Aether

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Overview

Aether is a mystical energy that isn't fully understood. It seems to be most concentrated in outer space around the solar system and in the vicinity of Earth, although levels in Disparatus have been rising over the past several years. For reasons that aren't fully understood, and likely never will, Aether can be manipulated by exerting one's will. The degree of control varies from person to person, based both on natural talent and on practice. Few people can manipulate Aether in any significant manner without training, but all sentient species—apart from Disparatan Androids—seem to be capable of harnessing this energy to some extent with training and practice.

Not only can Aether be manipulated mentally, but certain alloys are capable of conducting, redirecting, and/or storing Aether—hence the high prevalence of magical technology (or "magitech") in many cultures of Earth. There is even a strange ore, Aetherstone, which seems to be a natural source of Aether. For example, the Druzhiyovan and Eisenstaaten Aetherships have large stores of Aetherstones to power the engines, and sails on the sides of the ship to draw in Aether while in space to recharge the Aetherstones.


Aetherstorms

One of the downsides to this technology, however, is the susceptibility to Aetherstorms. An Aetherstorm occurs when the Aether in an area is stirred up by some external force, generating miniature "cyclones" of Aetheric energy, which spread to create other eddies in the flow of Aether. These fluctuations sometimes fizzle out, but will occasionally build on each other synergistically, drawing Aether from the surrounding area.

In addition to tossing Aetherships about, these Aetherstorms have very unpredictable effects on Aetheric technology—an Aethership caught in a storm may find itself drained of power, or find its systems overloaded with power, causing everything to go off at once, or even burn out. There were even a few cases early on where an Aethership is torn in half by a particularly violent storm—although the most recent of those incidents was well over a century ago, and there have been several storms at least as violent as those since.

Following a short flare up of Aether activity just prior to the Two Year Gap, a massive Aetherstorm blocked travel between Disparatus and Earth from 2323 to 2325. The storm dissipated in late July 2325, re-opening all travel between the two planets.