Yesterday, Oct 28, the NA community time had its Duty Commenced episode, with another segment on LORE~ THANKFULLY CAMATE joking BAYOHNE aka Mattalos (tumblr and twitter) had no typos this time! *cough*Lolorito's name last time*cough*
This post is from Gamerescape's Lore Train, which was transcribed from the Duty Commenced episode slides.
What is aether?
Aether is an invisible, intangible substance that exists all around us and flows through every living being, and is what sustains us. It is also used to weave magicks. Once the spirit departs the body due to death, our remains are reduced to aether and returned to the aetherial river known as the Lifestream, which flows throughout the land.
Return and Teleport
These are spells that allow the caster to reduce his physical form to aether without severing the connection between body and soul, so that he may traverse the Lifestream safely and travel to his desired destination
Return
Compared to Teleport, Return is less taxing on our spiritual energies, as we are naturally drawn towards our “home pointâ€- the aetheryte with which we have the strongest resonance. This spell can be cast quite quickly, making it ideal for emergencies
Teleport
Teleport offers greater versatility, in that you can travel to any aetheryte with which you have previously attuned. However, it requires a great deal of spirit energy known as “anima†to safely guide one’s body and soul to the weaker aetherial beacon. It also requires extended concentration to cast and therefore cannot be used during battle.
What is an aetheryte?
These crystalline agglomerations of aether, which are a common sight throughout Eorzea, are vital to aetherial travel. They are said to be solid manifestations of the planet’s lifeblood, aether, which form at the intersections of aetherial currents. By touching an aetheryte, the aether which makes up our bodies resonates with that contained in the crystal. This is called “attunement.â€
Normally, when one’s body is reduced to aether, it will naturally gravitate to the location with which it resonates the greatest: one’s home point. This is why upon losing consciousness in battle, many wake to find themselves back at an aetheryte. In other words, they act as lodestones, assuring that the body, in its aetherial form, is not lost to the pull of the greater flow.
Why are aetherytes generally found in populated areas?
Aetherytes cannot be constructed just anywhere; rather, they can only be constructed in locations rich with aether, such as the intersections of aetherial currents. Like an oasis in a desert, these locations are often teeming with life. Settlements are commonly established near them, and so it can be reasonably assumed that most villages and cities are ideal locations for aetherytes.
Why does it cost gil to use aetherytes?
During the Calamity, many of the existing aetheryte camps were destroyed. The city-states subsequently coordinated their efforts to reloacte and restore the aetherytes which had been damaged or lost. Much of the capital used to fund this venture was lent by certain men of business from Ul’dah. The gil you pay when either leaving from or arriving at an aetheryte goes to paying off that debt.
While it may appear as though this is automatically deducted from your savings, you are in fact paying this fee to nearby attendants. This scene is simply omitted for gameplay reasons.
Who constructed  the aetherytes?
The aetherytes currently found in each of the city-states were reconstructed following the Calamity by Sharlayan engineers. These engineers were the only ones who possessed the skill and knowledge necessary to do so, and so they were richly compensated for their services.
Modern Aetherytes
![[Image: modernaetheryte.jpg]](http://gamerescape.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/modernaetheryte.jpg)
These are not an original Sharlayan design, but the product of research into existing aetherytes constructed in ancient times by civilizations unknown.
Early Aetherytes
![[Image: earlyaetheryte.jpg]](http://gamerescape.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/earlyaetheryte.jpg)
These were constructed 1000-1500 years ago during the Sixth Astral Era.
Ancient Aetherytes
![[Image: ancientaetheryte.jpg]](http://gamerescape.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ancientaetheryte.jpg)
These were constructed before the Sixth Astral Era, more than 1500 years ago. Many of these aetherytes were damaged or destroyed during the Calamity.
![[Image: aetherytes2.jpg]](http://gamerescape.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/aetherytes2.jpg)
Beast tribes also have their own unique ways of using aetheryte, but these methods, too, were not invented by them. In most cases, they are reutilizing relics from ancient civilizations or making use of the crystals that formed naturally.
Allagan Aetherytes
![[Image: allaganaetheryte.jpg]](http://gamerescape.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/allaganaetheryte.jpg)
The Allagans possessed aetheryte technologies as well. However, it is unknown whether they developed their methods independently or if they expanded upon those of older civilizations.
Tumblr user tinolqa has taken screenshots of the lore lowdown slides from the Duty Commenced episode here.
A lot of this content is a bit of a "better look" at what was made available since this post on the forums by Camate
This post is from Gamerescape's Lore Train, which was transcribed from the Duty Commenced episode slides.
What is aether?
Aether is an invisible, intangible substance that exists all around us and flows through every living being, and is what sustains us. It is also used to weave magicks. Once the spirit departs the body due to death, our remains are reduced to aether and returned to the aetherial river known as the Lifestream, which flows throughout the land.
