Ether, an interesting subject. Every intelligent race produces it, for it is our life force, the very blood our heart pumps. It allows us to do impossible things. Fireballs, manipulating air, punching boulders into two, all of this and more at the cost of life itself.
Now, You may be wondering. How is it that beasts produce Ether? Didn't you say only intelligent races produce it? It is true, intelligent races are the only ones that produce natural Ether. Beasts are not natural things. They were created by a mad mage. He was a genius, one who made many breakthroughs in the study of Ether, he was hailed as the next Archmage of that era. But he became too curious, his hunger for knowledge made him act before he could think of the consequences. He transplanted the still beating heart of a human into a beast and in turn gifting it Ether. Now, how this managed to work is still unknown. Perhaps a secret application of Ether lost to time. In the end it killed him and spread its offspring, also dying shortly after. Creating the beasts we know today.
Beasts are rather different now compared to a few hundred years ago, according to old accounts, certain "animals" always looked on the verge of collapse. The rejection of Ether its assumed.
An Archmage's position in society is quite straightforward, as the presumable most powerful mage their job is to protect the kingdom from threats. Whether that be beasts, curses, or a enemy kingdom. As well as rooting out any morally dubious mages.
