Dragonmarks: Teleportation Circles

In Eberron, House Orien maintains a network of teleportation circles that allow heirs to move between the enclaves of the house. This provides a quick—but expensive—way to get from Sharn to Flamekeep in the blink of an eye. But what happens when a player character learns the Teleportation Circle spell? Can they piggyback on the Orien system? If not, what can they do with Teleportation Circle? 

As always, the most important question is what’s the story you’re telling in your campaign? Adventurers with free access to the Orien network can jump between the main cities of Khorvaire and Stormreach whenever they feel like it; the world’s suddenly a much smaller place. Is that something you want for your story, or do you want long distances to pose a challenge? I discuss this in more detail in this article, but the short version is that adventurers who want to use the Orien network will need to have some sort of connection to the house—by blood, by joining the Transportation Guild, or by forging an alliance with an Orien patron. If that’s the story you want, those are all options. But in my opinion, Teleportation Circle can be a more interesting spell if you DON’T have access to the Orien circles. Let’s look at the spell itself. 

When you first gain the ability to cast (Teleportation Circle) you learn the sigil sequences for two destinations on the Material Plane, determined by the DM. You might learn additional sigil sequences during your adventures.

The base version of the spell gives the adventurer two destinations—with the possibility of learning more, but no assurance of it. The DM chooses those initial locations, not the player. How should they choose? Well, let’s set aside mechanics for a moment and look at the story. HOW is the adventurer learning the spell, and what does this suggest about their destinations? As a DM, the first location I’d give an adventurer is their current home base. Whether this is their bastion or the room they’re renting at an inn, the idea is that they’ve stumbled onto the principles of teleportation as a fluke and made a circle of their very own. Among other things, this is practical. The adventurers may not be able to cross the world whenever they feel like it, but they can always use the spell to go home. But what about that second location? In MY campaign, there are a number of different established networks of teleportation circles across the world. These networks are not connected to one another. They operate on entirely different principles; the Orien network draws on the Mark of Passage, while the Riedran network uses psionic power and basically turns you into an idea for an instant. So when a player character learns Teleportation Circle, my MY campaign what they have done is stumbled across one form of the principles of teleportation and established a connection to one of these existing networks. So they have a connection to the circle they’ve made in their home base, and then they have a connection to a circle they’ve discovered through mystic experimentation—with, potentially, no idea who made that circle, or where other circles might be. My choice of that circle will very much depend on the direction of the campaign. If I want to get the players to Q’barra to deal with the Poison Dusk, then congratulations, you’ve discovered a forgotten circle made by the fallen Dragonborn empire; it takes you to the jungles near Ka’rashan. If I want things to shift to Xen’drik, then you’ve found a Cul’sir circle in a ruined corner of Stormreach. If I WANT to connect you to Orien, great, your second circle is the circle in Journey’s End—and when you accidentally appear there, Baron Kwanti is going to offer you a job. 

The point of this is that the first circle is a safe haven, and the second circle is an invitation to adventure. The spellcaster will probably want to learn more about the network they’ve stumbled into. And part of this is that I would allow the adventurer to memorize and connect to new circles that they discover—but only within the network they are familiar with. Again, different networks work on entirely different principles. A wizard who’s learned to connect to the ancient Dragonborn network can connect to other Trothlorsvek circles (if they can find them) but they can’t just casually connect to an Orien circle. It’s possible that a remarkable individual (like an adventurer) could make a breakthrough that would allow them to bridge the gap and forge a connection to a new circle, but that would be an adventure and might require help from an expert on the target network, some sort of magic item, and other obstacles that would make it a challenging adventure. Initially, however, the spellcaster can only expand their repertoire by finding other circles within their own network. 

With that in mind, let’s consider some teleportation circle networks… and the roles they could play in a campaign. 

House Orien. The House of Passage maintains circles in enclaves and outposts in major cities across the Five Nations, as well as in Stormreach. Orien circles are grounded in arcane science, but specifically draw on the energy of the Mark of Passage. It should be impossible for someone to use an Orien circle unless they have the Mark of Passage. In spite of this, Orien circle chambers are heavily fortified, and are usually sealed from the outside with an Arcane Lock when not in use. Even though it supposedly takes a dragonmark to use the circle, that still leaves the potential of excoriates or foundlings using a circle. 

The Guild of Endless Doors. As described in this article, the Guild of Endless Doors is an Aundairian wizard circle devoted to the study of teleportation; it pioneered the form of Misty Step taught at Arcanix. The Guild has constructed a handful of teleportation circles, but these circles aren’t as widespread as the Orien network and the Guild only has two or three members capable of using them. An adventurer tied to the Endless Door network (a connection that could be established after accidentally stumbling into their network) could work with the Guild to actively expand their network of circles. 

The Court of Shadows. The overlord Sul Khatesh has a Court of Shadows scattered across Khorvaire, warlocks and wizards who pledge their loyalty to their sinister queen in exchange for arcane secrets. Those who hold high rank within the Court gain access to a network of shadow gates, mostly hidden in desolate but public places—ruins, condemned buildings, back alleys. This allows agents of the Court to slip across the world without drawing attention. Many members of the Court don’t have the ability to cast Teleportation Circle themselves, but they are often given amulets or tokens that allow them to use the gates a limited number of times, though there might be an additional cost to using a gate in this way; Sul Khatesh might demand that the user uncover a secret before they can use the gate again, or she might steal memories from the mind of the traveler; if they use the gates too often, they’ll lose their identity.

