Portals and Gilneas

[Beltharean]

Well, I mentioned it in Skype but now I want to know what the rest of CotH thinks about this whole mess that Blizzard got themselves into this time. How would the nation have been able to keep mages (Individual mages using teleport spells) out of Gilneas, or conversely, mages or even people trying to get out through the mountains, in it?

[Bingles]

....

[Zenethen]

Sentries. Lots and lots of sentries.

Also, in Cycle of Hatred, a warlock-demon put an entire region into a no-spell zone with wards, so... Maybe the Gilneans did relatively the same thing just with non-demonic wards?

[Beltharean]

That's also the book where certain people can smell mages from miles away, and you can tell who wove a spell based on the residue they leave behind after casting. I don't necessarily think it's a very solid piece of lore to base opinions of magic off of...

[Alpharius]

Maybe Gilneas was an oppressive government? They probably didn't teach portal magic, and whoever did learn it and practice it was either hung or thrown in a prison. According to the wiki, it said everyone was quite supportive of the wall and living, but you have to put into perspective that there's always gonna be someone who wasn't.

[Beltharean]

If there's one thing that I've learned it's that if there's a law, someone is going to break it, no matter how strict. That taken into consideration, it still doesn't explain mages from -outside- Gilneas who most certainly do know Portal Magic from going in. For perspective, my Alteracian character has family that followed Isiden Perenolde into Gilneas, and even if it was illegal his devotion to his family would get him there. I'm trying to find a viable reason for him not to have ever gone.

[Harmonic]

In the wiki, it states that sometimes people would leave Gilneas, but mostly by ship.

Gilneas was not affected by the Scourge. Although the land connection to Gilneas was closed, ships from this self-isolated nation were spotted throughout the world, such as the pirate ship Heedless, captained by Baron Longshore.

I think it's more of a "You can get out, but you'll be lucky to get back in." situation.

Here's mah source.

[Grakor456]

For the same reason that Cloud never used a phoenix down on Aeris.

[Beltharean]

[CappnRob]

Portal usage is heavily regulated by the Kirin Tor, and are only allowed to select locations where leylines are strong. If Gilneas closed off its borders, then it could be assumed that the Kirin Tor boycotted portals to and from the nation.

And yes, while you CAN technically conjure a portal to anywhere anytime, doing so gets the Dalaran Secret Police on your ass and summarily executed, so I don't think that happened too much.

Also, what Rensin said.

[Beltharean]

Looks like Tress is going to get into the License D-6 forging business.

[Holynexus]

For the same reason that Cloud never used a phoenix down on Aeris.

Aerith was dead, not knocked out, so the phoenix down didn't work.


I believe Gilneas is 1984 enough to slaughter mages who try to get in, or something. Besides, you do need a certain knowledge of the ley lines where you wanna go, so what happens when you don't know them? You can't really teleport, at least not if you plan to arrive where you want and in one piece.

For those that do know the ley lines...certainly wards and an opressive Ingsoc make sure that mages don't just come at will.

Because, in Gilneas, nobody ever enters and no one ever leaves.

[Bovel]

The gilneans have their own mages and warlocks right? Can't they have been apart of an effort to shut out those that try to teleport in? I think it's less of an issue who gets out because when you're out, you stay out with the nasties!!

[Wuvvums]

For the same reason that Cloud never used a phoenix down on Aeris.

Aerith was dead, not knocked out, so the phoenix down didn't work.

While that may be a sensible explanation I think it's just as likely that the developers/story writers just ignored the phoenix down. Grak was pointing out though that sometimes a game mechanic may be ignored for plot convenience. While it could make a "hole" and not make sense trying to explain around it (like why didn't mages port out) would just sort of add extra baggage to the story just like how Square didn't choose to step away from the cutscene to explain why a phoenix down didn't work.

I'm just saying that we shouldn't need to explain every minute detail or else it can start getting tedious. What should matter is the overall story, and instead of trying to find excuses not to port out you could just say that most of the mages just chose not to.

[Beltharean]

I'm just saying that we shouldn't need to explain every minute detail or else it can start getting tedious. What should matter is the overall story, and instead of trying to find excuses not to port out you could just say that most of the mages just chose not to.

This is, and I mean no disrespect to you personally Wuvvums, a really terrible way to handle things. If there's an issue or a problem, you don't just pretend it doesn't exist, you address it. I think Cappn's explanation pretty much fits the bill, even though that piece of lore doesn't make much sense either. It's not like we're teleporting from set destinations to set destinations, so there's still wear and tear in areas that -aren't- across the central Ley Lines around say Stormwind, Orgrimmar, Dalaran, etc.

Regardless, I think that that's the best answer we're going to get.