Order of the Twilight Tunnels

1. Order of the Twilight Tunnels

   #1

   This is an Order, a "chartered group" from the ruling body (Imperium in this case) that creates twilight tunnels, gateways between places. The Order also includes elite military types who act as "security" and the "first line of defense" for the Gates and the Imperium.
   
   The Order is the backbone of the Imperium, allowing it unprecidented communication and transportation. This advantage allows them military and trade advantages that can not be compensated for.
   
   There is a general network of gate points. There is a smaller Imperial network, used for shuffling troops and supplies, as well as Imperial officials and couriers. Its existance is not a well known fact.
   
   Their Spell Effects:
   There are difficult and powerful magic spells that allow travel to any point appropriately known are known to this guild. A slightly simplier version of the spell allows you to open the end point in an anchor or doorway appropriately known. Of course they know a simple line of sight teleport spell and part of their "spell book" would include communication and scrying spells. The will have access to know the standard counter-magics, a simple attack spell, and a few displacement spells.
   
   They also know enchantments. Each Gate Frame is an enchanted item, allowing simplier spells to open the twilight tunnel to another gateframe. Normally one gate goes to one place (simple spell), but there are enchanted runes allowing gate frames to be used to multiple gate frames. Publically, they are all "one way", but that is not completely true.
   
   Each gate has a stone which must be turned for it to work. A simple turn of the stone can disable the gate, and warn people that this gate might be compromised.
   
   How this works:
   1) Every city/ town is graded either as HOME, Core, Periphery, and Frontier.
   Home is the home of the Order, which happens to be the capitol of the Imperium (insert great country/ empire). Core are older, well established, major places. Most of the Core Places have a geographic proximity. (Using American Examples -Think of it as New York and neighboring borroughs, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle, St Louis, and such.) Periphery are places which have been established for a while. They have not been accepted into the core because of their geographic "insecurities" or because they are not as large or developed (San Francisco, San Jose, Denver, San Antonio, Austin, New Orleans). Many places chaffe under the periphery status, thinking they should be core by now. Frontier are newer gates, ranging from just opened gatepoints for mines and resources, places of geographic insecurity (Hawaii), or recent connections (Anchorage).
   
   2) Gates can only be opened up one grade or across to the same grade. This is the law, not a restriction of the magic. It controsl the flow of travel and is a security measure. Since there is no one to open a gate a frontier site, any overrunning or catastrophe can be limited to just that site. So Home gates only open to Core sites. Core gates can transfer to other Core Gates or Periphery gates. Periphery gates might connect to other Periphery gates or Frontier sites. ( Certain Periphery sites serve as hubs for other geographically nearby gate sites, to increase the flow of raw material or goods. )
   
   Rogues searching for new gate points have been known to do this.
   
   3) Gates can only be opened from an inside grade to an outside grade. Frontier gatepoints have apprentice/ journeymen to watch over them, these people can not open a gate point. This is a security concern. It prevents military units from taking a gate and gating to home to invade.
   
   4) Gates run much like a railway/ airport. They open gates at specific times and bunch of people pass through. They are timed that only one gate is open at a time and interior travel occurs before exterior travel. So it is fast moving from core to periphery, only slowing down slighty to go to frontier) but it might take three times as long if not requiring overnight stays to move from frontier to home.
   
   5) Gatepoints are kept in a large plaza or a huge building that serves as a central hub for locations. Near these gate plazas or stations are Order Houses and business that support travellers or are involved in trade.

2. Order of the Twilight Tunnels

   #2

   Order Colors: Medium-Dark Blue with white "flecks" or stars.
   
   While "ON duty" order members wear clothing marked with these colors. Normally they all wear something like a short Kimono and Hakama (with Hakama in the Order Colors). This style became a compromise between Traditional Order Robes ("Staves") and the Need of the Swords (the military arm of the Order). Non Order People have begun to pick up the style.
   
   Since this is an Order, rather than a guild, it has members of many different stripes. It has Magickers. It has Soldiers (ex-soldiers). It has Scouts (who find new locations for gate points to go). They have Builders (responsible for all the non magical buildings and plazas).
   
   For those that do not know
   Happis or short Kimonos are the loose robes, Hakama is an outer garment worn over the kimono that are either split between the legs like pants or non-split like a skirt. http://www.japanesekimono.com/japanese_pants.htm
   
   Rank is show by a number of Stars worn on a black belt or sash. Thus you can tell who is in charge in a gate plaza at a glance.
   
   ***********
   So for a time of departure, several low level member will organize people and goods together in cues, checking "passes" and manifests/ tax papers. They are often followed around by "state officials".
   
   One to three Swords will be milling around the plaza/ station. As the cue lines up, they will take station by the gate frame. They will also assist Journier (low level types) with travellers who are "less than cooperative or friendly".
   
   A caller begins to cry out the scheduled departures.
   
   When it gets to be time, The Gatesmith, a senior Order member, will approach the gate and begin to harmonize with it. Eventually someone will hit the gong, signifying a gate opening. The Gatesmith forges the gate path.
   
   The Swords monitor the cue, assisting the flow of travellers, and preventing those who try to dash the gate.
   
   Eventually the Gatesmith closes the gate and the closing gong sounds. They then proceed to the lounge to rest. He will open a few twilight tunnels a day.
   
   
   With frontiers entries: the Orderman on the "wild end" will do "mojo" over the gate. Usually making sure the control stone is twisted correctly.
   
   If there are any swords on the frontier side, they will be on guard to prevent access through the gate.
   
