In Athedal, arrays were not merely magical circles drawn across the ground. They were letters of power arranged according to precise instructions, with every line, symbol and connection carrying a specific meaning.
A single mistake could change the entire function of an array or render it useless. There were two broad states in which an array could exist: active and dormant. The difference between them was simple but strategically important.
An active array already possessed a source of Aether, usually supplied through Aether Crystals embedded within or connected to its formation, allowing the spell written into the array to activate immediately when its conditions were met. A dormant array, on the other hand, was nothing more than letters of power properly arranged without an attached power source. It remains completely inert until it comes into contact with mana.
That distinction was precisely what made dormant arrays so useful for ambushes.
