The Aetheric Sea
"The discovery of the alien realm that came to be called the Aetheric Sea was the single greatest curse to befall humankind. Yes it allowed us to leave the confines of Earth and spread across the system. But it exposed us to forces we couldn't possibly comprehend. It brought the Shai'Nari to us and resulted in five centuries of enslavement. It tainted us, seeped into our very blood and bones. Now the Shai'Nari may be gone but that stain is still here in our souls. It changed us, humankind... not for the better. Far better we had languished on Earth longer. Perhaps then we could have grown as a people. Or at least died out at our own hands.." Elijah Talbot, Scholar and Philosopher
The Aetheric Sea, sometimes known as the Void, is an extra-dimensional space beyond our own. It was discovered in the late twenty-first century by a group of scientists seeking new power solutions in a time of growing need for the ever growing human population of Earth. Spearheaded by the mysterious Dr. Klein the group managed to open a rent in our reality into another, another plane of existence far different. The scientists beheld a strange alien city, vast and difficult to comprehend with human eyes and senses. An expedition was quickly arranged in order to explore this remarkable discovery, the scientists abandoning tests and caution in the face of such a momentous achievement. It was during the expedition that the group encountered several non-human lifeforms
Whilst all this was deemed an accident, it has been suggested that Dr. Klein had sought this outcome all along and that the entire experiment was merely a way for him to achieve his goal. Dr Klein was known to be a brilliant if somewhat off-putting individual and records of his life prior to the research program were remarkably dull, almost artificially so leading many to believe some dark motive behind his work and research.The truth of this accusation is unknown as Klein disappeared during the expedition into the alien city. Under mysterious circumstances. Conspiracy theorists believe Dr. Klein to have long been an agent of the Shai'Nari, or perhaps even one of them; an exile seeking to redeem itself and free its brethren from their prison. We may never know.
Of course, the alien city was Bel'Zanar and amongst the mysterious entities discovered therein where the Shai'Nari. Thus began a new age of humanity in which the Shai'Nari would reign as God-Kings and Queens, at first the answer to the many problems that beset a beleaguered, desperate human race. Then over the passage of time the Shai'Nari would corrupt humanity, twisting it into a new form to better serve them. Earth and the solar-system would serve as a foothold for the new Shai'Nari Empire.
The Shai'Nari were eventually defeated by the Ascendants in the devastating Uprising, that system spanning conflict that came close to utterly eradicating all life across Sol. Bel'Zanar was sealed off and gateways into the Aetheric Sea either closed or closely monitored. Severing all links with the Aetheric Sea was difficult as there existed several thriving colonies within it such as Void City and Fell Port, so the nascent Ascendant Empire put strict control over entry in and out of the Sea, knowing that unmonitored and unregulated exploration of its depths could prove disastrous. The Shai'Nari may have been defeated but there existed other beings within the Sea, such as the vampiric Cuthari Spawn who still plague the system to this day. Other, far deadlier menaces such as immense leviathan and titans occasionally sighted could, if released into real space, prove apocalyptic threats. The Ascendant Emperor, the man who lead the Uprising, knew far more about the Aetheric Sea than he ever let on and was adamant it never be truly explored.
It is hard to describe the Aetheric Sea. Its most common form is that of a vast black void filled with roiling clouds that flicker with lightning. Dying stars provide a sparse illuminance and continental sized rocks and landmasses are adrift, some of which have their own unique eco-systems. These have resources and were plundered by the Shai'Nari during their Empire, leading to pogroms against the native lifeforms.
Other parts of the Sea are far, far different and alien, inimically hostile to human life. Only humans touched by the Sea and the strange changes it can bring can hope to endure such places. To stay for extended periods within the Sea changes a person physically and mentally. They become more alien and inhuman, able to endure the Sea far better but reluctant to return to real space. The denizens of the human colonies such as Void City see themselves as children of the sea more than Earth, the centuries spent within it having a profound effect upon their bodies and, some would argue, their very souls.
Ultimately, the Aetheric Sea is rich in resources and rife with danger. With the fall of the Ascendant Empire the strict regulation of travel into the Sea has gone and many nations now seek to plunge back into it in search of relics, resources and more. The New Imperium of Earth sends armed expeditions into Bel'Zanar to plunder its lost treasures are working to establish their own bastion there. Void City and Fell Port, are likely to take action against further incursions.
Comments