Sons of Ether

Mages of Sons of Ether are inspiration-oriented scientists dedicated to fringe theories and alternative science. They are masters of the sphere of Matter. As the Electrodyne Engineers, the Sons of Ether were often seen as strange and quirky by the other Conventions of the Technocracy. Despite this, they were instrumental in developing the field of Dimensional Science, and worked closely with Iteration X on their mechanical soldiers. Unfortunately, their ideology clashed with that espoused by the inner echelons of the Technocracy, and they were not able to abandon their ideal of the 'ether', a mysterious fifth element which filled the spaces between the stars.

In 1904, when the Technocracy voted to write Ether out of the Consensus, the Electrodyne Engineers rebelled. Taking a great number of Technocratic secrets with them, they defected to the Council of Nine Mystick Traditions. Some of the Engineers stayed behind, joining the Void Seekers to form the Void Engineers, who would dedicate themselves to exploring the reaches of deep space while following the Technocratic theories of the void between the stars and general inhospitability of outer space.

Meanwhile, the newly-renamed Sons of Ether filled the then-vacant Seat of Matter on the council, going into hiding within the scientific community and old boys' clubs, and finally letting their theories run rampant.

The Sons of Ether draw on the spark of genius within themselves to create devices which function beyond the normal laws of physics, aerodynamics, chemistry, and neuropsychology. Confined only to what she can justify within her own paradigm, the Etherite creates rayguns, robotic servants, and fantastic flying machines. Central to many Etheric theories is the idea of ether, the fifth element. As time has progressed, however, the Sons have expanded their paradigm to involve anomalous phenomenon, such as psionics, Ufology, parapsychology, cryptozoology, the use of cryptotechnology, and other fringe science or pseudoscience. In addition, certain members of the Sons have left much of the comical pulp imagination behind, and moved on to progressive, cutting-edge technology, such as quantum mechanics, dark matter, or to the fringe social sciences like those popularized by Wilhelm Reich or existentialists.

As the focus of the Tradition is on Science, not magic, a Son of Ether cannot use his mystick powers without some sort of device. To the Etherite, she is merely drawing on the power of the laws of science, unaware that the true effects of her devices originate from her focused will.