Etherion
Before time and life, there was energy. This particular energy has many forms. For some worlds in the universe, it is a resource. A mineral to be mined, refined, and consumed. For others it is an infusion of nature. A force of the environment that can create and destroy life. And there are those to which it is a terrible plague. At its core, Etherion is energy that slips into The Existence from the void. When channeled it can become a catalyst providing leaps and bounds to the progress of a specie's evolution. It is a gift to all of creation. Its very presence creates a balance between the Existence and that which hungers beyond the void. If a world becomes too saturated with Etherion it will lose the electrical fields that surround the atoms of matter. The world breaks down into energy and that energy is consumed by the abyss, beyond the void. That is why the Primordials retain the void. If a world converts into its energy state and is consumed by the abyss before its time, that fracture in creation can lead to the destruction of all reality. In small portions across the worlds the risk is minimal. However if too much Etherion bleeds into a world’s existence, when cracks form in the walls of reality, the world’s conversion process will become almost certain. That is why the Shadow Knights exist. To seal the dimensional rifts before too much ethrion seeps through and risks the exposure of the world to the abyss.
Note for later: Etherion interacts with other energy types like water. Etherion can carry kinetic energy from one body part to another, like silt on a river. But other energy types cannot become Etherion.
Properties
Material Characteristics
Light form is the most moldable of the forms, but it's also the most unstable and it disperses quickly without proper vessels. In this form, Etherion can be captured in resin crystals, prism batteries, as well as conducted like electricity through resin wires (see Etherion Resin Weaving). Light-form Etherion produces no warmth. It casts no shadows, but rather draws shadows to it.
Liquid and gas forms are primarily used in alchemy. It's the base of most recipes, and can be used as a medicine for the Arketts (though that treatment would be fatal to humans). Fluid-form Etherion changes color and taste depending on what it's mixed with, but the sensation of drinking any Etherion mixture is the intense pain of both burning and freezing at the same time. Even in its liquid form, Etherion is feather-light. It will absorb quickly into whatever material it comes in contact with, and has different effects on that material depending on the mixture. The only material that can contain liquid or gas Etherion without absorbing it over time is metal Etherion.
Metal Etherion is a smoky metallic color, and is generally constructed to be seamless. It's the Weavers who give Metal Etherion its density, structure, and design. It is virtually frictionless, so the cloth especially feels almost like water.
Particle form is the most universal form, leaking to this world directly from the Void. These particles, as small as atoms, reside in every form of creation. Widespread and low-quantity, they are harmless, but in concentrated amounts, it can be toxic, potentially killing a person in minutes in high enough densities. The dust is small enough to be absorbed both through the lungs and the skin, and it floats in the air and dissolves in water. Particle form acts much like radiation in how it interacts with living things: slicing their DNA, poisoning the environment, etc. A space polluted by particle Etherion will smell like ozone, and the air will taste slightly metallic.
Physical & Chemical Properties
Etherion changes states depending on their density. Starting in particle form, if enough particles are gathered or produced in one place, they will create light. This is where Arkett Lightweavers come in. Angling two beams of Etherion Light together will produce Etherion in other states. One angle produces an Etherion metal, another angle produces Etherion liquid. Another angle produces Etherion in a gas form, which the Arketts consider to be a useless material, but the humans have several ways to use it. Each of the three forms can be broken back into particle Etherion in the right conditions. Gas and liquid will simply decay or be absorbed without a proper container. Metal Etherion will last until its structure is severely damaged, and if it isn't repaired within a certain amount of time (which varies depending on the density of the material), then it will also decay back into particles.
Geology & Geography
Etherion in particle form is found naturally everywhere, and it always has some effect on its environment depending on its density. The Deadlands have far too much of it, which is why they are uninhabitable, but Greenhaven has the perfect amount of it, which makes it surprisingly temperate for how far south it is. Though it is found everywhere, it has the greatest concentration in the Void, so anywhere there's a rift, there's Etherion particles flowing out, dense enough to be poisoning the environment.
Life & Expiration
Light Etherion disperses almost instantly without a vessel. To produce a beam of Etherion light, you need to constantly be producing it. For Arketts this isn't a problem, as they have Etherion in abundance, but for humans Etherion can barely be used as a light source, let alone a beam or laser.
