Ley line
Ley lines were invisible alignments of magical energy in Echelon. They were first theorized in the Ancient World, but only proven in the early Middle Era by Baedrus Leomund.
History
Around 10,000 BME, the goddess Ioun gave magic to mortals. The arcane energies that permeated the world had not yet been divided into lines, and all magic was concentrated on the supercontinent at the center of the world. The arcane power formed a field, holding together the planet and all its inhabitants. When the zarum began the Dawn War, the supercontinent fractured and each piece began moving away from one other, eventually settling near or on major ley lines.
Each of the eight major ley lines formed as a result of a mathematical certainty. In order to keep the planet of Echelon together in the new Weave, arcane law proved that no fewer than seven lines would need to circumvent the globe, with an eighth acting as a central axis. Other, "minor" ley lines generally ran at diagonals, though minor lines were chaotic and difficult to predict. Together, the major and minor ley lines formed an arcane shell that kept Echelon from falling apart.
Mortals first learned of ley lines when Mordenkainen built the Vault of the Ancients. His chosen site for construction supposedly intersected with "a line of great power" in the Brackish Mountains. Although Mordenkainen only theorized on the existence of ley lines, his ability to tap into the arcane allowed him to detect significant amplifications in the Weave along their courses.
In 65 ME, arch-wizard Baedrus Leomund began a search to chart a ley line on the Mainland. His discovery of a line running in tandem with the northern tropic was mathematically confirmed in 70 ME. Such was the first known charting of a ley line.
Sailors had attempted to cross the equator countless times during the Middle Era. Attempts were usually proven fruitless, however, as near-impassable barriers prevented passage. The interaction of powerful magic around the equator and natural weather on the deep sea made for significant, and often deadly, maritime hazards. Even air travel was considered unsafe, and crossing the equatorial ley line was seen as a rite of passage for aeronauts.
Other ley lines were less volatile; they rarely posed a significant threat to traffic.
Meteorological Phenomena
Ley lines were responsible for a significant number of weather events along their lengths. Stonefog, skyquakes, and Castian pockets were examples of the unpredictable nature of ley line weather. More significant (and permanent) examples were the Column at the center of the world and the aurora susurro.
Spellcasting
Effects on the use of magic near ley lines were varied. Often, spells cast at or very near a ley line would be amplified. Sometimes, chaotic effects such as wild magic would occur as well.
Major Ley Lines
- Leomund ley line: east-west, Northern hemisphere (45° N)
- Dawning ley line: north-south, Western hemisphere (90° W)
- The Thread: east-west, Southern hemisphere (45° S)
- Pitharan ley line: north-south, Eastern hemisphere (90° E)
- Meridian ley line: north-south around the central circumference of the planet but around the Column (0°)
- Equatorial ley line: east-west along the equatorial circumference of the planet but around the Column (0°)
- Umbral ley line: north-south opposite the Column (180° E or 180° W)
- Ard Vectoris: directly through the center of the planet from pole to pole