   On the opening side, a number of armed Swords will be standing. They will on guard as well. While most gate travel is one way, most frontier sites have one gate access a day... so the gong sounds for travel out... then a gong is hit to signify "all clear" and incoming travel can be attempted. Eventually it will close.
   
   ********
   
   Twilight Tunnel could be more than just a colorful metaphor. Perhaps you take a few steps through the gate, in a twilight world filled with stars. It may not be real, but it is what our feeble 3d minds can interpret.

3. Order of the Twilight Tunnels

   #3

   The Swords of the Order are fairly elite fighter types. They are supporting one of the backbones of the Imperium (dominant culture). So these people need to be good.
   
   The Swords of the Order, as well as some of the Scouts I would believe, would be have some magical training. I would think they would of added Sword Magics to the lower level displacement and communication spells. Battlemagics rock!
   
   For many of you this provides a difficulty because of the game system you run. While a skill based system, (Gurps or Rune Quest) makes this "easy". Heck Hero would do as well. You could make it a prestige class, but the spell casting fighting bit would change balance of normal D20 fantasy.
   
   So the various spells they would add:
   Classics:
   BladeSharp (Increase Damage of weapon and +5% per level) upto five levels of it.
   
   FlameBlade (Fire covered blade for one scene)
   
   Grasshopper: Allows Karumijitsu (Anime-esk, Wuxia like jumping abilities) for one scene.
   
   BladeAscend: converts a blade of one type (including a piece of jewelry) into a specific blade type. An alternate to the higher level BladeCall.
   
   Hand Series:
   ShieldHand (creates a small energy shield the dissipates after it takes about 30 points damage or one scene)
   
   SwordHand (Creates a small energy swords (strikes as normal weapon) that lasts for one scene
   
   Calling Series
   BladeCall (Summons a predetermined blade. Blade must be ritually blessed to be so predetermined)
   
   ShieldCall (Summons Shield like BladeCall)
   
   ArmorCall (Summons Armor like Blade Call)
   
   Add to this some displacement spells, a few limited communication spells and one good dispell, and these guys will rock.
   
   Scouts might pick up a few scrying and communication spells.
   
   Here is a list of RuneQuest spells and BattleMagics (as well as sorceries)
   http://www.rpgcitadel.com/guild/index.php?topic=2403.0

4. Order of the Twilight Tunnels

   #4

   Scouts:
   These are a seperate unit than the Swords. They are a mostly mundane unit. A scout may or may not have magical abilities, though most senior members do. However, it is not required. Scouts are trained by the Swords for weapons combat. They are also trained to climb, swim great distances, ride horses, used ranged and personal weapons. They must be familiar with mapping, navigation, codes, and a variety of languages.
   
   Scouts were appropriate garb when not on mission. When they are on a mission, they will pack their "robes" and wear study outdoors wear appropriate for the conditions. They might carry a sash with appropriate Order colors, just in case they encounter "civilized" people.
   
   
   Scouts have two real "missions":
   a) To explore new territories. They explore the areas between gate points and in those areas outside the established border. They continue to explore areas around frontier and Periphery until all the edges of the explored maps match up. Remember there are areas of the world that were only accessible by gate (a new world, new continent, or large subcontinent), so they try to create "explored" maps around gate and match it up to the other maps.
   
   b) To gate explore: Magickers of the order find areas that may be good places for a gate point. A team of scouts are sent through a gate to explore and survey a given area for either for a day or a few weeks. The magikers open the gate at a preset time or upon the magical call from the team. Upon returning they give a report on the feasability of opening a gate site there.

5. Order of the Twilight Tunnels

   #5

   As I see it... (or would plan on using it)....
   
   This Order was one of the backbones of the Imperium. The Imperium was a political and economic structure, rather than a religious. Why they were happily polytheistic, they allowed other regions to believe as they would... as long as they paid their taxes and followed the laws. The ability to travel the Twilight Tunnels (Warp) allowed for near unlimited trade for little money, quick communication (any message anywhere nearly instantly (if a special gate was made) or within 3 days for the hinterlands), and easy personal travel.
   
   Then there were "issues". The Time of Ruin is when the Imperium fell. There were myrid reasons for the Imperium to fall, including some social decay and some political manuvering that got out of hand. However, the biggest was some "problem" with the Warp. Without reliable trade, communication, and people stuck far away from home without a way to get back, things began to domino. Add to this manifest problems with the world's weather, and the Imperium crumbles quickly. What once rules the nearly the entire world.... fell.
   
   If you want to see the survivors of the Imperium...
   http://www.rpgcitadel.com/guild/index.php?topic=2526.0

6. Order of the Twilight Tunnels

   #6

   Barbarians.
   
   More warlike, mobile, often newer, and less civilised, groups have a disturbing tendency to take over peaceful, stable, older, and more civilised societies. It's happened time and time again throughout history.
   
   The conquering group may not even have been a stereotypical bandit horde, and may not have thought of themselves as an invading force. They may have been refugees fleeing from an even worse enemy further away. Also, their descendents are now civilised, so the group responsible for the Imperium's destruction aren't going to think of themselves as barbaric despoilers.

7. Order of the Twilight Tunnels

   #7

   Actually barbarians were a non issue for the Imperium or its fall. They were a consequence for some Imperial areas after the military presence was no longer there to protect them. Those "old hill tribes" sensing weakness and seeing no military presence (they had been pulled to solve some other problem and could not always get back), would then come down for the "easy pickings". They did help to finish off the Imperium by disrupting their society further.

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