Return and Teleport
These are spells that allow the caster to reduce his physical form to aether without severing the connection between body and soul, so that he may traverse the Lifestream safely and travel to his desired destination
Return
Compared to Teleport, Return is less taxing on our spiritual energies, as we are naturally drawn towards our “home pointâ€- the aetheryte with which we have the strongest resonance. This spell can be cast quite quickly, making it ideal for emergencies
Teleport
Teleport offers greater versatility, in that you can travel to any aetheryte with which you have previously attuned. However, it requires a great deal of spirit energy known as “anima†to safely guide one’s body and soul to the weaker aetherial beacon. It also requires extended concentration to cast and therefore cannot be used during battle.
What is an aetheryte?
These crystalline agglomerations of aether, which are a common sight throughout Eorzea, are vital to aetherial travel. They are said to be solid manifestations of the planet’s lifeblood, aether, which form at the intersections of aetherial currents. By touching an aetheryte, the aether which makes up our bodies resonates with that contained in the crystal. This is called “attunement.â€
Normally, when one’s body is reduced to aether, it will naturally gravitate to the location with which it resonates the greatest: one’s home point. This is why upon losing consciousness in battle, many wake to find themselves back at an aetheryte. In other words, they act as lodestones, assuring that the body, in its aetherial form, is not lost to the pull of the greater flow.
Why are aetherytes generally found in populated areas?
Aetherytes cannot be constructed just anywhere; rather, they can only be constructed in locations rich with aether, such as the intersections of aetherial currents. Like an oasis in a desert, these locations are often teeming with life. Settlements are commonly established near them, and so it can be reasonably assumed that most villages and cities are ideal locations for aetherytes.
Why does it cost gil to use aetherytes?
During the Calamity, many of the existing aetheryte camps were destroyed. The city-states subsequently coordinated their efforts to reloacte and restore the aetherytes which had been damaged or lost. Much of the capital used to fund this venture was lent by certain men of business from Ul’dah. The gil you pay when either leaving from or arriving at an aetheryte goes to paying off that debt.
While it may appear as though this is automatically deducted from your savings, you are in fact paying this fee to nearby attendants. This scene is simply omitted for gameplay reasons.
Who constructed  the aetherytes?
The aetherytes currently found in each of the city-states were reconstructed following the Calamity by Sharlayan engineers. These engineers were the only ones who possessed the skill and knowledge necessary to do so, and so they were richly compensated for their services.
Modern Aetherytes
These are not an original Sharlayan design, but the product of research into existing aetherytes constructed in ancient times by civilizations unknown.
Early Aetherytes
These were constructed 1000-1500 years ago during the Sixth Astral Era.
Ancient Aetherytes
These were constructed before the Sixth Astral Era, more than 1500 years ago. Many of these aetherytes were damaged or destroyed during the Calamity.
Beast tribes also have their own unique ways of using aetheryte, but these methods, too, were not invented by them. In most cases, they are reutilizing relics from ancient civilizations or making use of the crystals that formed naturally.
Allagan Aetherytes
The Allagans possessed aetheryte technologies as well. However, it is unknown whether they developed their methods independently or if they expanded upon those of older civilizations.
Tumblr user tinolqa has taken screenshots of the lore lowdown slides from the Duty Commenced episode here.
A lot of this content is a bit of a "better look" at what was made available since this post on the forums by Camate
The Lore Team Wrote:What is an aetheryte?
Aetherytes are colossal structures comprised of crystallized aether. So that they may serve as waypoints for aetherial travel, these crystals have been amplified through the use of advanced Sharlayan technology.
Why doesn't everyone use aetherytes?
To traverse the Lifestream safely with Teleport and Return requires a great deal of spiritual energy, known as anima. While many individuals, such as adventurers, possess the fortitude to endure such travel, some individuals do not. What’s more, even if one has the ability to use aetherytes, the frequency with which one can do so varies. In essence, for some, the recast time for these spells can be far longer than for an adventurer.
As a result, only a fraction of the populace can utilize aetherial travel habitually, which is why chocobos, airships, and other forms of transportation still play a major role in Eorzea.
Why does it cost gil to use aetherytes?
Many aetheryte camps were destroyed during the Calamity, which necessitated their reconstruction. However, this came at great expense, and so teleportation fees must be collected to repay the as yet unpaid debt.
However, the gil doesn’t just magically disappear from your purse! Though it's not shown in the game, it's collected by the guards keeping watch of the aetherytes.
On a side note, guards posted by each city-state's aetheryte can tell you about aetherytes and teleportation magic. If you're interested, see what they have to say!
![[Image: yEROfKO.png]](http://i.imgur.com/yEROfKO.png)
![[Image: tumblr_ojgu7zoaag1robwlio1_540.png]](https://68.media.tumblr.com/80be4033cdf57fb6268473ef9ce37db6/tumblr_ojgu7zoaag1robwlio1_540.png)
