A rift, also called a portal or gateway, is a magical phenomenon that connects one point on Eamon with a far-distant point — one that lies elsewhere on the planet, on some other planet, or even in an entirely different plane, dimension, or period of history. Nearly all rifts on Eamon are naturally occurring; though it's possible for interplanetary or interplanar rifts to be created through sorcery, the process is exceptionally intensive and difficult.
Sages believe the appearance of rifts is tied to gradual, large-scale movements in higher dimensions or adjacent planes that draw points together or push them apart. Connections to some worlds last for millennia, while others come and go over just a few months or years, and in some cases may follow a slow, wave-like cycle of connection and disconnection.
The most numerous and persistent rifts on Eamon connect to the world of Earth in the outer fringes of the Silvern River. Such rifts have seemingly occurred throughout both planets' histories and are responsible for the proliferation on Eamon of Earth-native species of plants and animals, and possibly even humans (though this remains a matter of speculation and debate). Eamon-native life has likewise passed through rifts to Earth but has never flourished there, likely due to a natural reliance on certain magical energies which permeate Eamon but are absent on Earth. Other commonly linked worlds include Arda, Diurla, Mystara, and Toril.
Rifts vary considerably in size and appearance based on their strength, age, and distance, but most are flat and roughly disc-shaped, anywhere from 4 to 40 varns wide, and often (but not always) perpendicular to the ground. Light ripples at the edges of the rift while the center usually shows the distant point it connects to. Though permeable to light and sound, slight surface repulsion prevents air from passing through, so long as the pressures aren't vastly different. Travelers can easily step back and forth between the connected locations.
Frames, stone rings, and even whole structures are often erected around rifts, both to mark their location and to control movement through them. The nearest one to the Main Hall is the Aua Rift which stands on the northern edge of the city of Evenhold, surrounded by a walled courtyard and monitored by royal guards. It leads to a nondescript building in the North American city of Des Moines.
