(04-17-2014, 09:25 AM)Jael Wrote: The notes recorded in this journal detail some of the most basic to advanced techniques and theories in regards to aether, body enhancement/conditioning, and martial forms. To whomever holds this journal now, I pray that you read carefully. These lessons are not for everyone and are to be used if one cannot find a teacher.


Aether is an ever present energy, seeping from the earth and existing in the very air we breathe. It can be used by those trained in the magical arts to manipulate or 'borrow' from the elements and the surrounding area, use the latent aether within their body to conjure mediums such as a staff or scepter to further increase their control over the ambient energies, or summon and bind powerful creatures to do their bidding. The possibilities are limitless, the potential unrealized to many...but potential for what? Healing or destruction, Order or chaos? Hydaelyn itself is considered chaotic in my eyes, as is the energy that encompasses the entirety of the land which seemed to be engineered to create constant turmoil. The people create chaos and the people bring about order; Balance is maintained despite the harsh conditions of the land because -every- single inhabitant is capable of making change due to Aether. But because the energy is so potent at times, creatures with an abundance of concentrated aether descend into madness and could very well be corrupted by that which brings about life. Chaos.
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Tearing away from the first topic, we'll be delving into the internal energies that reside within us. Like the aforementioned users who utilize the latent energies within their own bodies, many practitioners of martial arts use what is known as 'Chakras'-- seats of power within the body that are used to refine the vital aether residing therein. There are seven chakras in the body, and they are listed as the Root, Sacral, solar panels, Heart, Throat, Third eye, and Crown. Six of which can be opened through various procedures or trials taking place in areas of great battle, filled with concentrated aether. It's not so easy as walking into such a place, but you must fight with your life on the line to unlock these mystical gates. To gain is to risk losing everything, as they say. Before you can even hope to use the aether within your body, mastery of the mind must first come into play. And with mastery of the mind comes mastery of the body. Monks train for years in order to attain a greater understanding of the body, the mind, and eventually the spirit. All three must achieve harmony in order to harness this potent energy and manifest it through the use of willpower. With it, physical feats and talents the likes of which you've never even dreamed of can come true.
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Now that the introduction is complete, instruction on novice techniques will be written first and will continue with difficulty in order. DO NOT skip over these if you value the body the twelve have given you.

Circulating the aether: Even the very basic of practitioners must know how to properly circulating their aether, for it is the founding pillars to more advanced techniques. To start off, you must close your eyes and concentrate on the point between your eyebrows. Keep a rigid standing/sitting position for now and begin visualizing the outline of your body as you breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Imagine a flame slowly beginning to burn within your chest, and each breath slowly fanning it to make it burn all the brighter. Feel the aether within your body begin to churn and slowly course through your body. While it has its own set flow, know that you can direct it whichever way you choose and even go so far as to control the pressure at which the energy unfurls throughout your being.
Getting back to the lesson, once you've mastered the first step by visualizing the flame and keeping it tame for the most part you may now visualize the flame slowly moving up and down the outline of your body. With the flame moving, the heat will follow to each and every part of the body. To get a feel for the visualization training focus on doing this for several hours each day until the point of mental exhaustion. Believe the roaring hearth locked deep within you is the internal energies building up and creating palpable heat. Within a few weeks to a month, it is possible to feel feverish and not entirely uncommon. Do not fret for the heat will not stay long. Keep yourself hydrated and start each session with a full stomach.


Between the lessons is drawing of a Hyur sitting down in a lotus position, legs crossed underneath him and his hands sitting on both knees. It's clear to any that study the drawing to see this is a basic meditation pose.

