[quote=@ArmorPlated]
So I'm guessing, since it's a fantasy setting, that boats are generally made of wood?

How large are these 'engines', and what is the smallest form used?

Can Aether users utilize crystals in any way? make and/or charge them?

What is the interaction between Aether users and Aether-infused weapons?

Do the Sea of Ancients Researchers ever experiment with the application of Aether? If they only study the old, who studies the new?

Oh, and what kind of stuff do the Divers in the Sea of Ancients dredge up?



There's some fuel for the fire, eh?
[/quote]

Ship makeup: Depending on the types of ships, they can range from wooden sailing ships to ironclads. Wooden ships use less aether power allowing for longer voyages, but also are weaker. Ironclads are excellent warships but require lots. 

Just like the ships, aether engines vary in size and function. The larger the engine, the more aether it uses, and the more power it puts out. But it also requires more aetherite to function. 

Raw aetherite is very unstable, and it takes an aether user to bend the aetherite into a useable form. Aether forges are found across the 7 seas, and many artisans specialize in certain aether weapons. Aether crystals can be used as a focus to aether magic, but untrained aether users can end up overextending themselves and can kill themselves if they’re not careful. It’s the same with Aether weapons, they can help the user’s magic but also they can easily overextend themselves 

Sea of Ancients researchers: aether + ancient tech is how we have the technology of the era 

Divers search for all sorts of artifacts: power cells, ancient engines, robots, weapons, schematics, gears, junk. You name it, they can salvage and sell it