Origins and Nature
The Aetheric Veil emerged following the cataclysmic war of the old gods, created by the newly formed deities of light and darkness. As the shattered fragments of the old pantheon reconstituted into new divine beings, they recognized the need to establish protective measures for the Sol System, particularly Terra. The raw alkos energy that permeates all reality would prove too dangerous for mortal access without regulation, threatening to overwhelm or corrupt any who attempted to harness it directly.
The Veil represents one of the first and most significant interventions of the new gods—a vast metaphysical structure that spans the entire Sol System, functioning as an elaborate buffer between raw alkos and those who would manipulate it. Unlike the natural state of
alkos in other star systems, which flows freely and chaotically through reality, the Veil provides a regulated interface that transforms dangerous raw energy into safely accessible forms.
Structure and Function
The Aetheric Veil does not exist as a physical barrier but rather as an intricate metaphysical pattern overlaid upon reality itself. This pattern creates a protective filter with multiple essential functions. First and foremost, the Veil automatically converts raw alkos into specific elemental manifestations such as fire, water, air, earth, light, and dark, rather than allowing direct reality manipulation without an elemental medium. It also imposes natural capacity limits on how much alkos any individual can channel at once, preventing catastrophic overloading while still allowing for significant growth in capability through practice.
When an
arcanist attempts to manipulate alkos, the Veil translates their mental intent directly into structured manifestation, eliminating the need for complex spell structures used in other star systems. Furthermore, working in conjunction with the reincarnation cycle, the Veil facilitates the divine imprinting system that connects individuals to specific elemental manifestations based on their soul's essential nature.
Unlike the more elaborate spell structures required on worlds like Yalasra, the Veil's presence allows Terran arcanists to manipulate alkos through will and visualization alone. However, this convenience comes with limitations—Terran arcanists typically max out at capabilities equivalent to Yalasra's sixth circle, while their counterparts on other worlds can potentially achieve ninth circle equivalence.
Maintenance and Balance
The Veil requires ongoing maintenance to prevent degradation over time. Left unattended, it would gradually decay, allowing increasing amounts of raw alkos to flow unpredictably through the system. Initial symptoms of degradation manifest as arcane anomalies—arcanists experiencing power spikes, unpredictable effects, or excessive outputs from normal effort. In extreme cases of collapse, an uncontrolled surge of raw alkos would flood the system, potentially tearing holes in reality itself.
Celestial events significantly impact alkos flows through the Veil, requiring special attention. When planets align, their gravitational fields create temporary "channels" in the alkos flows, generating predictable but powerful fluctuations that must be managed. Solar activity presents another challenge, as solar flares and coronal mass ejections release enormous energy bursts that flood the system with excess alkos, requiring rapid response to prevent instability. The moon's cycles create subtle rhythms in Terra's local alkos patterns, with certain arcane disciplines becoming slightly more potent during specific lunar phases. Additionally, the tilt of planetary axes and orbital positions create seasonal fluctuations in alkos availability, with solstices and equinoxes representing particularly significant transition points requiring careful monitoring.
These celestial influences represent genuine physical forces affecting the metaphysical fabric of the system, studied through the academic discipline of astrometaphysics.
The Grand Wardens
To maintain the Aetheric Veil's stability, the gods of light and darkness created two divine-empowered positions: the
Verith and the
Fasar, collectively known as the Grand Wardens. These individuals serve as living conduits who regulate the flow of arcane energy throughout the system.
Roles and Responsibilities
The Grand Wardens fulfill several critical functions in maintaining the Veil. They sense imbalances across vast distances and redistribute alkos flows, drawing excess energy from over-saturated areas and channeling it to depleted regions. Their roles are complementary by design - the Verith specializes in managing destructive or entropic energies, while the Fasar focuses on creative or generative forces, allowing them to address the full spectrum of arcane imbalances.
When cosmic events introduce sudden surges of alkos, the Wardens temporarily absorb the excess, acting as pressure valves to prevent damage to the Veil. Their oversight extends to all inhabited worlds in the Sol System, requiring regular visits to Terra, Mars, Venus, and Luna to address imbalances that develop around concentrated populations of arcane practitioners.
