Aetheryte is a device in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
As you travel through Eorzea, you will oft come across large floating deposits of a crystalline substance known as aetheryte.
Description[edit]
Aetherytes are crystalline structures that tap into aetherial energies. They are primarily used as a means to travel swiftly from one place to another.
Return and Teleport—the most common transportation spells—make direct use of the aetherytes and their connection to the flow of aether.
And as these devices are found in almost every corner of Eorzea, any adventurer worthy of the name will wish to seek out and attune himself to each one.
Once you have expanded your horizons beyond the walls of the city, you will soon find yourself performing the act of attunement as a matter of course.
Background[edit]
It is said that aetheryte is the solid manifestation of the planet's lifeblood, aether, and that by touching it, the aether which makes up our bodies resonates with that contained in the crystal. This is called "attunement."
Normally, when one's body is reduced to aether, it will naturally gravitate to the location with which it resonates the greatest—or one's "home point." This is why upon losing consciousness in battle, many wake to find themselves back at an aetheryte.
In other words, aetherytes act as lodestones, assuring that the body, in its aetherial form, is not lost to the pull of the greater flow.
And, because signatures of past attunements are maintained within our bodies, it is possible (with some spiritual training, of course) to ignore the pull back to the strongest resonation, and travel to another beacon. Many refer to this as "Teleportation."
What is even more amazing is that when teleporting, we can "carry" those with whom we have created a bond—such as an adventuring party- regardless of whether or not they have previously attuned with the destination aetheryte.
