Aether

Aether is the energy which powers all forms of magic used in Amestria, however such a description does the aetherial arts little justice. Aether is like a static field of energy which is attracted to areas of great physical energy. However static aether alone has no potential, in order for it to do something it must be in one of three charged states. The practice of manipulating the aetherial field by charging it then using it has been the pursuit of many since the beginning of time.

The Aetherial Field

The aetherial field is a static field of energy that is uniform throughout the universe in it's non-influenced state. There is a specific immeasurable volume of aether for any given point in the field's non-influenced state. However, sources of physical energy known as attractors will tug on the aetherial field and collect a volume of aetherial energy surrounding the attractor into it's area of influence. The majority of the volume of the aetherial field is concentrated around attractors, large voids reside where there are no attractors. Stronger and larger attractors pull a larger portion of volume then smaller, weaker attractors. If a strong attractor is close to a weak attractor it will siphon the potential volume that the weaker attractor could have accumulated until an equilibrium is formed between all the nearby attractors relative to their respective size and strength.

As a general rule of thumb, the aetherial field becomes more concentrated around celestial bodies and is attracted to locations on Amestria where there is great physical energy such as heat, earthquakes, and lightning. Certain materials are known to attract or disperse aether, primarily special crystals and gemstones. While attractors control the amount of aether in an area that can be worked with, the aether is still in a static state and must be charged in order to be used.

States of Aether

Aether comes in four states, three of them are considered a "charged" state and can be used to cast spells and is capable of directly influencing the environment. All charged aether in a natural state will slowly charge surrounding static aether into the same state as the charged aether in small amounts, the initial charged aether slowly losing energy but gaining volume until all the aether involved becomes static again. Spells are usually designed to control charged aether to prevent this natural effect from happening.

Static Aether

The first state of aether is static aether, and is best described as aether's natural and uncharged state. In this state aether cannot interact with anything and is basically just sitting there, waiting to turned into a more useful form. A portion of static aether naturally gets charged into a different state when it intersects with physical energy, and over time it loses it's charge and ends up being static again. If the charged energy was transported to a different area, it will return to it's original location once it loses it's charge. The presence of static aether is essential for casting spells, without it there would be no energy to charge and use.

Radiant Aether

The second state of aether is radiant aether, which is depicted as energy which travels in a straight line really fast. This state of aether can influence light and shadows, and is naturally produced by and follows sunlight and other powerful sources of light. This is the primary reason why vampires are agitated by sunlight. This form of aether is easy to produce and is usually the first kind of charged aether that magic students learn to utilize. While radiant aether usually travels in straight lines, it can be manipulated to travel in arcs by deliberate intervention such as when casting spells.

Resonant Aether

The third state of aether is resonant aether, which is depicted as energy which travels in waves. This charged state of aether has a whole range of frequencies, with each band affecting a different physical element (except light). Resonant aether is naturally produced in small amounts by various elements, with elements such as ice, water, wood, crystal, and metal producing very little energy and lightning, fire, and wind producing lots. The following shows the elemental frequency bands:

[High Frequency] Time - Lightning - Fire - Wind - Ice - Water - Wood - Earth - Crystal - Metal - Space [Low Frequency]

(To manipulate time and space, radiant aether must also be used. That is, if it is even possible at all.)

Chaotic Aether

The fourth and final state of aether is chaotic aether, which is depicted as a swirling mass of energy with no specific direction or frequency. This form of aether is highly unstable and can greatly affect other charged states of aether, altering their specific charge and thus their purpose. The chaotic aether will also amplify the energy of affected charged aether for a short time if it is lesser in proportion. If other charged states of aether are exposed to chaotic aether for long enough, it will be converted into chaotic aether. This state of aether is considered the greatest hazard of all magic and students of the aetherial arts are trained to avoid generating any at all costs.

The Aetherial Laws

The specific behavior of aether has been thoroughly observed throughout the ages and has been collected into a series of laws which magic students must learn.