The shadow gates are invisible to anyone who’s not part of the Court, but can be seen by anyone using See Invisibility or Truesight. An adventurer could gain access to this network by serving as a warlock of Sul Khatesh… but it’s possible that they could stumble onto it without knowing its origin. The Court of Shadows doesn’t have many members, and the gates are protected by their invisibility; as such, the gates typically aren’t secured or watched, making it possible for adventurers to use them. Of course in doing so, they may be unwittingly sharing their secrets with Sul Khatesh…

Fey Circles. Teleportation circles are sometimes found in Thelanian manifest zones, connecting to one another. These circles can often be used without actually the need to cast Teleportation Circle, but only under very specific circumstances. A Fey circle might only activate under the light of a particular set of full moons, or when watered by heartfelt tears or the blood of an innocent. Most likely, locals in the area will know a story about the circle that hints at the activation ritual. Of course, the circles it connects to have their own entirely different rituals, so the common story is Go into Willoughby Grove when five moons are shining down and you’ll never be seen again. These restrictions only apply to using the circle WITHOUT casting the spell. If you can cast Teleportation Circle and have a connection to the network, you can activate a circle whenever you want. Fey circles are typically used by Greensingers and by Archfey warlocks, but it’s possible a wizard could forge a connection to a Thelanian gate by accident. 

The Ossaluri. Long ago, the dragonborn challenged the Dhakaani goblins for control of eastern Khorvaire. Ruins and relics of this civilization can still be found in Q’barra, the Talenta Plains, the Blade Desert, and even parts of the Lhazaar Principalities. These include the teleportation circles they called the Ossaluri Saryn, “travel stones.” The Trothslorvek shun their old holdings and haven’t used these circles in thousands of years, but they function on principles of arcane science and a modern wizard could stumble upon them. Of course, the Dragonborn learned magic from the dragons of Argonnessen, and it’s possible that a wizard who begins using the Ossaluri could end up connecting to a wider network of circles being used by the Chamber! 

These are just a few examples. The Chamber certainly has circles hidden around, allowing quick transit from Argonnessen to Khorvaire and elsewhere in the world. The Lords of Dust aren’t a monolithic organization and wouldn’t have one circle network that all members use, but many of the individual prakhutus might have their own small networks for their agents. The Cul’sir Dominion built teleportation circles in Xen’drik—the question there is whether the Curse of the Traveler has destabilized these circles! The Inspired have their own network, but the circles are primarily located in Riedra, and as they are based on the psionic power of the Inspired and charged by the Hanbalani monoliths, connecting them to an arcane network would be a remarkable feat. The wizards of Aerenal also have the power to create teleportation circles; the question is whether they’ve actually established any beyond their island, or if they rely on the Undying Court to maintain them. 

A final point to consider: at the start of all of this I suggested that the adventurer begins with a permanent circle in their base of operations. Given that, can they make new permanent circles and establish their own network? For me the idea is that the adventurer creating a permanent circle is either a culmination of long effort or a complete fluke (such as a gift from a warlock’s patron)—and that in either case, it’s not something that can be easily replicated. If an adventurer wanted to create a new circle, I’d establish a process. An arcane circle would require exotic materials—I’m thinking Khyber shards, as they are binding space together—and a significant amount of time. A fey circle could be much simpler—maybe you actually paint a door, or even draw it in chalk—but would then require a more abstract personal sacrifice to imbue it with power, likely involving a bargain with an Archfey. So in my campaign it would be possible to establish new circles, but it wouldn’t be a trivial thing.

Ultimately, it’s up to the DM to decide who has teleportation networks and how actively they’re used. The Chamber COULD have a comprehensive network with more circles in Khorvaire than Orien—or they could have just a handful at key locations. There could be lots of Fey circles, or just a few—and those ones in dangerous locations. Consider what works best for your story!

WHY DOES THIS MATTER?

The nature of teleportation circles is especially critical if you have or are a player whose character is about to learn the spell. What can you expect to get out of it? The one thing you’ll always get in my campaign is the ability to retreat to your safe haven. Beyond that, you will get access to something that could be practical and useful (Orien or the Guild of Endless Doors), mysterious and dangerous (A Cul’sir circle deep in Xen’drik) or something in between (the Court of Shadows, which is useful until they find out you’re using it). But even if you’re in a low-level campaign where adventurers don’t have access to the spell, the fact that it exists is something that can play an important role in a campaign. Consider the following…

• Legitimate Service. House Orien provides teleportation between major cities as a legitimate service for those who can afford it. However, as discussed in this article, an enclave might only be able to activate the circle a limited number of times each day; if there’s no Greater heir in residence, you’ll have to wait. This is a way to allow a villain who’s a few steps ahead of the adventurers to beat a hasty retreat, taking the last Orien heir out of Sharn…
• Nefarious Mystery. Anyone could be a member of the Court of Shadows, and their hidden network of gates lets them slip across Khorvaire. This is a way to give a relatively minor villain an escape and to hint at a greater mystery or threat; this alley is a dead end, where did they go? Because it’s unguarded, the Shadow network is also a good one for adventurers to use themselves. It’s also up to the DM to decide what it takes for the cultists to establish a new gate. The answer is probably unpleasant (A sacrifice? A soul?) but this is a case where a gate could be established somewhere unexpected, like the cellar of the adventurer’s favorite inn.
• One-Way Trip. If adventurers can’t cast the spell themselves, they could be surprised when they unexpectedly trigger the activation conditions of a Fey circle and find themselves in another part of the world—potentially, a dangerous one. What will it take to get home?
• Practical Infrastructure. The Riedran network of teleportation circles plays a vital role in daily life. The Inspired use the gates to transport troops and supplies across the length of their domain. Sabotaging this network would temporarily throw Riedra into chaos; while piggybacking on a cargo shipment could be a way for adventurers in Sarlona to reach an important destination.

As always, thanks to my Patreon supporters for making these articles possible. I’ll be holding a live Q&A on Saturday, April 26 at 10 AM Pacific Time answering questions posed by patrons!