Aetheric Tome

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1. #1Convergence

   Keys: monsters, convergence, Convergence, history, disaster, gates, catastrophe, gate, cataclysm

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   A catastrophe that occurred 50 years ago, mere months after the initial discovery of Aether. Massive fluctuations in global Aether fields created tens of thousands of Gates across the world, including multiple S-Grade Gates. 7 days later, every single Gate underwent a simultaneous Gate Collapse. Thankfully, the Convergence coincided with the mass awakening of ~20% of the human population as Hunters, and the fledgling Global Oversight Board was eventually able to close most of the Gates. Only a handful remain, most of them S-Grade Gates in the world's most isolated corners.

2. #2Hunters

   Keys: powers, hunters, Hunter, hunter, Hunters, Aether crystals, Aether

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   A subspecies of human defined by the formation of Aether crystals within their body, allowing them to channel Aether through their bodies, use various supernatural abilities, and wield Relics, among other things. It's generally believed that 20% of the world population is made up of Hunters, but the number may be greater when accounting for those who have latent, unawakened Hunter abilities.

   Hunters have the following powers: 1 - Physical Enhancement. Even the weakest F-Grade Hunter is capable of channeling some amount of Aether through their body, a process that increases their physical abilities by a notable margin. Regardless of a Hunter's personal specialties and Talents, the Aether coursing through them provides a massive boost to strength, speed, agility, endurance, pain tolerance, reaction time, and perception. Obviously, the higher the Hunter's Grade, the more drastic these enhancements become. 2 - System Access. All Hunters, regardless of Grade, have full access to the System. This allows them to have an Inventory, communicate instantaneously with other Hunters, interface mentally with Aether-sensitive electronics, etc. 3 - Gate Access. All Hunters have the ability to enter Gates, and a Hunter of a Grade equal to or greater than the Gate in question can close the Gate's Rift.

   Hunters have celebrity status, with the most popular among them being treated as global idols and making unimaginable amounts of money from televised appearances, book deals, and merchandise.

   Hunters are classed as civil servants regardless of whether they work for a Hunter Association in the public sector, a Guild in the private sector, or live as a civilian. The Global Oversight Board has the authority to order any Hunter to assist in a Gate operation, but this power is rarely used and only high-Grade Hunters ever have to worry about being called upon.

   Hunters are defined by four things: 1 - Their Grade. 2 - Their Level. 3 - Their Attunement. 4 - Their Alignment.

3. #3Ability

   Keys: abilities, talents, skills, magic, ability, system, talent, skill, Attunement, aether, Abilities, alignment, element, Alignment, Ability, attunement, Aether

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   Hunters have various supernatural abilities beyond mere Aether enhancement. These are divided into two main categories, Talents and Skills.

   Talents are special abilities that are innate to a Hunter. Usually, Hunters start with full control over their Talents, but some Hunters have latent Talents that they only unlock once they reach a certain level, and others have Talents that gain new facets and capabilities as they level up. The lower a Hunter's Grade, the more situational their Talents tend to be. Additionally, not every Hunter has a Talent. S-Grade Hunters have special, extremely powerful Talents known fittingly as S-Grade Talents. Almost every known S-Grade Hunter has an S-Grade Talent.

   Skills are supernatural abilities that can be learned by Hunters. Learning a Skill usually requires intense and focused effort, but sometimes Hunters have one or two Skills that they can use as soon as they Awaken. Only Hunters can learn Skills, as they require the application of Aether. Many Skills require certain degrees of Aether output to use, meaning that Hunters of low Grades and/or low Levels may not be able to learn them. Generally speaking, it's significantly easier to learn a Skill if it relates in some way to your Alignment or Attunement.

4. #4Attunement

   Keys: abilities, talents, skills, system, ability, magic, talent, skill, Attunement, class, Aether

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   A representation of the way in which a Hunter interacts with the System. Upon Awakening, almost all Hunters immediately gain an Attunement. Having two different Attunements is possible, but rare; they usually happen when someone undergoes a second Awakening.

   If someone does have two different Attunements, the System logs them as having a "Dual-Type Attunement", usually followed by whichever two types they correspond to.

   Attunements do the following things:

   • Skills that relate to one's Attunement are significantly easier for one to learn; for example, someone with a Support-Type or Healing-Type Attunement will have an easier time learning healing-related Skills than someone with a Stealth-Type Attunement.
   • Attunements grant an innate boost to a Hunter's ability to do certain things. A Hunter with an Enhancement-Type Attunement will be able to boost their physical enhancements, while someone with an Elemental-Type Attunement will be better able to command the element corresponding to their Alignment.
   • Certain Skills and Relics can only ever be used by someone with a specific Type of Attunement.

   It's incredibly rare, but sometimes a Hunter Awakens without an Attunement. In this case, they are said to have a "Null-Type Attunement", and have neither benefits nor restrictions. This means that they don't get any boosts, but they also can bypass Type requirements that Skills and Relics may have.