Liquid and Gas Etherion has a similar lifespan. Outside its container, it takes only a few seconds to be absorbed into a material, no matter what the material is (including the human body). The effect that the Etherion has on the material, however, lasts for a range of possible times, depending on the compounds involved.
Metal Etherion will last until its structure is severely damaged, and if it isn't repaired within a certain amount of time, then it will decay back into particles. The time limit varies depending on the density of the material. Thin materials, such as cloth, last only a few days if not repaired. Harder materials like weapons or building materials can sustain much more abuse before needing repairs, and even if they need structural repair, they still last months before decaying back to particles.
Particle Etherion lasts forever, as far as anyone can tell. It floats away easily, true, but it can be gathered again, whereas the other two forms are lost the moment they are used.
History & Usage
Everyday use
A space with the perfect amount of Etherion particle balance makes an ideal meditation spot for human Users. Such a person spending time there can slowly absorb Etherion, getting their system used to higher quantities of the power. Users have many more uses for Etherion, of course... Explore this more later!
Light-form Etherion is one of the most useful because it is responsive to the desires of living beings around it. Users can shape it, temporarily manifest it as a solid object (like a shield), or use it as a tool. Any Light manifestation only lasts as long as the User's concentration. Users can also metabolize it to boost their natural abilities, such as strength, speed, and senses. Users can also convert Light into kinetic energy and back again, resulting in bursts of speed and abrupt stops, but this process is dangerous, since it creates huge variations in the amount of Light in the User's body. They have to train a long time to be able to handle that kind of range, or else risk crippling their core or killing themselves by overload.
Users can manipulate the particle-form Etherion in their bodies with a thought. They can transfer the particles to specific points on their bodies to accomplish specific purposes. The particles remain wherever on the body they are moved until the User decides to move them elsewhere. It can sometimes be used as a slight armor, but it's better at other things. One User coats her feet and then concentrates on the particles, making them contain any vibrations as she moves, allowing her to step silently.
Masters of Etherion can extend their reach, their Aura, beyond their body. One User can sense the particles in the environment around him, and he can control them too. By lifting the Etherion particles within a rock, he can lift the rock. Master healing Users can use the Light in their bodies to heal somebody else.
"How does one heal another's affliction?" "They pour their energy into the marrow of their bones which releases blood cells to combat disease and injury." "WRONG. By channeling one's energy into joint union with another’s energy so their body can heal itself." "How does one silence their footing?" "One absorbs the energy released by the contract thereby eliminating the vibrations which causes the sound." "WRONG. They maintain a constant field between their feet and the ground, never allowing any energy to leave it. "Will is an extension of your being. It is the force by which one adapts to survive. If you lack the resolve you will lack the will. Knowing the science of it is good, but it can blind you to the obvious and profound truth. What is that truth?” “...all things are made of energy. Tapping into that energy is how we do all that we do, or can do.” “That is right.”Arketts of course use Etherion everyday everywhere, but only through resin tools, Etherion engines, and alchemy. Their bodies can't process it the way human bodies do. They use light-form Etherion like electricity, powering their tools and weapons. Light-weaving serves as the blueprint for all Arkett technology. Their tools are first designed and then constructed through Light-weaving. Light weavers take threads of Etherion Light and weave them into three-dimensional models that serve various functions including weapons, clothing, and everyday objects. The first thing a master Light Weaver teaches their disciple is how to use Etherion to create more Etherion. During the tutelage, it is their job traditional to practice refining Etherion to refill cartridges, cases, batteries, and other sources of Etherion power. Like the ancient blacksmiths, whose primary job was to sharpen tools (so they could learn how to care for their tools) LW students must learn the importance of refining Etherion. When an apprentice becomes a Light Weaver, then they are given free reign to explore whatever devices they can come up with. These devices can then be presented to the council for the potential of mass-production. This is a great honor to any light-weaver as they contribute to their society. The process of creating a device is much like 3D modeling within a holographic display. They take the energy and block out the shape, fill in the surfaces and material, thread paths for Etherion to flow through the device, then add finer details.
Type
Metamaterial
Odor
Ozone
Taste
Metallic
Color
Silvery clear
Boiling / Condensation Point
N/A
Melting / Freezing Point
N/A
Density
Barely denser than air, depending on its state.
Common State
Invisible particles, microscopic crystals
Related Locations
Related Species
Related Technologies
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