Gomes (at least powerful ones) can move almost instantaneously from one place on the planet to another provided they use locations where they have previously had an intensely emotional experience (a catharsis). Here’s how Wullie explains it to Finnley in Chondrite Vault when they cathart from the Calanais Standing Stones in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland to Machu Picchu in the High Andes of Peru:
“Think aboot this, young Finnley. All the rock that makes up this planet is a moving, living thing, lad. The center o’ the earth is red-hot molten metal and rock swirling about. Even the hardened crust on top of the molten metal is slowly moving and changing. That’s what forms the mountain ranges and causes earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The whole planet is a living, moving, emotionally charged place. Over thousands of years big dramatic events have taken place all over the surface of the earth. Battles, natural disasters, victories and celebrations: events that change the course of history or change an individual person for ever after. These are sometimes called cathartic events. You should look it up sometime, youngster. It’s a great word, cathartic.”
Finn was not in the mood. He scowled at the earnest little gome. “I don’t need a geology or English vocabulary lesson, Wullie. I want to know how we got here.”
“I’m getting tae that, lad. Keep yer shirt on. Man, you’re getting grumpier and mair bad-tempered than me, these days. Gomes stay connected tae the emotional temperature of the rocks all over the world. If a gome was involved in a cathartic event on one part o’ the planet then we retain a strong emotional connection tae that place forever. And if ye’ve lived as lang as me, and had as mony adventures as I’ve had then ye have hundreds of places all over the planet where ye’ve laid down a verra strong emotional imprint. Gomes call these catharting points. If I petrify at one of these points I can absorb all the emotional energy and use that tae project myself tae another catharting point somewhere else. It’s easier than you’d think. Ye just concentrate on the emotional memory of the place ye want tae travel to.”
Finn can be brought along on the cathart with Wullie because, as a vas animi, Finn can petrify. With Wullie on his shoulder and both of them petrified Wullie can bring Finn to any catharting point that Wullie has on the planet. Since Wullie has lived for thousands of years he has thousands of catharting points. Finn, however has only been a vas animi for a few weeks and can only cathart himself to a few places where he has had a cathartic experience in his life (the mine on Blackhope Scaur, beside Mons Meg at Edinburgh Castle, the Twilight Cave in Barcelunda, in front of Ord Lionmhor at the Calanais Standing Stones).
Another way that gomes (and human vas animi in their petrified state) can cathart to places where they themselves have not had a cathartic experience is to carry with them a small piece of a very powerful gome such as Nebulosum (see later).