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7[[quoteright:288:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leylines.gif]]
8[[caption-width-right:288:Earth's Ley Lines. Note the huge concentration of them [[BermudaTriangle near]] [[OnlyInFlorida Florida.]]]]
9
10->''"Tell me the coordinates of the Galactic Leyline!"''
11-->-- '''Aisha Clanclan''', ''Manga/OutlawStar''
12
13These things were first described by amateur archaeologist Alfred Watkins in his 1925 book ''The Old Straight Track''. He claimed that in ancient times when UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} was very densely forested, people built roads in geographically convenient straight lines. He believed that the lines had been called "leys" because so many of them passed through towns with "ley" in their name. He would later claim that these "ley lines" existed in many countries all over the world, especially in UsefulNotes/{{Europe}}. His theories were generally dismissed by mainstream archaeology, however.
14
15Then in the late 1960s wacky occultists heard about it, and decided that they ''must'' be magical.
16
17Now ley lines (sometimes written as leylines) are hypothetical alignments between [[PlaceOfPower places of power]], which may be [[{{Mana}} magical]], magnetic, or psychic in nature. These places of power are where two or more ley lines cross and are often known as Ley Nodes, Nodes, or Nexuses. Nodes are often regarded as spooky or unearthly. Stonehenge is said to be built on one such intersection.
18
19They are often invisible conduits of magical power that flow through the earth and air. Mages can tap into them to gain their powers. Places where multiple lines intersect at nodes attracts wizards and [[MagicIsAMonsterMagnet other supernatural beings]] like moths to a flame.
20
21In reality, there are MANY English villages and towns that end in the syllable "-ley". So it isn't surprising that any line drawn on a map would fall close to at least one such place. The Anglo-Saxons were in the habit of building their villages in forest clearings. "Ley" is simply the Old English word for a forest clearing, which is why so many places end in the syllable "-ley".
22
23Often related to Rule Magic in FunctionalMagic. Sometimes they are a form of GeometricMagic. May function as a necessary MagicPrerequisite in some settings. A sister trope of PlaceOfPower.
24----
25!!Examples
26
27[[foldercontrol]]
28
29[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
30* ''Literature/ACertainMagicalIndex'' mentions spells that tap into Leylines, like some tracking and teleportation spells. Notably, Touma's [[AntiMagic Imagine Breaker]] does not have any real effect on Leylines because they replenish their power instantly.
31* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', there exists a practice adjacent to [[AlchemyIsMagic alchemy]] known as "alkahestry" that -- instead of focusing on elemental transmutation -- focuses on [[WhiteMagic medical application]], explicitly said to draw power from ley lines (contrast to how [[AllThereInTheManual in supplementary text]], alchemy gets its power from tectonic plates). [[spoiler:The fact the two arts share a different source of power becomes crucial during the FinalBattle, where the BigBad demonstrates the power to [[AntiMagic block off any use of alchemy]], but ''not'' alkahestry.]]
32* ''Anime/LittleWitchAcademia2017'' features this as part of the territory. The Leylines are a series of networks around the world that allow magical energy to flow and connect various geographical locations, making them both a magic power source and a form of fast transportation for witches. Additionally, they're later explained to have formed from the roots and branches of [[WorldTree Yggdrasil]], and become unstable when anti-magic objects like salt are brought into them. Later on, Professor Croix introduces what are functionally [[{{Magitek}} wi-fi routers]] that absorb magic from ley lines.
33* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' mentions this concept, with a number of points on earth that have great amounts of magical energy. TheWorldTree is on one of these points. [[spoiler: One of the BigBad's plans to break TheMasquerade involves using TheWorldTree point to start a chain reaction spell with the other points.]]
34* ''Manga/OutlawStar'' has the Galactic Leyline.
35* ''Anime/PokemonTheMovieBlackAndWhite'' uses the dragon pulse belief described under Feng Shui as a source of [[DiabolusExMachina random conflict]] near the climax. Removing the castle from its spot disrupted the one it was resting on, causing a destructive chain reaction. They had to head off the disruption a few miles down the vein and plant the castle there to stop it.
36* ''Literature/RentalMagica'' got these. People use them to choose places for big spellcasting, pure-magic monsters use them as a subway, and when magical pollution -- which is already unpleasant -- happens to be fueled by one, it creates a "[[RealityIsOutToLunch Magi Night]]".
37* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' at the end of the series Kenshin and co. have to deal with an antagonist who is trying to divert the "dragon lines" (lines of magic power related in some way to feng shui) in order to destroy a capitol building with many heads of state inside. This is only in the Anime. The Manga took the stance of "Magic isn't real" and stuck to its guns like a baby to its bottle.
38* ''Anime/HeroicAGE'': It turns out ''space'' has a form of ley lines, starways, which form the basis of faster-than-light travel. Unfortunately, these can be destroyed with... significant force. [[spoiler:And there are ways to ''create'' starways]].