The Law of Friction

All charged states of aether will lose energy upon passing through static aether, converting some of the static aether into charged aether in the process. The size of the static body proportional to the charged body will increase or decrease the speed at which the charged body is discharged.

The Law of Variance

There are cases in which a greater body of charged aether will amplify a lesser body of charged aether. Such an example is when chaotic aether temporarily amplifies bodies of lesser charged aether. Some charged aether constructs within spells can be harmonious and amplify the power of the given construct. There are also constructs that may cause dissonance and disrupt or decrease the power of said construct and also any intersecting constructs.

The Law of Conversion

A greater body of charged aether will convert a portion of a lesser body of charged or static aether into the configuration of the greater body. The difference in size is proportional, and if the difference is large enough a lesser body of charged aether will be converted completely. A construct may be designed to intentionally reduce or negate this law, allowing the construct to deflect opposing aether instead. Chaotic aether counts as twice the energy or size of any other proportionally similar charged aetherial body. In order to fully convert a mass of chaotic aether into another charged state, the applied energy must be eight times more powerful then the chaotic aether. If the conversion energy is not powerful enough, there will be residual chaotic aether left behind.

The Law of Potential

The amount of aether available to charge in a given area is limited by the amount of static aether in said area.

The Law of Cohesion

Several configurations of charged aether can be combined into a construct, which is an intentional arrangement of charged aetherial energies designed to fulfill a purpose. Several constructs may be combined into an array, which can fulfill purposes that a single construct cannot. Constructs may be designed to counter or mitigate the effects of other aetherial laws, with sufficiently complex arrays being fully self sufficient and using naturally occurring charged aether to sustain it's existence. Constructs and arrays must be designed to deflect foreign constructs and arrays unless during intentional integration, otherwise there could be unpredictable consequences from an intersection. Extracting a configuration from a construct will cause the construct to disperse, possibly with severe consequences. Constructs in an array can be safely detached without dispersing other constructs, but may cause problems if other constructs in the array are interdependent on said construct.

The Law of Element

Certain kinds of elemental magic require the element to be present in order to function. Water and ice require a liquid in order to work. Fire and lightning may be cast without the element present. Fire will only generate heat and no flame in the absence of air.

The Law of Mind

Aether can be charged and configured by concentrated thought, however the individual must be able to feel the aetherial field in order to manipulate it. Aether which is already charged is more easily modified then static aether which must be charged first. Certain crystals have been known to emulate the effects of the mind on aether, allowing for autonomous spell casting. Charging and configuring aether drains the stamina of the individual, and is proportional to the amount of aether being charged. A mind that is more sensitive to the aetherial field typically cannot empower the aether as much as a less sensitive mind but has greater control over the precise configuration of said aether. Training can reduce the stamina drain of charging and configuring aether, but will never completely eliminate it. There is no known mind that can directly manipulate chaotic aether, it is theorized it would take an infinitely complex mind to control chaotic aether (thus bringing order to chaos).

The Law of Chaos

It is possible for random interactions of aether or physical energy to reproduce the law of mind and create an artificial configuration of aether. Living things may also reproduce the law of mind by mere accident, allowing for the formations of artificial configurations. This phenomenon may explain the formation of anomalies and semi-sentient aetherial beings present in Amestria.

Casting Spells

Any intentional combination of charged aetherial energies is called a spell, if it was unintentional then it is called an anomaly. Any mistakes or interruptions made during the casting of a spell could result in the spell self destructing and causing anything from minor disturbances to massive explosions depending on the magnitude of the spell. Every layer of intricacy makes the spell harder to cast, with spells of extremely high complexity only being accessible by certain races.

Combined Spell Casting

There are certain cases where more then one person will participate in the creation of a spell. The complexity of such spells are exponentially limited by the number of people participating in the creation of the spell, as such only the most basic of spells can be cast by more then one person. It is more common for one person to cast a spell that is then fueled by constant applied aetherial power from multiple other people after the spell has been cast.

Spell Structure

Spells consist of configurations, constructs, and arrays.

