Aether Torrent

Perhaps the most important thing to remember about magic is this:

Elements obey physics.

Water can disobey gravity, but only if magic keeps it in very tight pressure. Air does not move in a vacuum, even if magic moves it. Fire does not have mass and cannot burn where there is no oxygen, even if that fire was made by magic. Rocks cannot levitate, even if magic caused them to erupt out of the ground.

There are four Basic Elements which comprise most of aetherism. Exceptionally skilled aetherists, however, may combine their knowledge of certain elements to manifest Combined Elements.

Element	Vessel	Conduit	Controls the . . .
Water	Carapite : Blue aragonite, a crystalline form of calcium carbonate, most easily found as a layer in the otherwise chitinous carapaces of rare crabs called armancers. Armancers molt infrequently and can grow dangerously large, making production difficult.	Curved Blade : The exact angle of the ideal Water curve is a matter of some debate, but any blade which the naked eye can see as curved will suffice. It does not matter whether the outside or inside edge is curved.	Motion and pressure of water (or water-bearing fluid).
Air	Aluminum : A silvery white metal, chemical element #13. Chemistry made aluminum the most common vessel, but one nation's military-industrial protectionism keeps it artificially rare.	Straight Pole : Any cylinder more than four times longer than its width suffices for an Air conduit. Practically any length of pole will do, from a flagpole to a pen.	Motion and pressure of air, and volume of sound.
Fire	Orichalcum : A shiny, red-orange brass made of copper, trace iron, and zinc oxide. Only naturally-occurring zinc oxide crystals make orichalcum, for reasons unknown.	Short Spike : "Short" here means no more than twice as long as the width of its base. The spike may be curved or bent, but only the tip may be sharp.	Ignition of combustible gas, and the addition of heat.
Earth	Depthrite : Tremorite nephrite jade polished to a shine with abrasive made entirely of demantoid andradite garnet. Demantoid itself is also an Earth vessel, but it is of such great rarity that it’s mostly used to make depthrite.	Flat Surface : A flat surface. Unlike other elements, Earth cannot be used through the air; its conduit must be in direct physical contact with an object to summon Earth magic.	Density, resonance, and subduction of metals and minerals.

Aetherism is the act of using a vessel to control a single element of aether in a desired fashion. Colloqually, this is also called "using magic."

Most aetherism concerns the four Basic Elements. However, it is possible for a highly skilled aetherist to use a different vessel and conduit to manipulate two elements at once. The aetheric resonance (or "synergy") between those two elements melds them into one: a Combined Element.

Combined Elements are highly powerful, but using them comes at a cost. If aetherists do not have complete and total control over both of the elements they attempt to combine, they may suffer immediate and serious health consequences. Two aetherists may synergize two Basic Elements into one Combined, each mitigating the other's lesser control, but the skill required for such a maneuver is very rare indeed.

Element	Vessel	Conduit	Controls the . . .
Ice (Water) + (Air)	Adamant Diamond : An ultra-hard gem of pure geodesic carbon formed by millions of years of geologic pressure. A diamond formed artificially is, for some reason, useless as a vessel.	Flexible Curve : A "flexible curve" is practically any limp and/or segmented weapon, such as a whip. The ideal length and thickness is a matter of some debate.	Formation and density of ice, and the subtraction of heat.
Lightning (Air) + (Fire)	Kahroba Amber : Rare, golden, fossilized resin from ancient coniferous trees. Kahroba has properties identical to regular amber, except that kahroba cannot burn. No one knows why.	Long Spike : "Long" here means over twice as long as the width of its base. Anything less makes a Fire conduit. The spike may be curved or bent, but only the tip may be sharp.	Voltage and amperage of electricity, and the flow of electromagnetism.
Phase (Fire) + (Earth)	Edge Obsidian : Purple-black glass formed at the margins of rhyolitic lava flows which cooled in the open air. Edge obsidian is also found in tektites, fragments of meteorites that melted into glass before striking the ground.	Sphere : Like Earth conduits, the sphere or hemisphere of a Phase conduit require direct physical contact. Phase conduits tend to use balls or rounded metal studs for striking, leaving the fragile obsidian for handle decoration.	Speed of enthalpic shifts in states of matter (solid, liquid, gas, plasma).
Flora (Earth) + (Water)	Lithodendron : The petrified wood of former deciduous trees. It is heavy and comes in many colors. Despite being mostly silicate minerals such as quartz, those minerals alone are not vessels.	Straight Blade : From a razor to an axe, any blade that is not at all curved suffices. Like Earth conduits, the blade requires direct physical contact.	Growth and decay of organic matter.

The Elements

Basic Elements

Combined Elements