Cirrus Light 
"[@Evident Disaster":](/882235#comment_5309549
)
UTC - 6, US & Canada Central Time.
But, yeah, sorry about that... Just kinda put it off. Kept this tab open so I wouldn't forget, but still did, lol.
"
[@Evident Disaster":](/882235#comment_5308234
)
>Accessable to multiple entities
If it's in Central Park, there's little question as to who it belongs to.
Or rather, at least in the eyes of the U.S. Lots of foreign powers might try to argue that it should be open to the world, and some might try to take it by force.
Probably the U.S. would allow foreigners access, but only through a process that controls who goes through. This way if anyone tries to take the portal by force, they appear to be the bad guys, and it's very difficult for anyone to paint the U.S. as the bad guys since they let others through.
Trying to punch through has a lot of issues. Firstly, doing so requires planning and equipment, both of which will catch the CIA's attention. Secondly, U.S. airspace is heavily defended, and taking ships isn't much better against the most powerful navy on Earth. Nuclear attack submarines can kill the most important ships and B-52 formations outfitted with more cruise missiles than you can count can kill the rest long before they ever see the shore - and if they wait until the ships cross the 12 mile limit, then it will be a clear act of aggression on the attacking party (and then land-launched cruise missiles can join the fray. In terms of antiship cruise missiles, the U.S. has two main options: TASM - Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles have a range of 250 miles +, though they cruise slow and are relatively easy to shoot down, a large enough salvo could still penetrate any navy's defenses. Harpoons only have 50 mile range and a smaller warhead (1-2 TASM's will sink about any cruiser/destroyer, though it'll take 2-4 harpoons), but they can be air-launched, and they're also sea-skimming, which means they attempt to fly below the radar of the ships they're attacking. The effectiveness of this tactic varies from moderate to extremely effective - harsher weather, bigger waves make it more effective since they blend easier, though a few missiles may disappear to hitting waves(?).
Even if the CIA can't stop it before it gets off the ground, it's pretty likely they'll provide warning for #2.
As for the backwards threats_*in_* the portal - urban warfare is a huge mess, but not having guns is still going to put the invaders way behind. This could be spun in a positive way - instead of "the world's coming to an end!" it's "join the army and save New York!".
If there's endless hordes of them, then the military would probably get involved. Army, Marines. If there's only a medieval army, though, then the National Guard might be able to put them down enough, though I'm not sure at this point if the other branches would get involved.
You definitely don't want to bomb skyscrapers, though. But you maybe could drop a laser-guided bomb in Central Park if it's an enemy HQ. For the most part, though, gunships will be a massive advantage if their armies mass together. If they hide in buildings, though, then it could get a lot more messy as it gets up close and personal. Kevlar and modern body armor will actually do an excellent job - better than plate possibly even - against primitive weapons, but of course don't cover some areas. But being able to drop them from 500 yards, or even across the room, with hollow-point rounds will make all the difference to arrows that can't penetrate"[body armor":](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceramic_armor#Personnel) or even a helmet.
Night vision might also be an advantage. And while some cases of urban warfare are really messy and hard, having the entire nation on your side and against the invaders will help tremendously. The bad guys can hide in buildings, but so can citizens and your guys.
It's kind of awesome to imagine how much it might unify the States, though.
As for manipulating the elements - this can make it hard in some ways - but in others, not so much. You_*can_* launch an attack in a monsoon/hurricane - it's a bit messier but can be done. You don't want to have to put up with those crosswinds in a helicopter, though, but C-130s are so all-weather that NOAA uses them to fly through hurricanes. And then there's the coast guard, of course, that flies in terrible weather all the time.
Even if you can shoot lightning from a rod - that's not really much better than carrying a high-caliber rifle, except that it's easier to make a lightning rod than armor that can stop a high caliber bullet. And you can't zap something that you can't see. Wizards would be prime sniper targets.
