The third leg of the four ability systems, and the most common of the four. Where the Celestials are drawn to the internal harmony promoted by Od, and the Demons are attuned to the chaos embodied by Void, and physiological abilities spurns mortals almost entirely, the Elements will bless anyone without prejudice.
— "Power: A Treatise on the Existence and Interaction of the Four Systems" by Oriana Tansea
 

Aether & Elements

Everyone knows the basic elements - air, water, earth and fire. Sometimes a fifth element, typically called something like "emptiness" or "ether" will also be included. Empirica Sin is a bit like each and a bit like neither. Here, the spark behind all four of these basic elements are contained within a fifth "element" of sorts, Aether - an invisible substance that is all substances.

The Elements of Empirica Sin.

As elements comprise most of the matter that makes up the world, it - and its subspheres - is perhaps the most fundamental of the primary forces in the world. And, as is the case with Od and Void, there are those born with an attunement to one or more of the elements contained within Aether, allowing them to manipulate - or even produce - those elements at will.

As is to be expected, the amount of the element that can be controlled, as well as whether it can also be produced, is correlative with an Aetherweaver 's power rank. At the lowest levels, a fire weaver might be able to light a candle or a campfire, but little else. At the highest levels, one could theoretically burn cities down, or even larger swathes of land.

It is often said that Aetherweave is the only ability sphere that is distributed evenly to the metaspecies of each of the Three Realms... and that is true for the most part. However, there are two specific exceptions:

First, generally truly extreme highs are held only by Dei associated with the element, e.g. Tal or Dagon and water. However, there are some rare exceptions of extraordinarily gifted individuals whose ability can rival the Dei themselves - the fire weaver Grigorius Bieloskytes comes to mind, for example.

And second the Djinn are universally attuned to Aether, with each being connected to one of the Elements. That said, while every djinn has aetheric abilities, it is also the case that no Djinn has multiple affinities... aside from those gifted in direct manipulation of Aether itself.

 

Essential Information

Prevalence

While it is true that all species have equal access to aetheric abilities (excepting the above cases), all specific individuals are not necessarily equal in potential or ability. The prevalence of specific talent levels within the entire population breaks down as follows:

Ability Prevalence Comments
Palen 40% No ability to manipulate, or inaccessible ability. About 20% of those who currently lack aetheric attunement could develop some level of affinity with training. So, 40 out of every 100 people cannot manipulate Aether in any form, and of that 40, there will be 8 that has the capacity but hasn't developed it.
Enop 10% A low level of ability capable of small or simple manifestations, e.g. lighting a candle, repairing bent metal. No production in unnatural situations - e.g. one can't create fire out of nothing, though they could set fire to a wick.
Modu 25% The most common level of ability for those who have the ability to begin with. Capable of small but more complicated tasks (e.g. creating a fork from raw metal) or larger but simple tasks (e.g. lighting a furnace). No production in unnatural situations, but larger natural effects are possible (e.g. the furnace rather than the candle).
Dumen 15% The first rank capable of independent element production. Larger scale manipulation (e.g. parting the water of a pond). Can perform small production tasks, such as producing enough water for house plants or a small garden.
Vaham 8% Larger and more complicated ability in production and manipulation. Here, one could burn a block down, for example, or carve tunnels through a cave.
Vallus 2% An extremely unusual level of ability; the vast majority of those who have achieved this rank have done so through Exedis or Ascension rather than natural talent. Capable of a high level of production and manipulation and substantial complications. e.g. forming a full set of flexible metal armor, burning down a several houses, creating storms sufficient to damage a small area. These are generally considered the most powerful weavers in the world.
Vis negligible A level of ability so extraordinary as to resemble that displayed by Dei with a connection to that aetheric Sphere (e.g. water-related deities). Note that this does not necessarily imply equaling a primary deity associated with the sphere, e.g. one doesn't need to have a control over water equal to Tal to be considered Vis level. Typically, only a Dei of the specific element will naturally have this level of ability but it can be achieved through Exedis or by Ascension.

