View source for Overview of Magic, Souls, and FTL technology


== The Aether ==
The Aether is a parallel plane of reality to the conventional space-time observed by mortal beings. It has a variety of strange physical properties, for instance, a vastly higher speed of light. It natively contains a variety of poorly understood forms of exotic matter known as aetheric aspects, which interact very weakly with conventional matter. It is possible for conventional matter to travel to and from the Aether by means of Aurons. An object's momentum in the Aether is separate from and unrelated to its realspace momentum - while in realspace, an object bound to an aetheric aspect will not have its motion affected by its aetheric momentum, and likewise an objects motion through the aether will not be affected by realspace momentum. When travelling to or from the Aether, the momentum transformation is instantaneous and is not associated with any force. The interaction of realspace aspects in the Aether does affect their realspace momentum, but not their aetheric momentum. 

== Auron ==
Interactions and transfers of matter, energy, and information between realspace and the Aether are effected by '''auras''' - systems of RAC (realspace to aether) and ARC (aether to realspace) microportal complexes known as '''aurons'''. Aurons serve to effect realspace or aetheric field transferences on matter and/or aetheric aspects to which they are bound; active arcane materials like [[sunsail]] attribute their properties to high densities of bound aurons. Auron-auron interactions take place through alterations of bound aetheric or realspace aspects. [[Tau Shadows|Other auron-auron interactions]] have been reported, but no theoretical basis for these have been found. Systems of aurons are referred to as auras, and the net direction of the system is referred to as its bias - for example, a system mostly composed of ARC aurons is said to be ARC-biased, while a system mostly composed of REC aurons is said to be REC biased. A system with equal numbers of ARC and REC aurons is unbiased or neutral.

== Starheart Rays ==
Starheart rays are RAC aurons not bound to physical matter in either realspace or the aether. These aurons have no realspace mass but do carry significant aetheric momentum. The absorption of Starheart rays is the primary means of transporting matter from realspace to the aether.

= Souls =
Souls are a form of weakly ARC biased auras whose aetheric and realspace interactions lead to many computational processes that give rise to consciousness. 

== Magic ==
Magic is the process by which the ARC aurons which compose a soul transport energy and matter from the Aether to realspace. Careful control of the order and structure of this process and the realspace positions of the links can result in phenomena ranging from the levitation of objects normally affected by gravity, to the creation of electrical arcs or incendiary blasts, to the summoning of matter into realspace.