THE BOOK OF LORE
Gods: The Primals
Stewards of Creation
The Primals are twenty-four ancient dragons that embody the elemental forces of the universe. Upon Gaia’s dying wish, four of each element were born from the still-beating Hearts of the Six Sisters, and together they work to create balance among the elements.
Primals are draconic beings with long, serpentine bodies covered in old-growth crystalline formations. They are secretive and elusive, often preferring solitude deep in the elemental regions from which the Primals can watch over the Hearts. While at times they combine their forces, such as when heralding a new season, they have ancient and complicated relationships. Some may be friends, but others have opposing goals and compete for resources, influence, and even aetherlings to win over to their 'side'.
Primals create aetherlings out of tiny crystal shards from their bodies. Soon after creating a baby bean, the Primal sends them out to begin their journeys. However, powerful aetherlings may be welcomed back to the Primal’s lair, where they are trained to become Paragons: the Primals' agents and voices.
Primals rarely speak with mortals directly, but favor gained from religious followings can entice them to appear as mortal avatars, give gifts, or lend Paragons on behalf of their devoted. Religious groups dedicated to an element, or to a specific Primal, are common among the mortal races. For instance, the Zephyr dedicate themselves to the Air Primals, especially Hesper, whose lair lies on their homeworld.
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To play an Aetherling character in the RPG, you must choose a Primal from the list below. The Primal must match the aetherling's primary element.
The Primals of Fire
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Solon
Lord of the Golden Sun
Clad in scales of brilliant white and gold, Solon represents the aspects of radiance and cleansing sunlight. He possesses a regal, proud nature and opposes darkness, murk, and corruption wherever it lies. His lover is Cyluna, Maiden of the Silver Moon.
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Ashera
She of the Dread Horizon
This ancient wyrm cloaked in black and ashen scales represents the raw fury and seething cinders of nature. She resides in an ancient lair beneath one of the aether's most dangerous volcanoes, where she creates aetherlings of ash and shadow to do her bidding.
Flaghrán
The Hungering Flame
This massive and terrifying bronze dragon wreathed in brilliant flame lords over the raw, destructive power of fire. He represents intensity, destruction, consumption, and the eventual rebirth following the scorching wrath. He is said to swallow entire Pearls in flame.
Calara
The Giving Ember
Calara does not share the ferocity of the other Primals of Fire; her golden scales are soft and warm, and she welcomes travelers into the comforting hearth of her den. She represents the nourishing warmth of gentle fire and the life it gives to the worlds.
The Primals of Water
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Cyluna
Lady of the Silver Moon
The goddess of the moon, Cyluna is a mysterious being said to long for her lover, Solon of the Golden Sun. Her shimmering, silvery fur and downy wings emanate with the soft magics of sleep and dreams, yet a quiet strength stirs within her: a power strong enough to turn the tides.
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Glacius
Bringer of the Silent Cold
The ancient dragon-god of frost, death, and winter, Glacius's heart is said to be as icy as his piercing gaze. To the god of ice, the gripping chill is not a cruel or malevolent force, but an inevitable demise. Some aetherlings born by his hand insist that there is warmth hidden deep within his spirit.
Fluvina
The Riversinger
Said to be a shimmering scaled wyrm with a body like a serpent, the Riversinger's holy song and dance commands the rains and endless flows of the seasons. Her joyful and gentle spirit embodies the power of motion and change.
Thalasson
Caller of the Echoing Deep
This ancient sea-leviathan rests in a realm said to hold an ocean of endless depths. Inquisitve and strange, he thirsts for dark knowledge and the lost secrets buried in the depths of the mind and soul.
The Primals of Earth
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Radyx
The Sower of Life
Crowned in twisting and branching crystals like ancient roots, Radyx embodies the power of the soil and seed. As father of all flora, his lair is rumored to be a vast garden that nurtures every plant in the universe's existence.
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Calculon
Stoneheart
Many worshippers believe Calculon, a massive wyrm-god of jagged steel and crystalline rock, to be the mightiest of all Primals. His strength and fortitude are backed by a proud and stalwart spirit - and despite the Stoneheart's name, no other Primal is more faithfully loyal.