Expanding: After circulating your aether for several weeks/months, the user may move on to expanding their internal energies from their form through the use of heavy breathing exercises and constant visualization. Get comfortable and begin with sharp inhales through your nose, keep it held in your lungs for no more than ten seconds, then 'push' with your diaphragm during your exhale. Concentrate on breathing at the same pace and think on other things to get used to the multitasking, then visualize the flame you've been burning in your core begin to grow around the outline of your body at a controlled pace. It's not uncommon for the user to sweat during this process.
Once the flame of aether has indeed escaped the body, begin to retract it into the depths of the core from whence it came. The point of the exercise is control; Make it grow nearly out of reach only to dominate it once again.

Refining: This exercise coincides with the previous, allowing one to cultivate the internal energies gathered thus far and filtering it through the use of open chakras to create something far more potent. After all, chakras are merely gate ways to a greater power. Think of them as wells of untapped potential within yourself. To begin the lesson, the user will need to assume a lotus position in a place of complete solitude and brimming with untapped aether, though not at dangerous concentration levels. Focus is needed during this exercise for it is very dangerous to do even with an instructor practiced in aether theory watching over the user.
After an area according to these guidelines, enter a deep trance like state through the use of aforementioned breathing techniques. Breathe in and gather the energies into whatever chakras you may have open. For now, focus on a single gateway and continue to guide all of the energy into that single point. Imagine it as a container of muddy water, its depth unknown due to the dirty substances mixed into it. Just like water, your internal energies can become filthy and unclean, however you can remedy this by filtering and therefore refining.
Once the energies have been gathered and visualized into a container, begin slowly yet forcefully exhaling whilst drilling a small microscopic crack into the bottom of the container. Watch as the water slowly bleeds out into little droplets and fall into a new container holding fresh and potent energy.

The exercise should continue and NOT BE RUSHED until you can no longer contain your energies. Note that an abundance of internal energy is harder to refine than smaller doses. If one cannot contain an excessive amount of energy, go back to the previous lessons and practice until you've fully mastered them. The more chakras opened, the more filters the energy must pass through in order to be completely free of impurities, which is why it can take a lifetime to master.

A Hyur is drawn here, sitting in the lotus position once again. Down the center axis of the body are seven dots representing the gateways known as chakra.

Because these the term chakra will be used quite a bit in these next lessons, it's best to explain each one in greater detail. As stated before, there are seven chakras to open and each one is a gateway to greater power. Aether allows one to tap into the magic arts but is also the font of life which flows into every being. An intense fight between two individuals with potent aether surrounding the area and seeping into their bodies is a perfect example. The more intense the fight, and death, the more potent the aether will be when it leaves the loser's body thus causing it to surge and resonate with the winner's energy, expanding it. As scientific as it sounds, there are still many things that cannot be calculated with numbers and logic. For instance, each individual chakra governs several aspects of life.

The Root Chakra: Located at the base of the spine, the Root governs the right to exist and survive in the world we know. What is also known about this ability is that it's deeply connected to the physical and material realm, thus embodies the element of Earth.

The Sacral Chakra: Located in the lower stomach and below the navel area, this chakra is related to creativity, desire, and pleasure. This chakra embodies the element of Water.

The Solar Plexus Chakra: Above the navel, the Solar Plexus is directly connected to personal power, ambition, independence, and ego. Because of such passionate aspects, this chakra embodies Fire.

The Heart Chakra: Love, compassion, acceptance, forgiveness, and self-restraint deals with the point located at the center of the chest. The element of Air relates to this chakra.

The Throat Chakra: The right to speak. Learning to express oneself and one’s beliefs. Ability to trust. Loyalty. Related to the element of Ice.

The Third Eye Chakra: Located at the point between the eyebrows or in the center of your forehead, this chakra represents the ability to perceive, develop your psychic ability in order to see the world beyond, to look inside yourself and contemplate, and trusting your own insight. It governs the element of Lightning.

The Crown Chakra: At the top of the head, this represents your spirituality and knowingness. While not related to any known element, it closely deals with spirituality and the ability to contemplate your connection with the Twelve.

