The Aetherium

Also known as the Shadow Plane, the Aetherium is a world which exists in parallel to Thalesmere, where magical energy exists freely in the form of currents. The Aetherium is the source of all magic and all mages are connected to it and draw from its power, continuously and subconsciously. Skilled mages can travel directly into and through the Aetherium, creating shortcuts which enable them to quickly travel from one part of the world, to another.

The Aetherium itself is a very strange place. No sun or stars exist in the skies over the Aetherium and its scarred landscape, which mostly consists of jagged cliffs and large cracks in the stony ground, is constantly engulfed in a purple glow. Although there are no living beings in the Aetherium, numerous ruins dot the landscape, most common of which being huge, badly damaged statues. It is unknown who built these structures, but many scholars believe that this world was the home of a thriving civilization, before it was destroyed by some unknown cataclysm, possibly related to magic.