Othersight

Othersight is the probing of the Aetheric foundation of the Plane of Abiding (and likely any others containing Aether) to sense disturbances and changes by Warrior Mages and Bards. Typically experienced visually by Warrior Mages, and auditorily by Bards.

A likely instance of a Warrior Mage experiencing Othersight being used to locate them during an Aether experiment:

You feel rather than hear a low hiss emanating from a distant source.  Deeply resonant, it plays against your magical senses, and echoes around the area, seemingly without direction, reverberating off unseen structures.  It feels distinctly unnatural, as if someone, or something, was... probing the local mana streams?

Suddenly, you see shifting streams of radiant aetheric mana superimposed over your vision.  Winding around all matter, gently evaporating and lightly billowing in unseen winds and forces, the soft glow permeates all that you can see.

The hiss seems to resonate along the aetheric streams, faintly playing along their bends and whisps.  The streams seem to buzz faintly in response, though to what end or purpose you cannot tell.  As you focus your magical senses, you become aware of... pulsating snarls, or gaps, or rends in the distance, the hiss echoing around and through these voids, leaving rippled impressions like a boulder disturbing a rivers flow.

You sense one of these snarls to the east of Riverhaven, another just outside of Shard, and another across a great ocean.  As your attention is drawn to these locations, the hiss begins to magnify, sibilent and deafening!  The streams are buffeted and cast smoke-like emanations, glowing more brightly!

The hiss begins to shift, no longer emanating from the distance and omnidirectional, but closer, and focused upon you!  As it probes, you feel the elemental charge within you reflecting the sound, an almost solid surface clearly marking your position and influences.  The hiss sweeps across you a few times, and then suddenly, ceases.

As the sound fades, so too does the radiance of the aetheric streams.  You sense as though nothing has changed, though whatever caused it is certainly aware of you, and what you have done!

A Bard experiencing Othersight, assisted by Uryutis:

Uryutis places his palm on your forehead and suddenly everything goes dark. You hear a loud gong, high and pure, ring out from where Uryutis is standing. Its reverberation plays off of Uryutis, and all the Warrior Mages standing nearby, clearly outlining them in a wave of sound. Another loud gong is struck, lower in pitch, and again echoes over the area, revealing the finer details of your surroundings, catching a bird in flight. A third gong rings out, impossibly low, and you sense the shape of things in the distance, bare whispers echoing against the impenetrable silent distance. After a moment, your vision returns, and Uryutis looks at you, nods, and steps back.

References

Mentioned in:

• Study of the Zaulfung Stones
• The Suur Pillar
• Uryutis' Lecture on Aether Herald Article
• Uryutis' Lecture on Aether Full Log
• Othersight was crucially used in the events to guide the weaving of Aether to open the portal to Zengmodaleth as documented in the First Land Herald article.
• Othersight is mentioned in the custodian recall.