Throughstones

Throughstones are fictional artefacts that enable travel between distant locations. In common depictions, a throughstone is a carved stone or crystal that, when activated, creates a portal linking to a second stone or to a network of endpoints. Activation may require ritual phrases, alignment of runes, or personal resonance. Travel is usually instantaneous, but gateways can vary in reliability and may impose limits, such as a finite range, a cooldown period, or the risk of misrouting and disorientation.

Etymology and origins: The term appears in multiple fantasy traditions and is often linked to ancient roadways or sacred loci. Manuscripts describe paired stones placed along pilgrimage routes, while later works attribute their creation to engineers, mages, or priestly orders. In some settings, throughstones are remnants of an older era when space was more malleable; in others they are current technology or magic.

Variants and design: Designs range from simple dual-stone pairs to vast networks with central hubs. Some stones permit arrival at any endpoint within a region; others require specific endpoints or sequences. Materials vary from granite to gemstones said to hold latent power. Reliability, safety, and access control are common themes, with stories emphasizing resonance storms, echoing, or the need for guardians to maintain the gates.

Cultural and scholarly impact: Throughstones shape trade, migration, and pilgrimage in their worlds. Societies regulate use, study their mechanics, and debate ethical implications such as overland displacement or paradox risks. In modern fantasy media, they appear as portable teleportation devices, portal networks, or ritual gateways, and remain a popular trope in worldbuilding and gaming.