[He can follow this, and a thought occurs to him.]

The Mothercrystals. [He nods. This theory held weight.] Among many other things, they were a constant syphon, drawing ambient Aether from the environment and hoarding it within themselves. Mayhap our reservoirs are so low because of generational exposure to this pull, and we have never learned to draw from the same simply because it was never possible. Not enough existed. I am no Aetheric scholar, but it feels sound.