Ethertech and Solartech

One of the key sources of conflict in Relics of the Moon is the tension between past and future. The world lived through an apocalypse that changed everything all the way down to genetics. There is vast historical and biological trauma associated with the times leading up to the current era. While the world is entering a time that could see the flourishing of an entirely new way of life, it could just as easily slip into self-destruction. How much have the people of this world learned from the calamities of the past, many of which were self-made? Do they have a clear vision of what is possible for the future?

Nowhere is this felt more than in the transition of technology used. On the one hand, the wonders of Ethertech are derived from the Psience of the demi-godlike Archons. This technology taps into the fundamental fabric of creation—Ether—and is activated by the literal remnants of their civilation. Ethertech made the world what it is today when the crystal Moon fell and unleashed the chaos of rewriting reality at its most fundamental level. All creatures that survived the fall of the Archon’s Moon have the ability to use that technology written in their blood. The gifts from heaven, though born out of tragedy, have proven that they can change the world. Given the right catalyst in the form of a Moon Relic, anyone can unlock their potentials for power. Many see this as the way to create a better life for themselves and the world-at-large.

On the other hand, there are those that view the Moonfall as a mistake born from ignorance or hubris. They feel the apocalypse could have been avoided had the technology not tied into Ether directly, which is necessary to the basic weave of the world’s structure and stability. Instead, they look to the Light shining from the Dream of the Dragons—the Sun—as the model of power and life. While it is also a fundamental force that supports life on Anasta, it is removed enough to provide a safe method of working with its power. It was the last and most refined aspect of creation as the Dragons slept. There are those that believe the Archons should not have attempted to work with raw Ether, but instead should have worked with the glory of the Sun. The Order of the Sun develops their Solartech with this principle in mind.

In practice, most people on Anasta will use whatever technology they have on hand. However, there are those that side with using one form of technology or the other, particularly among the Factions. The Moon Wardens, the Chantry, the Sisters of the Deep, and the Cursed all favor Ethertech, and their members use it almost exclusively. The Order of the Sun relies on Solartech, though Progressives will sometimes seek ways to use Ethertech as a bridge to Solartech development. While not a faction, Synths have evolved unique adaptations to integrate Ethertech into their forms, and almost all tend to favor Ethertech over Solartech.

In terms of strengths, Ethertech currently has a wider range of capabilities than Solartech. Since it fundamentally changes reality, it is not limited in terms of what psionic abilities it unlocks in people. It does, however, have a limit to how much energy it can generate in a stable way. While this limitation can be temporarily overcome by unleashing the power locked in Moonshards and Moon Relics, Solartech is able to sustain a higher amount of energy output indefinitely. The main limitation on Solartech is that it has not yet been able to reproduce some of the more exotic effects of Ethertech, such as manipulating biological forms or regulating time and space.

Being relatively new, creating Solartech also takes more effort and knowledge than simply integrating a found Moon Relic into an item. Solartech is always accessed through an item or created artifact, again echoing the caution of directly manipulating Ether. Ethertech, however, can be integrated into items or infused directly into the physiology of a bioform. When infused, an Ethertech ability cannot be easily lost or stolen—it literally becomes a part of a person’s genetic makeup. Such infusion comes at a cost, however, as it will destabilize a bioform to a degree. Infusing too many Moon Relics invites serious physical trauma or death, so a balance must be maintained. In practice, most people will only infuse one or two Moon Relics at most, leaving the rest to be integrated into items.

Every player character (PC) in Relics of the Moon will have at least one ability stemming from Ethertech or Solartech, thus making a Cohort of PCs a force to be reckoned with. Along with their broad skillsets, this is one reason cohorts are sought after to fulfill dangerous missions for powerful patrons.