Equatorial ley line

The Equatorial ley line was a part of the Weave that held the planet of Echelon together. It ran across the entire circumference of the planet at its equator, except where it was "bent" around the Column. It was one of the strongest ley lines that existed, and for millennia its dangerous effects prevented travel or communication between the northern and southern hemispheres. Storms, both arcane and natural, formed easily and rapidly along the equatorial, making air or sea travel prohibitively dangerous.

Crossing the Equatorial

Traveling across the Equatorial, whether by sea or air, was seen as a rite of passage for mariners and aeronauts. During the Ancient World and the majority of the Middle Era, navigating the treacherous waters near the equatorial was impossible with the technology available at the time. Eventually, magic and technology progressed enough to make voyages across hemispheres a possibility.

There was no record of the maiden voyages of the first travelers across the Equatorial. Many cultures, nations, and individuals claimed the feat of being "the first"; any such claims, however, were impossible to verify.

Antipode

Prior to the Epoch of Undine, the only place on the planet which allowed land travel across the Equatorial was on the continent of Antipode. The crossing was challenging by sea; it was almost inconceivable by land. Few, if any, people traveled between Northern and Southern Antipode across the Equatorial. When the ley lines were at their strongest, the Equatorial's interactions with the Weave on Antipode created dazzling lights, much like the aurora susurro of the Whispering Valley. Coupled with an impregnable wall of force, even the daring explorer could not cross at "high tide".

When the ley lines were at "low tide", passing across the Equatorial by land was akin to walking through a prismatic wall. It was possible, but highly dangerous, and seen as a test or trial for some groups.