39[[/folder]]
40
41[[folder:Comic Books]]
42* Ley lines have shown up in a number of different ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD'' comics:
43** In ''ComicBook/CaballisticsInc'', ley lines are areas of increased paranormal activity. A locked-up psychic with a murderous streak also uses them to amplify his powers without anyone noticing that he's using them long-range.
44** In ''ComicBook/{{Absalom}}'' (which is a spinoff of ''Caballistics'') St. Paul's Cathedral in London is noted to be at the center of a network of ley lines, explaining why the same site was also used to built a Roman temple and before that a druidic stone circle.
45** In ''ComicBook/AgeOfTheWolf'', ley lines are used by the werewolves to navigate their flying ships around the world.
46* [[Franchise/TheDCU The DC Universe]] has Ley Lines as well, though they're rarely mentioned.
47** They were the basis for the "Millennium Giants" story arc in the ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' comics in the late 1990s. Giants (suspiciously similar to Marvel's Celestials) woke up and started walking around Earth causing chaos, until Superman restored the natural balance of the Lines by sacrificing the electric powers that he had gained previously. (The whole thing might have been just an excuse to get him back to normal.)
48** Chinese heroine Gloss, of ComicBook/TheNewGuardians, calls them the Dragon Lines of Power, and draws upon them to create various seismic effects, as well as gaining incredible strength, speed, and flight.
49** ''Primal Force'' had Maltis, a.k.a. Dr. Mist of the ComicBook/GlobalGuardians, assemble a new group of magical protectors named the Leymen. One new member was Meridian, who could teleport along ley lines.
50* ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}'', in keeping with its [[AllMythsAreTrue "throw it in" magic system]], features these as a prime part of someone's plan at multiple points.
51** In one of the earliest stories, "The Fear Machine," ley lines are actually ''artificial'', creations of ancient magicians to try and manipulate the natural energies of the earth into orderly patterns that they can use to power their spells. A modern-day group is trying to tap into this network to power a terrifying new ritual.
52--->'''Constantine:''' It makes sense, man. Did you ever hear of a straight line in ''nature''?
53* ''ComicBook/TheInvisibles'' features a brief mention about how Canary Wharf was built to tap into the power of the Southern Dragon Line (which is why they put a pyramid on top of the tower).
54* Ley lines play an important role in the first story arc of ''ComicBook/{{Ruse}}''.
55[[/folder]]
56
57[[folder:Fanfiction]]
58* In the ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' fic ''Blood Quill Consequences'' Snape told Harry that new spells were created by weaving energy from the ley lines into a unique pattern.
59* ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'': According to 7 Dreams/Nightmares: Bright Eyes story, It turns out in the POV-verse, this world has nine lay lines, with three places where the lines converge: Everfree Forest (with the Castle of the Two Sisters as being the true convergent point), a location in the Griffon lands, and a third in the Deer homeland. Zebras, Minotaurs, and Deer are able to use the leylines to access knowledge about the world and other worlds due to the nature of their own magic
60* They are a pivotal plot point in the ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' fanfiction, ''Fanfic/ADragonInShiningArmour''.
61* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Visionaries}}'' fanfic, ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11534297/1/Blood-in-the-Water Blood in the Water]]'' featured as a plot point, in which it compares leylines to rivers through which magic (water in the metaphor) "flows" across the world. Damaging one is implied to threaten the balance of magic everywhere on the planet.
62* In ''Fanfic/TheInfiniteLoops'', Ranma learned how to connect to the Earth's leylines. One notable loop ends with Ryoga stumbling across and attacking one of the lines Ranma is using, causing the entire solar system to explode.
63* The ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' Lady Archimedes (sequel to ''Fanfic/TheArithmancer'') has a lot of magic tapping into leylines. One of those uses is that Wizarding homes have defensive wards tapping into ley lines, allowing Hermione to exploit continental drift to break into one.
64* ''Fanfic/ACertainMagicalFriendship'': ''Context_SHIFT'': The [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/287615/1/a-certain-magical-friendship-context-shift/a-gap-is-opened-up-hole-in-the-sound first chapter]] had Index wonder at one as the cause of sudden large amounts of magic:
65--> Index jerked awake as she felt powerful mana collect ''right underneath her''. Her 'spell' was powering up?! Where was it getting mana from? Had she tapped into a ley line or the Fung Shei of the area purely on accident?
66[[/folder]]
67
68[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
69* Ley lines played a role in the ''[[Film/Ghostbusters2016 Ghostbusters]]'' reboot. [[spoiler: The villain was using some kind of device to "charge" lines around Manhattan, in order to open a portal at their intersection and bring about the apocalypse.]]
70* Mentioned in a throwaway line early in ''Film/{{Hellboy|2004}}''. As the Army unit explores the island, Dr. Broom explains to the SergeantRock in charge that the ruins of Trondheim Abbey were built on an intersection of ley lines, which he explains as the boundaries between this world and others. The sergeant calls it a load of crap.