Ratnah
Queen of the Jeweled Hoard
Legend tells that Ratnah once claimed dominion over a lost civilization which she ruled from a palace studded with gold and gems. Now, the realm is long since lost and buried, but her indescribable wealth remains. She is the embodiment of opulence and beauty, and unlike many Primals she enjoys hearing of the outside world.
Skohn
Wraith of Shifting Sands
Skohn is a Primal spoken of in whispers. Depicted as a gaunt, skeletal drake wrapped in cloth and rotting, wispy hair, they represent the withering force of the earth and the inevitable power of erosion and decay.
The Primals of Air
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Arctos
Wind of the North
Arctos, cloaked in dark fur and feathers, is the ominous god of ill omen and bitterness. Representing the most harsh and unfavorable winds, his heart is as ferocious and stormy as his frightening presence and magics. He roosts on a desolate realm wrapped in frigid winds.
Anatol
Wind of the East
Cloaked in ten great wings of shimmering, camouflaging emerald feathers, the mischievous dragon of the East is a flighty and inquisitive deity whose aetherling children often bear a deep interest in the affairs of mortal creatures. Sometimes, Anatol himself is thought to walk the realms in disguise...
Sembra
Wind of the South
With brilliant plumage and shimmering crystals, Sembra of the South Wind is the epitome of grace and beauty. Despite her looks she is not vain in the slightest, representing the benevolent warm winds of prosperity. While reigning from a realm of gently rippling, flowering meadows, she opposes Arctos at every turn.
Hesper
Wind of the West
As Mother of the Zephyr and Queen of the Western Winds, Hesper is the embodiment of growth, change, and insight, whose winds bring luck and fortune of both good and ill tidings. She watches over her mortal creations with an unwavering eye while sending her faithful and determined aetherlings into the world to bring the winds of change with them.
The Primals of Aether
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Kardha
Heartseeker, The Eldest Daughter
Proud and determined, yet loving and matronly, the eldest child of Gaia is the goddess of love, emotions, and the callings of the heart. Lairing from an overgrown palace drifting in the aether, she sends out her children in dedication to seeking out true love wherever it might be found.
Physica
Starseer, Second of Gaia
The shining, starry wyrm Physica is the second daughter of Gaia. Representing the powers of divination, foresight, psychic energy, and arcane knowledge, she is a matron of magic who aligns closely with several of the daimonic Ascendants. Her aetherlings are deeply magical creatures who often do business with mortal sorcerers and wizards.
Anima
Spiritmother, Third of Gaia
The third child of Gaia bears herself with a dreary and gloomy presence, walking slowly as if only half-awake. She is the goddess of the line between life and death - and the crossing of that line - whose powers reflect the forces of spirituality, energy, and undeath.
Crea
Lifeweaver, Youngest of Gaia
The fourth and youngest child, Crea is depicted as the smallest of all Primals: fluffy, gentle, and almost mouse-like, she is the spirit of creativity, inspiration, and a joyous appreciation for life. Her aetherlings work eagerly to inspire such feelings in mortal creatures across the aether.
The Primals of Void
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Inaan
The Shadow Unseen, Lord of Cloaks
Said to be an ancient drake clad in scales and ragged hair dark as the moonless night, Inaan is the patron deity of shadows and those who call the shadows their home. Mysterious, calm, and calculating, Inaan's goals are unclear, but they appear to be quite patient in whatever pursuits those may be...
Svazka
The Wayward Minstrel, Lord of Mirrors
More commonly called "Darkling", Svazka is a most unusual primal in his devoted interest to meddling around with the world and its affairs. Many other Primals and deities take issue with this behavior, but it's all in good fun to the god of thieves, cheats, illusions, and trickery.
Morus
The Toller of the Bell, Lord of Bones
Morus is the looming grey specter of death and ruin, gaunt and frightening as a corpse. Their breath is heavy with the scent of rot and their pale crystals glow with necrotic energy. Despite this appearance, Morus's aetherlings report him to be a patient and even gentle soul...
Exitius
The First Rider, Lord of Talons
The crimson god of destruction is known by many names, but his purpose is singular - to see the beauty of peace and order undone with every drop of blood his minions spill. Exitius would see the world unmade in the name of chaos, enjoying the struggle of mortalkind along the way. It is Exitius who Calamitas, Ascendant of Chaos, envies so badly.