Aether

Aether is commonly referred to in Amestria as the energy which powers all forms of magic. However it's actual meaning is far less straightforward. Aether as a whole is a field of energy that concentrates in areas of great physical energy. However it is not utilizable in its natural state, it must be charged with one of three states in order to be usable. The understanding of aether and it's applications have been the pursuit of many races and civilizations 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 pull on the aetherial field and attract any volume surrounding the attractor into it's area of influence. The majority of the volume of the aetherial field is concentrated around attractors and large voids are formed where no attractors reside. 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 tends to become more concentrated around the stars, planets, and the sun and are attracted to locations on planets where there is great physical energy such as heat, earthquakes, and lightning. Certain materials are known to attract or disperse aether, primarily certain special crystals and gemstones. While attractors deform the volume of the aetherial field and cause it to be more dense in certain locations, this density is not to be confused with charge. The density of the aetherial field determines the maximum potential aetherial energy that can be charged and used in a given area.

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.

Static Aether

The first state of aether is static aether, and can best be described as an inert field of energy with no movement. This state is called static because the aether has no charge to it. The aetherial field is naturally in a static state, gets charged by sources of physical energy, then discharges it's energy over time eventually returning to the static state. The presence of static aether is essential to the casting of spells, without it there would be no aether to charge and use. When aetherial energy loses it's charge and transitions back into it's static state, if it is in an area with very low field density it will slowly travel towards the greatest attractors nearby. This energy can be used before it's out of range and is essential for utilizing magic in areas with low aetherial density.

Radiant Aether

The second state of aether is radiant aether, and can be visualized as energy travelling in a straight line. Radiant aether is a charged state capable of influencing light and shadows. Radiant aether is mainly produced naturally by the sun or other powerful sources of light. Vampires are agitated by radiant aether, and it effectively weakens them. This state of aether is the easiest to produce and is usually involved in the first spells that students of magic learn. Radiant aether naturally travels in straight lines but can be manipulated to travel in arcs, which is used in the creation of most complex constructs.

Resonant Aether

The third state of aether is resonant aether, and can be visualized as energy travelling in waves. Resonant aether can have different frequencies that change what it is able to influence, it is also the most common type of charged aether found naturally. The different frequencies of resonant aether can be ordered from highest to lowest based on the elements they influence at a given frequency.

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

Time and space manipulation also require radiant aether to manipulate. Sources of physical energy that produce or influence these elements also produce varying amounts of radiant aether of the same frequency as the element in question. Time and space do not produce any aetherial energy(that we know of), because they rely on composite charges to be influenced(requires two states of aether).

Chaotic Aether

The fourth and final state of aether is chaotic aether, and can be visualized as a swirling mass of energy with no particular direction or wave frequency. This charged form of aether is highly unstable and can destabilize the other charged states of aether, changing their direction or frequency. If other charged states of aether are exposed to chaotic aether for a sufficiently long amount of time, the other charged states 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 dealing with excessive amounts of this charged state of aether at all costs.

Interactions of Aether

Aether interacts with itself and the environment in many ways which can be dictated by certain aetheric laws.

Law of Conversion

A greater mass of charged aether will convert part of a smaller mass of aether that it intersects with. If the difference in mass between the two aethers is sufficiently large, the smaller mass of aether will be converted completely. Certain patterns and frequencies of radiant and resonant aether are more difficult to convert then others, and it is possible for two masses of aether to deflect each other. Chaotic aether has twice the energy per volume of radiant and resonant aether. Chaotic aether will quickly convert charged non-chaotic aether into chaotic aether. It is possible to dissipate chaotic aether with a sufficiently large radiant aether mass, however a large portion of the radiant energy will also become chaotic aether in the process. It is possible to convert chaotic energy into radiant or resonant aether with a sufficiently large mass of the respective aethers. The conversion mass must be eight times greater then the chaotic aether mass to fully convert the chaotic aether mass and due to the unstable nature of chaotic aether may result in the conversion mass instead being converted into chaotic aether.

Law of Interference

There are certain cases where a greater mass of aether may amplify a lesser mass of aether. Primarily this applies to chaotic aether temporarily amplifying the power of other states of aether before they are converted into chaotic aether. Certain patterns of radiant aether or frequencies of resonant aether can amplify the effect of other patterns or frequencies that are harmonious with each other. Likewise a mass of aether may disrupt another mass of aether. Aether which is not cohesive to a given construct is considered radical aether.

