A Comprehensive Treatise on the Nature of the Ether and What Lie Within
First Edition

To introduce; I am Ser Adrian Pandion, a humble knight of some means. Mostly means to enter the Ether. The Ether also commonly referred to as ‘The Void’ and these names shall be used interchangeably in this essay where it seem most befitting. At this moment in time, I know not of any who hath more travel within the Ether than myself within the Reach; Lady Cir’renna and any Fey of power not included, though twould argue they art of a special case. My ability to enter the Ether was spurred by the Lady Cir’renna, the woman who entitles herself ‘The Duchess of Ether’. Given her ability with the branch of magic, tis easy to see why. I came into her acquaintance after some time, having had two run-ins with slices with the Ether afore she sought me out. She hath tasked me with mapping and charting the Ether, and my own fascination with the place hath spurred me to take task in hand. For indeed, the place call to me like the sirens in the Mist Island call to sailors. I suspect my doom may lay there, but I turn not from challenge nor my fate. Thusly I seek to gain what knowledge I can and spread it, so that the Void and it’s call may be more thoroughly understood.

All this in mind, this is the first edition of mine writings. As I might unravel more of the mysteries of the Ether, I shall add to mine treatises. Once I am gone and unable to add, tis my ardent hope more scholars of the Ether shall step in to fill in the blanks that art left. The Ether is a vast place, and I sincerely doubt tis any single person who might uncover all the secrets which might lie within.

On the Ether itself

The Ether is a vast plane of existence where little air and gravity can be found. As we toss the apple up, it just keeps going up. Only in certain circumstances dost it land reliably in our palm again. What I speak of though, is the Ether in it’s rawest and most plentiful form. A vast space where the stars and our planet spin in their cosmic cycles. This is where the spell Slipspace shall find thee, but that is a topic covered in due time. These areas are quite dangerous and to try and tread open Ether is a folly, as one cannot breathe nor move properly. Movement is limited to whichever direction thou push out from, and twill not be redirected unless by another object.

Despite how empty it may initially appear, the Ether is not without locations or waypoints. In fact, one may make a comfortable place within the Ether with the right tools and skills. These places may be thought of as islands in a vast ocean, for truly, they art no continents. These spaces exhibit gravity, and art able to be breathed within. Within these spaces, things art not as they may seem. Stone may sink under thine foot like sand, clouds may be hard as rock, and still there may be other inconsistencies. These spaces art built like someone who know not the true manner of reality, a more cosmetic representation or copy of a place. Precaution should be taken, as lingering within the Ether for too long hath its own dangers. At this time, all locals I hath seen within the Ether have been quite small, with the largest being the domains the Fey make for their homes or realms. Tis the hope to speak to one on this, someday, though of course, twill likely have to pay a price for that conversation; and tis a topic for further within the essay. Another way to stabilize a space within the Ether is for a Temporal Anomaly to form, which may be created or occur naturally, to be caught in a temporal anomaly is dangerous and shall be more fully covered in time. I hath means to study this phenomena and shall update as information becomes available, though tis more in the rest of the essay on the currently known nature of these anomalies.

The comparison to the ocean is an apt one, for the Ether hath it’s currents running through, much like an ocean which will carry thee away and into the vast regions. Seemst tis more likely to find debris along these currents, as anything traveling through the Ether might encounter one and be swept along to find some resting place, if it rest at all. The currents I hath seen are more than ample to sweep a person away, so caution is warned should one make any travel attempts. It is hypothesized that the stars themselves may be wayfinders, as they serve us here upon the true blue seas, though up there, they art not the most reliable. Arrangements familiar to us on the physical plane change when viewed from another angle. The Lyre constellation looks quite different from the other side. It could be that these currents art the way to more expediently traverse the Void, but twould require study and a reliable means of entry into the same space.

Tis some who would say the Ether be it’s own creature. With thoughts, feelings, and desires. Standing within the Ether, one becomes aware of one’s smallness. And one can feel it truly, that if the Ether be aware of them, it care not. If the Ether truly be a being in and of itself, tis truly a massive thing and may be unknowable to us with finite lives. It hast been there for generations, and seemst shall linger for many more.

Still, other theories proclaim the Ether and this world were once as one. With no difference betwixt them. If this were true, twould have been long ago, afore memory. Certainly afore The Collapse. There are pieces of ancient ruins scattered around in the Ether, and with this, there is certainly much to learn and using the Ether to study such ruins, we might be able to piece together more history. Not only from The Collapse and afore, but mayhap tis something up there related to the Disappearance as well.

Slipspace theory

Whilst a reliable and mostly safe way to enter the Ether, tis not expedient nor efficient for entering it at specified areas. This spell doth not seem to be able to appear and reappear within the same place, nor near anything of substance. It is also not entirely safe, as the denizens of the Void will make their presence known after the span of an hour, or if the void is disturbed in a meaningful way. It seems the ripples caused by our presence and moving a part of our reality into the Void is sufficient to attract these creatures. Attempts made to establish a permanent area with the spell hath turned up no fruit. As the spell moves part of our reality into the Ether, rather than creating a space within, there would be no return if one attempted to leave that part of reality there. Of note as well is the destructive power of opening portals and infinite pockets within a Slipspace area. If one opens either of these, they will destroy the bubble they hath created within the Ether and risk grave injury as well as death. With regards to the research done on Slipspace as tis presented here, all credit is due to Selene, who hath pioneered the usage of Slipspace for study of the Ether and discovered the limits of this spell.

