The Magi Portals that are used in the larger cities to teleport people and objects over vast distances are a very closely guarded Magi secret. A Portal takes a lot of Mana and can take multiple Mages to create depending on size and distance. Many Mages are employed by the various cities and even by the Order itself to make sure the Portal Terminals are operating consistently. Portals can also be dangerous, as they can literally cut through whatever is in their path upon creation, or upon closing once the spell is over. The Order of Artificers created more permanent machinery that can open portals between them for the larger population zones, but they still require mages to operate, acting as large amplifiers and stabilizers to protect the Mages from the massive Mana draws required of portals.
Teleportation is a magical spell that can be learned by any Mage, this spell allows a magic user to port short distances but they cannot take anyone with them and anything not properly secured to their person may be left behind. It is a complicated spell that requires great focus and training, and the further the distance you wish to travel the greater the Mana required. Those that learn this spell generally only use it to move between the rooms in their own house or as an emergency, as it can be disorienting to port into a place you don’t know or go too far. You also run the risk of losing limbs or your life if you do not have the proper training. Magi may combine their magic to teleport more people with them for greater distances.
Waystones are enchanted objects most frequently sold in pairs, a “home” stone and an “away” stone. The “home” stone is left in a safe place and will act as an anchor for the “away” stone. This is the cheapest and most versatile option, but it has it’s drawbacks. Wherever you go, so long as you have your Away stone, you can use it to port back to your home stone without using magic yourself. This opens up teleportation to non-magic users but if someone were to take or move your home stone you may find yourself in a very sticky situation. More expensive Waystones require hiring an Artificer to come to where ever your Home location is to anchor your Waystone, but then you don’t have the “Home” stone to deal with. Certain magic spells can block Waystones and Teleportation, rendering them useless and Waystones generally will need to be recharged after each use as they only store enough Mana for one use. Recharging can be as simple as plugging them into a Mana Battery, or keeping them in a Mana rich environment. Waystones can only transport 2 beings at one time, but someone with Mana can potentially use their Mana to overload the Waystone to take more people with them, but this can prove very risky the more people involved.