Dante wrote:
Thus, even if there were a portal in Pecinium, it would have been irrelevant to the module.
Not quite. In the 3.5 campaign Portals of Anshar were much more common. So their location was always stated so any player that was collecting them via the Walk the Path of Stars bloodline or by being a cleric of Anshar with the Travel Domain had the opportunity to attune to them. Whether or not they have any relevance to the module itself.
Besides the Spike doesn't come into play in the module The Word of Illiir, it appears in the Hard Point that follows, The Banished. At that point you have left Pecinum and never have the opportunity to explore the city with the Spike in your possession.
The Word of Illiir is designed as a free format investigation module, where the players have the opportunity to gather information about the city and to get to know notable NPCs in the city, including the Ruler of the City at the time. The Commandant of the Scaled Guard.
If a Portal was there it would have been mentioned. You are also on an island it's not like anyone could keep that a secret for so long.
No it makes more sense that if there are 4 portals in the 11 Citadels, that they are all east of the First City. Mind you it is still "if" that 4 exist at all.
toodeep wrote:
I fully suspect you can move a portal if you don't care about it still functioning afterward...
Actually a Portal can be moved and still function. In the Soft Point Wrong Turn at Coryan (written by Eric Wiener and M. Sean Molley) a PC can know that 3 Portals had been moved in history and still function. Grand Coryan, Tralia, and Naeraanth.
Perhaps there is a Portal in the Citadel of Larissa. It would make the Jade Box more valuable being able to secretly transport troops from Khitani to a Citadel controlled by them to strike at their enemies.