Portal Hubs

While most worlds included among the Ikran Portal Web have a dozen or more portals leading to and from them, it is fairly rare for multiple portals to manifest within a hundred or so miles from each other. However, on a few such occasions, it's been discovered that potentially hundreds if not thousands of portals could occupy a location in which a city or series of cities could be constructed within. These cities become centers of trade or conquest for the worlds they occupy and often make for prosperous nations for those countries that control such cities. While some cities are centered on trade while others are more militantly inclined, what remains similar is the diversity that occupies such cities in both the goods offered and the people seen. Aside from the human Empire of Ashremalk, most Portal Hub centered nations and empires offer equality under the law for all races as they often find it impractical to attempt to subjugate varied peoples across multiple worlds with limited manpower. Ashremalk however, having drawn manpower from several human majority worlds over its 1,000 years of conquest, stands alone as being able to make slaves of all non-humans under their control.

Standard Portal Hub
Nexulai : The single largest known Portal Hub, having been identified as having literally thousands of potential portals over approximately 500 square miles; it is also one of the youngest portal hubs, development of the city having started only in the past 100 years with only 37 of its portals having been unsealed. It is a trade and diplomatic city run cooperatively by the two World Powers of the world of Akreaus. A significant military presence by both sides is allowed to defend against potential attack through the portals but aside from stray Abyssal Monsters, has not had any major security incidents. The world itself was scientifically inclined, having had no institutional study of magic up until the discovery of the portals and the mysterious energies that powered them. They now work merge the study of science with that of magic. Scientifically they were in the midst of the Industrial Age without having achieved the development of Gun Powder and related weaponry. The steam engine is in wide use among ships and trains. Pre-Electricity.

Ashremalk: An Inter-World Superpower, they are of a magical inclination. The city itself is over a thousand years old. Originally a trade city, it was conquered by a xenophobic nation of humans that have since made the city their capital. Non-Humans are enslaved... with near humans such as Elves, Dwarves and Gnomes, allowed to achieve an intermediary status above most slaves. The city delves deep into the study of the dark arts in regards to magic and view science as little more than a distraction.

Drack'osh: The oldest, and third largest of the Portal Hubs, Drack'osh was founded by a race of sentient dragons. Known for their civility, strength and great knowledge, they have proven to be key to the development of countless civilizations under their influence through the portals of Drack'osh. Upon first encounters with elements of the Ashremalk Empire a hundred years ago, they founded and lead the "Draconian Alliance", headquartered within the city in an attempt to temper the expansionist ambitions of the Empire.

Abyssal Portal Hubs
The portals are short pathways between worlds that cut through another dimension defined by its dark emptiness. Those that know of it refer to it simply as the Abyss. In truth, it is not truly empty, the energy that form the portals floats almost limitlessly within this realm, solidifying around the Portal Tubes or objects that become lost within this realm. It is possible to force one's way through the sides of the tubes, but to do so risks floating aimlessly through the Abyss. There are also creatures that live within the abyss, most being physical manifestations of the energies, some are creatures mutated by the energies that have been lost within this realm. Additionally some races have forcefully broken down the sides of some of the Portal Tubes so as to artificially create a Portal Hub where multiple tubes are in close proximity to one another within the Abyss. Such cities were very difficult and risky endeavors and most lie in ruins.

Atrumdiei: One of the two surviving Abyssal Portal Hubs, it connects 20 worlds within its limits, and has massive bridges that extend connections to 30 more. It thrives today on the trade that passes through it and the various resource gathering that occurs to the few worlds it connects to that are uninhabited by sentient life. Many world governments have Embassies here to discuss trade agreements, co-op gathering efforts and to ensure that the security of the various worlds involved are not compromised by the cities exposure to the Abyss, or by attacks from the Ashremalk Empire.

Rulremdul: While it fits the definition of an Abyssal Portal Hub, nowadays it is better described as a fortress within the Abyss. 500 years ago, it was initially a fringe project of the Ashremalk Empire, it was meant to allow the Empire to forcefully create new ways to invade other worlds. However, towards the end of its construction, the slaves constructing the city revolted and forced the Ashremalk garrison to retreat. After sealing the Portal Tubes that connected the city to 4 Ashremalk controlled worlds, the population of the city began to explore the tubes and discovered most led to worlds uninhabited sentience or to primitive civilizations. The population has expanded to several of the uninhabited worlds, shaped the development of the various civilizations they encountered and formed formal alliances with most and trade agreements with the rest. In the past 10 years however, they have been rediscovered by the Ashremalk Empire and are now openly at war; being successful at halting Empire incursions into Rulremdul protected worlds. Have not yet encountered the Draconian Alliance.