The Grid

The Grid was created at the end of the third era, and marked the change from the 3rd to 4th era's of Eratoh. It has existed since the end of the Eratohan middle ages, and has only grown in its power since. It was originally meant to serve as a magical military intelligence device during a joint operation by the Yurmoran Hegemony and the Lorrinthean city-state. Upon its activation at the International Convention of Aetheric Technology, it cascaded out of control, tearing apart the area around its point of creation and swiftly blanketing the entire planet. While the Grid's creation was felt by most creatures of Eratoh, it didn't have any immediate effect. However, in time, mages realized they could tap into the Grid, casting information across it instantly. As techniques advanced, talented casters found that they could project their entire consciousness into the Grid, metaphysically inhabiting it and projecting their consciousness across its structure.

The Grid is another reality, often thought of as a sort of "low resolution" version of Eratoh's reality. Information can travel across the Grid instantly, and consciousnesses can travel through it as though it were a physical place. However, within the Grid, there are fewer limitations and rules, and talented Grid users can often fly, move through walls, and generally traverse the Grid in a variety of ways unavailable in real space. However, a Grid-traveler's real body always remains in its point of origin, and the traveler must return to their origin point in order to exit the Grid.

As the full consequences of the Grid came to be understood, many nations attempted to deactivate it, or at the very least block it from operating within their borders. However, these attempts failed, and soon the many creatures of Eratoh simply had to come to terms with the idea of instant, global, and unsecured communication. Hundreds of years passed before techniques were developed to close off data from the Grid, and by the time Grid security became viable, the Grid was already so embedded in Eratohan culture, that any attempts to block off larger areas were quickly shot down by the government institutions and populace who had come to rely on it. Grid vaults and data security is a major market in the corporate world of Eratoh, and personal security is becoming more commonplace, but the time to halt the Grid's advance is well past. The Grid has cemented itself as a universally necessary resource.

### The Grid and Shamanism

The creation of the Grid also sparked what is called "The God Concept". As the first mages entered and explored the world of the Grid, they found that they could communicate directly with greater powers - Gods, which had come into being within the Grid. Since the spark of the God Concept, gods both old and new have been able to contact their followers in real space. Many gods are able to use the Grid as an avenue to give tangible rewards and blessings to their followers.

### The Grid as Power

The Grid is a sub-reality made of a web of pure aether, and by tapping into it, devices can be powered anywhere, and at any time. While a device's ability to tap into the Grid can break, the power of the Grid is ever present and cannot be turned off or deactivated. So long as a given device is functional, the Grid will power it.