Etherea

**Etherea** is a habitable planet that is one of the six worlds connected by the Anomaly Stone. The Anomaly presence was detected on the planet.

## Overview

Etherea is a habitable planet similar in many ways to Earth with at least one type of insect that resembles Earth scorpions and which are edible. It also has an unknown type of lifeform that lays giant eggs. Etherea has many steep and almost impassible mountains with the Temporal Anomaly residing on top of one. Its trees are comparable to Earth trees as well with their sap having the same antiseptic properties as pine trees on Earth.

The weather on Etherea can get extreme with snowstorms that can last for months. Bill Cadogan was trapped by one such storm for three months while Bellamy Blake and Conductor Doucette were trapped for at least two months by another. Like on Earth, the days eventually start growing shorter, though the severe storms are known to occur before this period which on Earth is around when winter begins.

## History

Etherea is one of the six worlds connected by the Anomaly Stone. It was home to a species that supposedly achieved transcendence, becoming beings of light. At some point it was visited by Bill Cadogan on a pilgrimage that lasted at least three months. He came to this planet to explore the universe he had to. On this planet, he found what he seeking; the remnants of the civilization that had truly transcended. Due to his experiences on Etherea, with his own life, he saw testament of those that ascended and knew his life was not in vain. Just as Cadogan foretold, these beings are with the civilization that ascended.

## Throughout the Series

Anders questions a class of young children about the Shepherd's journey, specifically about Etherea. A young girl states that *"the mountain was very tall and very scary but the Shepherd was brave and wise."* Anders is pleased by this response.

After getting flung through the Temporal Anomaly by a grenade explosion, Bellamy Blake and Conductor Doucette emerge on Etherea with Bellamy spotting the Anomaly on top of a nearby steep mountain. Bellamy treats Doucette's injuries and the two men form a reluctant alliance as the only way off of the planet is by working together. The two begin a journey that lasts months, following Bill Cadogan's pilgrimage's path and getting stranded in a cave by a months-long snowstorm. Inside the cave are beings of light, supposedly the race that once inhabited Etherea and reached transcendence. After Bellamy recites the Disciples' prayer, he experiences a vision of Cadogan and his mother who convince him to look into the light given off by the beings.

After the storm stops, Bellamy and Doucette resume their journey, eventually reaching a sheer cliff face. With the days growing shorter, Bellamy decides to chance climbing the cliff, but Doucette falls, only help up by Bellamy's rope. Though Doucette orders Bellamy to let him fall, revealing that he has written down all of the Anomaly Stone codes Bellamy will need, he refuses and succeeds in pulling Doucette up.

Finishing their climb, Bellamy and Doucette discover the Anomaly Stone on a ledge most of the way up the mountain. Doucette enters the code for Bardo, causing the Anomaly to descend off of the mountaintop to somewhere far below. Taking a literal leap of faith, Doucette and Bellamy jump off of the mountain and into the Anomaly, emerging back on Bardo.

## Lifeforms

### Unknown Megafauna

These unseen creatures are known to lay giant eggs on Etherea.

### Scorpion

The Scorpion on Etherea is an edible insect.

## Residents

### Former

* Bill Cadogan
* Bellamy Blake
* Conductor Doucette

## Locations

### Wall of Unanswered Prayers

A relatively short cliff face that is the only way to reach the mountain containing the Anomaly. During Bill Cadogan's time on Etherea, it was *"the Shepherd's first hurdle"* and there is no walking around it. While it is generally impassible without climbing equipment, if two or more people reach it together, one can boost the other to a ledge near the top where that person can then finish the climb and help their companions up with rope.

### Anomaly Mountain

An extremely sheer and steep mountain the top of which contains the planet's Temporal Anomaly which is visible from the ground for miles around. Due to how sheer it is, the mountain is nearly impassible without the right climbing equipment. The Cave of Ascent is located on this mountain. Eventually, all paths up the mountain stop and the only way to climb to the Anomaly is to scale the sheer cliff face. The Anomaly Stone is located most of the way up the cliff and activating it causes the Anomaly to descend the mountain to far below, possibly to the ground requiring a leap off of the mountain to get into the Anomaly.

### Cave of Ascent

The **Cave of Ascent** is a sacred cave that was used by an unknown alien civilization.

This ancient place contains imprints of energy of that civilization, their mortal forms arisen.

It is on the same mountain as the Anomaly and was used as a home for months by Bill Cadogan, Bellamy Blake and Conductor Doucette.

## Notes and Trivia

* All paths to the planet's Anomaly Stone are either unpassable or very steep due to its location at the top of a mountain.
* When the Anomaly is activated, it descends from the mountaintop to somewhere far below, requiring a literal leap of faith to get through it.