The Myst-vision filled her eyes, making them marble-white. The room looked as it did before, for the most part, but now Ania could see the prismatic ribbons wave and curl around the mirror, reaching out to her outstretched hand as if sentient. The glass reflected a realm beyond. But as she was about to step through she felt that familiar tingle down her spine as if she was being watched.
Turning, her face went pale as the Myst Aberration caught her eyes. If it could grin it would have, its maw of a thousand teeth opening slightly, nine tongues of acid licking at her face.
Excerpt from "The Travels of Ania Fairlight Aleister", by The Princess Tahromaerith
Myst Aether
| Type | Transient |
| Composition | Universal and Omnipresent |
| Dominion | None |
| Natives | Eldar, Myst Aberrations, Magical Beasts |
Summary Description |
|
| A thick fog clings to any place where magic condences. The Myst is ever present and transient. It is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It is the substance that links eveything in the cosmos and runs throughout. | |
The Myst Aether is a realm of ethereal wisps and magic. It transcends all physical planes, overlapping into the material realm through its Roots and Branches. The visage of the Myst Aether mimics the realms it touches, but weird and foreign phenomenon manifests itself through the misty skies of the transient plane. Prismatic ribbons shift and dance around objects of magic, and through it, reveals a glimpse of what the true nature of things are.
Being exposed to the Myst Aether is both mentally and physically draining, and touching it has strange effects on an object or an individual. The effects are as many as the number of accounts, but this draining effect is the reasons why practitioners of magic can only channel their powers for a limited amount before they need physical sleep.
The Ripple
Close to the material realm are places where the Myst Aether can overlap with reality. These Ripples are attuned to magic and often become a Source of Power. They serve as the best gateways into the deeper parts of the Myst Aether or when looking for Ethereal Roots to follow.
The Ripple can be seen manifest whenever a spell caster channels the Myst Vision (Detect Magic). Given enough magical power, it can sometimes even be observed without the aid of a spell.
Especially in places attuned to magic or with natural gateways to other planes of existence, the Ripple can manifest as a strange, thick fog that clings to the land, or tendrils of shadow that seem to reach out to things in proximity.
Ethereal Roots
The Myst Aether is bound to the World Trees, where its roots and branches pierce through the veil of space and time, entering the transient plane of Myst. This enables those that are skilled in the way of magic, to channel into the bindings between dimensions and even enter the Myst Aether as a foreign object. From it they can skim on the wakes of space and time, travelling to distant lands or even the Outer Worlds in a heartbeat. Though finding and following the correct path can be tricky at best.
Staying bound on the Ethereal Roots are dangerous and should only be done in short bursts, lest one attracts the interest of the Myst Abominations that feast on the essences of the tangible. These strange and mysterious creatures are the only known entities that can survive the metal and physical onslaughts the Myst Aether radiates.
Radiant Pools
Deeper inside the flows of the Myst Aether are manifest deep pools of light, which can be seen from the Roots, where the terrain allows. It attracts multiple and the most powerful of Myst Abominations.
These pools erupt with a million sparkling stars, called Star Storms on occasion. Not much is known of its true nature, but what is known, is that an eruption can spell impending doom, but also might aid one who walks the Roots. For the Star Storms can pick up the ill-gotten traveller and fling her across the boundaries of time and space, into forgotten and unknown realities.