Æthirluvium

Æthirluvium is the magical life-force that enables people to live and spellcasters to cast their spells. Originally a sacred resource, Æthirluvium (Æthir) was given to select beings by Nalroldü such as elves, and eventually dwarves. However, when Molgoroth was banished, Alü persuaded Nalroldü to give the gift of Æthir to all beings, even if this made them more susceptible to Molgoroth's temptations. Simply, Æthir is the force that enables free will and full life, without it, life would be docile and beings would be unable to act without a god's direct attention. Though it is a physical force and can be materialised in small amounts, those who describe Æthir in great detail often align it more closely with abstract feelings and emotions rather than more concrete happenings due to its diverse effects on creatures. As a result, 'science' and the study of magic in this world is globally referred to as transmutive arcane literature, or just Transarcia (Trans-ARc-ia) Literature for short. Within this are the studies of Æthir: Æthiric Literature, and Dothshur: Dothshuraic Literature.   When concerning living beings such as humans, elves or dwarves, they are all blessed with 'true life'. True life is the state of complete autonomy and awareness within the material realm. The effect of Æthir is such that it empowers beings to make decisions for themselves and exert control over others. This said, it also enables immense creativity and goodness, but the point is that the blessing of Æthir gives blessed beings the choice between good and evil. Someone who turns to good is be blessed by Nalroldü and granted some protection from the efforts of Molgoroth, and will also have greater control over Æthir than those who turn otherwise. For those who turn to the temptations of Molgoroth, their Æthir life-force becomes irreversibly tainted; eventually being completely replaced by Dothshur instead.   As for the much larger subject of spellcasters, the nature of spells differs from one to another, but a basic set of laws stay consistent. Spells are cast by the use or manipulation of the Æthir within an individual or object. Spells do not 'use' Æthir as such, but transfer it to other stores in various forms. A spell's complexity, power or effect will almost always correspond at least loosely to the amount of Æthir required. This said, the laws of Æthir are not known intricately by anybody in Estanon, and many sorcerers have proved exceptions to these rules over the years. More specifically, there are three main categories of of Æthir-users/spellcasters: gifted, natural and extrapolative. Firstly, gifted Æthir-users are individuals who are given unnatural resting levels Æthir or Dothshur, whether that be through godly blessing or some other source. Examples would include Clerics, Paladins, Warlocks, Monks and, to a lesser extent, Druids and Rangers. Secondly, natural Æthir-users are anomalous results: being able to summon immense amounts of Æthir from unkown depths of self. These users are rarest as not very many anomalies occur. Examples of this kind would include Sorcerer and Bards. Thirdly, extrapolative spellcasters are those who take the naturally occuring level of Æthir or Dothshur of a creature and utilise each ounce to its fullest potential. Those who extrapolate are Wizards or Artificers and require as deep an understanding of Æthir as possible so as to optimise their usage.   In a practical sense, those who understand the presence and forces of Æthir can predict the natural world as its the flow of Æthir that maintains the natural world and the life within it. Forests, jungles and river banks are hotspots due to their densitiy of life and often their relative location to mountain ranges that insulate the currents of wind that service the lower lands. The Steppes of the East are hotspots for the opposite reason: they are so exposed that raw Æthir winds have rendered the wasteland uninhabitable to all but the most hardy and magically inclined life forms.