Resource Management — Dreams of Aether Guide

Learn about Dream Aether in Dreams of Aether! Discover its properties, how to encode it for attribute enhancement, and the different grades available. Your guide to mastering Aether.

Hey there! So, you're diving into Dreams of Aether and want to get a handle on Resource Management, specifically with Dream Aether? Awesome! Let's break it down like we're just chatting. First off, Dream Aether is basically the universe's cleanest, most fundamental energy. Think of it as pure potential – theoretically, anything is possible if you use it right. It's pretty wild! How you get it: Your trusty Oracle Bracelet soaks up Aether from the atmosphere. It can also take it from a dead body, compressing it into a usable form for you. Be warned though, absorbing it directly without compression is super risky! Uncompressed Aether from a body can flood you with the dead being's memories and feelings. Yikes! Where it comes from (the big picture): It's a bit of a cosmic cycle. More people and spiritually evolved creatures mean more Aether, which in turn helps them evolve further. It's a self-feeding loop. Eventually, any civilization advanced enough will notice and start using Aether. Properties of Dream Aether: * It's attracted to itself. * When spun in a circle (centrifugal fashion), it moves inward. * Aether from the atmosphere refills itself and stays dense. From the Textbook: Novice Aether Manipulation This book calls Dream Aether the origin of the universe's energy. It's considered infinite, and where Aether is dense, energy and matter are more likely to form. This density increases over time for a few reasons: 1. Constant Renewal: It's always being replenished from a source beyond our reality. 2. Self-Attraction: Denser Aether pulls more Aether towards it, kind of like gravity. So, powerful Evolvers and Players actually help increase Aether density in their world! 3. Brain Activity: It's drawn to thoughts and dreams – hence 'Dream Aether'! Some Aetherists even think a solidified Soul is like a mini Aether source. Basically, life, especially intelligent life, attracts Aether. A strong Spirit is like a magnet for it! ## Encoding: Using Aether So, you've got Aether, but how do you actually *use* it? You need to Encode it. This is an ability of your Oracle Bracelet that turns Dream Aether into energy to boost your stats. Initially, you can enhance: * Strength * Agility * Constitution * Vitality * Intelligence * Perception Cost and Volume: The cost to Encode depends on the volume you're working with. For example, enhancing 3 cubic meters of volume with a Sharpness Encoding costs 1 Aether point. But watch out! * Above 3 cubic meters, the price doubles. * Above 6 cubic meters, it triples. This means that if you're just a tiny bit over a certain volume threshold, your stat increases can get way more expensive. It's better not to carry too much extra weight if you can help it! Aether Capacity: Think of your body like a bottle and Aether like the liquid. Your body has a limit to how much Aether it can hold before reaching saturation. For humans, this is often referred to as the 100-point limit for Aether stats. ## Encoding Grades There are different grades of Encoding, and they matter! * High-quality Encoding makes Aether more condensed. Grade 1 is like a gas, Grade 2 like a liquid, and Grade 3 like a solid. * Each higher grade lets your body hold 10 times more Aether without extra effort. * Higher grades also let you add more complex functions, like passive properties similar to Aether Skills. The Catch: While the Oracle gives you 7 free Grade 1 primary Encodings to start, anything else costs a fortune. For instance, a Grade 2 Strength Encoding will set you back 1,000 credits at the Oracle Store. Here's a quick look at the max attributes per grade: | Encoding | Max Attribute | | :-------- | :------------ | | Grade 1 | 100 | | Grade 2 | 1,000 | | Grade 3 | 10,000? | Keep an eye on your Aether and how you're Encoding it – it's a key part of getting stronger in Dreams of Aether!