Aetheri

Gods of Spirit

“The conflict of the Elements might have continued forever, and still have been waging today, if not for a curious side effect of their battles. Sometimes, when a particularly momentous clash happened, bits of energy would fall from the beings and come together. And that is how the first of the Gods came into being.”

Basic Information

Anatomy

The true shape of the Aetheri is a small, glowing orb about the size of a mortal heart. They have no limbs or features to speak of. This also means they have no sexual characteristics. Each individual has different colors and patterns of light in their core being.

Biological Traits

Very little is known about how the Aetheri actually work. Certainly no mortal has ever had one in his or her grasp to study. The Aetheri themselves just accept that they exist and that they continue to do so; they don't have much curiosity about themselves, only about other things in the Universe.

Genetics and Reproduction

An Aetheri reproduces by merging with its partner to complete a whole. When they separate, a Netheri comes into being, a God with a physical form. Each pair can only produce four offspring.

Growth Rate & Stages

The Aetheri can change themselves at will, but they physically do not change over time. As they learn about the universe around them, they can use that knowledge to take different forms. They have no distinct infant, youth, or adult stages.

Ecology and Habitats

The Aetheri lived in the Aether originally, from whence their name comes. Since they didn't have a physical form, they didn't need a physical habitat. But their children were physical and needed physical space, so one was created for them: the Nether. Once the Nether was created, they generally stayed there, though they could move very quickly through the Aether to get where they want to.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Gods do not eat or drink in their natural form.

Biological Cycle

Since the Gods usually live outside of the seasons, they are no affected by them. Time has no direct effect on them; they only experience change by the things they learn and the ability to manipulate matter around them to create physical bodies.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The Aetheri are all considered equals, one to another. Each one is considered the Master of his/her domain, but no domain is considered above or below another. An Aetheri has the last word of any issue that falls under their domain. They are a tightly knit group since there are only eight of them, and they had to band together for protection very close to the beginning of time.

Domestication

Good luck domesticating a God!

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The Aetheri are a major part of the creation of solid matter, and a driving force in the Universe. In general they are considered the benefactors, and judges, of mortals. Both divine blessings and divine punishments come from them.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Everywhere; Aether (Place of Origin Nether (Usual Habitat)

Average Intelligence

Highly. The Aetheri have almost perfect memory. But they are not omniscient or omnipotent. They have to learn, but their advanced understanding of the universe around them makes them the most intelligent and knowledgeable entities in the universe.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Aetheri sense the world by the energy that things emanate. In their native form they had no concept of colors or sounds. Before language was developed, they communicated with each other through energy pulses that convey information such as location, thoughts, and feelings.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Biologically they have no symbiotic or parasitic relationships with other entities.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

They didn't have names until they had children that needed to speak to communicate. Since there was no set culture at the time, they just adopted whatever names their children liked at the time. They have no surnames. Some of them have adopted other names over time through the mortals.

Major Organizations

Each Aetheri is the head of a religion. They also came up with a set of rules that all mortals must follow, regardless of personal faith.

Beauty Ideals

Generally the Aetheri appear to mortals as a exemplary specimen of whatever tribe they are manifesting before. In mixed company, they will likely appear as either the tribe that is the most represented, or the tribe of the person with the strongest faith in that particular God.

Gender Ideals

The Aetheri had no concept of gender until mortals were born. To make themselves easier for mortals to relate to, they all picked genders. But even that is generally kept as quite fluid.

Courtship Ideals

The Aetheri didn't really court each other. Each of them felt a draw to another, and they felt whole together, completing the four Elements between them.

Relationship Ideals

As a pair, they were able to produce offspring. While they had no social pressure to stay together, they did so anyhow. The sense of belonging was very powerful.

Average Technological Level

For the most part, the Aetheri have no use for technology. However, in the early days they developed technologies to help keep the mortals alive.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

The Aetheri didn't have a language of their own. One was developed when their children were created, and that is the language they still use.

Common Etiquette Rules

It's considered rude to ignore a summons from another Aetheri. It's very insulting to all Aetheri to not show up to a Council of Gods, unless there is extenuating circumstances. However, calling a Council without a good cause is a grave breech of etiquette.

Common Dress Code

In their natural state, the Aetheri do not need clothes. When they appear in mortal form, they generally will wear clothes appropriate to whatever culture they are appearing before, and for whatever impression they want to make.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

The culture of the Aetheri is nebulous at best. They are bound by their common goals and customs and familial connections. Their individual goals, beliefs, and desires helped shape the culture of their followers.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Between the Aetheri, there really is only one custom: the Council of the Gods. Any God can, with good reason, call a Council. This is where they meet to discuss issues of importance. Other than that, each individual Aetheri will be the head of the customs practiced by their faithful.

Common Taboos

Acting to harm another God (Aetheri or Netheri) is the largest taboo. Other Taboos are as follows:

• Usurping the duties of another God

• Destroying anything created by another God

• Speaking to mortals in the guise of another God.

• Poking holes in the Veil needlessly.

History

The Aetheri were created from the monumental clashes between the Elemental Entities. There are eight of them in total. They bonded with each other, in pairs. Each pair created four more offspring each, and these became known as the Netheri. Together they were all known as the Gods, and they divided up aspects of existence between them, relative to their interests.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

• Elements: The Aetheri sealed them away because they feared that they would be destroyed in the clashes between the Elements.

• Aetheri: The Aetheri all work together, putting aside any personal grudges for the common good. They might not all like each other, but they treat each other with a certain level of respect.

• Netheri: The Netheri are the children of the Aetheri, and so there's a sense of protectiveness towards them, especially before the Netheri reached their full powers. When they reached their potential, they became equals to the Aetheri, and thus they were given the same level of respect.

• Mortals: The first of the mortals were effectively the grandchildren of the Aetheri. They worked to protect them in the early stages of mortal development, and they withdrew from them when the Netheri did because the loss of mortal life was too painful for them to watch. Later they reintroduced themselves to a handful of mortals each, which was the start of religion. In general, the Aetheri are less connected to mortals, but still are invested enough in them to keep active religions.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Elements

Genetic Descendants

• Netheri

Origin/Ancestry

Elemental

Lifespan

Infinite

Conservation Status

Up until the Great Unbinding, it was believed that nothing could destroy them, so very little needed to be done to ensure their survival.

Average Physique

Spherical: size of a human heart.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The very core of an Aetheri's true form is a white luminescence. The most outer level of the form is a clear membrane of energy, almost like a transparent shield. Between the core and the outer shield is a myriad of colors and patterns. These colors and patterns are unique to each Aetheri. The intensity of the colors and the speed of the shifting patterns is generally an indication of an Aetheri's mood.