"
[@Evident Disaster":](/882235#comment_5309723
)
>Crisis
I kind of mentioned how it might unify the country. A portal is pretty terrifying and alien, seems way beyond our ability, so would incur panic - but them wielding swords would make them seem like easy prey. It might sort of cancel each other out? You'd probably have a lot of people split on it. I wonder if we'd see government control of the media again like propaganda in WWII. That's a huge change of pace since Vietnam, but a real home threat like this just might do it.
All that scientist rush I mentioned in the earlier comment would certainly still happen, so blowing it up is a very bad idea when you could learn a tremendous amount from it. Just secure it.
I just read your next paragraphs about media, heh. In WWII, there was some real media restrictions. They might return - probably - when looking at such an amazing threat that just popped in like this. If ABC and CNN turned it in a bad way, or even said there's no way we could win - they probably would go off air.
Not quite martial law, but a lot of wartime policies like WWII.
But on the topic of Martial Law:
"
[This happened in the Boston Bombings":](https://www.google.com/search?q=martial+law+boston+bombings&rlz=1C1AVNC_enUS629US629&espv=2&biw=2133&bih=1081&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiawfTzoczOAhXJLyYKHT71BEQQ_AUIBygC&dpr=0.9
")
[And earlier in Katrina":](https://www.google.com/search?q=martial+law+boston+bombings&rlz=1C1AVNC_enUS629US629&espv=2&biw=2133&bih=1081&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiawfTzoczOAhXJLyYKHT71BEQQ_AUIBygC&dpr=0.9#tbm=isch&q=katrina+martial+law
)
So I'd definitely expect martial law, at least locally, though.
Here's another thought, though - what's going through the heads of the invaders? Sure they have magic and they knew they were invading a place - probably - but our world might absolutely blow them away. Our Skyscrapers massively dwarf even the greatest pyramids. The greatest cities ever imagined in ancient civilizations are small villages compared to New York. To say our civilization would blow the minds of any medieval people is a *_**MASSIVE_*** understatement. Our sheer population and accomplishments - ones we consider for granted - would make us seem like gods to them.
Airplanes flying so high the sky is almost black? Roaring into the sky on rockets into the_*actual_* heavens where the sky _*is_* black? (back then, they didn't even know the sky would get darker if you go higher!) Imagine the greatest wonder you've ever heard of in your life is the great pyramid of Giza or the "[Colossus of Rhodes":](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_of_Rhodes) , and then you see the Statue of Liberty, which is 50% taller, and the entire skyline is made of buildings ten times taller.
Seriously, each and every building on Manhatten Island more than fifteen stories is more than tall enough to be considered a great wonder of the ancient world, never mind the ones over a thousand feet tall like the Empire State Building (which is more than twice as tall as the Great Pyramid of Giza), which are now absolutely dwarfed and lost in the midst of all the countless buildings far larger than it.
Heck, an invading fantasy-setting army would probably surrender as soon as they see the majesty/might of our cities, thinking we must be gods for having built such wonders. To them, we might as well be the Forerunners who built the Halos.
Heck, we make the ancient wonders of the Sphinx as a light-hearted and cheap *joke*
Sciencepone of Science!
UTC - 6, US & Canada Central Time.
But, yeah, sorry about that... Just kinda put it off. Kept this tab open so I wouldn't forget, but still did, lol.
"
[@Evident Disaster
>Accessable to multiple entities
If it's in Central Park, there's little question as to who it belongs to.
Or rather, at least in the eyes of the U.S. Lots of foreign powers might try to argue that it should be open to the world, and some might try to take it by force.
Probably the U.S. would allow foreigners access, but only through a process that controls who goes through. This way if anyone tries to take the portal by force, they appear to be the bad guys, and it's very difficult for anyone to paint the U.S. as the bad guys since they let others through.
