Aethic tethers

Aethic tethers are a form of aethery used only by the monar of the Plane of Imethis. Remaining in a physical realm such as The Niriad takes a considerable amount of strength. To ease the amount of effort, aethic tethers allow a monar to live in their timeless, chaotic home of the Plane of Imethis, but still be able to return and influence the physical realms of The Niriad when they're needed.

## Basic Properties

Not much is understood about aethic tethers because the monar are the only keepers of the important details. However, it is safe to say that aethic tethers are a elym's way of taking ownership and responsibility for an aspect of the lands they helped create.

The nature of a tether changes depending on what kind of monar is creating the tether, and what the object of the tether is set to be. The tethers can be as specific or as broad as the monar has power to claim.

### Minor monar:

Minor monar tether to small or niche aspects of a world.

* An example of a specific, minor tether: Zshat'rika'liyof is a minor monar tethered to a single, metre-wide tidepool in the Grotto of Egimoray
* An example of a broad, minor tether: Arkmip'tadooly is a minor monar tethered to all desert grasses.

### Major monar:

Major monar tether to aspects of a world with higher influence.

* An example of a specific, major tether: Gimor'zshar is the major monar tethered to the Grotto of Egimoray
* An example of a broad, minor tether: Bilosoor is the monar tethered to the summer rains.

### Patron monar:

Patron monar are a subsection of major monar who are tethered specifically to a regional area of land. They also tend to 'rule' all the monar within their patronage.

Current Patron Elym

### Soul monar:

Soul monar are more abstract beings because they tether to an essence of life itself.

* Omo, Soul monar of Peace
* Vo, Soul monar of Strength

### Grand monar:

Monash and Arik are the only two grand monar in The Niriad and they are tethered to the worlds in their entirety.

## Laws of Tethering

Aethic tethers are created when a monar detaches aether from its own form and leaves it behind in a physical realm. As monar are timeless, shapeless beings in their natural form, this is not painful. The exact details of the process are unclear, despite multiple attempts to learn more. There is debate among researchers whether the monar is classified based on their tether, or if the classification of the monar influences what things they are able to tether to. For example, if a monar binds to a stone do they become a minor monar - or - are they already a minor monar and so they tether to a stone?

From observation it is clear that monar only tether to one "thing". They can bind themselves to one or multiple instances of their chosen tether, however they do not appear to have multiple "things". For example, a monar could bond with just one birch in a forest, or they could tether to every birch in The Niriad. However, a monar could not tether to both birch trees and sea turtles. The lines blur when it comes to regional tethers such as patron monar. For instance, Iksad is tethered to the Sanctum of Irx; which is technically just one thing, but Irx contains an infinite number of sub-items. Some monar have confirmed with researchers that limiting monar to only one overall tether is a matter of regulation and contingency planning.

#### Trading Tethers

Until recently it was thought that once a monar had tethered to something, that was their link to the physical world forever. This was disproven in 1.2.80, during the fall of Teran and the rise of Tress. It was revealed that tethers could be exchanged among the monar when Tress's former patron monar Duras transferred their tether to Tress's current patron monar; Karulakara.

Trading tethers has never happened since, and is a last resort option due to the extreme risks that could befall both the monar and the subject of their tether.

## Destroying a Tether

If something were to harm or destroy a monar, or if the monar decides to destroy its own tether, anything that the monar is bonded to runs the risk of meeting the same fate. Having one monar tethered to too many things would make them extremely valuable targets.