During the Age of Arcanum, ether was the term used to describe pure magical energy,[1] as well the potential within living beings and objects to perform magical acts.[2]
Avalir, the floating city that was once part of Toramunda, was able to collect ether while it traveled through Exandria following the ley lines, as well as removing it from expendable magical objects. It stored this energy in the Etheric Net[3] in order to release it back to the land when the City of Crowns reunited with its other half, Cathmoíra, the City of Thrones on the continent of Domunas.[4] This ritual, known as the Replenishment, made the crops particularly productive during the following year and often caused the birth of a new generation of magical children.[5] The ether could also be used in less massive acts, to extend someone's life (and in fact several archmages in Avalir did so secretly), or simply as a valuable element to use in bribery .[6]
In modern Exandria, sometimes when a spell is cast its magic is described as traveling through the ether, implying the magical essence in the environment is also considered ether.[7]
Trivia[]
- Ether comes from the Ancient Greek aíthō, meaning "to burn" or "to shine". It was believed that the ether was the pure substance that filled the sky above the clouds, or the heavens, being breathed by the deities it surrounded; in fact, Ether/Aether was the name of the primordial personification of that bright upper sky made of air and light.
- The ether was also believed to be a fifth element that medieval scientists used as explanation for phenomena they didn't fully understand.
- Inside the world of Exandria people don't use the term "spell slot", so the ether works as an in-universe term to explain that magical game mechanic, as well as the charges of magical objects.[8]
- Laerryn Coramar-Seelie, the Architect Arcane of Avalir, had a belt that she used to store ether taken from different sources (like the energy of a Counterspelled spell), being able to restore her own spell slots using this device.[9] Interestingly, the last time she extracted a piece of ether from her belt she gave it to Loquatius Seelie, her former (and soon-to-be-again) husband, and he eventually gave it to Zerxus Ilerez, a common friend who used it to cast Revivify on Patia Por'co, another friend.[10]
- It is unknown if after the Calamity there were still ways to extract and manipulate the ether or if it was part of the knowledge that was lost over the centuries.
References[]
- ↑ See "Excelsior" (E3x01) at 2:23:00.
- ↑ See "Bitterness and Dread" (E3x02) at 1:04:18.
- ↑ See "Excelsior" (E3x01) at 1:36:55.
- ↑ See "Bitterness and Dread" (E3x02) at 1:04:34.
- ↑ See "Excelsior" (E3x01) at 2:22:29.
- ↑ Twitter Post-finale Chat with the Exandria Unlimited: Calamity Cast, Twitter Spaces Q&A session held 22 June 2022. Full transcript here.
- ↑ See "The Nox Engine" (3x98) at 1:34:53.
- ↑ See "Bitterness and Dread" (E3x02) at 1:04:18.
- ↑ See "Blood and Shadow" (E3x03) at 2:05:30.
- ↑ See "Fire and Ruin" (E3x04) at 0:18:53.
Art:
- ↑ Fan art of Laerryn and Loquatius, by eyezpike (source). Used with permission.