Goodness, such lovely responses! and I have so many questions!

Thank you for the confirmation of Magic being Aether manipulation.
I am an curious about the monks questline. does anyone have any more information on how monks channel their Aether?
Considering that crystals are solidified aspected Aether, just -how- do the crystals form?

And is it possible for Aether to become corrupt? or void aspected? As we see in Labyrinth of the Ancients, you watch King.Behemoth fall over and pouf away into a cloud of what looks like void Aether.

And if Aether manipulation is possible(magic etc) would it be possible, given enough focus and knowledge to steal the Aether out of a living being? as you watch Ultima weapon do to the primals? And considering tha ether is the life sustaining force on the planet, if one were to remove all of their Aether, is it safe to assume that their body would shut down(die)?