Aethic tethers

Aethic tethers are a form of aethery used only by the elym of Monar. Remaining in a physical realm such as The Niriad takes a considerable amount of strength. To ease the amount of effort, aethic tethers allow a elym to live in their timeless, chaotic home of Monar, but still be able to return and influence the physical realms of The Niriad when they're needed.

Basic Properties
Not much is understood about aethic tethers because the elym are the only keepers of the important details. However, it is safe to say that aethic tethers are a elym's way of taking ownership and responsibility for an aspect of the lands they helped create.

The nature of a tether changes depending on what kind of elym is creating the tether, and what the object of the tether is set to be. The tethers can be as specific or as broad as the elym has power to claim.

Minor elym:
Minor elym tether to small or niche aspects of a world.


 * An example of a specific, minor tether: Zshat'rika'liyof is a minor elym tethered to a single, metre-wide tidepool in the Grotto of Egimoray
 * An example of a broad, minor tether: Arkmip'tadooly is a minor elym tethered to all desert grasses.

Major elym:
Major elym tether to aspects of a world with higher influence.


 * An example of a specific, major tether: Gimor'zshar is the major elym tethered to the Grotto of Egimoray
 * An example of a broad, minor tether: Bilosoor is the elym tethered to the summer rains.

Patron elym:
Patron elym are a subsection of major elym who are tethered specifically to a regional area of land. They also tend to 'rule' all the elym within their patronage.

Soul elym:
Soul elym are more abstract beings because they tether to an essence of life itself.


 * Omo, Soul elym of Peace
 * Vo, Soul elym of Strength

Grand elym:
Mon and Ar are the only two grand elym in The Niriad and they are tethered to the worlds in their entirety.

Laws of Tethering
Aethic tethers are created when a elym detaches aether from its own form and leaves it behind in a physical realm. As elym are timeless, shapeless beings in their natural form, this is not painful. The exact details of the process are unclear, despite multiple attempts to learn more. There is debate among researchers whether the elym is classified based on their tether, or if the classification of the elym influences what things they are able to tether to. For example, if a elym binds to a stone do they become a minor elym - or - are they already a minor elym and so they tether to a stone?

From observation it is clear that elym only tether to one "thing". They can bind themselves to one or multiple instances of their chosen tether, however they do not appear to have multiple "things". For example, a elym could bond with just one birch in a forest, or they could tether to every birch in The Niriad. However, a elym could not tether to both birch trees and sea turtles. The lines blur when it comes to regional tethers such as patron elym. For instance, Iksad is tethered to the Sanctum of Irx; which is technically just one thing, but Irx contains an infinite number of sub-items. Some elym have confirmed with researchers that limiting elym to only one overall tether is a matter of regulation and contingency planning.

Trading Tethers
Until recently it was thought that once a elym had tethered to something, that was their link to the physical world forever. This was disproven in 1.2.80, during the fall of Teran and the rise of Tress. It was revealed that tethers could be exchanged among the elym when Tress's former patron elym Duras transferred their tether to Tress's current patron elym; Karulakara.

Trading tethers has never happened since, and is a last resort option due to the extreme risks that could befall both the elym and the subject of their tether.

Destroying a Tether
If something were to harm or destroy a elym, or if the elym decides to destroy its own tether, anything that the elym is bonded to runs the risk of meeting the same fate. Having one elym tethered to too many things would make them extremely valuable targets.