Riftcraft

For most of the world, Riftcraft has been deemed illegal magic. It is the magical art of opening long-term portals, or rifts, to different planes and realms of existence, which is inherently dangerous not only for the caster, but for the rest of the world, as such portals create a destabilization and can open up entries for attack from the other planes and realms.

Think of it as blasting a hole in the walls between two rooms, and then the walls panicking about it. This panic may manifest as crumbling the wall further, or bleeding primal energy that distorts the laws of physics and rips things apart, or just turn into a tiny black hole that banishes everything nearby. This does not even include the number of very angry residents that may have something to say about the sudden hole you put in their metaphorical wall. These are the reasons Riftcraft is generally illegal.

Now, there are "rumored" ways to limit the amount of destabilization. This by setting up an anchored portal. While there is a still a degree of destabilization with an anchored portal, it is far less than an unanchored portal. An analogy is that creating a portal is creating a tear in fabric. With the anchored portal, you have hemmed both sides so the tear cannot get any bigger and added some buttons to close the gap. Another analogy is that a portal is like creating a hole in the wall. An anchored portal is a doorway that can be open, closed, and even locked. An unanchored portal is taking a wrecking ball to the wall. The rest of the wall destabilizes from the hole and can come crashing down at any point.

Now it is possible to enchanted certain power artifacts to control a portal but these artifacts are extremely rare to come by.

Legality

Prior to the change of ICM leadership, Trefoil Academy does not teach or support such magics, but there are rumors and suspicions that some of the staff do secretly know this magic. Books on the subject have occasionally found their way to the Academy's shelves, for "purely academic reasons." However, with the creation of the Practical Arts department, this might now change.

The following do NOT count as Riftcraft:

• Portals to other places on this planet are themselves not illegal in most magical societies: it is acceptable to create temporary or even long-term portals, PROVIDED they only connect within this same realm and plane of existence (for example, a portal from one town plaza to a neighboring city, facilitating travel or evacuation). For safety and security reasons, there are often strict rules governing their use and placement, but the study of their creation is treated as part of the Summoning branch.
• Personal teleportation to another realm does not create a tear in the fabric of space, in most cases, so is exempt. It is no more destabilizing to the worlds than teleporting between rooms of your house, provided you are prepared for whatever unearthly conditions that may greet you on the other side. While difficult magic to learn, it is not itself illegal.
• Naturally occurring portals to other realms, such as a tree root loop leading to the realm of Alfheim or a volcano leading into Ignis, are not illegal. Though used by denizens and sometimes wane or reappear under only the right conditions, the fabric of space in such locations is not being ripped apart, so does not draw attention. A naturally occurring portal is akin to an overlooked doorway (sometimes closed, sometimes open), while a rift is a gaping hole suddenly knocked in someone's wall, crumbling at the edges and threatening to collapse the house.

Basic Rules of Riftcraft

1. Rifts are not to be used as Garbage Disposals.
2. A stable frame for the portal must be in place. This will serve as an anchor and gateway between the realms, and will exist in each realm for as long as the rift is open.
3. Never touch the raw edges of a rift if you value that limb and wish to keep it.
4. The enchantments needed for the frame depend on the realm of destination. Proper protections for each realm must be in place to ensure diplomatic relations with entities on the other side. For example, the realm of Aquis will require a water-bubble barrier to prevent the realm from flooding through the moment a rift forms.
5. Security is important to prevent an invasion. A rift can only be fully closed by having control of the immediate vicinity on both sides of the rift portal, otherwise a link may remain that can be reopened by other entities or even by raw magic.
6. Ignore any duplicates of yourself. If you see yourself through a rift, DO NOT MAKE CONTACT. Threats include: mirror entities stealing your body, creatures stealing your appearance, or a rift in time (in which case, contact would result in a time collapse instantly KOing you and everyone nearby on both sides of the portal).
7. Monsters come through rifts. More than elemental energy can come through any rift: creatures can travel freely, and not all of them are something even armies of mages can handle.

