Aethertech

Aethertech is the name given to the fusion of magic and technology used by Entela, its extraplanar settlements, and other spheres within its network in the multiverse. Aethertech utilizes aether in its many forms as a power supply. During the mending, all existing aethertech was destroyed, and the mechanisms used to develop it no longer functioned, requiring Entela to develop new versions.

Aether Oscillator
An aether oscillator is a low-energy generation device. It makes a small amount of aether over time with no extra expenditure of resources. These devices are incredibly simple and easily repairable, lending to their use as temporary devices. Aether oscillators directly break through the plane into the blind eternities to make their aether. Aether oscillators were originally developed long before the mending, and were among the first technologies to be recreated when the mending destroyed all aethertech.

Aether oscillators have no hazards to Volarian life, and even accidental exposure to the aether inside can be cleaned up before it causes any permanent harm.

Elemental-Electrical Reactor
The elemental-electrical reactor cores (or EE reactors) are the versions of aether reactors used in large cities and permanent structures until 383 VY (84 PM). They usually use solid aethersteel as fuel and convert it into high amounts of energy by blasting it with highly concentrated aether. The energy produced by an EE reactor is captured as electricity and usually converted into elemental energy, where it can be used to directly power other aethertech devices. EE reactors, as with aether oscillators, were used before the mending, and were recreated a few years afterwards.

EE reactors are shielded with high-powered magic to prevent the intense conditions inside the reactor from reaching the outside. In most situations, the shield draws some energy from the inside of the reactor, strengthening the shield. However, at especially high aether concentrations (around two orders of magnitude above normal operating concentrations), the shield breaks down, resulting in an explosion called a Core Overflow. The reactor shielding is also unstable in the presence of platinum and obsidian, along with other anti-magical materials. New EE reactors stopped being created in 383 VY (84 PM) with the advent of a new type of reactor.

Resonance Reactors
The first resonance reactor was constructed in 384 VY (85 PM) alongside the creation of The Extraction Project's outpost in Hanashi. Resonance reactors use vibrations in aether to make the deconstruction of aethersteel and similar fuel sources more efficient, and they don't need nearly as high concentrations of aether compared to the EE reactors, so their shielding doesn't need to be as powerful. However, they need to be more carefully operated to keep the reactor efficiency high, and they have more passive risks than EE reactors do, so they need more staff. Resonance reactors rely on 'resonant states' of the insides of the reactor, which change over time.

The biggest danger of resonance reactors comes from the nature of resonance. If the aether inside the reactor ever matches the resonance of the magical containment -- as it does briefly when moving between resonant states -- small amounts of the energy inside can drip out and find itself in the engineers. Even for Volarians, for whom aether is not directly hazardous, the excess energy released by a resonance reactor can build up over time and cause issues with their biology. For this reason, no engineers are allowed to work in front of a reactor for more than 6 hours a day. In addition, while the hazards of core overflow are much less likely, a runaway reaction can cause a resonance reactor to resonate with the physical material making it up, potentially shattering it and releasing the contents in a similarly explosive manner.

Transceivers
Entelan communications is done largely via devices called transceivers. They are bracer-shaped computers whose primary purpose was initially to allow vocal communication over long distances. Their bodies are made of aethersteel, with a hardened glass screen acting to shield the displays behind it. The first transceivers were made after the mending. These devices are developed by engineers subsidized by EnTech (the engineering branch of the Entelan government), but individual programmers often make programs and modifications to them.

Mk. I
The Mk I transceiver was first released for testing in 300 VY (1 PM) and released for distribution in 301 VY (2 PM). These transceivers are blocky and fragile, relying on conduits external to the main body of the watch. Taking them off and putting them on takes some time because of the cables, and tightening them to a person's wrist uses manual straps. As of 371 VY (72 PM), none of these transceivers remain on Volaria. A small amount are seen as collector's items in interplanar markets. To charge

The function of a Mk I transceiver is entirely for communication. They work entirely by voice activation, using the 'Contact, ' command that has persisted into future models. This name has to be the full name (as far as the transceiver is concerned) of the intended recipient. Answering a call uses the 'Connect' function, and the 'Disconnect' function hangs the call up.

