Interstellar Travel

The Empire has two main methods of interstellar travel, each with its advantages and limitations.

Warp (Standard FTL)

Warp uses arcanotechnic spatial distortion to shorten distances. It is the most common method but also the most dangerous.

Travel speed:

• 5 days for small fast ships crossing the Empire
• 10 days for slow cargo ships or heavy cruisers
• Slower in unsurveyed zones due to dangers related to celestial calculations

Dangers: A calculation error can send a ship directly into a star or disintegrate it. In unsurveyed zones, one must know precisely the location and recalculate the movements of celestial objects to avoid catastrophic collisions.

Limitation: Journeys are primarily limited to already charted zones, making exploration slow and perilous.

Warpgates (Cosmic Gates)

Warpgates are fixed arcanotechnic installations allowing instantaneous travel between two points in space.

Characteristics:

• Instantaneous: No travel time
• Very rare: Installation and maintenance extremely costly
• Controlled by the Empire: Access strictly regulated
• Reserved: Priority given to military, diplomatic, and priority cargo vessels
• Major strategic advantage: Particularly in war zones where their installation, though costly, enables decisive tactical mobility

The Imperial monopoly on warpgates ensures absolute control of strategic commercial and military flows throughout the Empire.