These ranks are generalized and represent a range of abilities - not all Vallus are equal, but all are stronger than the strongest Vaham and weaker than the weakest Vis. This also means that Vis itself is the hardest to gauge since there is no upper tier to compare against -if someone has a Vis talent, you know they are stronger than the Vallus beneath them, but there is no way to intuit how powerful they are other than that.

Multiple Affinities

While a single affinity is by far the most common, rarely a person will have access to multiple elements. This may be natural or it may be acquired through the use of Exedis (for demons) or through Ascension (for celestials). Naturally occuring multiple sphere access has no relationship to the strength of the affinity - a person could easily have substandard power over both air and water, for example.

Affinities % Aetherweavers % Population Comments
One 90% 36% One affinity Modu are the most common kind of Aetherweavers at about 225million people total. Bear in mind that this includes the ones who can barely light a match.
Two 10% 4% Two affinity Modu constitute 4% of the population, or about 10million people.
Three unknown unknown No known cases.

There has been no known cases of an Aetherweaver having three affinities; four affinities is more properly described as an aether affinity.

 

Primary & Demi-Spheres

Primary Spheres

A Primary Sphere is one of the basic elements - Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. The use of these elements can lack for subtlety, but they don't lack of utility or power. Aetherweavers are attuned to Aether at a rate of 5%, with all other spheres appearing equally for a rate of 23.75% each. See Prevalence below for more information on commonality.

Primary Spheres

Aether

The rarest and most versatile of aetheric affinity, aether is the element that is all elements. A person who is attuned to aether has control of all elemental fields at the same level of ability - which means they also have access to every Demisphere if they have the will to learn them and the personality to grasp them. Very powerful aether users are vanishingly few with most topping out at Vaham. A high tier Aether user is likely to be one of the most powerful and versatile beings in Empirica Sin.

Notable Users: Mastema Amarandos


Fire

The element of heat and flame. While the simpler applications of Fire Affinity can be very practical (heating food, lighting lanterns and torches), higher levels are famous for their massive offensive and destructive abilities. Fire affinity weavers are in high demand for adventurers and military units or mercenary bands for this reason.

Notable users: Samael Asther, Grigorius Bieloskytes, Astaroth Dracothis

Earth

A deceptively low-key element that reveals its strength at higher levels. Earth manipulation includes stone - it also allows for some minor effect on foliage or things like magma. For example, an earth weaver might be able to cause a minor lava flow to reroute, but would not be able to weaponize or shape it. Earth Aetherweavers are in high demand in construction and farming industries.

Notable Users: Samael Asther, Maelis Kodester, Katyr Ainham

 
Air

It would be simple to assume air weavers are not offensively powerful, but this is a mistake. Capable of long-range suffocation, or summoning powerful wind storms that ravage the countryside, they possess some of the most directly dangerous abilities. They are effective defensive units and excellent sailors (for obvious reasons), making them in demand both in war and on the sea.

Notable Users: Leviael Kythien

Water

Water weavers can cause droughts, drown people on land and, at the highest level, summon sudden deluges to flood an area. Of course, just as life and death are two sides of a coin, creation and destruction are two sides of this Aetherweave - they can also bring relief to farmers' crops when they're suffering from rainless days, or protect travelers when they've run out of water. They are in demand as sailors, farmers, and chefs.

Notable Users: Dagon, Isis Asther, Beelzebub

Demi-Spheres

For those lucky enough to have power over two spheres, there may be an interaction that produces access to a demi-sphere. This is rare and, while it can happen to anyone with access to multiple spheres, it happens most often in those of exceptional power. More information on having multiple spheres of influence, how and how commonly this happens can be found below.

Any two affinities might produce an interesting and rare demi-sphere. Some of the known examples follow:

Air/Water

Steam, Ice
Ice

Creation and manipulation of ice and associated substances such as hail or snow.