71* ''Ley Lines'' (''Nihon Kuro Shakai'') is the English literal title of Japanese director Creator/TakashiMiike's 1999 film, which does not address the phenomenon of ley lines directly, but rather uses the idea subliminally as the film's heroes set out along their own 'ley lines', or the railways of Honshu to Tokyo. It is the final installment in a [[ThematicSeries series of three films]], titled 'Black Society Trilogy'.
72* ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad'': The titular railroad was inspired by ley lines.
73[[/folder]]
74
75[[folder:Literature]]
76* In Creator/NeilGaiman's ''Literature/AmericanGods'', it's revealed that in America, instead of getting a mystic urge to mark Nodes by building temples or megaliths on them, people get a mysterious urge to build tacky roadside attractions like The World's Largest Ball of Twine.
77* ''Literature/TheBookOfNightWithMoon''; about feline wizards who maintain magical gates that lie beneath Manhattan. Cats happen to have a natural talent for manipulating the magical "hyperstrings" that form the worldgate under the city.
78* Played with in ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'' by Creator/TamoraPierce. It's mentioned that up until recently, the local mages enhanced their spells by drawing power from what seems to be ley lines. As of the beginning of the story, the power has become unstable and unusable. Later on you find out [[spoiler:that they actually drew power from the borders of tectonic plates, and the instability is due to the fact the local volcano is about to blow.]]
79* In the ''Literature/DarknessSeries'' by Creator/HarryTurtledove (an allegory of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII set in a generic fantasy world) leylines take on the role of railway lines in our world, with enchanted carts floating above them. However, because leylines also go under the sea, most ships are also enchanted and ride along them rather than using sails (the Algarvians at one point pull off a surprise invasion by using only rare sailships, magically undetectable). The biggest hub of leylines in the world is the Lagoan capital of Setubal (the equivalent of London), explaining its role as the centre of global trade.
80* Creator/StephenKing's ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'' series has proxy Ley Lines.
81-->''See the TURTLE, ain't he keen?''\
82''All things serve the fuckin' Beam.''
83* Rupert in ''Literature/DeepSecret'' by Creator/DianaWynneJones is ''very'' distressed when he realizes the hotel where he's gathering his magical candidates is built at a node between ley lines. It has a bit too much magical power behind it for him to be comfortable working with it. He's entirely right, of course.
84* Used to form the entire basis for magic in Irene Radford's ''Dragon Nimbus'', ''Dragon Nimbus History'', and ''Stargods'' series. At least, until a mage decided that dragon magic worked better.
85* Used and mentioned pretty regularly in later volumes of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles''. Chicago, where the majority of the series takes place, is a major convergence point of many ley lines, which is why so much important stuff happens there. Other centers of ley line concentration include Edinburgh, where the White Council has their headquarters, and a Mayan temple where the climax of ''Literature/{{Changes}}'' occurs. One island in Lake Michigan, [[spoiler:Demonreach]], is actually a ''source'' of one such ley line, which is why [[spoiler:Harry is cautioned against using its power when he claims the location as a sanctum.]]
86* ''Literature/DungeonEngineer'': Presumably the "field lines" mentioned like a hypothesis in chapter seven:
87--> What’s more, mana wells are hot research topics. Discovering what causes them and if the phenomena could be artificially initiated is the holy grail of science. There are many opposing theories that try to explain their existence: perhaps they might occur wherever there are plentiful tiny magicite particles embedded in the surrounding crust, they could be artificial precursor constructs, or they may even be associated with the elusive magic field lines. No one really knows.
88* The conspiracy theory in ''Literature/FoucaultsPendulum'' assumes that [[spoiler:UsefulNotes/TheKnightsTemplar]] learned to harness the power of the ley lines.
89* In ''Literature/GoodOmens'', Anathema is investigating the Ley Lines and finds they have been moving. They're forming a spiral around the hometown of the AntiChrist.
90* In the ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' novels, ley-lines are described as rivers of LifeEnergy that bleed off from all living things and "flow" to another plane. When two ley-lines cross, the junction becomes a [[PlaceOfPower node]]. Further, it requires [[PowerLevels certain magical potential]] to use ley-lines and nodes. Only a Master can safely tap a ley-line; only an Adept can safely use a node. [[spoiler:The ancient magic upheaval called "the Cataclysm" and its modern-day rebound, called the Mage-Storms, both have the effect of destroying ''all'' ley-lines and nodes, save for a few that are shielded from the effects, and it takes years for them to re-establish themselves.]]
91* Another Creator/DianaWynneJones novel that uses the concept of ley lines is ''The Homeward Bounders'', where they're tied up with the position and behaviour of the Bounds.
92* Ley lines in the ''Literature/KateDaniels'' books are fast-moving currents of magic. It's impossible to touch them safely, as any living thing will be sheared off at the knees. However, the ley lines will drag anything along with them, so they're used as transportation. "Ley taxis" are cheap wooden platforms stacked up at every ley point, which people use to ride on.
93* ''Literature/LegendsAndLattes'': Viv builds her coffee shop on a confluence of ley lines to draw power to the Scalvert's Stone, a magical artifact she hopes will help to ensure the shop's prosperity.
