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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SHARK" data-source="post: 398255" data-attributes="member: 1131">Greetings!Well, Teleportationals indeed! The use of vast gates could theoretically revolutionize an entire kingdom. The use of gates could allow the rapid, instantaneous transportation of large numbers of well-equipped troops, to anywhere in the empire that is threatened. At least any city that is under attack, such a city could be swiftly reinforced with forces from not one--but many other cities that are connected into the teleport web. A foreign invader could really be defeated in detail, because such an empire could focus all or nearly all of its military power at any point or individual city that is threatened, thus multiplying the force-multipliers, and crushing any invasion force. This military domination could be extended with additional teleprtation gates, all enchanted with magic defenses and fortified in great citadels throughout wildernesses and regions of strategic importance. These fortified staging areas would allow greater flexibility and continental mobility for the empire's forces, which would really allow the empire to influence other kingdom's policies merely by the knowledge that a vast army is merely hours, or at most, days away. For a kingdom that doesn't have such magical power, the fact that the empire can show up with a vast, overwhelming army in at most days or a week, when the more primitive kingdom must rely on roads and ships that take weeks and months to transport military forces would be doomed, and their leaders would realise this. Thus, after some time, like with the Roman Empire merely threatening that the "Legions will be on the way" would be more than sufficient to persuade any recalcitrant kingdom to get with the program very quickly. This reality would have a huge impact even upon the entire political scene without the empire needing to conquer every little kingdom. The only way such kingdoms would be able to avoid entire military and political domination by this awesome empire would be if the kingdom in question was *unknown* to the empire, or by geography, the empire does not have, and has not built fortified staging areas in the area yet to know that such a kingdom exists there, or be able to reach them in any meaningful way.As far as trade goes, such gates can be hooked up to elemental planes and thus, elemental mining directly tapping into the wealth of an entire plane--infinite in its resources--would be possible. A gate opening to the plane of fire, earth, air, and water, as well as para-elemental planes, could all be guarded by vast magical fortresses that protect and conceal these gates, and allow the empire to gather unto itself the resources of entire planes, supplying it with endless granite, the purest of gold, silver, steel, gems beyond the imagination, water in endless torrents to turn deserts into paradises, and air to be harnessed in pure form which can empower all manner of things. Fire, that can be channeled to vast factories of armouries working by the tens of thousands, turning out the armor and weapons of empire. The gold available from the earth-plane harvesting would be enough to bankrupt and corrupt entire kingdoms--the empire could easily "buy" the majority of weaponsmiths and such, and pay them beyond treason. They would thus work endlessly for the glorious empire...the manufacturing outpouring would further serve to bury any opposition by the absolute flood and quality of supoerior arms and equipment available to the forces and allies of the empire.These contacts would also allow such an empire to span worlds, learning new technologies, new magic, and new ways of doing things from a thousand different worlds. The new empire could also land in such individual worlds with an initial invasion force of staggering proportions--either enough to conquer the world entirely, or at least gain a position of vast strength and great respect and alliance, as any large powers native to the plane would seek to ally with such an awesome, irresistable empire.The empire would have access to new animals, and this diversity would also serve to attract the world's scholars and sages, as they seek to manipulate and train new kinds of life forms, new herds of war beasts, and even compete for the rights to bring new meats and creatures to eat into their local societies. new fruits and vegetables, taken from a thousand worlds, would also be available. These things would enhance the diet of the empire, and degrade those who are out of the loop.Such vast resources, such an awesome empire would become supremely sophisticated, and culturally, all lesser kingdoms would seek to kneel at their feet, and join the imperial greatness, less they be made irrelevant by the cultural, economic, political, religious, and magical juggernaut that such an awesome empire would be sure to become.What do you think?Semper Fidelis,SHARK</blockquote>

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