Mk. II
The Mk II transceiver was an update that began development in 308 VY (9 PM) and was first released for sale in 310 VY (11 PM). These are still blocky, but they are considerably less fragile. Many of the conduits have been moved to the inside of the transceiver's body, resulting in less interference to the straps on the outside. Very few of these are still active on Volaria.

New Features


 * Recharges from the atmosphere when not actively being used.
 * Contains a simple calculator and number randomizer.
 * Tells the time and date.

Mk. III
The Mk III transceiver, also called the 'Triumvirate-Era Transceiver', was developed over the course of many years, but was first released in 347 VY (48 PM). There are no longer any external circuits, though internal circuitry means that the transceivers are still relegated to being chunky. This is the first model of a transceiver without straps -- instead, the aethersteel body of the transceiver goes all the way around the wearer's arm, and the bottom part flexes to fit the wearer's forearm. These transceivers are the first ones for which third-party modifications and programs were common.

New Features


 * Has a touch screen, no longer requiring verbal commands.
 * Text messaging.
 * Has a built-in calendar, notepad, and compass.
 * Accesses Entela's Deep Storage database, including a nearly endless amount of written documents, stories, and images.
 * Accepts external programs.

Mk. IV
The Mk IV transceiver is also called the 'Eternity-Era Transceiver' and many variants of the name. It began development immediately after the publication of The Integration of Aether Tunneling in 378 VY (79 PM) and the first models were released in 379 VY (80 PM). This model no longer uses conduits for its circuits, resulting in the transceiver body being barely thicker than a bracelet. The flexible body was replaced with a solid tapered cylinder that uses magic to attach itself to the person's arm.

New Features


 * Interplanar communications, featuring the command 'Interplanar Communications' or 'IPC'. (This requires both the source and target plane have a relay.)
 * Programmable nicknames for individual transceivers to make contacts easier.
 * Has a built-in map, photo camera, and drawing program. (The map requires access to data from Deep Storage.)
 * Has scanners capable of detecting aether. These scanners can be reprogrammed.
 * Can identify the concentrations of elemental energy within a wearer's body.
 * Can ping for the presence of aethertech in the surroundings.
 * Can mirror the display onto a larger, hovering screen. (This screen doesn't have any tactile functions.)

Mk. V
The Mk V transceiver began development in early 383 VY (84 PM) after the creation of the first Entelan outpost on Leritha. The first models were released by the end of the year. The locking body of the Mk IV was determined to be a hazard in case of emergencies, where it would be too difficult to take off if the wearer was unconscious. This features a combination of the Mk III and IV bodies, with a slightly flexible locking body and magical scaling to match the wearer's forearm that can be forced open with two hands. This model comes with a detachable stylus.

New Features


 * Audio and visual recording.
 * Video calls to transceivers on the same plane, featuring the command "Video Call".
 * Can read physiological values; for example, blood pressure, body temperature, pulse rate, and blood oxygen content.
 * Can interface with resonance reactor and certain aether tunnel programming, where authorized.
 * Can interface with Reality Augmentation fields.
 * The larger mirror now accept touch inputs.

Future Versions
Rel of the future Dairan Empire has a more updated transceiver originating from the Entelan Interplanar Technocracy. This transceiver has sensors able to detect metals within a 50 meter radius.

Aether Tunnel
Aether tunnels are the primary method of Entelan people and technology to interact with other planes. The fundamental construction of the aether tunnel is a device capable of replicating a very large spell. Aether tunnels use this large spell to carve a hole through the blind eternities, using the aether in its way to sustain itself. This is synchronized to a teleportation spell, which takes the traveler from one end of the cleared tunnel to the other.

Most aether tunnels take the shape of a cylinder of glass with a door. The top and bottom halves of the cylinder are large structures of aethertech, in charge of drawing energy from an external source, turning it into spells, and then timing the spells for the travel. These aether tunnels have set destinations, and are calibrated frequently to ensure they never stray from that destination.

