Gates

The forbidden art of summoning 'monsters', the Skill of Gates is one that should never be practiced by any save the most powerful of wizards...and even then with extreme caution. During the first years of the Empire, when Verus and his successors were spreading their word and law, commanders in the field found it to their advantage to summon monsters of great power to supplement their small armies of men. After 118 men were slaughtered in the year 97, however, opinion began turning against this terrifying art until it was banned altogether several centuries later. There are many objects and books of power remaining at large, however, that tell of the seductive power of Gates; students who find these books and objects are encouraged to turn them in at once.
Gates is one of two Magic Parent Skills that are Forbidden Lore, the other being Mastery. During events and adventures choices requiring knowledge of such lore will not be shown to characters lacking such knowledge.

Dominant Attribute: Fitness

Training Levels and Unlocks:

1. Animal (Pheme), 'The Beastie Addiction' (Lore)
2. Summoning (Pheme), 'Excerpt: A Bestiary of Creatures Wylde and Weirde' (Lore)
3. Control (Pheme)
4. Rending Leech (Spell)
5. Hostis (Pheme), 'Altered Dimensions' (Lore)
6. Librarian's Ghost (Spell)
7. Speech (Pheme)
8. Blood Tarantula (Spell)
9. Decimus' Hidden Workshop (Location)
10. Decrepit (Pheme)
11. Hostis Spiritus (Spell)

Research Topic (Gates):

• Level 10 Expands Fitness +1

Related Links:

• Abilities - Gates
• Action - Gates
• Expand - Gates

• Items - Gates

• Locations - Gates

• Phemes - Gates

• Spells - Gates

Gates Methods

Dominant Attribute: Fitness

Training Levels and Unlocks:

1. Amicita (Pheme), 'Aminþia Que’la: The Mother of Monsters' (Lore)
2. Air (Pheme), Water (Pheme), 'Enchanted Weaponry, Armor, and Battle Wares 5th ed' (Lore)
3. Rend (Pheme), 'Trip the Legend' (Lore)
4. Earth (Pheme), Fire (Pheme), 'Aminþia Que’la's Apprentice' (Lore)
5. Stiff (Pheme)
6. Wild Dog (Spell)
7. Calculate (Pheme)
8. Flame Sphere (Spell)
9. Curious Eagle (Spell)
10. Agitation (Pheme)
11. Relic, Merchant (Shop)

How to Raise Maximum Skill Level:

• ?

Related Links:

• Abilities - Gates Methods
• Actions - Gates Methods

• Expand - Gates Methods

• Locations - Gates Methods

• Spells - Gates Methods

• Phemes - Gates Methods

• Items - Gates Methods

Gates Phemes

Dominant Attribute: Fitness

Training Levels and Unlocks:

1. Accuracy (Pheme), 'The Gate Maker' (Lore)
2. Bone (Pheme)
3. Strength (Pheme), 'The Spirit Gate' (Lore)
4. Blood (Pheme)
5. Distribute (Pheme), 'Gateway of the Fairy People' (Lore)
6. Condense (Pheme), 'Of the Passing Through the Gate' (Lore)
7. Flesh (Pheme), Charm (Pheme)
8. Muscle (Pheme)
9. Heart (Pheme), Serenity (Pheme)
10. Spirit (Pheme), Unleash (Pheme)
11. Circle of Broken Stones (Location)

How to Raise Maximum Skill Level:

• ?

