Getting To The CharLoft
Explaining how to reach the CharLoft is akin to explaining the concept of Nirvana - only one who has previously experienced it would ever truly understand. However, it is notable that arriving at the CharLoft generally follows these preconditions:
- The person was thinking of something related to the CharLoft - a patron currently present, or escaping a situation.
- The person opens a door on their end and enters without looking – only to find themselves stepping through one of the CharLoft's doors when they arrive.
- The person must not have distinctly malevolent intent in order to open the Door, though a Door can be used by anyone once opened.
- Persons who are specifically banned from entry by the owner cannot open a Door to the CharLoft, although attempts to do so (or otherwise enter) may result in 'allowing' the person into an alternate dimension not the CharLoft (or merely directly dropping into the Void.)
Patrons do occasionally just fall from the sky outside the CharLoft proper, usually as a result of poorly cast teleportation spells, the utter collapse of their home dimension, or a particularly sadistic bent on behalf of whatever gods control their mutual universes. Appearing spontaneously also seems to occur on occasion, particularly if the person is in a dream, unconscious, or exhausted state, or undergoing a similar change in consciousness. Particularly adept dimensional wayfarers can also enter via Doors by accident or intent, or even directly teleport into the building proper, as long as they are not specifically banned from doing so.
Once one has found a Door to the CharLoft, getting back there is much more predictable; if the visitor uses the same door, and thinks of the CharLoft, and enters without looking, he will almost invariably wind up entering the CharLoft. Entering while looking works most of the time, although interestingly, it depends highly on the Observer Effect. If one has been banned from the CharLoft, the Door may simply not open into the CharLoft, or it may open into a Void that promptly drags the person in before reclosing the door, or it may open into a dimension that seals the door behind the person permanently on entry, or it may open on a place where discarded evils are left to slaughter each other in the darkness.
As a rule, getting to the CharLoft on demand requires that a door be used that has already connected to the CharLoft successfully at least once; this may take some experimenting from the CharLoft's side to establish a link. It is noted that the Doors technically can open to practically any dimension, and that while they usually return one to their origin point, they can occasionally adjust to fit the user's moods and desires, though this may be more leaning towards the whim of the owner than any true manipulation on the part of the user.