Certain techniques require you to tap into specific aspects of your being, meaning that in order to become a master of yourself you must first look within and correct any imbalances that you may have. ALSO: Know that each element does not specifically connect to each and every chakra in the same ways. If that were the case, we would have fully grasped the complexities of such a phenomenon. The list above is not always fact; in many cases, it can be proved false depending on who you may find to instruct you. People are different, think different, talk different...chakras reflect your inner self but they don't always show your 'true' self. For example, an individual who unlocks the throat chakra may come across as very eloquent and suave and have it be aspected to water or fire depending on the user's wish. Be it to simply mingle and enjoy company or find a partner for the night, the inner machinations of their mind and body tug at different strings depending on intent, and your chakra can reflect this and mold itself accordingly. A complex system even I haven't fully deciphered, and likely never will. With this lesson I implore that you sit and contemplate the elements residing within each respective chakra. Once you find the answer be sure to incorporate the gathered feelings into your next exercises. Let your ambitions keep you going for a few extra hours, let your anger fuel you but never blind you. No matter where your heart lies, balance and harmony is a must.


The image of the Hyur is now set in a standing position, taking on a deeply rooted horse stance. Both hands are chambered and pressed against his side in clenched fists.

No movement is without thought, everything your body does must pass into your mind before acting, this is why most disciplines practice mind over body. To master the mind is to conquer the body. Memorization and visualization are key to mastering the following forms.

Raptor form: To begin the form, place your right foot forward and bend your knees. Twist your hip and allow your shoulder to face your enemy while simultaneously removing many vitals from sight. Bring your hands up and partially extended outwards to face your opponent with open palms. Make sure the balance on each foot remains even and controlled at all times.

Step in and make a preemptive strike with the heel of your leading hand's palm, imagine aiming for the bridge of the nose or the chin in an attempt to disorient or completely knock the enemy out by shaking their brain.

Continue moving into their guard for there is no safer place than right next to them. Collapse the leading arm and lash out with a lancing elbow strike to their chest.

Next, swivel back and assume your original stance before encircling your foe.

Imagine your opponent charging you with abandon. React by tucking your arms in and keep yourself in a guard as you calmly assess the situation, however you should never downplay the stress you'd feel in the heat of battle. Twist your waist and bring your left arm up and around in a warding block with the use of your forearm then snap your offhand forward in a quick jab.

Dodge back from your opponent's wild attack then cut inside his guard to unleash a flurry of linking front punches. Make sure your strikes are in line with the center of your body. The front punches almost fully extend outwards, being careful not to hurt the elbow joints. Your chambered hand ready to be let loose should remain just below your elbow until your extended arm retracts and allows the chambered arm to overlap it, taking on the same position under the elbow.

With that, you've completed your first form. The raptor is a vicious predator, processing the prey's movements so it can react according to the situation. It will wear the prey down until finally it may sink its teeth into it, never letting go. Meditate on this and watch the actual creature in action should you ever have the chance.


The demon greets the heavens: When close to your enemy, know that it is one of the safest place you can be in combat, but that doesn't mean it's without its own danger of course. Multiple occurrences can happen in battle so you should always be prepared to retreat and reassess the situation before acting; This technique helps with that. Imagine your larger opponent giving you barely any room to work with, pressing and continuing on without relent.
Take a step back and bend your knees to assume a deep stance and create roots. Bring the palm of your favored hand up to rest against your opponents chin while cradling your elbow with the offhand. The trick is to use your opponent's energy against them by essentially being a pole stuck into the ground. When he pushes the attack, -shoot- your palm up with the use of the hand cradling the elbow, granting you with enough power in these close quarters situations to effectively snap the opponent's head back and potentially kill them in an instant.

This technique is particularly useful even without using the opponent's energies. Standing still and attempting this move by snaking your hands up between your two bodies can yield the same results at times. Set your palm against his chin and use the pressure of both arms to spear upwards, sometimes gaining even more energy should you have the ability to push up with your knees in that precise moment.