Role
The Aethrendar Gate is a massive half-circle portal suspended high above the Aethrendar Sea. Arcanis designs it as the Valrindor-side gate for the Malverand Vireen project. The atraxi flight from Atraxis Prime Alpha exits through this gate into Xalmyrra, and Brynor later destroys it while breaking Jorhan's control over the Xalmyrran cycles.
Location
The gate hangs far above the Aethrendar Sea, high enough that the sea is only a distant ripple below and breathing becomes difficult near the structure. It is visible from the sea as a remote silhouette above southern Irrathis and the travel routes across Teryndal toward Zeydrith.
Structure
The gate is a sweeping half-circle frame carved with symbols. Its marks include a spiral, lightning, sun, moon, star, diamond, and hourglass imagery. The spiral mark matches Eira's spiral mark and belongs to the shared symbol set used by other gates.
Arcanis's design holds the Aethrendar Gate in the sky through skyship technology. The gate needs large essence reserves, essence cores, god cores, or equivalent power sources to operate.
Operation
When powered for controlled travel, the gate can form a blue vortex that stabilizes into a white crossing surface. A failed or unstable activation exposes the black void behind the gate.
The Vireen project pairs the Aethrendar Gate with the gate carried to Vireen. Arcanis expects the linked gates to send travelers directly between the two gates.
The atraxi evacuation from Atraxis Prime Alpha opens into Xalmyrra through this gate. The atraxi side of that crossing is their ship gate.
Linked gates
- Vireen: the intended paired destination for the Malverand Vireen project.
- Atraxis Prime Alpha: the atraxi evacuation route exits through the Aethrendar Gate into Xalmyrra.
- Maraveth and Irrathis: Arcanis tests other Malverand gates by traveling between these sites.
- Lythenmere Lake, the Imperial Institute, western Xalmyrra, and northern Aethrendar Sea sites: similar half-circle gates with carved frames.
History
Malverand builds the Aethrendar Gate after sending the Vireen expedition away with a matching gate. Arcanis establishes the main Valrindor-side gate high above the Aethrendar Sea and suspends it with skyship technology.
Michael passes through the Aethrendar Gate to Vireen and returns safely. Eremion also crosses successfully. Barachiel then enters the gate. The passage destabilizes into a black void. From Valrindor's side, he vanishes and the spiral shard splits; from Vireen's side, he arrives wounded and unable to return.
The atraxi fell out of this gate when their evacuation from Atraxis Prime Alpha opened into Xalmyrra. Belanor goes through first; Amos, Eshmir, and other refugees descend behind him, and Jareth returns for the rest before the surviving group reaches shore. Fewer than two hundred atraxi survive the fall and swim to land.
The Aethrendar Gate remains Arcanis's Valrindor-side gate. The atraxi-built side of the crossing is the ship gate from Atraxis Prime Alpha, part of the atraxi gate line that Amos and Jareth build or modify from schematics received on Alpha.
Aurion later studies the gate's symbols from afar. Other gates have Aethrendar's half-circle frame and symbol-carved markings.
As Brynor works to break Jorhan's control over the Xalmyrran cycles, he destroys the Aethrendar Gate in the sky above the sea. Its destruction closes that route and forces anyone trying to resurface to find another gate.