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Aether
An Aether is a sky elemental creature that can fly with the use of wings that are inked into their backs and can be retracted and expanded at will. An Aether can be born from other Aethers or turned from a Human.
Aether
An Aether is a sky elemental creature that can fly with the use of wings that are inked into their backs and can be retracted and expanded at will. An Aether can be born from other Aethers or turned from a Human.
Aethers appear to be normal Humans on first glance. They can run the gamut of appearance just like Humans do. However there are a few subtle differences.
All Aethers have tattoo-like images called Patterns across both shoulder blades down their back. These are the Aether's wings. The Patterns do not have to take the appearance of the wings in question; they can appear to be anything. They can be simple or complex. They can change appearance and gain or lose detail as the Aether ages and changes themselves.
Aethers do not have another physical form that they take, but their Aether Wings are separate from their bodies.
The Aether's wings have one shape that they will have for the rest of their lives. The wings themselves can be any appearance. Insect, butterfly, angelic, demonic, feathered, scaled, more than one set of wings, only one wing; however the player wants them to look they can look.
When an Aether wants to use their wings, the ink from the Pattern rises from the skin, merges through anything that might be in the way (such as clothes), and forms into the physical wings attached to the Aether's back. To put the wings back away, they disintegrate back into the Pattern and the ink returns to the skin.
While out, the wings of an Aether are like extra limbs and they can be affected just like arms and legs. They are a physical, tangible limb attached to the Aether. While put away, the Pattern acts no different than an ordinary tattoo and a normal Human would never be able to tell the difference.
Aethers do not have rapid healing abilities, but they are also incredibly sturdy and can pack a punch.
All Aethers are quite light and weigh much less than a Human no matter how they look. They also have unusual strength, not quite superhuman but certainly more than their weight would suggest. They also have sharpened senses, especially sight and sound for use in the air.
Aethers as a whole are mostly nocturnal creatures, as it makes it easier for them to fly around without fear of being caught. However Aethers can also use their sky magic to refract light and shadow and make themselves appear invisible while in the air.
Aethers are elemental magic users that have access to a branch of magic that's aptly called sky magic. It is a kindred magic to other elemental magic harnessed by other species.
Sky Magic gives the Aethers the abilities of sky elementals - a step above and beyond a mere air elemental. They can perform any magic that involves the sky or the atmosphere. This includes visible light manipulation, wind magic, air manipulation, lightning, thunder, storms, winds, rains, clouds, fog, and anything else that would be covered by the sky.
Another facet of sky magic is the use of echolocation. Aethers have the innate ability to use echolocation to find people or objects and to navigate in pitch black conditions.
Aethers have a longer than average lifespan due to their magical connection to the sky. The average Aether lives to be around 400 years old.
They age at the same rate as Humans until they are in their twenties, then age more slowly for the rest of their lives.
Aethers have full access to their sky magic from their birth or the moment of their turning.
Born Aethers are born with their tattooed Patterns already in place. Their wings and the Pattern are hidden using sky magic until the child is old enough to begin using them. They have a natural affinity for flight and learn very quickly how to fly.
While they have access to their magic from birth or the moment of turning, Aethers do not master control of their sky magic until they are considered adults.
Humans can be turned into Aether through a ritual where an Aether tattoos the Pattern onto the Human's shoulder blades. The sky magic takes hold of the Human through the Aether via the tattoo and the ink and when the tattoo is completed, the turning is completed. Aether Pattern rituals can almost always be completed in one sitting.
Newly turned Aethers often struggle both with controlling the powerful sky magic and learning how to fly as an adult.
Aethers can only be created by being born an Aether or turned from a Human. Once someone is born or turned into an Aether, they will always be an Aether. There is no way to become a Human or a different Supernatural creature.
Aethers can have children with the following species besides themselves:
The child of an Aether and another species will always be the species of one of the parents.
Example: The child of an Aether and a Merfolk will either be an Aether or a Merfolk. There is no such thing as a 'hybrid' species.
Aethers can tell other supernatural species apart through their magical signatures. It's not a powerful ability and can be easily fooled, making it more difficult for new Aether to tell species apart.
