Elf gate

An elf gate...

...or aiudara as the elves call them.

Elf gates, or aiudara as the elves call them, are magical local transportation devices located in Kyonin, across Golarion, and on Castrovel. Some elves only use the term aiudara, as they consider the term "elf gate" to be vulgar. Elf gates appear as sculpted stone arches, and when activated instantly transport anyone to another specific elf gate.

Writings on the rituals for activating and repairing broken aiudara can be found in places such as the libraries of Kyonin and the Mordant Spire, and writings that also cover the maintenance of the local gates can be found among the Ekujae and Ilverani elves.

Powerful magical members of the Lantern Bearers can use the power of the aiudara in order to teleport themselves to a specific gate that they have extensively studied from seemingly any other location. A ring of retreat can be attuned to a specific gate to periodically accomplish the same thing.

History

The aiudara network on Golarion is believed to have been created during the Age of Legend by the legendary elven hero Candlaron the Sculptor, inspired by the magical non-elven gate that linked Golarion to Castrovel, beginning with the portals known as Alseta's Ring. The secret of their creation was lost when Candlaron vanished through a mysterious archway. He also created the Sovyrian Stone, and used the artifact to power all of the elf gates.

The creation of the aiudara network on Castrovel was also allegedly established by Candlaron. Some of the largest Sovyrian cities such as El and Telasia contain multiple aiudara that can help transport elves all across Castrovel with ease. However, due to the return of many elves to Golarion and to a subsect of Castrovelian elves moving to Ukulam, Sovyrian has seen a notable decline in population and some gates have become unused and fallen into disrepair.

Before Earthfall, the elf Varliss served as a member of the Winter Council as an advisor to the Spindle Solution. He gave them insights into elven magic and helped merge it with Azlanti innovations in order to create something similar to the aiudara, such as the lunar gate in hidden Azlanti compound known as the Compass which leads to the Moonscar on Golarion's moon.

It is suspected that a similar blending of ideas led to the Azlanti trying to create teleportation devices in Zanas-Tahn for opening portals between many planets, something which the elves at the time suspected was only possible due to stealing the methodology from the Sovyrian Stone itself. However, Earthfall would occur before the portals could be finished. As the meteors began falling, some priests tried to use the device anyway in order to escape, but only succeeded in summoning two hounds of Tindalos, killing all who were present.

To this day, back on Castrovel, many lashunta rely extensively on the aiudara network on that planet for travel, and have a good relationship with the elves not only for the use of the networks, but also for traveling to Golarion in order to explore and repair the networks on Golarion as well.

Missing Moment

The Missing Moment was a paranormal event on 21 Erastus 4722 AR in which an unknown number of people entered strangely behaving aiudara. Many never returned, and those who did were physically marked and changed by the experience. Those affected became known as gatewalkers.

Travel

Elf gates are activated using a key, which can be a physical token but might also be a password, piece of music, spell, or stellar conjunction. Some gates have multiple keys, each linked to another specific elf gate. Most elf gate keys have been forgotten over the millennia, and, therefore, some elf gates have been abandoned.

Only the first traveler in a group needs a key; the rest can follow to the same destination. Travel through an elf gate is instantaneous, and because of this, elf gates represent a significant part of the elves' historic power, as it allows them to move people and goods with incredible speeds across vast distances.

A gate can lead to another specific elf gate, or to a hub that connects several possible locations. The system of elf gates is sometimes referred to as the aiudara network.

Elf gates (other than the Sovyrian Stone) do not allow travel between planets or planes, unlike the incredibly ancient or naturally occurring portals that they resemble. These interplanetary portals predate the elves, and perhaps even all life in the solar system.

The elves have done their best to seal any gates leading to the Tanglebriar due to horrible danger.

Religious significance

Alseta observes elves passing through an elf gate.

The elves consider Alseta, goddess of doorways, to be the unofficial patron deity of elf gates.

Part of the edicts of the champions of Yuelral include protecting elven magical knowledge such as that which powers the aiudara. Champions of Alseta also swear themselves to defend the gates.

A highly radical group within the Harbingers of Fate believe that Aroden can be found alive on another planet far from Golarion, and clues within the Book of 1,000 Whispers can show them how to overload and manipulate the aiudara network in order to reach this mysterious world.

Known elf gates

The following aiudara are known to exist on Golarion, although not all of them continue to be active to this day:

• Alseta's Ring, the first set of gates created by Candlaron, located beneath Citadel Altaerein in Isger, which consists of:
  • Dreamgate, which exits in Ravounel; Dreamgate was used millennia ago by elves who would later settle in the ocean and become the first aquatic elves
  • Duskgate, near the town of Finderplain in Katapesh
  • Huntergate, which exits near Akrivel in the Mwangi Expanse
  • Jewelgate, in Kovlar under the Five Kings Mountains
  • Lotusgate, a gate in Iadara that once linked to Galtgate but was disabled during a ritual to seal away Dahak
  • Vengegate, on Hermea, which was used by the elves who would go on to become the Mordant Spire elves to reach their destination
• Breachgate, leading to the Wayhouse in eastern Rahadoum
• Caulgate, leading from Celwynvian to the caulborn settlement known as the Grove of Memory under Nidal
• Eidolongate, connecting Iadara to the ancient Sarkorian city of Timal
• Galtgate, a hub in Galt's Boarwood forest connecting to seven other locations
• Icegate, approximately 800 miles south of the Nameless Spires in northern Irrisen near the Crown of the World, connecting to Galtgate and Lichgate
• Lichgate, in what was a small elven stronghold called Mirianath in the Shudderwood of Ustalav 40 miles east of Lepidstadt, connecting to both Icegate and Tanglegate
• Tanglegate, in Tanglebriar, which connects to Lichgate and is about three miles east of Thorn's End
• Thorngate, a disabled gate at Mount Armiya near Tanglebriar
• Velgate, a gate now buried beneath the city of Skywatch
• Wormgate, connecting the Ghol-Gani university of Kokori in the Kaava Lands
• Near the village of Avennara, in Kyonin; used frequently by the Lantern Bearers
• Near the drow city of Blackstrand, in the Darklands
• A gate links Mordant Spire with Kyonin, but it is not known whether it functions; the elves on both sides do not seem interested in using it
• A broken gate, the remnants of which the Pathfinder Society discovered and shipped to the Cairnlands north of Absalom
• Over a dozen functioning gates in or near Iadara, with likely twice as many non-functioning gates; like the rest of the portals dotted around Kyonin, the elves take great care to keep their locations secret
• Each of the eponymous arches in Sevenarches, though until recently no one could safely approach them
• The gate at the center of the forgotten City of Thorns

There are also many dozens gates on Castrovel that connect many places across Sovyrian and the lashunta city-states together. In general they are well known and used freely. Specific gates include:

• The Arch of Refuge, a hub of a dozen smaller gates that connects the capital city of El to Iadara, said to be where the elves escaped to Castrovel during Earthfall
• The gate in Qabarat that connects to somewhere on Golarion
• Four other gates are also in Qabarat, including one that connects to Akiton
• The Dragon's Gate, originally a gate between Castrovel and the First World

References

Paizo published a Pathfinder Adventure Path about aiudara titled Gatewalkers. The Age of Ashes adventure Broken Promises also features aiudara and takes place in part within Alseta's Ring.

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.