Ether

* Bathaluman
* Armor
* Robes
* Combat
* Fused with Arde
* Cursed
* Snake
* Drawn

**Bathalumang Ether** is one of the five deities of Encantadia. She is the primary deity of the people of Etheria.

Ether's primary goal is not only to become the supreme deity of Encantadia but also to be recognized as such by Emre and Haliya - implying rebellion against the Highest God.

Ether is now fully cursed by Emre into a mortal snake subject of ridicule among Encantadia denizens.

## Appearance

Ether was transformed into a snake, as a punishment for conspiring with Arde against Emre. She wanders around Encantadia.

Ether's true Bathaluman form has facial markings which make her resemble a snake. These facial markings, however, seem to gradually lessen over time, possibly indicating the increase of her power. She wears a black suit with maroon linings. She also wears snakeskin robes and red cape over her suit.

Her sword, *Bertud ni Ether*, can be used as her personal staff and a symbol of authority as a Bathaluman.

Ether's tongue wriggles like a snake.

Ether dons her own armor, in which its breastplate is almost similar to Avria's.

## Personality

Ether is an envious and vindictive deity. Jealous of the supremacy of Emre, she plotted to kill him but failed. Even after being sent to wander the world, she remains unrepentant and still plots to disrupt Encantadia. She assists those who fight against the worshipers of Emre, such as Etheria and Hagorn.

Emre revealed that he purposely placed Ether in Encantadia in order to test the faith of his created beings. This was impliedly confirmed by Ether herself when she stated that she will not return to Encantadia if there will be harmony in the realm. Emre clarifies that Ether is not his real enemy, otherwise he would have killed her. Ether is destined by Emre to tempt all his created beings about power and their internal weaknesses. It is up to his created being whether he will succumb to the temptations of Ether

However, Ether has the tendency to intervene within the affairs of Encantadia to cause strife which infuriated Emre further. Her stubbornness was revealed in Episode 98, when she refused to follow the commands of Emre to help Evades in reversing the curse she gave to Lira.

Despite being cursed by Emre, Ether prides of her status as a Bathaluman downplaying those who challenge her in combat and claim her position. She has a special loathing to Cassiopea due to her actions in interfering within the affairs of all deities such as resurrecting the dead (e.g. Ybrahim) without their consent and direct interference to prevent Ether's will to prevail.

To Hagorn, Ether is a generous Bathaluman in order to help him sow discord and chaos in Encantadia.

Ether tends to break her promises with Emre and shifts the blame to him for not honoring his. She vowed not to disturb the diwatas and intervene with their affairs ever again after she was defeated by Emre in their duel. However, during the period of peace, Ether rallies her new disciples to restore the fallen kingdom of Etheria to once again wage war against Emre and all of Encantadia.

Being a bathaluman, Ether can be shrewd in order to achieve her ends. During her duel with Cassiopea, Ether openly let the latter stab her on the belly in order to claim her "gift" from her. This "gift", however, is necessary for the Bathaluman's long-term goal: for her most trusted disciple, Avria, to take over the body of Cassiopea.

According to Emre, Arde's weakness is actually trusting his love, Ether. It can be implied that Arde just became an accomplice to rebel against Emre is due to Ether telling him to do so.

## History

### Trechery and Establishing Etheria

Ether was one of the three creator-gods of Encantadia. When most of their creation worshiped Emre, she became jealous and plotted with the other god, Arde, to kill Emre. Emre discovered their plans and cursed them. Ether was turned into a snake, as a reminder of her treachery. She wanders around Encantadia to this day.

At some point, Ether became the primary deity of the Etherian race. They gained an ascendancy over the other races of Encantadia, who worshiped Emre. But when they tried to conquer the other races, they united and destroyed Etheria. Ether resides in the ruins of Etheria.

In the past, Emre had chosen a savior for Encantadia, but Ether killed the savior before he could accomplish his mission. Emre then provided the Gintong Binhi so that a dead person could return to the world of the living. But when Ether learned about it, she stole it and had it guarded in the Labyrinth of Balbal.

