Aether is... [ She paused, considering how to word it. ] Aether is the energy behind magic and life. It flows in the world around us, and it flows through us.

[ Her expressions were very subtle, but she looked as if she were uncomfortable as she began again. ] In my original home there was a sort of incurable illness you could get if you were exposed to too much light aether. Over time you would basically turn into a statue made of white marble before you... changed.