The Spiritweb: Conduits (GAP)

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: Here's what most folks know about the Astral:
: A body can jump through a hole on one of the Outer Planes and scoot through a big tube (called a conduit, but most probably don't even know that) that leads to some other plane. The tube goes through the Astral Plane.
: Not only is this an extraordinarily minor facet of the Astral, it's an extraordinarily minor facet of conduits. First off, they can only go from an Outer Plane to the Prime and/or back again. They're an immaterial highway, a metaphysical network of pathways for unfathomable energies and immortal spirits. In short, conduits aren't made for your traveling pleasure, berk - they've got a higher purpose.
: - "General" (self-proclaimed) Amiil Facolas
One of the few actual "landmarks" on the Astral is the conduit network which flows through the plane, each astral tunnel twisting and whipping about like the angry tails of some huge god or the long, tendril-like feelers of an unearthly insect. If there are any "natural" features to the Silver Void, it is the network of conduits. In many ways, it would appear that the conduits provide a clue to the nature of the Astral, and perhaps the multiverse.
How's that? Well, it's like this: The conduit system works too well. It makes too much sense. That is, the astral conduits connect the Prime Material Plane to the Outer Planes. They connect the worshipers to the worshiped and the believers to the belief. This function's served literally. When a prime dies, his spirit travels through conduits to get to his rightful resting place where he serves as a petitioner on the appropriate plane. Conduits also conduct granted spells and abilities to priests from their powers. Some say they're even where prayers go to reach the right god. Without the conduits, would it all still work? Would the planes function as they do now, with powers, petitioners, and mortal worshipers? Nobody knows.
It all works out so well — it all fits together with the cosmology of the planes — a body's got to wonder if it was all made this way, for this purpose. And if that's true, who created it? Who conceived of such a cosmic-level plan for things? Is there some grand architect of the Astral — or of all the planes? No one knows, or at least those who do aren't talking (actually, plenty of berks claim to know the answer — just ask any faction member — but nobody can prove anything).
The fact that any berk can blunder into a conduit and find himself on another plane is perhaps only a side-effect of their true nature and purpose.