### Forming a pact with Hagorn

Hagorn encounters Ether after the destruction of his palace in Hathoria. In return for blessing him with enhanced strength and speed to resist the diwatas, Ether made him promise to bring more chaos to Encantadia. With this boost Hagorn was able to resist the powers of Cassiopea.

After Cassiopea revived Ybrahim, Ether confronted her in the forest of Lireo. For reviving the dead without consulting the gods, Ether cursed Cassiopea never to leave the forest again.

When Amihan deprived the entire Hathor race of their breaths, only Hagorn was unaffected due to Ether's blessing.

When Hagorn found out that Lira, daughter of Amihan, still lived, he sought instructions from Ether how to kill her. Ether revealed to him that armors, spells and blessings are nullified whenever a Sang'gre is in a state of *ivictus* (disappearance). Hagorn thus succeeds in killing Lira.

When Cassiopea tried to take Kahlil with her to forestall his destiny of killing Lira, Ether intervened so that Kahlil could escape. Ether also gives him a snake bracelet that would prevent Cassiopea from finding him or reading his mind.

### Return of Avria

Ether confronted Cassiopea and using her powers, Avria was able to take Cassiopea's body in order to become her primary vessel. The Bathaluman succeeded due to the "gift" she gave to Cassiopea upon her defeat from her years before in a duel.

The Bathaluman also resurrected one of her most formidable followers, Hera Andora of Hera Sensa. Ether defended the sarcophagus of Avria during the Diwata siege.

Amarro revealed that Ether feared Avria will have enough power to defeat her which is why she provided a weakness - if Avria failed to hypnotize someone due to having a stronger mind than hers, her skin will be burnt thus causing her life force to decrease.

## Abilities

### Powers

Ether's blessing is powerful enough to protect its recipient, such as Hagorn, from the effects of the gems or Cassiopea's powers.

Ether could breathe blasts of green fire.

Her bracelet could shield the wearer from the powers of a clairvoyant.

She could block magical artifacts such as the Balintataw from showing some events.

Ether could revert to her bathaluman form. Her face has markings associated with snakes.

Ether could change the form of other creatures. She could also manipulate memories in large scale (except Evades), as when she removed everyone's memory about Lira. Even though Emre could not reverse this act directly, Emre gave Lira a drink within a vial that could grant a wish. Another notable example is that Ether casting an enchantment on LilaSari by removing her memories and emotions upon the restoration of Etheria. However, LilaSari has a tendency to slightly remember anyone.

Ether could assume giant size.

Despite being far from Balaak, Ether can use her full power to call upon Arde — in this case, to block Lira's path to Devas, to prevent her from lifting her curse.

Due to the Devas Circle of Creation being affiliated with her, Ether can create or summon beings in order to punish someone who harmed one of her worshipers. In order to punish Pirena for attempting to assassinate Hagorn, Ether released dragonspawn from her mouth in order to torment her.

She has the power to restore the life of her followers by using her own blood. She uses it to resurrect her most loyal follower, Queen Avria of Etheria and also uses it to convert any Hadezar, such as Amarro and Asval, into a living Encantado as implied.

She can also smell anyone who tries to deceive them.

Ether can fuse herself with Arde, transforming into their monster form, which composes of Arde's dragon head and body (lacking his wings) and Ether's snake head and tail.

#### Limitation

One of the limitations of Ether's power is that she cannot nullify the power of a gem.

### Other skills

Ether is skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Her fighting style emulates snakes. Even if she in her cursed form, Ether can use her tail to physically attack her enemies.

She is also a proficient swordswoman in par with Emre's skills.

Hara Avria of Etheria implied that Ether is also skilled in making powerful poisons which she taught to the first Etherians. This implies that the first Etherians were trained and honed by Bathalumang Ether herself.

### Weaponry

Aside from being skilled in hand-to-hand combat, Ether is very proficient in using the bo staff as her weapon during her duel with Cassiopea.

