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Planet Aether is the fractured planet that is the setting for Metroid Prime 2: Echoes for the Nintendo GameCube. It is located in the Dasha region, and is home to two warring races, the Luminoth of Aether and the Ing of Dark Aether.
History
Golden Age
A nomadic but advanced race similar to the Chozo, the Luminoth settled on the planet after discovering that other races had homeworlds and claimed it as their own. They formed three regional governments in Torvus Forest, Agon Plains and the fortress stronghold known as Sanctuary Fortress. They also built a Great Temple in the centre of the planet.
When the planetary energy began to run low, the greatest minds of the Luminoth devised a method of storing the planetary energy, and thus Aether was sustained using three Energy Controllers in the temples of Torvus, Agon and Sanctuary Fortress. These were controlled by a primary Energy Controller in the Great Temple. These controllers brought great peace and prosperity to the Luminoth.
Meteor Impact
At the end of the Golden Age, the Luminoth detected a Phazon Meteor similar to that that crashed into the Chozo colony world of Tallon IV. They tried to stop it but their efforts were in vain. It altered the geography of the planet, but most crucially, the impact split the planet into a Dark World and a Light World.
Eventually, the planet's atmosphere oxygenated once more and the Luminoth could venture out again. When they did however, they discovered that half of the planetary energy had disappeared from the Energy Controllers, and the meteor and accompanying Phazon deposits were nowhere to be seen.
Dark Age
As the Luminoth tried to repair their lands, the malevolent Ing attacked. The Ing were creatures born of the Dark World, and could move in and out of the two worlds at will. However, sunlight was deadly to the Ing, and all they could do was to possess the creatures already inhabiting the Light World. They used these indigenous creatures to attack the Luminoth when they were at their weakest, thus sparking off a war between the two.
The War of the Worlds
The Luminoth eventually developed trans-dimensional portals to go to Dark Aether, but found that its air was fatal to them, so, neither side could fully launch all-out war.
The Luminoth eventually developed such weapons as the Dark Beam and the Light Beam to combat the Ing, and discovered where their main Energy Controller lay. They sent a team to this Sky Temple to capture the energy, but none returned. The Luminoth were not disheartened, however, as they continued their efforts to quell the Ing, using light crystals to penetrate the atmosphere of the Dark World.
Meanwhile, the Ing had been amassing forces to launch an all-out attack against the Luminoth. They attacked the temples at Torvus, Agon and finally in the Sanctuary Fortress. All of them fell, and the planetary energy was taken from the Light World and placed in the Dark World. The Luminoth withdrew, and lay dormant in the Great Temple to await their fate at the hands of the Ing, with only one Luminoth left conscious to watch over them.
Areas
Light World
The light world exists in normal space and time ie; in the same space and time as Zebes, Tallon IV and SR338.
Great Temple
This area is almost untouched by the Ing. Here, U-Mos the last sentinel of the Luminoth, guards the remnants of his people who reside in stasis. The Great Temple houses the primary energy controller.
Agon Wastes
Formerly the lush Agon Plains, the Agon Wastes are now a harsh desert where the Space Pirates have set up a large base. Also home to the Agon Temple.
Torvus Bog
Formerly the Torvus Forest. When the Phazon meteor impacted the forest was irreparably flooded by the seas, creating an immense bog. Home to Torvus Temple.
Sanctuary Fortress
This is a cliffside fortress where the Luminoth developed new weapons for use against the Ing, but was captured by the Ing during the wars. The Ing have turned much of the Luminoth weaponry to their own advantage.
Dark World
This dimension was created when the meteor struck. Matter and energy from the "light" or regular world is rapidly damaged by the atmosphere here. The Ing thrive here.
Sky Temple
The temple of the Ing where their Phazon-enhanced Emperor resides with the main Ing energy controller. Twinned with the Great Temple. Is protected by nine keys hidden around Dark Aether. Is a great source of Phazon, and therefore attracts Dark Samus.
Dark Agon
A shadow of the already barren Agon Wastes, this is where the Ing have hidden one of the stolen Energy Controllers.
Dark Torvus
A shadow form of Torvus Bog, much of this is underwater, but a lot of the water here is actually poisonous to Samus. The Ing have another Energy Controller hidden here.
Ing Hive
The main base of operations of the Ing horde, this is a corrupted version of the Sanctuary Fortress. Much of the Luminoth weaponry has been taken here, and improved upon. Is home to the third stolen Energy Controller.
Factions
Pacifist peoples of the Light World, driven to war by the [Ing] Horde.
Warmongering race of the Dark World seeking the annhiliation of the Light World and the Luminoth.
Bounty-hunter called to the planet to locate the missing Galactic Federation troopers.
Troopers who became locked in a duel with the Space Pirates above Aether and crash-landed.
Interplanetary warmongering race that came to Aether for the Phazon deposits in the Dark World. Crash landed on the planet after a battle with the Galactic Federation troopers, they are now under attack from all sides by Dark Samus, the Ing and now Samus Aran.
A mysterious creature that seemed to have been born out of the ruins of the Metroid Prime creature Samus Aran destroyed on Tallon IV, but has somehow found it's way to Aether. It is fighting all factions in its relentless pursuit of the mutagenic Phazon.
See also
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