5. #5Alignment

   Keys: elements, abilities, talents, skills, system, ability, magic, talent, skill, Alignment, element, Aether

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   When a Hunter Awakens to their personal Aether signature, they develop an innate Alignment with a specific element. This Alignment shapes the way their abilities look and behave. Hunters can Awaken with a multi-element Alignment, though it's not particularly common.

   Alignment does the following things:

   • One's Alignment determines which Skills are easiest to learn. Skills that relate to one's Alignment are easier to acquire than those that do not.
   • Alignment increases the efficacy of elemental Skills. Skills whose Alignment corresponds to the Alignment of the Hunter using them are boosted in power by the Hunter's personal Aether signature.

   Relics, Skills, and Monsters can also all have Alignments, and it's reasonably common for this to occur.

6. #6Grade

   Keys: monsters, artifact, Level, level, monster, System, gates, artifacts, Hunter, gate, Hunters, Aether

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   When a Hunter awakens, they are assigned a grade by the System. There are seven possible grades:

   F-grade, representing a Hunter who is barely above normal human capabilities. E-grade, representing a Hunter who has a low level of Aether power. D-grade, representing a Hunter who has an average level of Aether power. C-grade, representing a Hunter who has a moderately high level of Aether power. B-grade, representing a Hunter who has a high level of Aether power. A-grade, representing a Hunter who has a very high level of Aether power. S-grade, representing a Hunter who has a truly exceptional level of Aether power.

   S-Grade Hunters almost always awaken with a unique Talent, one that pushes the limits of what Aether is capable of.

7. #7Gate

   Keys: Gate, monsters, grade, Convergence, monster, collapse, gate, portal, rank, Aether

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   Openings to other worlds that appear in random locations, at random times, with random size and grade. It is unknown what causes gates to form, and so far nobody has discovered a reliable means of predicting where a gate will next form. Gate formation emits a pulse of Aether, which can be detected by sensors. This pulse, along with regular patrols, is the primary means by which gates are detected. Gates are made of pure Aether, and can only be entered by someone with an Aether signature. The only exception is F-grade gates, which can be entered even by normal humans. Every Gate connects to one of the countless parallel worlds. It is completely unknown how many worlds there are, but multiple gates have been documented as connecting to the same world. The known worlds are studied in depth by civilian scientists across the globe, in an attempt to find ways to predict and combat each world's common environmental hazards and monsters. Every Gate is maintained by an Aether structure known as a Rift, which is typically located at the center of the Gate. A Hunter of equal or greater grade than the gate can close the Rift, causing the gate to dissipate. Because this usually requires facing a boss monster and/or deadly environmental hazards, this is referred to as "clearing the Gate". Until a Gate undergoes collapse, it is one-way, meaning that monsters cannot get out and the only way for Hunters to exit is to clear the gate. . Gates are categorized into grades, according to the following system:

   F-Grade: Light blue portals. Extremely low risk level, though they pose a threat to civilians as normal humans can enter F-grade gates. Unlike other gates, F-grade gates naturally dissipate after approximately 24 hours. As such, they are considered very low priority items and are used primarily as training grounds for beginners, or are harvested for resources by low-grade Hunters. Most F-grade gates don't have a boss monster, or even any major challenges, and most have an exposed Rift that can be closed as soon as it is reached. E-Grade: Blue portals. Very low risk level. A low-grade hunter team should have no difficulty clearing the gate. D-Grade: Dark blue portals. Low risk level. The average hunter team is well equipped to handle D-grade gates. C-Grade: Green portals. Moderate risk level, requiring a well-coordinated team of mid-grade hunters. By far the most common gate type. B-Grade: Red portals. High risk level, requiring high-grade hunters and specialized equipment. The surrounding area will be evacuated and sealed off completely, and intervention by large Hunter organizations or government agencies is almost always necessary. A-Grade: Dark red portals. Very high risk level, requiring a team of elite hunters and often necessitating cooperation between multiple organizations. S-Grade: Black portals. The highest possible risk level, presenting a threat to human civilization as a whole. When an S-grade gate appears, a global response is necessitated, and the world's top hunters are assembled to clear the gate.

   It's illegal for Hunters below B-grade to enter an A-grade gate, and illegal for Hunters below A-grade to enter an S-grade gate. Exceptions are sometimes made for high-level Hunters with support skills or Healing-Type Attunements.

8. #8System

   Keys:

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   A multi-dimensional interface that exists within the fabric of the Aether. Capable of transmitting information instantaneously across any distance. Anybody can access the System with a mass-market electronic device, which nowadays have tiny Aether crystals inside them that allow them to interface with the global Aether fields. However, these devices only provide access to a tiny sliver of the System's capabilities; only a Hunter can fully utilize the System's abilities, and only a Hunter can access the System without a device. In the current age, the System has completely replaced the global internet.

