Advantages and Disadvantages

The dreadful truth that had revealed itself to all the Espers at the end of the War of Chaos was difficult for many of them to accept: the use of magic now had to be subject to major restrictions, because each use consumed a part of the planet’s life source.

Until then, in a thoughtless and instinctive way, the Espers had shaped their world through magic, never imagining that it could have such dramatic consequences for nature and for their own civilization.

Atma, the Shape of Balance, was now present to remind everyone that everything comes with advantages and disadvantages, and that one must weigh the pros and cons before making decisions.

For magic, this meant choosing between comfort—sometimes trivial—and causing more damage to the planet, or sobriety, which imposes restrictions on one’s way of life but preserves Aether, the life source of Esperia.

It meant realizing that, because life is limited in time, every choice made, with its advantages and disadvantages, inevitably excludes others.

For no one is capable of doing everything at once, and so at every moment, one must decide which actions to take in a day and accept their consequences, for oneself and for the society in which one lives.