🌌 Ethereals

_{A portrayal of Ethereal hair, designed originally for a more recent hair tutorial that was ultimately scrapped.}

Ethereals

Ethereals are a result of Etherealism, a supernatural attribute that falls under the "Spectral" classification.

Etherealism

Like many other attributes, Etherealism easily lives up to the "supernatural" quality. Cultures have interpreted the Ethereal as many different things: angels, demons, spirits, aliens, etc. "Angel" is perhaps the most common interpretation among many, given the most common type to be found in the cosmos, the Light Type.

• Type I ‍— Also known as "Light Type."
  
  The most common type. Their vectors are often bright, appearing like carefully cut shapes of light. They have been widely recognized as angels, even challenging the more official Angel species title in the known cosmos due to their popularity and dazzling presentation. However, they do not fall under the corporeal category like proper Angels do!
  
  
• Type II ‍ ‍— Also known as "Dark Type."
  
  The less common type. These Ethereals have often been depicted as demons and foul spirits due to their much darker color scheme. Though their vectors emit light, it is a light akin to ultraviolet and black light, sometimes contorting color waves. The vectors themselves often appear black or an extremely dark shade of color.

_{Vance is one of very few Type II Ethereals seen in the entire series.}

Vectors

The Ethereal Vector Groups a.k.a Ethereal Wings are one of a few varieties of supernatural wing-like features that can be seen in different species in Anon.

Organic and alive, they are capable of growth and degradation and can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are "summoned" and "dismissed" between dimensions, allowing for only parts of them to be seen at times (i.e: one wing can be manifested instead of two, wings on the hands can be manifested only, lower part of wing can manifest rather than the whole wing, etc.) and often come in sets of six (two on the upper back, two on the arms/hands and two on the lower legs.)

_{Example of the pectoral minor vector group, often referred to simply as "claws" in layman's terms.}

Abilities (WIP)

Ultimately, Ethereal powers and abilities are an exhibition of energy absorption and expenditure. The strength of a particular ability is gauged in a number of ways, including metabolic rate, capacity, temperature and control.

• Energy Conduit
  
  Various types of energy can be consumed and metabolized into just a wide range of energies, including organic energy, light, fire and electricity. Depending on how an energy is metabolized, it can be used for regeneration, combat and survival.
  
  
• Flight
  
  Being energy-based beings, Ethereals are capable of generating their own electromagnetic fields and interacting with others. Such results can produce what look to be acts of levitation, flight and the manipulation of gravity. Meaning yes, the "ability to fly" is merely an illusion when it comes to Ethereals.
  Depending on how well an Ethereal can handle and manipulate this skill, this can provide both graceful and extremely clumsy results.
  
  
• Gravitational Disturbance
  
  Much like heavy energy manipulation can have a way of generating storm systems and climatic events, in more severe cases, the absorption and compression of energy can generate a vacuum like effect on top of warping electromagnetic fields.
  
  
• Regeneration
  
  When an energy is metabolized into organic energy, it can be used to heal the body of ailments.
  
  
• Immunity
  
  Because Ethereal systems are subject to extreme heat otherwise not survivable by most other lifeforms by default, they are immune to most if not all forms of disease. When the body encounters a foreign object, it will naturally trigger the immune system, which sends the body into a state of fever. Much like the fevers we have come to know, Ethereals experience the symptoms associated with fever as well when the fever is active. However, these fevers can be extremely hot and thus very successful at eliminating foreign bodies. For that reason, they're often shortly lived, lasting no longer than a few hours at most.
  
  
• Stasis
  
  In cases where the body cannot access food, oxygen and/or other key elements to survival, the body can be supplied with energy via the Ethereal metabolism. Naturally, this comes at the expense of metabolizing energy into something more supernatural and can sometimes prove quite laborious to some Ethereals. In extreme cases, where absolutely no energy sources can be found, the body can be put into a state of stasis until reserved energies run out.

While all Ethereals have these abilities, the energy that is metabolized and used to to make up the Ethereal core and "body" differs between Type I and Type II Ethereals. Interestingly enough, the two types are comprised of opposing energies that, when they interact, will negate one another. This means combat between two of the same type is a matter of who consumes more effectively while combat between two different types is a matter of who destroys more effectively.

Trivia (WIP)

• Much like prismatic Familiars, both Ethereal types are capable of producing dimensional parhelions and rainbows under the right conditions!
  For Ethereals in particular, most DBE (dimensional bleed effect) resulting from dimensional shift cannot be seen by the naked eye, but there have been cases where prisms, glass, water droplets, crystals and other forms of light refraction have been able to translate the unseen light into a color spectrum a.k.a dimensional parhelions and rainbows.
  Funny enough, the result can sometimes look like a halo, further adding the common "angel" misconception for Type I Ethereals!