Ether wields her personal sword, *Bertud ni Ether*, in her combat against Emre. Its scabbard is used as a staff.

## Trivia

* Ether is initially voiced by male, until she is voiced by female.
* The actress for Bathalumang Ether in Episode 80 is a wushu martial artist, Janice Hung, who also played Minea's disguise form in Episode 10.
	+ Janice Hung, as Bathalumang Ether, initially used her natural voice in Episode 80, until she is lip-synched or dubbed by Ether's unknown voice actress.
* Based on the extremes Ether did to prevent the luntaies from succeeding, it is implied Ether loathes the designated savior of Encantadia due to their destiny to restore peace and harmony in the continent. Ether killed the first Luntaie, as per the story of Pagaspas, and she cursed Lira, the second Luntaie, to be forgotten by all of Encantadia (which was eventually lifted due to Emre's help).
* For the first time, Ether was physically defeated by Cassiopea thru the *Kabilan* stabbedon her belly. She retreated for the meantime to recover from her grave injury This was later revealed to be intentional on Ether's part. She manufactured her defeat so that the "power" Cassiopeia got from her can be used as a means for Avria to possess Cassiopei'a body.
* It is also for the first time that Ether slashes and wounds Emre when Arde distracts the supreme deity, but his wounds are not fatal enough as he quickly heals his wounds.
* Ether's weapon, Bertud ni Ether, is much resemblance to the 2005 Kabilan: both made by Ether (in her two incarnations), both wielded by Hagorn (in his two incarnations), both can conjure red lightning and both can kill Diwatas and Ivtres instantly. However, Hagorn's usage of Bertud ni Ether has never shown killing Ivtres and Diwatas recently yet.
* Ether's blood is purple
* The fused monster form of Arde and Ether is slightly similar to Zorc Necrophades from *Yu-Gi-Oh!* series.

## Version differences

* Ether was portrayed by Angel Aquino in the second and third book of 2005-2006 series.
* In the original series, Ether did not interfere in the affairs of Encantadia prior to *Etheria* (2006). She did not assist Hagorn in his conquest of the three kingdoms of Encantadia. In the third book, she was the one responsible for resurrecting Hagorn, and she joined forces with him against the Sang'gres of Lireo.
* In the original series, Ether became the keeper of the Earth Gem and used Sari-a, the Earth Gem's kambal-diwa, to do her bidding against the Diwatas.
* Towards the end of the third book of the original series, Ether was successfully killed by Amihan to end the chaos.
* In the original series, Ether was cursed by Emre for falling in love with Arde.
* In the original series, Ether disguised as Minea to fool the Sang'gres, and also managed to get the souls of the Herans and Arkrey in order to resurrect them in the present time of Encantadia.
* Lira had briefly encountered and fought Ether to save Pirena in the third book of the original series. Lira had comically called her "Braguda wannabe".
* In the original series, Ether did not participate in the Hathor war prior to the second book.
* In the original series, Ether's snake form looks like an ordinary snake.

## References

1. ↑ Episode 207
2. ↑ Episode 161
3. ↑ Episode 185
4. ↑ Episode 149
5. ↑ Episode 157
6. ↑ Episode 146
7. ↑ Episode 151
8. ↑ Episode 142
9. ↑ Episode 145
10. ↑ Episode 146
11. ↑ Episode 148
12. ↑ Episode 79
13. ↑ Direk Mark Reyes
14. ↑ Episode 62
15. ↑ Episode 63
16. ↑ Episode 71
17. ↑ Episode 80
18. ↑ Episode 92
19. ↑ Episode 93
20. ↑ Episode 98
21. ↑ Episode 75
22. ↑ Episode 148
23. ↑ Episode 209 post episode teaser
24. ↑ Episode 171
25. ↑ Episode 142
26. ↑ Episode 145
27. ↑ Episode 143
28. ↑ Episode 145
29. ↑ Episode 148
30. ↑ Braguda, is one of Darna's villains, from *Mars Ravelo's Darna* 2005 TV series.