Configurations

A configuration is a singular body of charged aetherial energy with a specific intentional state. For radiant aether this may be the speed or arc that it travels in, or for resonant aether it might be the frequency. Normally spells contain several configurations, which work together to produce an effect. Elemental magic is an exception to this rule, with the most basic of effects being producible with a single configuration but more complex effects requiring more then one configuration.

Constructs

A construct is a series of configurations that have been designed to work together. Almost all spells contain at least one construct, with many containing several. Constructs can range from very basic to very sophisticated in complexity. A single construct may fulfill several functions at once, but every additional function makes the construct more difficult to create. Constructs can be designed to mitigate or nullify the effects of certain aetherial laws by careful design, but will usually do so at the expense of more energy or lesser spell duration.

Arrays

Arrays are collections of constructs that have been designed to work together. The most advanced spells almost always use arrays, as it is easier then trying to combine everything into a single construct. Certain races are sensitive enough to the aetherial field to cast arrays that can create it's own additional constructs and modify existing ones based on a template design. It is theorized that arrays with the ability to create custom constructs not based on templates is possible, but well outside the skill level of any currently known disciple of magic.

Aetherial Affinity

A race's affinity for the aetherial field determines how hard it is for them to learn and practice magic. Affinity corresponds with the individual's ability to 'feel' the aetherial field, which is very important for being able to manipulate it in any way. Classes on the lower end of the spectrum have trouble feeling aether, forcing them to exert considerable effort into casting even the most basic of spells. Classes on the high end of the spectrum have a natural affinity for feeling and manipulating aether, which greatly accelerates their training and mitigates the strain on them when casting. Class S races can feel the aetherial field as if it were a sixth sense, enabling unrivaled aetherial detection and complex casting abilities, at the expense of more powerful spells being too overwhelming to their senses to sustain casting.

• Class F - Cannot feel the aetherial field at all, impossible to cast spells.
• Class D - Very weak sensitivity to the aetherial field, massive effort required to cast the most basic spells. Usually takes an extremely long time to train.
• Class C - Below average sensitivity to the aetherial field, able to cast simple spells while drawing a moderate amount of aether. Very extensive training is required.
• Class B - Average sensitivity to the aetherial field, can cast typical spells while drawing massive amounts of aether. Extensive training is required.
• Class A - Above average sensitivity to the aetherial field, can cast advanced spells while only drawing a moderate amount of aether. Moderate training is required.
• Class S - Extremely sensitive to the aetherial field, can cast the most advanced spells while only drawing a small amount of aether. Minimal training is required.

Spell Power

The power of a spell is divided into different tiers, each tier reflects how powerful the spell is.

• Power Tier I - A spell with enough power to influence small objects.
• Power Tier II - A spell with enough power to influence a single individual.
• Power Tier III - A spell with enough power to influence a small area.
• Power Tier IV - A spell with enough power to influence a reasonably sized area.
• Power Tier V - A spell with enough power to influence a very large area.
• Power Tier VI - A spell with enough power to destroy an entire civilization.
• Power Tier VII - A spell with enough power to destroy an entire continent.
• Power Tier VIII - A spell with enough power to destroy the entire world.
• Power Tier IX - A spell with enough power to destroy the world and all nearby celestial bodies.
• Power Tier X - A spell with enough power to destroy an entire galaxy.

More powerful spell tiers require more training and stamina in order to use. It is possible to die from trying to cast a spell which draws too much stamina.

Spell Control

The complexity of a spell is divided into different control tiers in relation to how difficult they are to create.

• Control Tier I - The caster can only manipulate one construct and a couple configurations.
• Control Tier II - The caster can only manipulate a few constructs and configurations.
• Control Tier III - The caster can manipulate a modest range of constructs and configurations.
• Control Tier IV - The caster can manipulate a decent range of constructs and configurations.
• Control Tier V - The caster can manipulate a respectable range of constructs and configurations.
• Control Tier VI - The caster can manipulate a massive range of constructs and configurations.
• Control Tier VII - The caster can create spells which are able to serve multiple purposes with advanced behaviors.
• Control Tier VIII - The caster can create sub-sentient spells which are in turn able to cast a limited range of predefined spells.
• Control Tier IX - The caster can create fully self aware spells which are in turn able to cast a limited range of predefined spells.
• Control Tier X - The caster can create fully self aware spells which are in turn able to cast any spell within their aetherial limit.

