Tarkani

The Tarkani is a magical dust/mist that floats inbetween the islands in Aetheria. It flows similar to water, but has much different properties. For example, it changes colors. No one is quite sure why, but it seems that the colors shift depending on what is touching it and how it is being used.

Another thing that makes the Tarkani strange is that is does not exist inside the islands. The Tarkani only floats around and between them. It does have currents similar to the seas that some of the larger islands have.

One thing that makes the Tarkani mysterious is how irratic it is. When a ship is floating on a Tarkani current that current will work similar to a regular ocean current. However, occasionally the Tarkani will send out a burst of sparks or will suddenly flare out. These sudden bursts of energy causes great harm to the ship and more often than not destroys the ship and the people on it.

No one is sure what causes these random bursts of energy, however, they are quite rare and when sailing the Tarkani.

When through on the Tarkani, a pilot must remember, that there are different layers of the Tarkani. Because the Tarkani is not just one layer that the ship sails on, rather a large nebulous cloud-like thing, there are different layers of currents. These currents vary in danger. Some current are close together which can cause harm to the people on the ship. For it is the "dust/mist" in the currents that cause severe burns and injuries. In much more dangerous cases, diseases and death.

Most of the time these currents are quite far apart, and a ship can sail easily on top of one, and no one on the ship will be harmed as long as one does not try to touch said current.

There is a differenece between the currents of the Tarkani and the Tarkani itself. The Tarkani in and of itself is said to be quite harmless, most of the time one cannot see it since it tends to disappear in the blackness of the heavens. However, the Tarkani's currents are what make the Tarkani itself seem like a dangerous thing. These currents are quite brutal and contain magic that manh people still do not understand.

The currents are volatile things. The Tarkani only has color because of the currents. When there is no color, there is no current at that moment. The color, however, does help the pilot navigate the Tarkani.

Some people have theorized that these colors are what make the Tarkani's currents so dangerous. It is when certain colors appear or "mix" together that cause those flares, sparks, and occasional explosions. However, these are just theories and none of them have been proven.

Because one can only spend so much time in the heavens surrounded by the Tarkani without getting exposed to dangerous sicknesses these colors have not been observed for long periods of time, and the Tarkani currents and the Tarkani itself cannot surive inside the atmosphere of an island.

Although the Tarkani and its properties are mysterious and somewhat frustrating, it is the only way for people to travel from island to island. Yes, it is mostly an unknown entity, it seems that most islanders have decided the benefits have outweigh the risks.