Realm-specific Advice

Aquis, or the Abyss: make sure you put a bubble charm over the area before you open a gate to this plane of primordial water. Otherwise, your work room will get very soggy. Be aware that beyond your portal is a vast ocean of variable salinity and temperature, though it is of uniform pressure with no surface, and illuminated with a soft glow. The numerous creatures may be benign, helpful, or dangerously predatory. Using water plane portals to create magical waterfalls is both tacky and ill-advised, because the fish that come with it may devour your face. 

Terris, the Deeps: the realm of primordial earth and rock is almost uniformly solid, with runnels of soil and quicksand that are soft enough to push through, and caverns of vacuum that pocket the rock. This realm requires magic to traverse, and is territorially guarded by the earth elementals, who tend to abhor intrusions. Some reaches of crystalline deposits are well-guarded, as many of the elementals here are formed out of the living rock itself.

Ignis, or Múspellheim: you may wish to keep anything flammable away from the work area when opening into the plane of fire. Aside occasional flame gouts, the sheer heat furnace may cause things to spontaneously combust. Also, magma tends to disrupt your circle. Some craftsmen have successfully forged special weapons or armor within a rift-forge to Ignis, but opening a rift to the fire plane is not an acceptable substitute to lighting a candle.

Aeris, or Aura: this realm is the most environmentally hospitable to our kind, easy to breath and travel through, provided some form of propulsion is available. There are occasional storms, the most notable of which is the Great Funnel Maelstrom. The denizens of this realm are extremely fast but are averse to the ground or being contained or limited in any way. Do not mistake this plane as a handy garbage dump: the denizens may initially be curious, but are quite creative in their re-purposing of resources and enacting revenge on cluttering their flight space.

Shadow, or Niflheim: the realm of primordial ice, mist, and darkness, it is a shadow land lit only by starlight, with rough, craggy terrain, gritty snow, and blistering cold wind. The denizens of this realm are chaotic and predatory, eager to destroy all in their path. Some are sensitive to light, though others, such as Barghests, see only by heat signatures. The connection to this realm seems to increase with the full moon and solar eclipses. It is advised to keep your side of the portal chilly and dark to avoid the rift gaining the attention of every heat-and-light-eating beast for miles to come barreling through.

• Alas, some of the students at the Academy did attempt to create a rift to the Shadow Realm and succeeded, barely surviving the experience. They attempted to hide their mistake and in doing so, left the rift open, which grew larger particularly after being torn through time along with the time-travelling Academy. Eventually, the grounds and neighboring villages were crawling with rift monsters, and several professors and even the headmaster of the school hosting the Academy were pushed in and had to be rescued.

Faerie, or Alfheim: also called the Otherworld, Tir Tylwyth Teg, Annwn, or Elfhame. The Seelie court are mischievous but generally good-intentioned and helpful, while the Unseelie court can be highly dangerous and hostile. It is said that they cannot tell lies, but it only makes them that much more subtle in their misdirections. Be cautious in all dealings with either side. Time can also pass more quickly or more slowly in some areas. Most fae themselves tend to not be directly hazardous to our world like a rampaging fire elemental would, but having certain insidious or prankster fae unleashed into your workshop or town is generally troublesome, so such portals are advised to be created in wildlands instead. They are less likely to be insulted or angered by the portal that way.

Helheim: the realm of the dead is surprisingly easy to create a rift to, though is subtly dangerous in that it begins to seep away your cares and concerns. It is advised to leave an image of something extremely dear to you within sight of the portal to serve as a reminder for why you would want to return and close it, though it is advisable to return well before such feelings become a risk. Of course, there are undead to contend with, as well.

Ethereal Plane: this plane is mostly overlaid across our own and can be entered either physically or spiritually. It is considered tacky to enter the ethereal plane and pretend to be a ghost to spook your fellow mages. Take caution with what ghostly creatures may attempt to cross over into the material plane, as they may either turn into monstrous creatures, or simply cover your workspace in ectoplasmic goo.

Astral Dimension: the physical body is incapable of entering this realm, instead being left behind in the material plane while your spirit ventures forth, tethered back to its body by a silver thread. The manifestations of a fylgja, fetch, or animal guide are thought to originate from this realm. It is inadvisable to let harm come to your silver thread, as it is painful and can make return immensely difficult.