Aether spores

Aether spores
Related to	Luhel bond, Aether
World of Origin	Lumar
Universe	Cosmere

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Aether spores are a type of entity that is formed by aethers on Lumar.

Functioning

Each Aether spore is associated with one of the 12 Lumaran aethers. When exposed to water they immediately transform into the associated aether, this is because of the unstable nature of the Lumaran aethers. The water serves as a catalyst and begins a process where in it draws investiture from the Spiritual Realm in order to allow the transformation to take place.

Types

Aether spores are found on the planet Lumar, where they rain down in lunagrees from the twelve moons, forming seas on the planet.

Spore name	Sea of Origin	On contact with water forms	Uses
Crimson	Crimson Sea	Bright red spines that are needle sharp and deadly.
Zephyr	Sapphire Sea	Air	Propel and detonate cannonballs and launch flares.
Verdant	Emerald Sea	Vines	As fuses in cannonballs, immobilize opponents, and as an emergency food source.
Sunlight	Golden Sea[citation needed]	Light and heat	Flares, and cooking.
Roseite	Rose Sea	Crystals	Patch holes on a ship hull, and in the detonation component of cannonballs.
Midnight	Midnight Sea	Midnight Essence	The creatures made of Midnight Essence can be used for spying and by the sorceress to control the Midnight Sea, using the Luhel bond.

Crimson

“One moment you’re enjoying a nice book. The next, you take in an unfortunate breath, get a few crimson spores in your system, and suddenly you’ve turned your skull into a colander. ”

—Hoid on crimson aether

Crimson aether takes the form of bright red spines or spears that are sharp as a needle and can be deadly on contact. It is uncertain what primal element crimson aether represents, although the spines are composed of a firm material that makes a clacking sound when crimson aether bumps together. Nothing is known of crimson aetherbound or their associated bud. On the planet Lumar, the local crimson spores rain down from the moon into the Crimson Sea, one of the deadliest of the spore oceans on the planet. When crimson spores are wet and express their aether, the spines of crimson aether are often the bane of ships, forming impenetrable walls of spines or simply tearing ships apart directly. This danger, in addition to the random patterns of the rainlines in the Crimson Sea, makes the area uninhabitable and made it nearly impossible to travel or trade across the sea without additional precautions. Inadvertently inhaling crimson spores can pierce a person's head with spines, killing them instantly.

Zephyr

Zephyr aether comes from the Sapphire Sea and releases a burst of air when watered. They are a sapphire blue and appear crystalline. It seems to be a more harmless type of aether unless harnessed properly.

These spores are used for a variety of purposes on Lumar. It seems to replace gunpowder for their explosives. It is used in the cannons to launch the cannonballs. When these cannons are fired it releases a blue puff of spores. They are also used inside the cannonballs, to shatter the ball when a Rosite and wax canister of water is pierced, activating the spores under enemy ships. Tress also uses them in her modified flare gun charges, allowing for firing the flare as well as depositing Verdant spores to entrap the target.

Verdant

Verdant aether spores grow into vines after contact with water. The growth rate of expanding Verdant aether is extraordinary, being comparable to lightning. Breathing in these spores is known to often lead to death, as they react with saliva and expand, clogging the throat and sinuses. However, they don't often reach the brain.

Sunlight

Sunlight aether produces light and heat when watered. The spores are used to create signal flares, as well as power ovens.

Midnight

Midnight aether spores create Midnight Essence, draining hydration from the sprouter through a Luhel bond after initial contact with water.

Roseite

Roseite aether spores produce crystals when they interact with water, which makes them useful to sprouters, who use them to seal holes in hulls. They are not particular dangerous in of themselves, with the Rose Sea on Lumar being inhabited.

Among the aethers, roseite is particularly good at resisting silver.^{[citation needed]} It has also been shown to be repelled by steel, and attracted by iron, this likely applies to all aethers.

Bone spores

Bone spores are a rumored thirteenth variety of aether spores on Lumar. The stories are unclear whether they are black, or white in coloration, or potentially both. Some consider bone spores to be a fanciful legend.

Notes

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