Ethereal Plane (Galaxa)
The Ethereal Plane is one of the layered planes of the Liminal Dimension in Galaxa. It is the veil between matter and spirit, a realm of mutable echoes where memory, possibility, and spirit-essence flow together. Mortals encounter it most often at the moment of death, when souls pass through the Ethereal on their way to Judgment Day.
It is also the source of the Magicka (Galaxa) magic system, making it one of the most studied, symbolically mapped, and ritually invoked planes in Galaxian civilization.
Nature of the Plane
The Ethereal is often described as a shifting reflection of the Median Plane (Galaxa). Travelers perceive landscapes of mist and fog where familiar structures appear half-formed, as if remembered or dreamed. This mutable quality comes from the Ethereal’s essence: the accumulation of memory echoes, spiritual vibrations, and conceptual archetypes.
It is not material, yet mortals perceive its fabric as hazy matter—phantoms of stone, misty forests, and hollow cities.
Role in Life and Death
Every soul in Galaxa must cross the Ethereal Plane when leaving the body. For some, it is a fleeting passage; for others, a lingering haunt. Shades and spirits that fail to move onward often dwell here, caught between body and judgment. Necromancers, spirit-guides, and Magi interact with this flow, shaping how mortals perceive death and the afterlife.
The Ethereal Plane’s role as a threshold makes it central to myths of haunting, ghost-worlds, and ancestral presence.
Source of Magicka
The Ethereal Plane is the wellspring of Magicka (Galaxa), one of the three primary magic systems of the universe. Magicka requires:
- Glyphs and Sigils – to encode universal truths from Ethereal echoes.
- Spoken Invocations – arcane languages that resonate with its spirit fabric.
- Foci Objects – staffs, rings, crystals, or tattoos that bridge Median and Ethereal.
Unlike the instinctual power of Astral (Galaxa), Magicka demands knowledge, intent, and symbolic control to channel Ethereal resonance safely.
Practice and Use
Magicka drawn from the Ethereal enables:
- Elemental manifestations (fire, ice, lightning, gravity).
- Wards, sigils, and protective bindings.
- Illusions and mind-affecting charms.
- Controlled portal magic, using Ethereal folds to move across space.
Its precision makes it slower than Astral or Teleka powers, but also more versatile. Societies across Galaxa regard Magicka as the most scholarly and ritualistic of the three systems.
Risks
Working with the Ethereal Plane is perilous:
- Backlash – poorly shaped sigils cause recoil trauma.
- Cognitive Drift – memory erosion from prolonged exposure to Ethereal echoes.
- Ethereal Siphoning – overuse can draw parasitic shades into the Median Plane.
- Possession – some spirits linger, seeking mortal bodies to inhabit.
Cultural Interpretations
Cultures describe the Ethereal as:
- The Ghost-Sea – where souls drift as ships of memory.
- The Veil-World – a fog between life and death.
- The Library of Echoes – where every word and action leaves a trace.
These interpretations fuel Magicka traditions, each linking the Ethereal’s mutability to cultural identity.
Divine Oversight
Divines strictly monitor interaction with the Ethereal Plane, since meddling risks disrupting the soul’s journey to Judgment Day. While the use of Magicka is permitted, forbidden rites—such as binding souls or tearing permanent rifts—have brought divine judgment upon entire civilizations.