World
Aether Saturation
The Sky is not hospitable. Every step on the open islands saturates your Aether meter — the mirror of the Underworld’s corruption. Where the deep drags you down, the Sky pushes you past your limit.
How it works
| State | Effect |
|---|---|
| 0–79% — Stable / Rising / Saturating | No harm — the meter climbs with each step, faster in higher Reaches. |
| 80%+ — Aether-burn | The raw aether drains a share of your max HP every step — down to the brink, but never past 1 HP. It strands you critical in dangerous sky; it does not kill outright. |
Mooring & mitigation
Mooring clears saturation to zero: stand on a Sky Anchor, rest at a Skyrest, or descend to the world below. A strong Spirit resists the climb — Aetheric Attunement mitigates the per-step rise by up to 40%.
Plan island-hops around your meter: push out, fight, and moor before the burn. The higher the Reach, the shorter your leash — in the Empyrean the sky itself is the opponent.