Aether's Revival Magic

Aether is also the term used to refer to the mana, ki, or spiritual energy that magic users of the series have.

If seeking information on Aether, the entity, please see HERE.

## Food

Consuming food is among the primary ways that magi regain their Aether. Different foods provide different amounts of Aether.

Magi must temper and strengthen their bodies to safely consume such foods, working their way up to more densely aether packed foods as they grow.

A magi can be harmed by eating more than they can handle, the aether running rampant through their system. This negative feedback is the primary drawback of being unprepared, vs the many benefits.

A common source of aether through food comes from bane beasts, both farmed and wild.

Because of how potent the aether infused foods can be, it is common for one to take their time consuming a meal, and helping temper the potency of the meal with occasional bites of rice, or sips of tea. This allows ones aether to process what is being fed to it.

## Aura

Magi are capable of projecting their aether in a palpable aura. This radiated power can be physically stressful for others, potentially even harmful.

## Paths

Magic practitioners in the Aether's Revival world have access to three paths. Body, mind, and spirit.

It is made very clear that nearly all magi are limited to training a single path, with the number of those who can grow their aether via multiple paths counting less than 5, and with no confirmed instances of anyone managing to train using all three paths. Even the Emperor of the Velum Empire is unknown, as they have never said.

For magi, choosing a path is required to grow their aether, though for those limited in the number of paths they can train, picking one too early before knowing their magic type might hinder their overall growth. Determining what path synergies best with ones magic type is important to take into account.

### Body

The Body path focuses on bettering ones physical body to increase how much aether one can move through the body without stress. Starting this path is as simple as doing a few exercises that help limber the body and get aether moving through it more easily. This path can help hone the body to always be ready to attack or defend, improving ones instinctual reactions. Body is the most widely followed path in the empire. According to Bishop, the reasons for this are that the body path will sculpt ones body to be the best it can be, and it will help ones aether integrate into your whole body. While all paths will let one use aether throughout the body, the body path makes it easier, faster, and painless. However, it does not let aether augment ones mind. The body path is a favorite for those who have physical enhancement magic, as the two dovetail nicely.

In a physical display, Bishop demonstrates a simple punch, one with aether, and another without. The first target was a one-inch thick wooden square, with ten of them stacked. Bishop is able to break the entire stack cleanly without aether. This is followed by her doing the same to a thirty piece high stack of stone blocks using aether, with devastating results as all were destroyed. She makes a point of comparing the stack of stone squares to the walls around most cities, showing that her magic makes her a one woman siege engine. Her final demonstration was with a training dummy made entirely out of metal. And yet, this thirty inches of solid steel was no match for her aether flame covered arm as she drone a hole clean through with her enhanced punch.

### Mind

The Mind path is devoted to learning, and increasing the amount of aether one has to use. The mind path can begin by doing simple math problems to help one get used to processing information quickly, which is supposed to help increase ones aether. The mind path can let a magi track multiple things at once, and help them find a response sooner. As John Dunn taught, those who follow the mind path find that they can process information faster, and follow multiple threads at the same time without loss of understanding.

### Spirit

The basics of the Spirit path focus on how medication can improve ones aether. Refining the flame so it can burn cleaner, and use less aether for anything a magi needs to do. To clarify, the spirit path also lets one learn to compress their aether, to assist in using less to do the same job. This path helps someone know themself better, more easily ignoring distractions so they can focus on whatever they need to.

## Types

There are a variety of types of magic. Most magi have a single type, but some have multiple. In those cases, they tend to have a strong primary, and weaker secondary.

* Fire
* Water
* Earth
* Wind
* Alchemy
* Enchanting
* Spatial
* Physical Enhancement
* Shadow - The core of shadow magic usage is rooted in assassination and information gathering, both highly sought after aspects.