Sprites

Sprites are the near invisible worker forces of the Aether Sea mystical efficacy structure. The strength of sprites also multiplies quickly when they work together. Because sprites can both understand and respond, they also make useful sentries.
Thus, a bottle of sprites could perform all the works needed to, for example, automate a home. Enough sprites working together could form all kinds of interesting effects - creating solid shapes very quickly, a form of temporary omni-object.
Sprites are not sentient but can understand appropriate responses; they can also activate other spell engines if they are designed properly.
Even modest households will have at least one bottle of sprites capable of doing an assortment of tasks.

Properties

Material Characteristics

In appearance, sprites are like very small (less than 3 inches) stick figures with six appendages, small heads and four "eyes," and a small mouth. Their "hands and feet" are used interchangeably, and they are very strong for their size. Their appearance is highly anthropomorphized, there being no necessity to maintain this configuration; but there is a certain degree of efficiency to it. They can stretch out to 6 inches and they can curl up into tiny balls less than a half inch in diameter, especially when inert or when they are trying to cross a smooth surface quickly.
Unless they are the ruggedized version, they are not very damage resistant, but are durable.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Sprites can move very fast and are hard to notice. The strength of sprites, for some undefinable reason, compounds quickly when they work together. A single sprite can lift a few ounces, a couple dozen sprites can lift and move as much as an adult male human.

Origin & Source

Originally, they were actual sprites and as things went down hill on Homeworld and they started dying out, they were dumbed down and mystically bred as very fast and tiny servitor beings capable of following quasi complex commands while supplying some of their own essence to power spell engines.
During the AfterFall, goblins and elves worked diligently and created sprite sized (and smaller!) spell engines which were capable of doing the work of sprites, and they were eventually called Sprites!

History & Usage

Everyday use

Sprites allowed the Aether Sea to skip directly to smart mini-robots. You want something built? Sprites. You want something moved? Sprites. You want something fetched? Sprites. You want that door opened? Sprites. You wanna keep an eye on your sleeping baby? Sprites. You want someone to drive you to the store? Sprites.

Cultural Significance and Usage

The utility of sprites rivals that of smart phones in our own society (since sprites can also speak, they are good messengers; a sprite carrying a message crystal would really be effective).

Industrial Use

Since sprites can be made of various materials and given quasi complex commands, well skilled sprites can be used for construction, especially in situations that would normally be risky for Folk. They can also be configured for recon and the like.

Type

Metamaterial