cloudonia

After Steelrelm and its gods came to be, the mortal races were created. (by whom, the accounts differ, but that is another story...) As the centuries went by, the brother studies of magic and technology progressed. Time passed. The population increased. Magic and technology were reaching new heights. However, as the research evolved and became more and more convoluted, the clerisy that performed it found less and less time, space, and resources with which to pursue their craft.

The common man was satisfied with the current way of life, and thus the people with their "heads in the clouds", always thinking about abstract concepts and theories, were not taken as seriously as they once were. It was the ones who actually produced practical results who got respect; the researchers were thought of as obselete...after all, what more could possibly be discovered? Such has been the smug assumption of every generation.

So, through their "obselete" knowledge, these elite founded a new place, where mental activities would be the most respected, instead of vulgar physical pursuits. Most people have heard of Aetherius, but real knowledge of the place is hard to come by. Generally speaking, if a person knows details about Aetherius, they live there, and Aetherian secrets are only shared with those deemed worthy.

Not to say that Aetherians are a cold-hearted folk. Though an Aetherian is a rare sight, it is not unheard to see one in a given town, trading away technology, spells, and knowledge for Abstracts. They like to see their work benefit the populous, so they give very fair deals, but they do still have needs so they cannot give away what they have. They also search for new, innovative minds to offer them a place at Aetherius. Acceptance is strictly voluntary, but few turn down the generous offer.

The general consensus of Aetherius is that, somehow, it exists above the clouds. Accounts (guesses) vary as to details, such as population, size, or even the structure of this place, but it is agreed that it is an extraordinary place of technology and magic. The few Aetherians that have been seen throughout the years appear as nearly angelic beings; pale, ephemeral, strangely beautiful. Their mannerisms are usually strange, lacking in "normal" behavior. Despite this, they are a beneficent, kind folk.

No one who has searched for Aetherius uninvited has ever found it, though many have tried. The rumors of untold magical power have lured many wizards into forcibly locating it, but many went mad, lost their spellcasting ability, lost the will to look, or simply forgot about Aetherius altogther.

Game Info
Aetherians will be mid to high-level wizards and/or artificers, and any other intelligence based spellcasters (not psions). They know the BSA highly disapproves of their unauthorized research, and thus have many contingencies in place designed for escapes (Aetherians use strictly nonlethal methods, and strive be nonviolent whenever possible). If escape is not possible, a final contingency wipes all Aetherian secrets from the captive's mind, but leaves their mind intact.

Adventures, and adventurers, are not understood well by the physically inept Aetherians. Though having one in a party would make for an excellent spellcaster, they are far too secretive and timid to leave their home for extended periods of time.

Details
Aetherius is located on the prime material plane, high in the air. So high, in fact, the surrounding atmosphere is virtually nonexistent, making flying, airwalking, breathing, or even living (thanks to deompression) next to impossible.

To cope with this harsh environment (if it can even be called that), the Aetherians have set up portals to the Inner Planes to provide necessities. The Plane of Air provides air, the Plane of Earth provides soil for food and stone for building, the Plane of Fire provides heat, and the Plane of Water provides water. In addition, the Plane of Positive Energy provides healing for the arcane-based institution, and the Plane of Negative Energy is used for waste disposal.

In addition to the magical sources of heat, air, and the like, Aetherius also solely keeps magical beasts rather than animals. Pegasi, unicorns, griffons, and hippogriffs roam the land in the places of horses and wild cats; giant owls and eagles soar through the skies; blink dogs, shocker lizards, and dragonnes serve as companions; cockatrice and basilisks are used for food and clothing; girallons are used as beasts of burden; gorgons, gray renders, hydras, purple worms, and frost worms are used for security.

The structure of Aetherius is that of a Mobius Strip, a ribbon of land that twists back around to its own beginning.

Aetherius

An outside observer would find Aetherius too small to support even a few dozen people, let alone the hundreds that it does. This is due to the many enchantments that distort the space in Aetherius; walking in what appear to be circles (or loops) will yield continually changing landscape. Though there is a more-or-less fixed relationship between landmarks, the citizens can reach any point in Aetherius by walking a few blocks and concentrating on their desired destination.

Needless to say, an outsider would find it extremely difficult to move around in Aetherius, but, as mentioned before, an outsider has never found it, due to its location, and the many spells protecting it.

Citizenry
The people of Aetherius are pale, frail-looking, and timeless. Possessing bodies that are more magical than biological, no children are born amongst Aetherians; the only population growth is achieved through recruitment. Such recruits quickly become like the rest of the Aetherians through constant exposure to magic. Though Aetherians are very long-lived, they do die of old age (or the rare magical mishap); since recruitment is also rare, the population of Aetherius stays in the mid-hundreds.

Concepts that most races take for granted do not apply in Aetherius. Money and stores do not exist, as Aetherians are self-sufficient. There is no government, and no true 'leaders', as Aetherians are self-motivated, and only those with pure minds and souls are recruited.

The gods are not worshipped here; the closest thing to religion on Aetherius is a shrine of sorts that houses the last of the original founders of Aetherius, who is ancient beyond measure. Any details about him, even his name, have been lost in time. Though the Founder is alive, he never moves, and hardly speaks. When he does speak, it is a dream-like muttering that makes little sense and sometimes does not resemble known languages. Some Aetherians say his mind is gone, and all that remains is his body, preserved by his magical strength. Others theorize he has ascended beyond this world, and attempts to communicate his state to those who are sadly unable to comprehend it.