Hot spot

Hot spots (also known as ley lines or power spots) are locations on Tempestas where the boundary between the material plane and an arcane plane is thinned, allowing easier access to the magic within.^[1] Hot spots are known to have an impact on the world where they form. One of the most well-documented examples of this is the influence of Paracelsus's creation hot spot on the biodiversity of the island, leading to life with traits otherwise thought impossible^[2], but another impact of hot spots is an increase in the rate at which humans (and other animals) are born with innate magic. One downside to the use of a hot spot's power is that if one is used too often in too short of time, the already-thinned membrane between planes is torn entirely, leading to a catastrophic eruption of untamed magic. This is near-universally a cataclysmic event-- a torn hot spot on Paracelsus resulted in the transformation of its researchers into bestial biomechanical abominations, and the charging and subsequent firing of the Mond de Tod tore open the destruction hot spot beneath the nation of Vruikt Barr, hastening the nation's obliteration and resulting in the continued presence of corrupted magic long after the initial attack.^[3]

↑ "You see, while there is magic in our world, most of it actually comes from other planes-- worlds made entirely of arcane energy. Hotspots-- or ley lines, among other colloquial names-- are places where the membranes that separate those worlds from ours grow thin. That makes it easier to draw upon, and even influences the life forms that live on top of them." (Mission Log, 12/29/2023)
↑ Solus nods at that. "Yes, the biodiversity... or at least, that's the official story. In truth, the biodiversity is just a symptom of the real reason: this island rests on a hotspot of creation magicks." (Mission Log, 12/29/2023)
↑ "But there's a drawback-- because the membrane is so thin there, if you draw on the magic too much, you risk rupturing it, and that's almost universally a cataclysmic event. We saw fifteen years ago what happens when a hot spot of destruction magic is torn apart, but creation magic is different. It doesn't destroy, it... well, creates. It changes. Life forms begin to bleed into each other, mashed together on a molecular level. And the body doesn't like a sudden change like that." (Mission Log, 12/29/2023)

[1] "You see, while there is magic in our world, most of it actually comes from other planes-- worlds made entirely of arcane energy. Hotspots-- or ley lines, among other colloquial names-- are places where the membranes that separate those worlds from ours grow thin. That makes it easier to draw upon, and even influences the life forms that live on top of them." (Mission Log, 12/29/2023)

[2] Solus nods at that. "Yes, the biodiversity... or at least, that's the official story. In truth, the biodiversity is just a symptom of the real reason: this island rests on a hotspot of creation magicks." (Mission Log, 12/29/2023)

[3] "But there's a drawback-- because the membrane is so thin there, if you draw on the magic too much, you risk rupturing it, and that's almost universally a cataclysmic event. We saw fifteen years ago what happens when a hot spot of destruction magic is torn apart, but creation magic is different. It doesn't destroy, it... well, creates. It changes. Life forms begin to bleed into each other, mashed together on a molecular level. And the body doesn't like a sudden change like that." (Mission Log, 12/29/2023)

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