Overview of Magic, Souls, and FTL technology

Auron

The simplest form of connection between realspace and the Aether is known as an aura. An auron can be thought of as a unidirectional portal linking realspace to the aether (known as a realspace-aether connection, R-A, or RAC auron) or aether to realspace connection (aether-realspace connection, A-R, or ARC auron). Matter in realspace with a strong enough RAC link will be transported to the Aether. Matter in the Aether with a strong ARC auron will be transported to realspace. Materials like sunsail have very strong permanent auras, and these auras give these substances their exotic properties. All interactions between auras occur in either realspace or the Aether.

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 collections of weak ARC and REC aurons 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.