The one other thing here that this update brings up.
Data points
The Dwarven Runesmiths know of it, and Runelore makes containing it safely trivial.
Laurelorn likely has a source of it (Font of magic far south of the poles, special crafters who obey guidelines that sound
suspiciously like an amped up version of the human precautions for safe handling around it.)
Aetheric Vitae is a means of creating Orbs of Sorcery out of power stones.
Inference:
Teclis, and therefore Saphery/Ulthuan may have access to Aetheric Vitae. With this turn result, it's now the simplest explanation for the ability to produce them that isn't just "Wizarding Good."
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Related Question, on how Ulthuan may have
got Waystones:
We know that waystones can create
Dhar during operation. Can they create other,
purer, combinations besides? (I admit this is a long shot, but it may be worth investigating if the vitae can replace the role of Dhar in a waystone style magic transmission to infer the possibility.)
Other prospects:
Laurelorn is in an area where the aether is brought close to reality by the soul of a forest.
If what we recently learned about Athel Loren is any indication and the Forest of Shadows are any indication, the presence of a lot of ley lines in the area may bolster the forest-soul.
Question:
Would
any area with a strong Genius Loci, and strong flow of magic, thus also be able to support fonts of Vitae? (such as the Forest of Shadows, if it got had access to more magic restored)
Hmmm... Honestly, I wonder if there might be a process like "Bring ley line close to an area strongly dominated by a god or world-soul, use said influence to shunt into the aether sending any more on wards to the vortex, bring the aether close to reality as a result, harvest profits in the form of AV." Kislev thusly wouldn't have noticed because they would have the "problem" that any font they had made accidentally would be in the influence of their patron goddess, and thus sublimate.
Any power stone or Orb of Sorcery has two main effects: they can be made to release the power that was trapped in them and thus are consumed to power a single spell, which would probably be a bad idea for an Orb, or they can be used for their constant effect of making reality around them a little less real and a little more attuned to the Wind in question, making it so that any enchantment that incorporates a power stone or Orb of Sorcery can do more with the same amount of magic than if they didn't.
And this, right here, is why I'm wondering if we'll hit a snag in the operation.
Three possibilities: Do the power stones cut off the reaction
before hitting the size of an Orb of Sorcery, are they not limited at that point, or is the size of Orb of sorcery
itself defined by being the point where the reaction is no longer possible?
... Yeah no we absolutely have to wheel a cart into Algard's office only to dramatically lift the tarp off and say "GOOD NEWS".
Then we can bring them in for further creation as our supply of Vitae allows.
(Though I'd like to keep some for AV enchantment, still.)
...Can I recommend we do this in the exact same turn we publish the Preliminary Paper on Aetheric Vitae?
Upside: We may be able to reprise the role of bringing out a ton of useful stuff all at once, with the inherent question answered with the cherry on top.
Downside: We may end up getting Demon Checked
again.