Leylines

The magical potential of Nonvyrox is carried around its surface by invisible leylines. This energy allows for the creation of all forms of magic, but leylines are a core component of arcane magic. Where these leylines meet creates powerful points of potential energy known as a nexus, which can affect both magic and the barriers between the Inner Planes.
 

Description

I felt the earth beneath my feet, and the winds in my hair. Everything felt still, if only for a moment. As I looked up, slowly, the stars were barely visible. Their light dimmed by this blinding aura of colors spread across the night sky. An array of lines intersecting and running over the entire world. I couldn't help but shed a tear at the glorious sight.
— An Ossaman druid who saw the leylines.
  Typically, the leylines of Nonvyrox are invisible, with even the most skilled of eyes unable to see their outline in the sky. However, aided by magic, the lines can be seen stretching across the skyline of Nonvyrox. Leylines are made of a variety of shades, each linking directly to the source of magic that they correspond to. When viewed using magic, the lines feel almost tangible but are bright, feeling almost like pure light itself.   When viewed, the leylines create this overlapping spider-web across the surface of Nonvyrox with points where they intersect and link. However, they are not stable, with many scholars who have witnessed the leylines reporting changing positions and colors at different points of the year. These changes are also noted depending on where the sun and the moon are in the sky. This almost unpredictable nature seems to be linked with the function of the leylines.   However, there are consistent events that cause a swelling of the leyline's energies. When they do so, the barriers between the Inner Planes become weakest. For example, during any form of celestial solstice, the leyline energies surge, causing an intense change in both magic and the barriers between planes. During the Day of Darkness, the energy of the leylines swells creating overwhelming darkness in the world and thinning the barrier between Shadecrest and the Material Plane.

Leylines over Vilura by Owen Davies

 

Placeholder Flower by Owen Davies

History

Before The Shatter

According to the powers of the realm, the leylines are claimed to have existed around Nonvyrox before the Primordial Titans, the Dual Idols, or even the Eldest Beings. In fact, the Eldest of The Shattered Pantheon, The Weaver is said to have arisen from the power of the leylines, creating their form and allowing them control over the realm.   It is claimed that when the gods of The Shattered Pantheon were brought forth from the elemental chaos of the world, The Weaver drew upon the energies of the leylines and linked their forms to them. In doing so, the primordial titans of the world created long before the Weaver from the innate power of the elements, were boosted in power. Each in turn given access to a new range of magical potential themselves.   Eventually, when The Weaver and Thoura worked to give arcane magic to the mortals of the world, it is claimed that they taught mortals how to draw some energies of the world through their form and cast them on their own. When creating the force of magic that binds all forms of magic, The Weaver linked them directly with the leylines, acting as a guard preventing anyone from drawing too much magic into themselves, though this limited anyone without a divine spark from causing immense change into the world. It also allowed The Weaver to place limitations upon the casting of certain magic, even by the deities that ruled the realm.   During the Age of Creation, many of the nexuses became the homes for grand arcane creations, locations where they could draw upon the immense magical power and allow for great powers. One of these included the first floating city Hudran, it was created upon the nexus of six powerful leylines, allowing the mages of the time the potential energy to create an engine to lift a city. Because of this, all flying cities traveled along the paths of the leylines, using them as a steering mechanism and energy source at the same time.   It is claimed that before The Weaver passed on, they split their knowledge of the leylines and their potential into three powerful forms of magic that drew upon their energies in different ways. Manomancy connected with the pattern that The Weaver had created to manipulate the strings of the world; Kalemancy where casters drew upon the ancient names given to each thing by the power of the leylines; and Alkemancy which draws on the ley power around the world and focuses it through the physical materials of the world.
 

During The Shatter

The Shatter caused immense chaos for the leylines, particularly due to the immense amount of energy being drained from them. Many people claim that some of the leylines that originated before the known world, were completely drained and as a result, were unable to be drawn upon again.   There were powerful nexuses that were embedded deep into many of the conflicts that took place during the course of The Shatter. Prominently, the location that is now known as Void's Death was an ancient temple that was destroyed during the major battle known as the Fall to the Void. In this event, the mortal wound dealt to Azrovil led to the leylines that created the nexus being burnt up. Two powerful leylines unraveled by the sheer might of two deities. This led many on both sides to caution against the intense use of magic, particularly after the death of The Weaver, and a lack of knowledge surrounding the potential of no more magic in the realm.   The formation of Xhakna was the last time that magic was used during The Shatter. The creature tore its way through the lands of Ossalimar, and broke apart a powerful nexus that once held the seat of power of an ancient empire. In doing so, the creature was bound by Thoura and Tyril using their combined might and the direct energies of the leylines. In doing so, Xhakna's entombment was certain, but the leylines were forever entangled with his immense hunger, leading to a powerful nexus that takes in magical potential more than giving it. This dead zone exists over what's now the Tokevis region.   Some people believe that when Shathol created the Tynau, they used a version of the pattern that had been put together by The Weaver all those millennia ago. Therefore, the leylines of the world were not only empowering the magic of the deities, but now its believes they are also able to restrain them. As a result, some scholars theorize that the deities are bound by the capabilities of the leylines,

Placeholder Flower by Owen Davies

 

Placeholder Flower by Owen Davies

 

Placeholder Flower by Owen Davies

Since The Shatter

In the modern day, various organizations have learned that there are somewhere in the region of fifteen nexuses across Nonvyrox. However, these locations are only theorized due to the magical energies that occur there during times when the leylines surge. Of these fifteen, one has been completely confirmed over the center of Sovmora, where the nexus acts as a divine conduit to the powers of the deities. Some say that this has allowed powerful clerics within the city a more direct line of communication with the divine, empowering them and reinforcing the city from possible damage.   There are claims that Malithan Bornate used his influence over a powerful archmage to attempt to disrupt the flow of a leyline over his seat of power. In doing so, some claim that there was a knot made in the threads of the leyline, causing magic to malfunction within the city he called home. The remnants of this magical intervention can be felt in the Carenvale Fields, where the whole region feels a distinct lack of magical essence. It is very rare for a person imbued with magic to be born in the Carenvale Fields, and if they are, there is an immense amount of magical potential within them.   In more recent times, some who live within the Slycol Desert have found that different and strange patterns have seemingly started to appear along the skyline. Some explorers who have been within the desert for a significant time seem to think that these lines stem from Void's Death, lines of pure dark magic emanating from them out to ancient ruins. One such explorer claimed to find the remnants of an ancient machine that would draw upon the energies of the leylines and allow them to be redirected into an immense ritual. Though many believe that this is just a rumor started to make their exploration seem more important than many others.   Elena Hawkstone has become a master of the leylines, having explored several potential nexuses and trying to form an understanding of how the leylines move. In doing so, the Archani Conclave have been able to map and figure out the link between the leylines and barriers between the inner planes. As a result of her academic pursuits, Lady Hawkstone learned of the cyclical nature of surges with some of the leylines, particularly in relation to the celestial objects in the sky. This has led her to start developing a way of calculating where and when a possible disastrous convergence of leylines might occur.

Comments

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Dec 17, 2024 15:41 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

I like your take on leylines, especially the fact that sometimes people can see them. I imagine it's quite awe inspiring to look up and see the web.   I also really like that you took the time to go through history too, and how the Shatter affected the leylines.

Emy x
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