94* These play an important role in Creator/ThomasPynchon's ''Mason & Dixon'' -- it is, after all, a MindScrew about surveyors.
95* ''Moon of Gomrath'' (by Creator/AlanGarner); the young hero has to follow a ley line in specific circumstances to find [[FlowerFromTheMountaintop a magical plant]].
96* In both ''Literature/TheMoonOfGomrath'' and its preceding book ''Literature/TheWeirdstoneOfBrisingamen'', leylines are places of power where things of the Dark may not go. Characters use this to advantage to fight against capture or death inflicted by the witch, the Morrigan. The Rev. Watkins' book ''The Old Straight Track'' is referenced and quoted from in ''The Moon of gomrath'' and is used to drive the plot at a crucial point in the book.
97* A major plot driver in ''The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years On'', one of the ''Literature/SorceryAndCecelia'' novels by Creator/PatriciaCWrede and Creator/CarolineStevermer.
98* Robert Asprin's ''Literature/MythAdventures'' series features these as necessary for casting almost any magic, though in emergencies mages can draw off personal reserves that they've stored from the ley lines. In ''Myth-ing Persons'' Skeeve has to go into an {{Uberwald}}ean dimension that has virtually no ley lines; his abilities suffer accordingly, while the natives have grown up with this level of power and are skilled enough to make use of it.
99* The ''Literature/PointHorror Unleashed'' title ''House of Bones'' features these. When charting the properties owned by Mr Vane [[spoiler: (which have a nasty habit of absorbing people into their walls and leaving nothing more than a skeleton behind)]] they notice they form a straight line that also goes through Stonehenge, revealing the fact they are all built on ley lines. [[spoiler: It turned out Mr Vane made a [[DealWithTheDevil deal with a druid doctor]] in which he would sacrifice people to the long dead druids within the lines in exchange for immortality.]]
100* ''Literature/TheRavenCycle'' is set in a small town located on top of a ley line, which may or may not be preserving the the body of a dead Welsh hero.
101* They appear in at least one of the ''Literature/SagaOfRecluce'' novels by L.E. Modesitt Jr., when the heroes are attempting to learn how to handle both Order and Chaos magic. Otherwise, they are hardly ever mentioned, you can read several of the novels and not even know they exist. Most mages don't know about them.
102* In ''Literature/TheSecretsOfTheImmortalNicholasFlamel'', ley lines are used for magical travel. Hubs used by the main characters include Ojai, Paris, Stonehenge, and Mount Tamalpais.
103* The cities in the world of ''Literature/ShamanBlues'' and ''Literature/TheGirlFromTheMiraclesDistrict'' are full of ley lines, which can be tapped for free magic power and provide "highways" for ghosts to move along without wasting precious energy. They can also, unfortunately, be poisoned by large amounts of black magic in the area, influencing magical creatures around them.
104* Played straight with ''Literature/TheShipThatWon''.
105* In Spider Robinson's ''Literature/StarSeed'' an Australian Aborigine is going into space for the purpose of tracking the Songlines, which are her culture's version of Leylines. See Real Life below.
106* Implied in ''Literature/TheSwordOfTruth'', where towers composing an ancient barrier are built at seemingly random distances from each other, from several yards to several miles. As a sorceress explains, power lines in the earth itself were used to choose the spots.
107[[/folder]]
108
109[[folder:Live Action TV]]
110* They rarely mention them, but ley lines exist in ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}''. The Halliwell house is built on a Nexus, which is why it's so magical.
111* The stone circle in ''Series/ChildrenOfTheStones'' gets its power from ley-lines.
112* In ''Series/{{Lost}}'', the island is suggested to move along these lines, as well as having centers of geomagnetic energy.
113* In the ''Series/LostGirl'' episode ''Caged Fae'', it's mentioned that a prison is build upon a ley line because they are potent geothermal currents that strip the Fae prisoners of their powers.
114* ''{{Series/QI}}'' ridiculed the theory in one episode. A map of England was shown apparently with the familiar straight lines meeting at several nodes. Creator/StephenFry revealed that it was a map showing the location of Woolworths stores, which formed the "nodes".
115* Beacon Hills in ''Series/TeenWolf'' apparently has similar energy currents running through it, although they are not in straight lines.
116[[/folder]]
117
118[[folder:Music]]
119* Music/JethroTull's song "Cup of Wonder" namechecks Alfred Watkins's book:
120-->For the May Day is the great day, sung along '''the old straight track'''\
121And those who ancient lines did ley will heed the song that calls them back
122[[/folder]]
123
124[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
125* ''TabletopGame/BlueRose'' has [[PlaceOfPower wellsprings]], where magic bursts forth and can be tapped by arcanists, and ley lines (also called streams) connecting the wellsprings to each other, which can also be tapped for power, but their main use is locating where wellsprings are, as their own power is very little compared to the springs.
126* ''TabletopGame/TheDarkEye'' also has leylines along with other forms of FunctionalMagic.
127* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': [[FantasyKitchenSink as usual]], has almost anything at least as an option:
128** In the ''TabletopGame/{{Birthright}}'' setting realm magic involves using and even ''creating'' ley lines to access remote [[PlaceOfPower sources]]. This is necessary because most human wizards live in cities, but human settlement screws up the magical energy.
129** In the third edition, characters can accesses earth nodes to gain powers. Also certain magical locations give temporary abilities when used right.
130* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' has them, though they're called dragon lines because it was the reptilian race known as the [[DinosaursAreDragons Dragon Kings]] who first mapped them out. In ''Exalted'', it's not so much that their course is determined by the landscape as that the landscape is determined by their course; Essence, as the term implies, literally makes up ''everything''. Geomantic weapons such as the Thousand-Forged Dragons, which can warp, drain, or even destroy a region's dragon lines beyond repair, are thus among the most potent weapons of mass destruction in the setting.
131* ''TabletopGame/IronKingdoms'': At least three factions use ley lines.
132** Iosan (elven) warjacks (called "myrmidons") used by the Retribution of Scyrah are not steam-powered like human warjacks. Instead they have an arcane accumulator which collects and stores magical energy from nearby ley lines.
133** The druids of the Circle of Oroboros have been known to perform some of their rituals at ley line nexi.
134** The Convergence of Cyriss makes the most extensive use of ley lines, as they are trying to move and reshape the ley lines and nexi in order to get their goddess Cyriss to manifest on the world of Caen.
135* ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'' has ley lines as currents of supernatural energy which conduct resonance (the overriding concepts of a person, place, or thing; e.g. a hospital could have a strong resonance of healing or sickness), and their course is influenced by the local landscape. Nodes are where ley lines intersect, and where their resonances mix and intensify. Mages can harness nodes for free energy. Ley lines and nodes tend to influence the resonance of the areas they pass through. [[PlaceOfPower Hallows]] which occur within nodes tend to be heavily tainted by the resonance, which makes the {{Mana}} less suited for mages.
136* These are cards in ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''. If you have one in you opening hand, you can start the game with it in play (the battle takess place on that spot). You can also bring them out at any other time, but you have to pay for it like any other enchantment.
137* Ley lines are at the heart of ''{{TabletopGame/Rifts}}''(and to a lesser extent other Palladium games), where they form the repository of a planet’s [[{{Mana}} Potential Psychic Energy]]. In the backstory, the [[WorldWreckingWave Great Cataclysm]] was caused when a nuclear war took place on the [[WhenThePlanetsAlign Winter Solstice, during a planetary alignment]], feeding vast amounts of PPE.into the ley lines. This overload set off natural disasters across the planet, causing further fatalities and pouring ''more'' energy into the ley lines, until finally the world was left in ruins. In the game's [[AfterTheEnd present day]], the still-overcharged Ley Lines are like massive walls glowing so bright, they can be seen from space at night. They are such a noteworthy source of power that the average magician is known as a Ley Line Walker(one of their best-known powers is the ability to AirWalk or float along Ley lines). Where two or more Ley lines converge, they create a Nexus. Nexus points are where the eponymous Rifts(rips in reality that are basically wild portals to and from other dimensions) appear. Three Nexus points interconnected by Ley Lines form a Triangle, where weird things can happen. Like [[TheBermudaTriangle the one by Bermuda]]. It is further stated that Ley Lines also extend into open space, which is why planetary alignments can cause increased activity on terrestrial ley lines. The Great Cataclysm on Earth also caused ley lines to erupt on the Moon and Mars, and possibly other planets, as well as causing intense solar flare activity. In the [[SpaceOpera Three Galaxies]] sub-setting, interstellar ley lines are used extensively by magic-using civilizations (e.g. SpaceElves) to travel through space without the need for conventional technology (although they use a lot of [[{{Magitek}} techno-wizardry)]].
138* ''TabletopGame/{{Rolemaster}}'' campaign setting ''Shadow World''. Essence Flows follow paths around the planet Kulthea and can be tapped for magical power by touching them.
139* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' has Ley Lines called [[http://pl.shadowrun.wikia.com/wiki/Manalines_and_Power_Sites "Mana Lines."]] In Asia they're called "dragon lines." Places where they cross (and greatly increase ambient mana) are called "power sites."
140* ''TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem'' has them, primarily used by the Covenant called Ordo Dracul, and referred by them as "Dragon Lines".
141* Ley Lines are somewhat important in ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'': For starters, the High Elves use them to keep their island home afloat, and disturbing the stones that mark them tends to have really bad consequences (a stray Goblin warlord and his shaman almost sunk the continent, which considering its status as a CosmicKeystone would have been a Bad Thing.) The Slann also use them to communicate with each other, unfortunately for them they had to move their continent around a bit, which meant that their cities in Lustria and the Southlands are no longer aligned, which means they cannot communicate. This leads to redundancy at times, such as hitting the Cathayan fleet with two hurricanes.
142** The cities of the Lizardmen were designed to capture the Winds of Magic, with each city located at a nexus of multiple streams. Their pyramid-temples capture the magic in vast amounts for the Slann and their armies to use.