   The System provides the following benefits to Hunters:

   1 - Information. The System provides Hunters with detailed data on their grade, level, abilities, and physical condition. It also allows them to sense the Aether signatures of other Hunters and of monsters, giving them a rough idea of that individual's grade and making it almost impossible to conceal one's Hunter status from other Hunters. 2 - Communication. Hunters can use the System to open two-way communication channels with each other. They can communicate across any distance, instantaneously, as easily as thinking. However, it's impossible to communicate across worlds; a Hunter inside a Gate can only use the System to communicate with other Hunters in the same Gate, and can't contact anyone on the outside. 3 - Storage. The System also provides Hunters with an Inventory, a specialized pocket dimension that only they can access. Inventories are accessed through tiny portals called Pockets, which are almost identical in appearance and makeup to Gates. A Hunter's grade determines how much their Inventory can hold. 4 - Advancement. The clearing of Gates and the acquisition of Gate Runes grants Hunters a resource known as System Points, which can be used to increase their level, as well as for numerous other benefits.

   The System always speaks in a cold, clinical, data-minded, robotic, and quantitative manner.

9. #9Monster

   Keys: Gate, monsters, grade, monster, Grade, gates, Gates, gate, Monster, Monsters

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   Creatures native to the worlds beyond the Gate. They are myriad, varied, some familiar and some unfamiliar. Monsters can look like anything. Monsters have grades, just like Hunters and gates.

   F-Grade. E-Grade. D-Grade. C-Grade. B-Grade. A-Grade. S-Grade.

   Generally speaking, it's assumed that a team of 3-4 Hunters will be able to quickly and easily defeat a monster of their average grade. This is not true of S-grade monsters, who will be a challenge even for an elite group of S-grade Hunters. Monsters also have levels, from 1 to 50, representing how strong they are within their grade. It's even possible for a high-level monster of a lower grade to be stronger than a low-level monster of a higher rank. Monsters have all sorts of supernatural abilities, thanks to their innate Aether signature. All but the weakest Monsters are resistant or invulnerable to conventional weapons, and require the application of Aether to effectively combat them. Not all Monsters are hostile, but the vast majority of those that exist within the gates are aggressive and territorial.

   Most monsters, though not all, belong to an actual species native to whatever world they originate from. Some monster varieties possess some degree of intelligence, and some even have their own cultures and languages. This is incredibly rare, though, and these monsters aren't often found in the areas of Gates.

   The majority of gates above F-grade have a "boss monster", an abnormally powerful entity that has absorbed the Rift and used it to gain unusual abilities. Usually, the gate's boss monster is a monster of equal grade to the gate, but extremely high level. Sometimes, though, it is a low-level monster of a higher grade than the gate. Boss monsters usually have special abilities, and are often unique to their respective gate, though not always. Monsters within a gate tend to be the same grade as the gate, though lower-grade monsters are also often abundant.

10. #10Aether

    Keys: magic, mana, crystal, crystals, aether, Aether

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    A potent form of energy discovered 50 years ago, which normally exists in a pure energy state but can also condense into solid crystalline structures. Aether is responsible for the vast majority of the world's supernatural phenomena.

    Globe-spanning Aether fields allow the System to function. They also create the Gates, which form from random fluctuations in these fields. Gates themselves are composed of Aether. Monsters and Hunters both have Aether crystals in their bodies, granting them supernatural powers. Relics are infused with Aether, or have Aether crystals inside them.

    Additionally, modern technology is built on Aether. Aether crystals are used to fuel massive power plants, as they are a hyperefficient clean energy source with zero pollution. The internet has been replaced with the System, which is accessed using microprocessors made from Aether crystal.

    Anything with Aether present in it has an Aether Signature, which can be detected using certain Skills.

11. #11Relics

    Keys: relic, artifact, magic item, Relic, relics, Relics

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    Relics are items of power, objects with an Aether signature of their own. Relics are assigned grades, F through S, in the same way that Hunters, Monsters, and Gates are. Generally speaking, the average Hunter wield any Relic with a Grade no greater than one category above their own, and only a Hunter can wield a Relic. There are two exceptions:

    F-Grade Relics can, in theory, be used by normal humans. Their powers are incredibly limited, though, and tend to be so situational that they almost never see use. S-Grade Relics can only be safely wielded by S-Grade Hunters. Relics of this Grade also tend to have personalities of their own.

    Hunters who wield a Relic too powerful for them may suffer backlash, which in many cases can be lethal.

    Relics can be found inside Gates, or created by Hunters with Artifice-based talents.