The Aetherial Arts

The practice of magic is divided into several branches. The formal term used to refer to all of the branches at once is "The Aetherial Arts".

Anima Branch

The anima branch is considered one of the most noble pursuits, being directly related to animating aetherial constructs. From self-writing pens to elemental golems, this branch is all about using aether to make objects and aetherial projections move or change on their own using a set of behaviors. Humanity has long considered this branch to be the safe alternative to the machina branch, but unfortunately lack the level of precise control needed to replicate similar results. The leading researchers in this field are all aesiri, as they are able to produce more complex spells and have devoted massive amounts of research to this field.

Elemental Golems

Elemental golems are not to be confused for machina. They usually only consist of simple materials like wood or clay, hence the "elemental" part of the name. Their power source is usually ambient aether or the initial aetherial power it is imbued with. All of a golem's behavior and movement is solely driven by aether, unlike machina which uses a far more complex approach. Elemental golems are the closest thing to emulating machina that is allowed within human society. Most elemental golems are in the possession of the aesiri, the only race that can make ones complex enough to do more then the most basic of tasks.

Defensive Branch

The defensive branch is primarily about countering spells and generating aetherial force fields. This branch is one of the most difficult to master, since countering spells is not only a very complex process but also requires a considerable amount of aetherial power. Spell countering involves casting a spell that is designed to sabotage and diffuse the energy of a specific opposing spell. Most of the time these spells have to be carefully designed with many redundant measures in place, since the opposing spell will likely be constructed using an unknown formula and thus all possibilities must be accounted for. Force fields are more straightforward and simply use a massive amount of aetherial power in order to deflect spells that intersect with it.

Infusion Branch

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Medical Branch

The medical branch is all about using aether to mend or modify living things. The process of manipulating individual cells in the body is a precise art, and races with a higher aetherial affinity level will be capable of more effective treatments then lower level races. Both humanity and the aesiri have considerable knowledge of this branch, as it is essential for maintaining military strength.

Elemental Branch

The elemental branch is all about the manipulation of basic elements, light manipulation is also included in this category. Anything from remotely lighting candles to generating a lightning bolt is covered by this branch. This branch is more popular among human civilizations then anyone else, since the branch relies heavily upon being able to draw large amounts of aetherial energy and is generally not very complex.

Trans-dimensional Branch

The trans-dimensional branch is a relatively new branch, and currently focuses solely on teleportation. The user will usually create a spell that manipulates the space element around them in order to appear somewhere nearby. This branch is very dangerous to the user and any teleportation distance further then 20 feet usually requires too much aetherial power to cast.

Temporal Branch

This is a theoretical branch of aetherial manipulation that is being extensively studied by the aesiri. Since the element of space can be manipulated then it should be possible to manipulate the element of time, or so various scholars believe. There are no spells developed in this branch as of yet, only an excessive amount of theoretical research which has yet to be proven.

Chaos Branch

(Forbidden)
This branch is all about the manipulation of chaotic aether, of which the concept of doing so is considered impossible by most. There has been speculation that it is possible by artificially simulating the law of mind using an extraordinarily complex spell. The only beings that are theorized to be able to cast such a spell are fairies and kitsune, both of which are not currently present within the roster of theoretical aetherialists.

Machina Branch

(Forbidden)
The branch of machina is all about infusing aetherial energy into machines and creating a hybrid construct that uses both physical and aetherial energy to operate. This branch was mastered by humanity in the exodian era, but would ultimately be lost after the fall of Exodia. There is still much modern scholars don't know about how machina actually worked beyond the basic premise. Highly illegal attempts to reproduce machina using exodian relics have been attempted in the past, but did not prove fruitful. Theoretical aetherialists believe that the key to the machina puzzle involves a power source that has of yet been undiscovered since the fall of Exodia.