Trying to punch through has a lot of issues. Firstly, doing so requires planning and equipment, both of which will catch the CIA's attention. Secondly, U.S. airspace is heavily defended, and taking ships isn't much better against the most powerful navy on Earth. Nuclear attack submarines can kill the most important ships and B-52 formations outfitted with more cruise missiles than you can count can kill the rest long before they ever see the shore - and if they wait until the ships cross the 12 mile limit, then it will be a clear act of aggression on the attacking party (and then land-launched cruise missiles can join the fray. In terms of antiship cruise missiles, the U.S. has two main options: TASM - Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles have a range of 250 miles +, though they cruise slow and are relatively easy to shoot down, a large enough salvo could still penetrate any navy's defenses. Harpoons only have 50 mile range and a smaller warhead (1-2 TASM's will sink about any cruiser/destroyer, though it'll take 2-4 harpoons), but they can be air-launched, and they're also sea-skimming, which means they attempt to fly below the radar of the ships they're attacking. The effectiveness of this tactic varies from moderate to extremely effective - harsher weather, bigger waves make it more effective since they blend easier, though a few missiles may disappear to hitting waves(?).
Even if the CIA can't stop it before it gets off the ground, it's pretty likely they'll provide warning for #2.
As for the backwards threats
If there's endless hordes of them, then the military would probably get involved. Army, Marines. If there's only a medieval army, though, then the National Guard might be able to put them down enough, though I'm not sure at this point if the other branches would get involved.
You definitely don't want to bomb skyscrapers, though. But you maybe could drop a laser-guided bomb in Central Park if it's an enemy HQ. For the most part, though, gunships will be a massive advantage if their armies mass together. If they hide in buildings, though, then it could get a lot more messy as it gets up close and personal. Kevlar and modern body armor will actually do an excellent job - better than plate possibly even - against primitive weapons, but of course don't cover some areas. But being able to drop them from 500 yards, or even across the room, with hollow-point rounds will make all the difference to arrows that can't penetrate
Night vision might also be an advantage. And while some cases of urban warfare are really messy and hard, having the entire nation on your side and against the invaders will help tremendously. The bad guys can hide in buildings, but so can citizens and your guys.
It's kind of awesome to imagine how much it might unify the States, though.
As for manipulating the elements - this can make it hard in some ways - but in others, not so much. You
Even if you can shoot lightning from a rod - that's not really much better than carrying a high-caliber rifle, except that it's easier to make a lightning rod than armor that can stop a high caliber bullet. And you can't zap something that you can't see. Wizards would be prime sniper targets.
"
[@Evident Disaster
>Crisis
I kind of mentioned how it might unify the country. A portal is pretty terrifying and alien, seems way beyond our ability, so would incur panic - but them wielding swords would make them seem like easy prey. It might sort of cancel each other out? You'd probably have a lot of people split on it. I wonder if we'd see government control of the media again like propaganda in WWII. That's a huge change of pace since Vietnam, but a real home threat like this just might do it.
All that scientist rush I mentioned in the earlier comment would certainly still happen, so blowing it up is a very bad idea when you could learn a tremendous amount from it. Just secure it.
I just read your next paragraphs about media, heh. In WWII, there was some real media restrictions. They might return - probably - when looking at such an amazing threat that just popped in like this. If ABC and CNN turned it in a bad way, or even said there's no way we could win - they probably would go off air.
Not quite martial law, but a lot of wartime policies like WWII.
But on the topic of Martial Law:
"
[This happened in the Boston Bombings
"
[And earlier in Katrina
So I'd definitely expect martial law, at least locally, though.
Here's another thought, though - what's going through the heads of the invaders? Sure they have magic and they knew they were invading a place - probably - but our world might absolutely blow them away. Our Skyscrapers massively dwarf even the greatest pyramids. The greatest cities ever imagined in ancient civilizations are small villages compared to New York. To say our civilization would blow the minds of any medieval people is a *
Airplanes flying so high the sky is almost black? Roaring into the sky on rockets into the
Seriously, each and every building on Manhatten Island more than fifteen stories is more than tall enough to be considered a great wonder of the ancient world, never mind the ones over a thousand feet tall like the Empire State Building (which is more than twice as tall as the Great Pyramid of Giza), which are now absolutely dwarfed and lost in the midst of all the countless buildings far larger than it.