143[[/folder]]
144
145[[folder:Video Games]]
146* In ''VideoGame/BrokenSwordTheSleepingDragon'', the villainous cult wishes to harness the power of the Ley Lines for their own nefarious purposes.
147* There's an exploration badge in ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' that mentions Ley Lines. Paragon City is referred to more than once as a place Ley Lines cross, which is used as the explanation for why so many magical things happen there. The city zone Dark Astoria lies on top of a Ley Line, it is theorized that some of the ghosts that can be seen walking around in the fog may be visions of people in an alternate universe where the place was not taken over by Banished Pantheon cultists and their zombie servants.
148* ''VideoGame/{{Control}}'': The Federal Bureau of Control has discovered numerous ley lines converging on the [[EldritchLocation Oldest House]], which is speculated to be tied to the various anomalies attracted to and found in the building.
149* In ''VideoGame/DestroyAllHumans 3'', according to the "Lunarian Church of Alientology", they are "invisible rivers of mystical energy", and they want to build where the ley lines cross in order to use them to communicate interstellar distances with their minds.
150* ''VideoGame/DungeonsOfDredmor'' has an ability tree in which you specialize in the usage of ley lines, who increases mana and mana regeneration.
151* ''VideoGame/DungeonSiegeII'' refers to Ley Lines.
152* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series has a similar concept as part of its primary CreationMyth. During the creation of Mundus, the mortal world, by the [[OurGodsAreDifferent et'Ada]] ("original spirits") who took part in its construction (later known as the Aedra), metaphysically powerful "joint points" were created in reality. However, the act of creation signficantly weakened the et'Ada who took part and they felt tricked by the deity Lorkhan, who came up with the idea of the mortal world. At one of these joint-points, the surviving et'Ada constructed the Adamantine [[TheTower Tower]] (or "Ada-Mantia") on Balferia Island in Iliac Bay to hold "Convention," during which they decided to [[GodIsDead punish Lorkhan]] for his treachery during creation. It is also said to be where linear time first began, before spreading throughout the rest of creation. The Adamantine Tower remains on Balferia, and though the exterior is weathered, the interior remains almost exactly the same -- a single great, seamless, impregnable spire of ageless metal which is at least half-embedded in the ground. It is entirely smooth, except for one point known as the "Argent Aperture" which is thought to be a door. This door has a lock of thirteen slowly counter-rotating rings and, despite the best efforts of mages and scholars throughout history, has never been opened. It is powered by the "Zeroth-Stone", which is said to cultivate "creatia" indirectly to alter the "terrestrial domain" around the Tower. During the earliest days following creation, the ancient [[{{Precursors}} Aldmer]] (ancestors of all of the modern [[OurElvesAreDifferent races of Mer/Elves]]) discovered a means to construct their own towers at these "joint-points". By building their own Tower, each group could create their own narrative, distinct but equal to those around it. Details on these constructed Towers can be found on the TheTower trope page.
153* The ritual known as the Holy Grail (from ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'') works by using a giant mana circle to collect mana from the two foci of leylines under Fuyuki, and then using this mana to summon Heroic Spirits. In the ending of ''Literature/FateZero'', [[spoiler:Kiritsugu uses explosives to damage part of the leyline so the circle will eventually be obliterated by an earthquake before the Fifth Holy Grail War can occur. [[ForegoneConclusion Too bad the Fourth didn't end normally...]]]]
154* The Crystal Lines in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI''. They're easy to spot, considering the [[{{Precursors}} Zilart]] essentially encased them in cement.
155** There's also the leypoint in Wajaom Woodlands. Players can complete a quest to receive a ring that teleports them to that point that involves them getting ''struck by lightning.''
156** Leylines are arguably the underlying concept of Draw Points in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', which are depicted as fissures in the ground that stream with magical energy, not unlike a natural gasline.
157* Black Mages in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' can conjure their own leylines that boost their spell casting speed as long as they're standing in it. They also have another ability that lets them instantly zip towards their placed leylines, which is very handy when you're fighting enemies that can target you or spam AOE attacks.
158* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' features the Dragon Vein mechanic, where any dragon-blooded (read: royal) character standing on a tile with [[PlaceOfPower streams of glowing energy]] can use their turn to alter the terrain and conditions on the map. Upon using it, a silhouette based on one of TheFourGods appears on-screen, hinting it might be akin to the same Dragon Veins in Feng Shui. In-game myth explains this as a side effect of having the blood of the god figure who shaped the world in its very beginning.
159* ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'''s Ley Line Blossoms, which spawn after Ley Line Outcrop events and boss battles are completed, yield Mora and Character EXP materials. Domains, where players can farm for items to upgrade their weapons and characters, also have Ley Line trees that drop loots in exchange for Resins.
160* In ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'' ley lines carry magical energy throughout Tyria. Highly magical structures, such as the waypoint system and Thaumanova Reactor, are built alone the lines. They become a major plot point after Scarlett Briar disrupted one in Lion's Arch, waking the Elder Dragon Mordremoth. This led to the eventual reveal that the Elder Dragons [[spoiler:serve as a pressure release system for the ley lines. Without them periodically consuming excess magic from the ley lines, it will build up to dangerous levels]].
161* ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic 4'' has those. Sacred Groves are created at the crossings of those. Conveniently, there can be always at least one such crossing in each Preserve, seeing as a grove can theoretically be built in any of such cities when it isn't forbidden by map settings. The groves boost a hero's maximum mana count permanently by 3. Additionally, Gauldoth [[BodyHorror the Half-Dead's]] campaign (the necropolis faction one) involves opening a portal to another realm, where Gauldoth's master Kalibarr is being held prisoner. That is done by destroying the Angel's Blade at a giant nexus point of the same kind of lines, which is described in words as a place where many rainbow-coloured lines meet, visible to a practitioner of Nature magic like Gauldoth. On the map, it looks like many other evil-styled Quest Gates, though.
162* The eponymous railway of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks'' are not only rails for the royal trains, they also act as the Ley Lines that channel the energy of the Spirits and keep Malladus imprisoned within the Tower of Spirits.
163* The world of ''VideoGame/NexusClash'' is riddled with Ley Lines powered by Good, Evil or Arcane energy. They can be absorbed to recharge one's ManaMeter, but Good and Evil ley lines may harm those that they deem unworthy.
164* In ''VideoGame/ShadowHeartsCovenant'', has ley lines serve as a very minor piece of the plot on the second disc.
165* While not explicitly used in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsZ'', but [[SignificantAnagram Asakim]] [[OriginalGeneration Dowin's]] HumongousMecha Shurouga can execute its strongest attack "Ley Buster", which turns into a [[RammingAlwaysWorks crash attack]] generated by a circle of seemingly magical energy. The above picture is even given a ShoutOut as part of the "[[SphereOfDestruction Spheroid of Destruction]]", which is in turn a reference to [[SignificantAnagram Masaki]] [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWars2 Andoh's]] "[[GeniusBonus Akashic Buster]]" attack, named for [[AkashicRecords a similar concept]].
166* ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria'' (and by extension ''VideoGame/TalesOfZestiria'', which ''Berseria'' is a distant prequel to) calls them "the earthpulse." A good chunk of the game involves hunting down nexuses, called earthpulse points. On a few occasions the cast actually enters the earthpulse physically.
167* The ''VideoGame/WildArms'' series seems to alternate between having one or multiple ley lines running through Filgaia.
168** It is mentioned directly in ''VideoGame/WildArms1'' and ''VideoGame/WildArms3'', with the first game [[BlindIdiotTranslation mistranslating]] it as "Ray Line" (although this was fixed in the [[VideoGameRemake remake]]).
169** Ley points appear in ''VideoGame/WildArms4'', ''VideoGame/WildArms5'' and ''VideoGame/WildArmsXF''. They are identified with one of each of the elements and affect the element of spells or [[SummonMagic summons]] used from on top of them.
170** In ''VideoGame/WildArms2'', they're mentioned as part of the plan to trap an EldritchLocation inside a "Mana Prison". However, they're again mistranslated, this time as "Ralines" and "Raypoints".
171* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'':
172** Many notable locations, such as Draenei cities on Draenor and Night Elf cities on Azeroth, are built on ley nodes. Karazhan is highly spooky because every single ley line on Azeroth passes through it.
173** Before his defeat the deranged Dragon Aspect of Magic tried to redirect all ley lines to his base, the Nexus, where he could toss the magic "safely" into space in a misguided attempt to protect the world.
174** The Nightborne and Nightfallen have networks built throughout Azsuna and Suramar to control and redirect ley lines. A key part of the Nightfallen quest line is redirecting them to feed the tree which cures their magical addiction.
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178* The physics of magic in ''Webcomic/ElfBlood'' dictate that magical energy is fluid, and flows along tidal pathways that essentially act as leylines. When two or more of them meet, they push up against each other and form a lofty PlaceOfPower that is a valuable resource for mages.
179* While it hasn't influenced the plot, one annotation on ''Webcomic/IrregularWebcomic'' pointed out that moving vast numbers of ancient artifacts to the world's museums would turn them into immensely powerful nodes.
180* The Webcomic/{{Sins}} once used the term to define the spot where they built the temples to draw energy from. Rhett quips that this makes the embodiment of evil hippies.
181* Ley lines, and nexuses where they cross, are mentioned early in ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater''. Black Mage is a living nexus.
182* In ''Webcomic/TalesOfTheQuestor'', Ley Lines are discussed quite often when talking about their system of magic, known as 'lux.'
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186* Nikki Reilly from the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'' can tap ley lines to increase her power. Her dependence on them comes back to bite her in her combat final, where fallout from a previous fight in the same arena has caused all the local ley lines to become temporarily messed up.
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189[[folder:Real Life]]
190* As mentioned in the description, there are a handful of real-world beliefs that use the term. Whether the lines are created by what is built on them, or things are built on the line over the centuries because it is there, tends to vary.
