portals are two way portals for the most part, BUT, the key to get back is ‘a person from origin that has been during shut down’. Shut down is a time period that happens where these portals do not function. This occurs about once a month and lasts for two to three days on average. We experienced one of these not too long ago. This means new random people tend to not randomly pop in. Other than those portals almost every other portal requires a key of some sort. If you got here without being here before via portal you had or have a key on you. That is an irrefutable fact.”
The pictures change to people going up to portals and walking through to what one would assume to be there home land and being happy and joyous.
“If you have any more questions your Charter group can answer any and all your questions, for the most part.”
With that his image along with all other things he brought in starts to distort slightly and fade from sight. The sign is the last thing to fade in which it reads: “This message has been brought to you by the Guild of Paranormal Mysticism.” And as it finally fades from sight the lights raise back to normal level and it was if he was never there.