Given the way there is little control or ability to locate things with the Slipspace spell, I hypothesize that the spell ‘locates’ a spot that will not be disturbed by anything for a span of time. Tis akin to a boat in the middle of the open ocean, but with none of the ability to move on thine own. I suspect this may be because there be void creatures who linger nearer the ruins and other stable space within the Ether. It seemst smaller beings linger in these spaces, whilst larger beings traverse the empty void, though this be more conjecture, based on anecdote and will need further study. I believe, with more study and time, Slipspace can be aimed and directed. The stars and the moons hold the secret to navigating to a proper observation spot though that navigation only carry one so far.

Spaces within Spaces

Within the vastness of the Ether, one may eke out a space for oneself. With enough power and skill, a pocket world may be created. In this case, ‘pocket world’ shall define a separate space, self-contained that exists alongside or within the space of the Ether as we know it.

These are the places one may land within whilst travelling or else be invited into. Powerful Ether mages and fey of enough power art able to create these pocket worlds. The fey seem to be quite prolific in the making of them, with at least two known to the Spire as of writing. Given their ability with the Ether, it show how capable they art when able to press the bounds of reality. Still, they be not the true masters of it; though this be a topic covered in time. The pockets made grant stability and a firm foothold within the Ether, if one can find them.

Recall the way that matter be not always what it appear to be in the Ether. Tis here we find these inconsistencies. Sometimes these places be not created, but naturally formed, and these be the illogical spots. If one lands in such a place, one must take care, as mentioned afore, footing may be unreliable and it’s uncertain if one might breathe correctly. Tis unknown how these more ‘natural’ spaces be formed, but with the massive amount of space in the Ether, it may be a spontaneous process or connected to beings like the Voidlings or Old Ones.

Certainly as more knowledge be spread and found, twill be updates to this text. Mine intent to study these mysteries shall continue.

Spheres of Temporal Phenomena

Similar to the pocket worlds just covered, Spheres of Temporal Phenomena are created spaces. I hath, at time of writing, only observed one of these spheres. The place seems held by some anchor which need destroying or removal to end the loop of time and destroy the sphere.

The sphere I observed was partially of the Spire town. I learned it had shrunk from the outer bounds down to a few houses over time, and within, twas always the same day. Repeating in a loop that spanned several decades. By the time I arrived, the day was passing in a matter of minutes, rather than the full twenty-four hours we art used to. I believe the sphere was close to it’s natural conclusion, and my associate Drenmir and I had only managed to make it in the end of this loop’s lifecycle. Based on things found within, only a few months had passed whilst inside several decades had passed. A rough estimate would put it to seventy to eighty years. The location within was as if pulled out of the world and planted there. No fault or inconsistencies existed until the place began to fall apart after an unsuccessful escape attempt, and then the destruction of the anchor. As I understand, the loops could be felt on our plane, as severe senses of Deja Vu acting on those with magical ability within the Spire. Each day restarting coincided to that feeling. I suspect this may be because the Sphere became linked to our world whilst Drenmir and I were within.

There were many pieces of evidence which pointed to another world, identical to ours but with slight changes, somewhere out there. Tis a thing which need more study, though.

Etherburn

Etherburn is an affliction caused by exposure to the Ether, or damage from an Etheral being. It can vary in range from a mild sunburn-like temporary affliction to a permanent scar left by trauma. Etherburn can also happen to objects, the fractal spiralling being the way to denote betwixt a normal burn and an Etherburn.

Mild Etherburn can be caused by lingering within the Ether for too long. In this form, it tints exposed skin a purple indigo hue and will dissipate within a few days. This milder form of burn only occurs with prolonged time within the Ether, after several hours. Two accounts of Etherburn, provided by Tamerland Mirarri and Meridy Illuma, are the basis for this more temporary form of Etherburn. Both acquired the Etherburn after a prolonged unconscious time period in the Fey Festival bubble. This shows that created bubbles of reality will not necessarily protect against the ambient energy of the Ether.

Severe Etherburn is caused by injury from Etheral beings such as the Void Creatures and the Voidlings. I have suffered Etherburn due to severe injury from each of these beings. The first took the skin off my hand through my plate armor, which was regrown via magic. The magic spread the burn from a centralized spot on my wrist, up and down the length of my hand from the burn. Where the initial wound was is a black band which radiates out in an indigo hue, fractals spiral out up and down my arm and hand. It creates a gradient which fades from this black, to indigo, to my true flesh tone. The second wound was made by the Voidling’s sword. It was unable to cut all the way through my armor, but it hath left a shallow scar all the same. It look much the same with the same coloring. Black at the site, with a small indigo gradient outward to the edge of the scar. My own wound is too small to see the fractal pattern clearly, but it seems present on other, larger wounds suffered by others. These more severe Etherburns seem as permanent as a scar would be based on the way the wounds art caused.

Whilst Etherburn is an affliction, the more mild form is preventable by covering up and/or leaving the Ether within a certain amount of time. For the more severe Etherburn, to prevent this seemst to be to avoid fighting or being attacked by any Etheral beings.

The Etherburn of items is caused by direct contact with Ether energies. When solid objects art manipulated via Ether, it can cause a spiralling fractal effect on the object. I have seen this twice afore on matter manipulated by the Voidling. Once on wood that it broke through in it’s initial appearance in this world, and the second on rock that it broke through on it’s second appearance. Given it’s ability to cause Etherburn with attacks, I suspect this may be a consequence of interacting with such beings who wield the Ether as easily as we breathe.

Reserved!

Future sections:
Beings of the Void (old info, needs rewrite)
The Great Old Ones
Fey & their influence
Ether as a branch of magic
Differences in Ether and Nocturne
A few more I can't think of now

Wanted to do something more textbook, finally decided that if I didn't go ahead and post it, it would never get posted.
This will update as Adrian learns more about the Ether

Reserved!

Reserved!