The Thrones of Ether

Welcome to “The Thrones of Ether” Setting. The following information would be common knowledge to most characters residing in this World.

The Two Planes

The world exists between two planes: the Matereal (yes, spelled this way) and the Ethereal. The Matereal Plane is home to objects and beings of matter, bound by the familiar laws of physics. The Ethereal Plane is woven from ether: a malleable substance that obeys its own strange principles. Most beings exist in both planes, with one of the aspects dominant and one faint. Magic arises when the planes interact and their laws bleed into each other.

The Ethereal Plane is vast and layered with countless dimensions. Some resemble the Matereal world with their own space-time, while others are abstract realms tied to ideas, memories, or emotions.

Ethereals and Vita

Beings whose dominant essence exists in the Ethereal Plane are called Ethereals or Spirits, while their counterparts are called Mortals. Ethereals live far longer, as their bodies do not decay, but they must consume a vital energy known as Vita to survive. Vita can be gained in three ways:

Consuming another’s essence.
Receiving it as a voluntary gift, which is sacred and cannot be forced.
Collecting scraps that are shed by strong mortal emotions.

Mortals naturally generate Vita as a byproduct of their lives, making them a renewable source of power. Many Ethereals strike bargains with mortals: favors of magic in exchange for daily offerings of Vita (also called alms or just prayers). Over time, this practice became worship, and the greatest Ethereals became known as gods.

Gods and Thrones of Power

There are countless gods. They range from local spirits, to patrons of entire Kingdoms, to the to the terrifying Great Gods that are know to all beings of the world. A god’s power rises with the number of their followers and the Vita they supply. But worship alone is rarely enough to sustain a Great God. To rule on that scale requires occupying one of the legendary Thrones of Power, which are nexus points where the flows of Vita converge. Only the strongest Ethereals can hold such places, for they are endlessly contested. To seize a Throne requires immense power; to hold one multiplies that power further. Thus, the Thrones rarely change hands, except through cunning, betrayal, or great upheaval.

Known Thrones

Throne of Peace: When a mortal dies naturally, their ethereal essence passes through this focal point and dissolves. The Vita of every such death is claimed by the god who sits upon this throne. Because countless lives come to an end each day, this is one of the most powerful Thrones of all. Currently occupied by Ven La’ro, the God of Endings.
Thrones of Emotion: Scattered across the emotional dimensions, these Thrones capture the Vita shed when mortals experience strong feelings. Each offers only a trickle from individuals, but together they form a steady stream of energy. Some of the commonly known thrones, and the current gods, include:
- Love: Amoryth, the Broken Crown
- Grief: Thalenor, the Gentle Shepherd
- Joy: Zeraphine, the Pale Jester
- Fear: Khoravos, the Lantern Bearer
- Anger: Rhaskor, the Fractured Voice
- Hope: Solmyra, the Silent Watcher

Peace and Torment

When a creature completes their natural cycle of life, both their matereal and ethereal aspects break down into simpler forms and cease to exist. This outcome is referred to as Peace. There is no afterlife and no re-birth in Peace, only the return of the Self to the Whole.

However, violent or unresolved deaths can sever one’s aspects, creating Torment: restless ghosts or hollow shells trapped between states.

Predatory spirits exploit this by crafting Pits of Torment, etheric cages where ghosts are drained of Vita again and again. These “farms” of suffering lie hidden in ruins, battlefields, and shadowed realms, feeding cruelty without end.