World Note - Ley Lines and 'Tap'

"Why does it have to be so noisy?" 

The grubby dwarf pointed his stained kitchen knife at the brass contraption. 

"Why do I have to pick hair out of my soup?  I imagine the answer is because that's how it is made." 

Keymeister was in no mood to deal with the cook's curiosity.  The brass focus was not picking up a signal from the Great Clockwork.  Despite the dullness of the topaz heartstone, the cogs of the device were clinking along just fine.  Being at sea, wind wasn't a problem.  Keymeister adjusted the receivers, twisting them this way and that.  He tried crossing them and rotating the brass disks to try and target the nearest leyline.

"So how much as that thing worth?  Seems like you could have used the money for something better than an ugly ornament."

No longer pointing at Keymeister's contraption, the kitchen knife now worked on the seeds between the cook's remaining teeth.  Eventually, the topaz began to emanate a pulsing amber hue.  With it came a smile from the old dwarf.

"That's it... here, hold this just like that".

The cook set down his knife and held one of the brass receivers above his head.  As he reached upward, the pulsing amber light intensified.  Keymeister then pulled a handful of rings and various sized gemstones from his sleeves.  Carefully, he placed each into the empty space of the various brass disks attached to the focus.  There to the cook's amazement, they began to float and slowly turn within the gravity of the amber light.  For the first time, he was witnessing the source of magic.  Watching the light from the heartstone seep into the stones.  Glancing upward, he could faintly see the ripples of an active leyline above him.  Could feel its energy travel through him and into the receiver of the brass contraption.  For a little while, he was more than just a cook.  He was a wizard! 

But then he felt the fatigue in his arm and the strain in his back from holding the brass above his head.  As his arm lowered, the glow subsided.  He could no longer see the paths of power above him, no longer feel the Divine Syphon's energy flowing through him.  It all ended in a scattering of gemstones as the gravity of the topaz stone failed, dropping the trinkets to the deck. 

Keymeister sighed and thanked the cook for his assistance.  It was long enough, and the ship was sailing out of range.  With a groan and an assist from the cook's greasy hands, the old dwarf leaned over to recover the rings and gemstones.  They now pulsed with their own amber glow. 

"This should last us until we can find a more permanent tap"

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GAME NOTE:

Magic is not finite.  All magic users will have a pool that they pull spell points from.  Their caster level determines how much they can utilize each day, but as they recover spell points they must tap a greater source.  Throughout play, the characters must make arrangements to ensure that they have access to Divine Syphons or at least carry enough spellgems to act as temporary batteries of power.