Notable Users: Open Question.

Water Vapor

The creation and manipulation of water vapor in various forms such as steam or mist.

Notable Users: Open Question.

Fire/Earth

Metal, Magma, Glass
Metal

Production and manipulations of metals of all kinds. At the highest levels, metal-users can create detailed, intricate items or even create unnaturally tough or flexible (or both) metals for clothing or similar applications.

Notable Users: Samael Asther

Magma

Creation and manipulation of magma/lava and associated substances such as volcanic rock.

Notable Users: Samael Asther

 
Glass

Production and manipulation of glass. At high levels this can include creating intricate glass sculptures, for example. A glass weaver with an additional affinity in metal can also create glass with the strength of metal.

Notable Users: Samael Asther

Fire/Air

Electricity, Smoke, Light
Electricity

One of the most purely offensive abilities, it has nonetheless proven useful for medics in reviving the fallen.

Notable Users: Astaroth Dracothis

Smoke

The creation and manipulation of smoke and similar air toxins. This is a deceptively dangerous ability.

Notable Users: Open Question.

 
Light

Production and manipulation of light. This is generally not an offensive ability, though it can be used to blind people. However, at high levels it can be focused sufficiently to ignite fires

Notable Users: Eamon Asther

 

Earth/Water

Plants, Poison
Flora

Creation and manipulation of plantlife. Includes slowing or speeding growth, controlling the movement of vines, etc.

Notable Users: Blossom

Poison

The creation and manipulation of toxins and similar chemicals. This may also include immunity or resistance to those same substances.

Notable Users: Isis Asther

 

Fire/Water

Acid
Acid

Production and manipulation of acids. This can include extremely mild acids used for cosmetic purposes... or corrosive acids that can eat through metal or flesh.

Notable Users: Open question

Aetherwrights

Aether-users with access to the Aether sphere directly are called aetherwrights. They are capable of creating truly unique and occasionally surreal effects - even some that could never exist in nature. However, very little is known about how this works or what, if any, limitations are placed on these abilities... because there are so few high-level weavers with an affinity for Aether directly.

The best information about the full abilities of an aetherwright came from the conflict between Samael and Mastema some centuries in the past. What follows is extrapolated from that battle.

Some Aether Tricks
Stormfire

A mixture of fire, water and air creates a devastating storm that rains fire, summons ball lightning, and sets nearly everything beneath it aflame.

Decay

Earth, Water and... something summons rot, entropy and disease. Wooden bridges may rot out from beneath a foe's feet.

 
Transmutation

Transforming one element into another in whole or in part.

Aetherwrights are capable of learning any demisphere if their personality and will permit. This makes them quite powerful even at lower levels; high level Aetherwrights are among the most powerful people in the world.

Manifestation

Aetheric abilities may or may not have visual markers when used - the effect being created affects presentation, as does the skill of the user. In either case, it is generally evident what they're doing simply by the nature of their actions - if they're throwing firebolts from their hands, then the fire is visible whether or not their hands are glowing. If they're moving ground around, the movement is discernible to the naked eye.

Regardless of whether the abilities are immediately visible or not, energy-detecting void usage or Odaturgy skills will reveal the link between the Aetherweaver and their actions. For example, if someone lights a lamp from across the room it may not be immediately obvious who did it, but energy detection abilities would reveal the connection.

Terminology Moment!

Aetherweavers manipulate the elemental threads contained within Aether itself, while Aetherwrights command the raw substance of Aether, shaping it directly.

Higher level abilities may begin to project a glowing aura, though one can learn to suppress it.

Effect On The User

Unlike Voidart and Odaturgy, Aetherweave is fairly balanced within oneself and does not affect a personality. However, channeling high levels of elemental energy can be taxing on the body. Aetherweavers are therefore cautioned to stay alert to the effects of the energy on their body and pull back when necessary. This is especially true for less empowered beings such as humans, debils or low level Fey.