So aether, how does it work exactly?

[Anonymoose]

"Aether Loss" is something that makes my head hurt every time people talk about it.

Personally, I see the depletion of aether from over-wielding magicks and summoning primals the way I see the depletion of the water table in areas sustaining a larger-than-advised population. It's possible to draw water from the land, making it harsh and taking away its ability to sustain life, without breaking the rules of a closed system or annihilating water forever.

So far, the only thing that's been hardline defined as causing true aether loss is a Flood of Darkness/Light.