12. #12Awakening

    Keys: Awaken, awakened, Awakening, awaken, awakenings, awakening, Awakened, Hunters, Awakenings

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    In the vast majority of cases, Hunters are not born with their abilities. Their powers remain latent until later in life, when they suddenly erupt in a phenomenon known as Awakening. Awakening can occur for a number of different reasons, such as:

    • Random chance; when the Aether crystals within a person grow to the upper limit of what their body can support, they sometimes spontaneously begin channeling Aether. This usually occurs either during puberty or when the Hunter is in their mid-20s to early-30s, but it can happen at any point in a person's life. There are very rare cases of infants being born with Awakened Hunter powers.
    • Gate Awakening; when a Gate forms, it releases a pulse of Aether that, if it comes into contact with the Aether crystals present within a Hunter, might force an Awakening.
    • Special circumstances; during times of extreme stress, latent Hunter abilities can spontaneously emerge. This usually occurs near death, but other forms of mental and bodily stress can cause an Awakening as well.
    • Forced activation; at least one S-Grade Hunter, currently employed directly by the Global Oversight Board, has been documented as possessing a unique Talent capable of forcibly Awakening latent Hunter abilities in others.

    Sometimes, when a Hunter first Awakens, they do so before their Aether crystals have reached their full potential. In these cases, the Hunter may later undergo a second Awakening when their development has finished, which can occur in the same types of circumstances as normal Awakenings. Second Awakenings are rare, but enough have occurred that the phenomenon is well-documented. A second Awakening can massively increase a Hunter's Aether potential, to the point of possibly increasing their Grade by multiple categories. There's even a well-known case of an F-Grade Hunter undergoing a Second Awakening and becoming S-Grade. If a Hunter who is already S-Grade undergoes a Second Awakening, they can potentially unlock a second unique S-Grade Talent.

    Hunters are legally obligated to register with their regional Hunter Association within a week of their first Awakening.

13. #13Level

    Keys: Level, level, sp, SP, System Points, system points

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    A rough measure of a Hunter's relative power level within their Grade. Levels go from 1 to 50, with the vast majority of Hunters, regardless of Grade, starting at Level 1. Hunters can spend System Points to increase their Level, meaning that the best way to advance as a Hunter is to kill Monsters and clear Gates. A Hunter can also increase their Level through intense long-term training.

    Level is, in some ways, more important than Grade. If two Hunters fight, one with a lower Grade but a higher Level and one with a higher Grade but a lower Level, it is entirely possible that the higher-Level Hunter will win.

    Certain Skills require a specific Level to learn, certain Relics require a specific Level to use, and some Hunters have latent Talents that only unlock after they reach a certain Level.

14. #14Gate Collapse

    Keys: Gate, collapse, gates, gate collapse, Gates, gate, Gate Collapse

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    With the exception of F-grade gates, every gate undergoes Gate Collapse seven days after its formation. When this happens, the gate becomes two-way, allowing monsters to spill out into the world. The gate can still be closed after this point, provided the Rift can be reached. There are some isolated areas of the world that have had so many gate collapses that they are completely abandoned, left to be ruled by wild monsters.

15. #15System Capabilities

    Keys: system, notification, notifications, System

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    The System can notify users of the following things:

    • Their Grade, Level, Alignment, Attunement, and various Abilities
    • The Grade of any Monster, Gate, or Hunter whose Aether Signature they can see
    • The contents of their Inventory, as well as when something is added to or removed from their Inventory
    • Their physical status, any injuries they possess, and any conditions (poisons, diseases, curses, etc.) they are currently suffering from
    • While within a Gate, the System can pick up any potential distress signals being sent by other Hunters
    • Any pending messages from other Hunters or other System-accessing sources, like the Aether crystal supercomputers that the Hunter Associations use to send out disaster alerts

    The System has limited access to information, and generally speaking only knows about the following things:

    • Anything the user can see
    • Anything in the user's Inventory
    • Anything within the user's body, or that the user is wearing
    • Anything the user knows about
    • Anything that the user's companions know about, can see, etc.; provided they are Hunters, are present within the same world (so, not inside a Gate unless the user is also inside that gate), and are linked via the System (so, in active communication)

    This means that the System may struggle to provide information about things like:

    • The specific abilities of another Hunter, unless they are personally known to the user or have readily-accessible information in a System-available database. Criminals usually have their information publicly available, while government employees or Guild members usually have their information locked behind encryption.
    • The specific abilities of a Monster, unless that type of Monster has been encountered before by the user or is a well-documented Monster type.
    • The specific abilities of a Relic, unless that Relic has already been experimented with by the user

    In short, the System generally only has access to information that the user could feasibly already know (memories, education, visual data, physical condition, etc.), and its primary function is to speed up cognition, convey complex data in simple and quantitative ways, and inform the user of things that they cannot necessarily understand (such as the exact nature of their injuries and afflictions). Outside of this, the System only has access to additional information when it is something that other Hunters know, or is widely-known by everyone.

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