Law of Friction

All aether will slowly discharge upon contact with static aether. Higher densities of static aether will accelerate the discharge process. In a high density aetherial field, a larger mass of aether must be used in order to last a similar amount of time as a lesser mass of aether would in a low density aetherial field. The rate of discharge is influenced by the ratio of static or radical aether to charged cohesive aether.

Law of Capacity

There is a limit to how much aether can be charged in a given area, this is determined by how much static aether is present. If all the static aether has already been converted into charged aether, charged aether can no longer be created in the given area until some aether discharges back into it's static state.

Law of Cohesion

Differing states, patterns, and frequencies of aether can be used to reinforce each other and form a construct. A construct is an intentional arrangement of aetherial masses designed to work together. It is entirely possible for sufficiently advanced combinations to allow for a self sustaining spell that can consume charged aether to maintain it's integrity. Masses of aether which reinforce themselves are considered cohesive aether, and any external aether which is not cohesive to the construct is considered radical aether. Other constructs are considered radical to a given construct unless designed to absorb or integrate them. Constructs can be integrated together to form more complex constructs that are modular and semi-cohesive. Semi-cohesive in this case means that the two or more masses can be joined or severed without causing damage to one or the other.

Law of Mind

Aether can be directly charged or influenced by concentrated thought. It is unknown whether it is the power of intent caused by thought or the intervention of an external force due to thought which causes the aether to be influenced. Certain crystalline structures can store and actuate energy potential without draining the user's stamina. It costs more mental stamina to empower static aether then it does to manipulate charged aether, which is commonly used to avoid stamina drain. The exception is chaotic aether, there has been no discovered mind able to reorder chaotic aether directly into a different state. It is theorized that it would require an infinitely complex mind to bring order to chaotic aether. If a mind directly empower aether into a charged state, their stamina will be depleted by a rate which increases for larger masses of aether manipulated. Intense training can decrease but never eliminate the stamina drain from the user for directly empowering aether into a charged state. It requires less energy to manipulate radiant aether travelling in a direction closer to the desired path then it is one farther from the desired path. It requires less energy to manipulate resonant aether close to the desired frequency then it is to manipulate radiant aether that is distant in frequency.

Law of Element

Elemental magic can only be cast if the element is present. This is due to the fact that the aetherial energy of the spell can only influence elements, not create them out of nothingness. There are exceptions to this rule. Lightning, Fire, and Wind can be cast wherever there is air, in some cases lightning can be cast without air. Time and space can be cast anywhere as these elements are omnipresent.

Law of Chaos

Charged aether of a certain pattern or frequency can be influenced by physical energy sources which do not produce the same native pattern or frequency aether, this is theorized to be the reason behind naturally occurring spells and semi-sentient phenomena. This may also explain the formation of sentient phenomena.

Manipulation of Aether

The art of manipulating aether, otherwise known as casting spells or performing magic is an ancient practice that many civilizations have developed over countless millennia. All spells revolve around creating sequences and patterns of different kinds of aether, which are unified into a construct. A construct is a sequence of said combinations which works together to achieve a specific purpose. Constructs which were created naturally by the Law of Chaos are considered anomalies, while constructs which were constructed intentionally are called spells. More complex spells generally consist of more intricate combinations of aether and or the semi-cohesion of multiple constructs into a greater construct. Each layer of intricacy in a construct exponentially increases the difficulty of successfully creating it. If a mistake is made or formation of the complete construct is interrupted, the construct may self destruct due to instability which can cause anything from minor annoyances to massive explosions depending on the magnitude and function of the construct.

-todo change and integrate this- On very rare occasion these forms of ether can combine to form sentient or semi-sentient masses of ether. Most ether that gains self-awareness is semi-sentient, but with some careful guidance or pure luck a fully sentient mass can be created. The nature of this mass depends of the types and combinations of ether used to form it, and it propogates it’s existence by consuming active ether near it. Semi-sentient ether usually takes on the form of etherial animals, however if it is tainted by enough chaotic ether it can become a monster. Fully sentient ether is what mortals refer to as fairies and this is the form that most fully sentient ether masses take. If fully sentient ether is tainted by chaotic ether, then the fairy will become a dark fairy. Dark fairies are not necessarily evil, but chaotic as their energy makeup is constantly changing. Most of the time this makes them appear insane or mad, and often compells them to do evil acts. The empathy of fairies can easily be shifted or changed by chaotic ether.