Whether loved, despised, or just a fact of life, the Gates connect all parts of the globe to each other in an interwoven web linking disparate cultures and forming strange relationships. And whether you're a seasoned Traveler or a neophyte, when you step through a Gate, you won't be the same on the other side.

For one thing, you'll be naked.

The Gates only admit living beings - but living beings always bring with them their knowledge, their faith, their languages, their skills, and their beliefs. Some nations embrace the Gates. Others fear them. For some nations, they are the beating hearts of trade, centers for the exchange of language and philosophy, hubs of adventure and discovery. For others, they are useless dead-ends, objects of terror, or outright threats.

In this anthology, twelve authors explore the adventures, intrigues, and discoveries, large and small, global and personal, that occur because of the interconnections of these incredible magical Gates.

The anthology includes the following stories:

VIGNETTES FROM THE HILTHSTAD by Cass Morris

DEAD MAN'S MAP by Marie Brennan

THROWING MUSES by Mike Chen

MUSIC TO YOUR EARS by J.C. Pillard

THE CLOTHIER OF ALENNI by Victor Manibo

CANDIDATE ELEVEN by Kate Elliott

SILVER AND GOLD by Rowenna Miller

MARIT THE RESOLUTE by Lindsey Carmichael

LUMI & THE NAVIGATOR by Natania Barron

COURIER'S HONOR by Valerie Valdes

CHASING THE SUN by Marshall Ryan Maresca

SCHEMES, FACTIONS, AND CULTURE Non-fiction essay by Michael R. Underwood