The Aether

"Many of my colleagues liken humanity's manipulation of the Aether to a unique ability to grasp at the fraying edges of reality left over after the creation of the universe and re-weave them to suit our whims. Personally, I've never liked this comparison. It's more like the gods left the shed door open so we could get at their stash of illegal fireworks. Sure we can do some spectacular things with them if we're very careful, but we're probably just going to blow our hands off." Ulwazi Tonja, Professor of Aetheric Studies, Bularys Polytechnic Institute

The Aether is probably best described as an arcane force that allows the humans of Iora to perform miraculous feats like shooting fire out of their bare hands, conjuring storms to water their crops, and hitting the snooze buttons on their alarm clocks from across the room. Once simply called 'Magic', use of The Aether by the everyday citizens of Iora has grown substantially in the past few centuries since the publishing of Modern Principles of Aetheric Study and Manipulation in 4217 ARG. Now, use of the Aether is common in daily life, and roughly 30% of adults age 18 and older know at least a few simple spells.
Despite the fact that The Aether has existed in some form or fashion since the dawn of human civilization however, very little is truly understood about it. Its origins, its true limitations, and its purpose are things that scholars can only speculate on at this point. What is known is that manipulating The Aether is not without risk, and even practiced mages can cause significant damage to both themselves and others if their spells are mishandled or they attempt to cast beyond their skill level.

History

As humanity began to experiment with The Aether in ancient times, traditions developed surrounding what was proper when casting spells. These practices varied from culture to culture and included things like providing material components, performing certain gestures, or saying specific words while using magic. While these techniques initially had little to no impact on the effect of a spell, The Aether itself eventually learned to recognize them as indications of intent. This recognition allowed it to more accurately understand what the casters were trying to achieve and further ensured successful results when casting spells.
Over time, civilizations began to trade methods of spellcasting in the same way they traded goods. After some experimentation, it was discovered that using techniques from different cultures in conjunction with one another could further stabilize the results of the spell. Eventually, these practices were codified into the modern system of spellcasting, which is taught around the world in secondary and higher education.

by MidJourneyAI

Usage

In the most basic terms, The Aether allows humanity to turn their thoughts into reality. Think you can move that cell phone off the table without touching it? Well, if you think right you just might be able to. In many ways, The Aether is like an arcane computer, capable of truly remarkable things, but very picky about how it wants things done. The difference is, coding something incorrectly just returns a compiler error, whereas casting a spell incorrectly could set your bedroom on fire.
It is not just conscious thought that The Aether responds to however. Strong enough emotions or desires can trigger Aetheric reactions, though these are often unpredictable and cannot be relied upon for general spellcasting. To mitigate this risk, many schools offer courses in emotional regulation so spellcasters can ensure proper results when using magic. For those with less traditional educations however, tapping into emotion can be a powerful, if dangerous way to enhance their abilities.
For most citizens of Iora, using magic or seeing magic used is a common enough occurrence in day to day life. Things like small scale telekinesis, conjuring globes of light, and repairing small tears, scrapes, or dents are frequently seen around the world. More advanced practitioner's may be able to fly, heal injuries, or enhance their physical and mental abilities. Finally, truly prodigious mages might be able to teleport, conjure autonomous arcane proxies, or even change the elemental structure of a material.

Cost

Manipulating the Aether is not without cost however. Casting a spell is taxing on both the body and the mind in the same way that physical exertion is. For simple spells the drain is barely noticeable, but as they rise in complexity so too does their cost, with some incredibly complex spells leaving their casters bedridden for weeks after being performed.
There are ways to mitigate this cost however. Spells cast by groups who share an intent can divide the cost amongst themselves, and regular mental and physical exercise can expand an individual's capacity for manipulating The Aether.

Limitations

While The Aether is capable of producing some truly miraculous effects, there are limitations to its power. As of the first year of The Age of Reflection, no one has been able to successfully perform the following feats:

• Resurrection - While it is technically possible to return life to the dead, it is only really possible within the first few minutes after they've died. Even then, the subject is likely to experience significant neurological damage from the process, and may never be the same again. For this reason, resurrection magic is outlawed in most countries.

• Time Manipulation - Time is an immutable force, even for skilled practitioners of The Aether. The closest one can get to true time manipulation is to speed up an individual's ability to perceive the passage of time, though this will generally cause significant physical and mental harm to the target.

• True Creation - It is not possible to create something from nothing. While it is possible to create arcane simulacrums of physical objects, these items are never permanent and will always decay into nothingness over time.

• Perpetual Enchantments - While it is possible to create incredibly long lasting enchantments on objects, all magic fades eventually. Additionally, while things can be reenergized, the reactivated version will not be exactly the same as the original.

• Total Mental Domination - Because each person has their own individual consciousness, it is impossible to completely impose your own version of reality or desires on someone else. In addition, even attempting to magically dominate another person is one of the most taboo things a person can do from a social standpoint.

by MidJourneyAI

Manifestation

In its natural, unaltered form, The Aether resembles a faintly glowing cloud of banded light that fluctuates through a range of cool toned colors, though this state is rarely seen outside of the auroras. For the most part, The Aether is entirely invisible, only appearing when it is being manipulated.
Each person, regardless of age and ability, causes The Aether to take on a different appearance when they tap into it. This phenomenon is called a Chromatic Signature, and the exact effect is unique to each individual. They range from runic circles to swirling clouds of sparkling light to ethereal flames to abstract cubic patterns and can come in all colors of the rainbow. These effects are not static however, and significant changes in a person's mental or emotional state can affect the appearance of their Chromatic Signature. In the modern era, Chromatic Signatures are often seen in the same light as horoscopes, with some believing that you can determine everything from personality to romantic compatibility through someone's Chromatic Signature.
Curious what your Chromatic Signature would be? Try the generator below!

Roll the dice!

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane

by MidJourneyAI