---

Part of the core of the travel in the Ahtarra setting and the method by which folks get from Point A to Point B in space here is the spells and systems that make up "The Jump." Given that it is so integral to the development of the place in-setting, it seemed only fair that I give a really close look at the process and the beacons that support it.

They're the light in the dark.

Beacons are massive artificial structures most often constructed in orbit around one of the celestial bodies of a solar system - typically a highly populated planet. They're sometimes made from carved stone, indigenous metals, glass, or even repurposed ship parts, all depending on what tools and materials the original colonists had on hand during its construction. Whatever the components, all beacons sport equally massive runes and script carved over the entirety of their surface. These runes turn the obelisk into a basic but very powerful enchantment.

Now, 'beacons' are called this because of what they do and how they interact with jump pilots. I mentioned in another article that the Jump Core of a ship helps amplify the effects of jumping so a pilot can actually handle the strain of using so much energy at once. Part of that amplification is in helping find a destination. That's where the beacons come in.

Their enchantment makes them 'shine' to a jumper feeling out where to jump while they're making use of their abilities. It's not difficult to sense a planet, for example, when you're in the same system, but this 'brightness' to the beacons makes them noticeable from other far out systems. This makes interstellar travel far safer when making use of jumping, not unlike Earth's sailors of olde using the stars to navigate their way.

There's properties to the jump.

Moving across space without a beacon isn't exactly dangerous in the typical sense, but there are several effects of jump travel that can be dangerous if not considered. For one, jump travel can be very imprecise without a beacon to 'focus' on - and when you're talking about popping into a populated area that could be quite dangerous to others indeed. Since a jump pilot can sense the planet the beacon orbits when they get closer, they're able to make their target 'landing' more deliberate by sensing where the two are in relation to one another from the jump pilot's nearby current position.

Much of the rules and attention given to jumping is due to it being a direct translocation effect, meaning that whatever is inside the 'bubble' of the spell is moved immediately to the 'landing' location without physically crossing the distance between them. This makes it useful for not having to worry about objects in the path between the point of origin and the landing, but also means that whatever forces are acting on things making the jump are maintained into the landing - like, say, momentum.

Jumps into and out of any atmosphere are extremely rare because of this as well. In a vacuum like space there isn't much that gets carried with a ship that jumps, nor is there much to get out of the way at the landing. In an atmosphere, however, even just the air that was where a newly arrived ship might be is violently shoved out of the way to make room. A ship making a jump in an atmosphere leaves a hole behind that is filled equally fiercely. Both cases can be catastrophic for anything nearby.

Jumping into the unknown.

Even with all that's based around them, jumping without beacons is necessary to get to new places. That's even the entire point of exploration and colony ships: enormous vessels designed specifically to jump out into the black of uncharted space. It is an extremely expensive and time consuming endeavor, sometimes a generations-long investment, often leading to these ventures having larger corporations as sponsors.

These expeditions select a 'nearby' (relatively) star that looks promising for its celestial inhabitants as their destination, sometimes before construction of their carriage vessel even begins. Then they load up with their materials and settlers and make off in that direction with a combination of conventional and jump travel to shorten the travel time as much as possible. All aboard are made very aware that these expeditions - even the successful ones - are very likely one-way trips.

Once these vessels arrive at their destination system, they assess whether planets or other bodies can be converted into habitable locations. These vessels carry the skilled spellcasters and substances they predict will be necessary to terraform a location, or if that isn't an available option the materials to construct more artificial structures. Much of these early decisions are improvised as the vessel arrives based on the information they discover there in the system. A likely candidate is selected by those in charge of the expedition and work begins.

Though it sometimes cannot even begin until they are well established and sustainable, the priority of the first settlers is regularly the construction of a beacon. Without a beacon the colony is largely cut off from any support or even knowledge of its success. So it is not unusual for a corporate expedition to establish just enough of a colony to support housing and construction of larger structures before starting on a beacon. Once the beacon is completed, it allows the opportunity to bring in fresh supplies or any materials the initial expedition lacked as well as additional support for the colony itself.

Whether the beacon or the sustainability of the colony is focused on first, it is the establishment of the beacon that typically marks to the rest of the galaxy whether or not such an expedition is 'successful'.

Pilots in the game.

The Jump Core of a ship may assist in making a jump easier to accomplish, but the details of the jump itself are still dependent on the pilot and their capabilities. There are differences between every pilot - details such as how far they can go in a single jump or how frequently they can engage before succumbing to exhaustion are vastly diverse. There are those who cannot handle the strain of jumping with larger ships, pilots with enough sensitivity to close on beacons from farther than others, some who are able to be more accurate on the landing, the opposites of each, and more. This has a significant impact on a jump pilot's relationship with the role they serve on a vessel and the interactions with the crew in question. Some crews might even look for specific qualities in their jump pilots to suit certain flying styles or facilitate the purpose of a given mission. As a result, nearly every jump pilot's position has some level of careful negotiation involved.

Another aspect of the jump that pilots play a role in is how 'loud' the jump itself is. This isn't a noise in the typical notion, but rather a residual feeling of the translocation effect. The jump is a magical spell, after all, and one that can potentially make use of considerable amounts of energy depending on what is making the journey. This can be perceived by others who are capable of the talent and some augury setups. A jump that is particularly 'loud' might even be felt by the crew that made the journey, leaving them uneasy or physically upset in some way.

This combined with the unique differences between pilots, similarly to the unique differences between ships themselves, can make a pilot's jump 'identifiable' in a sense if an onlooker was given enough time for study.

Putting it all together.

Jump pilots get people from one place to another, and the beacons provide lighthouse-styled navigation assistance to do that. This relationship has put the pair of concepts at the forefront of exploration and thus often a centerpoint of culture in the galactic frontier. Particularly capable or accomplished jump pilots may be regarded as celebrities or notable figures, able to command great power in negotiating contracts with corporations or individual captains. Proximity to a beacon can have a definitive impact on both corporate and independent endeavors such as business or living. Some folks even make it their living to congregate nearby a beacon and advertise their trades to those coming and going.

The culture rarely consciously acknowledges this dependency, however. It's been part of the bedrock of progress for so long that it's been taken for granted by all except those of a new colony building one. A beacon isn't thought of as a construct or entity on its own anymore. They are simply one of the features of the planet or colony or system they occupy. Part of the infrastructure instead of any towering mystical accomplishment. I've joked about calling them "Marilith's Airports" and the comparison isn't too far off.

But that's how things age: they become commonplace. And that's how they've come to work here. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

---