Related Links:

• Abilities - Gates Phemes
• Actions - Gates Phemes

• Expand - Gates Phemes

• Items - Gates Phemes

• Locations - Gates Phemes

• Phemes - Gates Phemes

• Spells - Gates Phemes

Gates Spells

Dominant Attribute: Fitness

Training Levels and Unlocks:

1. Give Me Passage (Lore)
2. Swarm of Bees (Spell)
3. 'This Mage, Heed' (Lore)
4. Creeping Vine (Spell)
5. 'Against Gates, by Revor Homson II' (Lore)
6. 'Close Your Gates' (Lore)
7. Informative Bird (Spell)
8. 'A Simple Little Poem' (Lore)
9. Cooking Sprite (Spell)
10. Summon Brown Spitting Cobra (Spell)
11. Vigilant Spirit (Spell)

How to Raise Maximum Skill Level:

• Research Topics : Gates Phemes 10

Related Links:

• Abilities - Gates Spells
• Actions - Gates Spells

• Expand - Gates Spells

• Items - Gates Spells

• Locations - Gates Spells

• Phemes - Gates Spells

• Spells - Gates Spells

Theory of Gates

Dominant Attribute: Fitness

Training Levels and Unlocks:

1. Magic (Pheme), Theory of Gates SL I (Lore)
2. Enrich (Pheme), Theory of Gates SL II (Lore)
3. Dexterous (Pheme), Theory of Gates SL III (Lore)
4. Disorientation (Pheme), Theory of Gates SL IV (Lore)
5. Rend (Pheme), Understanding (Pheme)
6. Weaken for Melee (Spell)
7. Weaken for Magic (Spell)
8. Indiscriminate (Pheme)
9. Selective (Pheme)
10. Phantom Doppelganger (Spell)
11. Rabirius' Shack (Location)

Related Links:

• Abilities - Theory of Gates
• Actions - Theory of Gates

• Expand - Theory of Gates

• Items - Theory of Gates

• Locations - Theory of Gates

• Phemes - Theory of Gates

• Spells - Theory of Gates

How to Unlock the Gates Skill

• Any Action/Ability that Expands a completely Random Subskill has a chance to Expand a Gates Subskill, although this is more "useful" for learning Gates when you don't want to learn it than when you do, due to the odds involved.
• Choosing the background Family: The Secret Heritage during Character Creation will open up the path to The Schohanwicht School, which is the go-to place to study Gates. (And no, this location cannot be accessed through Exploring.)
• Choosing the background Prodigy: Secrets and Silence during Character Creation will expand 5 random Gates Subskills by 1 level, among other things.
• Explore 6 unlocks the Once Discovered... Adventure, which can reward you with a book that will (in)directly inform you of all Gates Subskills except Gates Phemes.

• Gates Phemes and Spells can be increased by casting a spell with the Control Pheme added to it. The easiest way to learn Control is by raising Interrogation to 2, although Theory of Mastery 9 or Gates 3 will also get you there.

• Insects 10 unlocks The Well of Flies, which will expand a random Gates Subskill by 1 step. The location can also be discovered by Exploring Elumia Proper, although this might require a high Luck/Explore roll and/or will require general luck.

• Climb 10 unlocks Climb the Spire (Ability), which can Expand a random Gates Subskill by 1 step on a successful Luck/Perception v. 13 roll. The Spire can also be found by Exploring Elumia Proper, but using it (regardless of how it was unlocked) requires first going through the Climbing the Lost Spider's Spire location Adventure.

• Vilocian 10 unlocks the merchant Eloise Shi, whose wares include Gate Methodologies from 79-234 (increase Gates Methods and Gates Spells by 2, cost 815 Pims) and A Heritage of Pride (+2 to Gates Theory on an "expert reading" of Intelligence/Vilocian v. 12, cost 900 Pims).

• A random event about a candy-offering stranger can grant you the Candies of the Gnawing Void. Eating them will inform you of all Gates skills at the low price of expanding your Stress by 8.

• Choosing Hearts Hallow (unlocked with Pride of a Rebel Queen 1 or by Exploring the Academagia Grounds) as a location for an Action will inform you of Gates Methods.

• Research 10, dutiful exploration of the Academagia or going through The Wasting Sickness will open up The Venalicium Library: Forbidden Archives, which in turn unlocks the Study Gates ability. This will expand a random Gates Subskill by 1 for the 'low' price of having to endure a Chance of Discovery of 17.