The Grand Wardens do not micromanage individual arcanists but rather adjust the broader energy patterns that develop around population centers. Most of their work involves sensing disturbances remotely and performing rituals to redistribute energy across vast distances.
Powers and Capabilities
Each Grand Warden possesses extraordinary capabilities beyond normal human limits. They experience functional immortality, unable to die from age, disease, or conventional injury; if their physical form is destroyed by mundane means, they can reconstitute themselves after a recovery period. Their arcane threshold is vastly enhanced, allowing them to channel significantly more alkos than even the most powerful conventional arcanists, approaching divine circle equivalence by Yalasran standards.
To fulfill their system-wide duties, they can teleport instantly across vast distances within the Sol System. Their senses extend far beyond normal perception, allowing them to detect alkos flows and imbalances throughout the entire system, though with varying degrees of precision depending on distance. The divine power physically transforms them as well, making their bodies significantly stronger, faster, and more resilient than ordinary humans.
Each also develops unique manifestations aligned with their specific role - the Verith gains capabilities relating to darkness, shadow, and entropic forces, while the Fasar develops powers over light, creation, and generative energies.
Despite these extraordinary powers, the Wardens remain fallible beings who must consciously choose to fulfill their responsibilities.
Succession and Selection
When a Grand Warden dies, their power condenses into a core-like orb of pure energy that immediately seeks out a new host based on pre-programmed criteria:
The Verith, or Dark Warden, is typically selected from individuals with strong affinity for dark/shadow arcana, often with secondary affinities for earth or water. The power tends to seek out those with analytical, disciplined personalities comfortable with solitude and capable of making difficult decisions. Candidates must possess exceptional mental fortitude to handle entropic energies without risk of corruption. The power often gravitates toward individuals who have experienced significant loss or overcome great hardship, suggesting that certain types of life experience prepare one for the burden of the Verith's duties.
The Fasar, or Light Warden, typically emerges from individuals with strong affinity for light arcana, frequently accompanied by secondary affinities for fire or air. The power seeks out empathetic, principled personalities oriented toward community and capable of seeing multiple perspectives. Strong emotional stability is essential to channel creative energies without becoming erratic or unbalanced. The power often selects individuals with a history of mediating conflicts or building connections across divides.
Both positions share certain common requirements. The age range typically falls between 25-50, ensuring candidates are mature enough for such responsibility while young enough to serve for an extended period. All candidates must possess exceptional arcane sensitivity or threshold capacity prior to their selection. Those with severe untreated psychological trauma or mental health conditions are typically passed over, as are those lacking a strong moral compass with clearly defined personal ethics.
When a new Warden is chosen, the existing Warden can sense their presence but not their exact location, only a general direction. This sometimes leads to a period of search before the two Wardens can unite and begin working together.
As of 3594 SC, a formal ritual has been developed that allows a Warden to consciously select a successor who meets the necessary criteria, rather than leaving succession to the automated system. This ritual requires the chosen successor to be physically present within a ritual circle alongside the Warden transferring power.
The Divine Weapon
Recognizing the potential danger of corrupted or unstable Wardens, the gods created a special anti-Warden weapon as a failsafe. This weapon can only be wielded by a non-Warden and is arcanely programmed to appear when and where it's truly needed. It changes shape and function to suit the wielder's capabilities, ensuring it can be effectively used regardless of the finder's skills.
After being used to eliminate an incompetent or corrupted Warden, the weapon vanishes and re-hides itself elsewhere, preventing it from being used for unjustified assassinations or power grabs. This system ensures the Wardens remain accountable while still making their removal appropriately difficult, only possible in genuinely necessary circumstances.
Academic Understanding
Modern Terran scholars in the field of metaphysics have developed various theories regarding the Aetheric Veil, though their understanding remains incomplete due to the inherently divine and abstract nature of the system. Some universities maintain dedicated departments studying astrometaphysics, arcane fluctuation patterns, and historical correlations between Warden activities and arcane stability.
Advanced scanning equipment can detect local variations in the Veil's structure, allowing for early warning systems that alert authorities to developing instabilities. These monitoring systems have become increasingly sophisticated, providing valuable data to both researchers and the Grand Wardens themselves.
Despite these advances, much about the Veil's fundamental nature remains mysterious, accessible only to the gods who created it and, to a lesser extent, the Grand Wardens who maintain it.