191* In traditional Australian Aboriginal belief systems there are "songlines", which are sort of equivalent to ley lines. The simplest way to describe them would be spiritually significant paths through the land between places like water holes, hunting grounds, or sacred places. These paths (sometimes hundreds of kilometres long) and the landmarks along them are memorised as long, complex, extremely sacred songs that tell the story of how they were formed by gods or totem ancestors, such as the Rainbow Serpent.
192* When a newer religion (most notably Christianity, for its tendency to convert natives) entered an area, the place the church would end up being built was usually either on the very site of the old worship, or if they didn't convert, a secondary spot of importance was chosen, usually a mountaintop or the center of a grove of trees (in the UK and northernmost Spain, often yew trees, which are believed to have been sacred to the druids -- this is the reason many old churches have a yew or two in the grounds; being very long-lived, the yews were there first), or somewhere else that was considered naturally vigorous, lucky, or both. Because of this, older churches in Glastonbury, Somerset, have problems with militant New Agers trying to "reclaim the sacred places for paganism". The senior vicar at one church says this is a regular problem and points out, not unreasonably, that whatever his church might have previously been, for over a thousand years it has been a Christian place of worship and he'd be pleased if people respected this. Muslims do this too, if [[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/The_Temple.html this article is any judge.]]
193* Feng Shui has a similar concept known as Dragon Lines (or Dragon Breath/Veins/Pulse, depending on the source and translation), vessels through which the planet's [[LifeEnergy Chi]] flows. They're usually depicted as more ubiquitous and varied than ley lines.
194* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telluric_current Telluric current]] is the Earth's natural electricity that flows underground and underwater. There's also [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_noise White noise]] (aka static) experienced when an analog radio or TV picks up radio frequencies from the atmosphere.
195* The electrical power-grid could be considered a man-made version; because there are good and bad places to ground, for the flow of electricity. The book ''Cross Currents'' notes that widespread human electrical systems are such a recent occurrence that the interaction with the Earth's natural electrical systems (even its magnetic field) could be affected in ways that may take centuries to understand fully. This may be a problem as we depend on the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_magnetic_field geomagnetic field]] to protect us from solar and cosmic radiation, and we've already seen what can happen when chemical [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_depletion pollution interacts with the Ozone layer.]]
196* The internet is probably the only real-life example that fits this trope quite well. Take a look at the [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Internet_map_1024.jpg map of the internet.]] If you tap into the points where nodes meet, such as an internet backbone, your internet speed will shoot through the roof.
197* Watkins' argument that "in ancient times when Britain was very densely forested, people built roads in geographically convenient straight lines" falls down on several inconvenient truths in civil engineering. Not even the Romans could manage to build long straight roads for very long distances. You can clear a path through forests with enough effort, but you still need to cross ranges of hills and mountains. An absolutely straight road over hills or mountains would be so steep as to be unclimbable. You need to (i) aim at natural gaps or low passes between hills; or (ii) compromise by having your road follow the shallowest possible contour up and around rising ground. You also need to aim your road at the best and most practical places to cross rivers. And these are rarely located on a convenient straight line between the places you want to connect. A moment's reflection will tell you curves, bends and deviations, however slight, are inevitable in the best-surveyed roadway. And in countries where ''really'' long straight roads are possible -- Australia or the continental USA -- there's a subtler problem. For roads approaching a thousand miles long, the curvature of the earth itself means the engineers '''must''' build in a bend or two at some point. Or else the long straight road between Denver and Los Angeles that looks so good on paper will miss its target by quite a long way if built to that tantalising straight line. Paper is flat: the planet isn't.
198* To a cursory glance at the map, the A47 road, a significant highway crossing [[UsefulNotes/EastAnglia the flattest part of England]] and connecting Norwich to Yarmouth, is straight as an arrow. If you wanted an example of a possible ley line on the map of England, you might begin here. But the problem is -- it isn't. Generations of boy racers, in big powerful cars and motorbikes, have come to grief at a place called Acle. Here, people wanting to see what a motorbike can do at over a hundred on a long straight road have had the [[OhCrap moment of realisation]] that at Acle, it's not as straight as they think. There is a very slight but significant curve. [[note]]See above about how the curvature of the world affects otherwise long straight roads[[/note]]People travelling too fast have run out of road, and buried themsevles in the fields beyond.
199* Historian Graham Robb, in his book ''[[https://www.thevintagenews.com/2015/11/12/roman-roads-were-actually-built-by-the-celts-according-to-a-book/ the Ancient Path,]]'' is a modern supporter of Watkins who claims to have found evidence for the proposition that the ancients built long straight roads, arguing that the Romans were simply improving on tracks and roads already created by peoples they conquered, especially in Britain.
200* Due to the complex way radio waves spread out and interact with the world, radio based communication can seem like they behave like leylines. Case in point, you could literally stand in one spot and get excellent reception with say your cellphone or your laptop, but you can step five feet away and the reception or quality of the network drops to basically zero, then you can step another two feet away and suddenly you have excellent reception again.
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