AEther

AEther is a gaseous like element with various and peculiar properties. It is found only in the Southern Lands, and seems to be more heavily concentrated around the southern pole of the planet. AEther itself is invisible while it is in its gaseous state, and has no conclusively recorded odor or taste.* It seems to be harmless to all organic life, sentient and non-sentient, and mostly lays dormant until called upon. There have also been rumors of a few places in the Southern Lands where AEther has seemed to gather very densely. In some instances and proper environmental circumstances, AEther has even been rumored to naturally occur in its liquid form in AEther pools. Some organic life (like the Blink Dog) have even adapted a symbiotic relationship with AEther, and can use it innately to perform various minor AEther fueled feats. This is true for non-sentient life as well in the Southern Lands as many species of plant seem to have incorporated AEther into their evolution.

AEther Manipulators (or sometimes referred to using jargon such as AEther Eaters, or AEMen) have developed and honed the mental skill and fortitude required to convert raw, dormant AEther into the "magical" feat they desire. This often takes the form of a fireball or lightning bolt or other such wizardry staples, but can also be used in more subtle ways.

AEther has also helped fuel another up and coming industry in the Southern Lands, alchemy. This has lead to an increase in goods (trinkets, potions, etc) that offer the user various minor magical affects, typically on a temporary basis.

* Some people have claimed that when used to create magical feats, AEther produces a faint yet specific smell. The smell seems to differ from report to report, but it does seem that the pungency of the smell is directly correlated to the amount of AEther used in the manipulation (casting) of magic.