Nexi and Ley Lines

One of the first indications that the world had changed was the appearance of what some of the original survivors called “Ley Lines”, the pale, shifting, flowing rivers of energy that soon criss-crossed the globe. Some of these are nothing more than a thin trickle of barely visible light that floats through the landscape. Some are as wide and swift as the Mississippi River, crackling with bolts of magical energy and permanently scarring the region they flow through. Most are in-between, mostly straight lines, visible in all but the fiercest sunlight, buzzing with a hum not unlike modern high-voltage lines.
Almost all lines precipitate out small bluish-purple crystals, warm to the touch and with the slight hint of something like static electricity. These are what allow practitioners of magic to harness more power than the very limited amount held within themselves. Most importantly, they are use to drive Artificer creations and therefore are a very valuable commodity. Some towns and cities even use these crystals as a form of currency, though their value makes it difficult for anything but larger purchases. People and groups have different names for these objects: Magic Man rocks, power crystals, Artifice stones, etc.
Where two ley lines meet is commonly called a Nexus. The result can be anything from inspiring to terrifying. At the Nexus, bolts of power surge between the two lines, like the plasma formed in a Tesla coil. These bolts are deadly, so explorers are cautioned to keep their distance from a Nexus. Larger Nexi can cause strong storms of natural and magical electricity in the surrounding areas. Other strange phenomena are said to occur at and near a Nexus point. If this was not enough, a Nexus can become a Gate to another dimension or world, allowing unknown entities and beings into Earth That Is.

Type

Metaphysical, Supernatural