Aether Aether refers to the energy found throughout the world of Hydaelyn in " Final Fantasy XIV " . It is source of both magic and life , and any disruption in the aetherial flow is either the cause or indicator of catastrophic events , as evidenced by the Umbral Eras . Properties . Aether is released from the body upon death and then disappears from the physical realm . Only so much of it can cross over at a time , and any excess remains to form a glowing mist , crystals , or even ghostly apparitions . As aether is akin to soul energy , more violent and dramatic deaths tend to yield more excess aether . When a living entity arrives on the scene of a battle , no matter how ancient , the excess aether will enter this new host and expand its native aether . This generally augments the creature ( human or otherwise ) physically , and those unaccustomed to channeling the new energy may go mad . Aether flows nigh imperceptibly throughout the planet , and places where it collects most are typically vivid , particularly in the Black Shroud . The Black Shroud is so rich in aether that the sentient , elementally aspected aether - beings known as Elementals reign over the wood , including the cooperative Gridanians . Dangers . Aether is considered dangerous in high concentrations , and often causes the afflicted to become more aggressive , if not completely maddened . Monsters in aether - abundant areas are more threatening . Primals . The primal s are called to the physical realm and sustained by massive amounts of aether . Their worshiping Beast Tribes hoard crystals to this end , causing problems for trade between them and mankind . The primals are thus surrounded by a disproportionately high concentration of aether , and adventurers are not allowed to stay in their lairs for too long ( though this detail has not been mentioned since 1 . 0 ) . On a long term scale , primals will consume aether from their surroundings , and if left unchecked , would drain the land of all aether . Dungeons . Much like the lairs of primals , instanced dungeons , such as Thousand Maws of Toto - Rak and Dzemael Darkhold , have dangerous aetheric levels . Adventurers will be forcibly teleported to safety after a set amount of time . Mutations . In some cases , overexposure of aspected aether causes profound mutations in living beings . The Sahagin and their primal Leviathan sometimes punish errant Serpent Reavers by exposing them to over - aspected water aether until they mutate , resembling marine life . Uses . Teleportation . When an adventurer reaches an area ' s Aetheryte Crystal or Gate they align themselves permanently to the aether of that area , allowing them to teleport there usually at the expense of Anima . There are also nodes that teleport adventurers to various instances and battles , nodes that appear at the end of a Guildleve to return to camp , and " Aethernet " crystals for teleporting across town . After the dramatic aetheric shifts in the Calamity , the redesigned Aetherytes no longer require Anima , though the loss of Anima use may have led to the inability to use natural Aetherial Gates . The Beast Tribes have devised their own crude Aethernet networks , and adventurers can use these to reach the lairs of primals . Synthesis . Small aetherial crystals are used by Disciples of the Hand for Synthesis . Their largest forms are clusters , but single crystals and shards are used for most recipes . Each crystal has an elemental aspect , such as Fire or Wind , and can go unstable during synthesis . There are also " Deaspected Crystals " and " Over - aspected Crystals " for specific purposes . They have either no aspect or an unusually strong aspect . Deaspected are gray ( no elemental color ) and over - aspected are orange , a trait often attributed to corruption . Ceruleum . Ceruleum is a neon blue substance and a form of aether refined in reactors . It is a volatile energy source used predominately by the Garlean technology , much of which was borrowed for Eorzean use in things such as airships and smaller powered devices . If even a spark comes in contact with a crate of Ceruleum , it could cause region - wide devastation akin to a nuclear blast . Gloom . Aether is found as a weather effect known as Gloom in Mor Dhona , and it appears as a psychedelic purple miasma . In addition to limiting visibility and altering the effectiveness of certain spells and abilities , this weather condition used to cause the Notorious Monster Dodore to spawn . Aetheric Shift . As mentioned by Cid Garlond , the flow of aether has changed . This was one of the first signs of the impending Seventh Umbral Era . The Garlean Empire used vast amounts of aether to bring Dalamud down from the sky causing the shift of aether surrounding Silvertear Falls . Although an aether sickness is now present , for some reason the dangers of overexposure to primal levels of aether are no longer mentioned . The yet unexplained presence of Atomos drained the Aetheryte Crystals of their energy corrupting them and turning them orange enabling free teleportation without the use of Anima . Eorzea as a whole has harnessed this and now teleporting costs gil for upkeep of the Aetherytes ( a fee collected by the gate guards in each camp ) . New Aetheryte Crystals were constructed to replace those that were lost . Extraterrestrial Aether . Aether exists beyond the planet , and can be harnessed . The Allagan civilization used both the Crystal Tower and Dalamud to collect and store aether from sunlight . The practices of Sharlayan Astrology can harness aether from the constellations .