In Her Element Lorebook #1: The Aether Element
Hello, reader. I’m writing to clarify certain aspects of life in Ayres City. Some things can be confusing and weird to the outside viewer. As a resident of the city for my entire life, I know for a fact that there are things that even perplex me.
If you’ve ever seen the Royal Elements out and about, you may be confused about me, their leader, and my element of Aether. Most of you may assume that there are only four base classical elements. However, the truth of the matter is that there are actually five elements in most cultures. Excluding places like China, there are usually the elements of air, water, fire, earth, and a fifth element for space. When I first became Royal Aether, even I was confused at first, but I’ve done some research regarding the matter.
So, what is aether? Before I begin, I should clarify that the aether element goes by multiple names. These names include ether, spirit, quintessence, void, space, among other things. However, all of these names have the common ancient definition of being the substance that fills the realm above the Earth. People thought of aether as the air of the universe, a medium that made up the stars and planets and what the gods breathed instead of mortals.
Aether is believed to be a spiritual and divine substance, above the other four elements. It was said to be neither hot or cold nor wet or dry. Another belief of aether is that it’s a pure substance where the other four elements came from, being the elements’ purest form. Some say that aether is the four elements combined. Some even say that it’s the mythical and coveted philosopher’s stone itself.
These are a handful of old beliefs about aether. However, aether is not discussed much compared to the other four elements, thanks to its inclusion in the system of elements after the first four and the fact that its ancient definition was disproven via modern theories. Notably, people initially thought that light traveled in an aether medium, but that was disproven. The theory of aether would eventually be replaced with the theory of relativity.
With that in mind, why am I a Royal Element if aether doesn’t apparently exist? Well, what aether is in reality is outer space, more specifically the fabric of space itself. Experimenting with my powers and doing some research made me realize some interesting information regarding aether. With my powers, I’m able to summon various celestial objects like asteroids, solar flares, and nebulae, among other things. Since aether is said to be the four elements combined, I believe that’s why I’m able to summon these objects that are made out of rock, ice, gases, etc.
In addition, I can change spacetime, concepts of the universe, and the laws of physics, ranging from gravity to wormholes to quantum physics. This also includes more enigmatic aspects of the universe, like invisible dark matter and repelling dark energy. Aether is also ‘nothing’, specifically a vacuum. Another name of Aether is ‘Void’, after all.
My powers even extend to spiritual things, ranging from psychic powers to controlling spirits. I’ve noticed various abilities I could do including telekinesis and mind reading. I might even be able to manipulate the minds of others if I so wish. Though, I will say that something like that is a bit hard to do since I have to overpower one’s mind and spirit.
Most fantasy settings use the concept of ‘light’ and ‘dark’ as elements, often defined as holy and unholy. Aether is in a lot of ways both of these elements merged into one, specifically the spiritual side of the element. After all, elements don’t specifically have a morality or gravitate to a specific morality. Even the destructive element of fire gives warmth and can cook food.
Now, I think that explanation of aether will show you what my powers are. In a lot of ways, aether is a miscellaneous element compared to the other four with its more conceptual nature. I consider the five elements to be split into the four physical elements and the conceptual/spiritual element that is aether. I also sometimes see the four elements as the four states of matter, (solids and earth, liquids and water, gases and air, and plasma and fire), with my element being the equivalent of nothing or empty space. Aether is still the strongest of the five elements and is above the rest due to its unique power and versatility.
I hope this first entry helps clarify what my element is and its definition. This is something that I had to learn when I first got my powers and I made this to help others understand me. My apologies if it's something hard to wrap your head around, it took me a while to figure it out as well. Maybe someday the spacial and spiritual element of aether will have a resurgence and be included more in media, who knows? Anyway, this is Celeste signing off.