Aether tunnels use a set of coordinates that consist of two sets of numbers:


 * A 'planar coordinate' (either spherical or cartesian coordinates, depending on the plane) calibrated to the center of the destination plane. This coordinate determines the position on the plane to land.  This coordinate is written as (1, 2, 3).
 * A 'dimensionality vector' (always in spherical coordinates) denoting the distance and direction in the blind eternities of the destination plane. This vector is written as (1;2;3).  For most aether tunnels, the final number (the 'aether resonance' distance) must be a whole number.
 * The first outpost Entelan outpost on another plane was on The Arena and (from Entela) had the coordinates (715.22, -15.80, 357.48, 1.2732;1.5708;21).

Mk IV and later transceivers have built-in aether tunnels, but these tunnels are significantly smaller. They require enough energy that a transceiver can't run indefinitely with them active (unless plugged into an external energy source) and allow the transfer of data through the blind eternities.

Aether Resonant Frequency Tunneling
The tunnels present in Entela and on Agahia are unique among aether tunnels. They're reprogrammable and lack the limitations that other tunnels have regarding distances. Reprogramming one of these tunnels takes a while, but it means that they can be calibrated to place items or people in any location with high precision. Aethertech, like a transceiver's internal aether tunnel, can be used to aid the calibration of these tunnels.

Deep Storage
Deep Storage is a functionally-indestructible, functionally-limitless enchantment put in place by Entela in -597 AVY (896 Pre-Mending). Information can be put into it, but never removed from it. To make the system usable, it can interface with Entelan technology, allowing people to search for specific categories or contents of information, and allowing people to filter out older versions of the documentation within. Deep Storage is the foundation of Entela's information network and database. Historically, it contains books and documents. In the Eternity Era, it also contains programs for transceivers, videos, citizen data (accessible only to certain people), and civilian webpages. No one alive in Entela can replicate the spell for Deep Storage.

Reality Augmentation
Reality Augmentation is a major part of entertainment in Entela. It has a number of built-in programs stored in Deep Storage and it's a common medium for programmers to develop in. It's used for education, practicing acrobatics and magic, exploring places on Volaria, playing games, and many other possible experiences. This spell was developed in 358 VY (59 PM) by Sara Ylerne as part of exploring her new abilities as a hybrid elemental.

Programs of Reality Augmentation


 * Region simulations for all ten cities on Volaria.
 * Weapon simulations for every weapon in the Deep Storage database.
 * Component simulations for every aether circuit component.
 * Sandbox and survival games.
 * Simulation of the motes that make up elemental energy.

Adaptor Pistol
The adaptor pistol is a short-range weapon that converts elemental energy into projectiles. They can be held in one hand, accept small energy storage spheres as charges, and work best against Volarians.

Adaptor pistols have three settings:


 * Overchannel: This is the setting that's used for lethal attacks against Volarians. Being hit by a shot with this setting strips away all of the energy of a single element from the target, causing a number of physiological effects depending on the missing element.  (For example, removing all Thought energy from a Volarian will quickly render them comatose.)  Missing an element in its entirety also causes a Volarian's body to go into shock as a high amount of pain floods through their entire body.
 * Exhaustion: This setting also removes elemental energy from its target, but it doesn't drop any element to zero. This causes a Volarian's body to rearrange a lot of the energy inside of it, having an effect similar to a stun pistol.
 * Elemental: This setting is the only setting useful against non-Volarians. It converts the energy used in the projectile directly into its element as a projectile.  For example, Fire energy turns an adaptor pistol into a flamethrower.

Tenebrite Rifle
The tenebrite rifle is the result of an agreement facilitated by Lerithan merchants between EnTech and a manufacturer on Nivyl. The rifles have a dark aethersteel body and sharp purple casing, and come with a sight that can hold a scope. When the trigger is pulled halfway, a helix of purple emerges from the barrel and travels a short distance away. When the trigger pull is completed, the rifle fires and the helix unwinds back into the rifle. The motion of the helix dampens all recoil from the rifle. The firing of the rifle is loud enough to deafen anyone immediately next to it unless the weapon is fired in vacuum or with silencing magic placed on top of it.

The rifle fires a round with a tenebrite casing containing a glass ampoule of aether within another tenebrite bullet. When the the round comes to a sudden stop, the glass ampoule shatters, allowing the aether to come into contact with the tenebrite and creating a rapid explosion. This mechanism is also used in explosive grenades.