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The primordials are ancient beings of chaos and raw elemental power. They emerged from the Elemental Chaos before the creation of the world, just as the gods emerged from the Astral Sea. Their total numbers are unknown, and their individual strength varies, with some of the strongest far surpassing gods in power, requiring teams of four to six gods to take them down.

In the beginning of time, the primordials created the world in a raw form mirroring the Elemental Chaos using their power over elemental energy and matter. When the gods of the Astral Sea made their own improvements upon Creation by instilling it with properties of permanence, the primordials saw it as a maring of their work and planned to destroy it in order to begin it all over again. The gods didn't want to see their own work destroyed, so the Dawn War broke out between the primordials and the gods over the control of the cosmos. In the end, the gods won (in the Points of Light setting), with the different primordials either dead, imprisoned or in hiding. Most of the primordials still in existence are driven by their desire to complete their vision of destroying the world and the gods that meddled with it.

Most people who have heard of the primordials known them as the enemies of the gods and see them as enemies of creation, monsters that the gods had to triumph over to bring the world into its right, orderly form. There exist hidden elemental cults, however, that worship different primordials as elemental deities. The cults all come with different agendas, most dark as the primordials themselves. Most commonly, primordials care little for mortal worshippers, seeing them as insignificant specks in comparison to themselves. Many mortals in turn dream of the primordials' raw elemental magic, and some have even found ways of gaining access to it.

Archomentals[]

Archomentals, also called elemental princes, are primordials that stand apart in many ways to other primordials. They control large hosts of lesser elemental creatures, and are roughly split into two groups, the princes of elemental evil and the princes of elemental good. The princes of elemental evil see a being known as the Elder Elemental Eye as their master, and seek among other things to free this being to help them destroy the world. The princes of elemental good are said to be considered 'good' not out of any moral code, but because of their opposition to their counterparts in the princes of elemental evil. If they have good intentions, they express them on behalf of the elemental creatures that dwell in their realms.

Some archomentals of elemental evil includes:

  • Cryonax, prince of evil cold creatures
  • Imix, prince of evil fire creatures
  • Ogrémoch, prince of evil earth creatures
  • Olhydra, princess of evil water creatures
  • Yan-C-Bin, prince of evil air creatures

Some archomentals of elemental good includes:

  • Ben-hadar, lord of good water creatures
  • Chan, queen of good air creatures
  • Sunnis, queen of good earth creatures
  • Zaaman Rul, prince of good fire creatures, son of Imix and Bristia Pel

Demon lords[]

When Tharizdun used the Shard of Evil to create the Abyss, the energies unleashed transformed a number of primordials into the first demon lords. These beings included Demogorgon (before his head split into two heads), Orcus, and Baphomet, among others. These beings are no longer considered primordials but demon lords.

Known primordials[]

Name

Title

Status

Notes

Achazar The Pillar of Wrath Dormant A fire primordial that ruled Tarmalune in Abeir
Akadi Queen of Air Deity Elemental lord worshiped in Toril as goddess of the sky
Alu Kahn Sang Wind of Destruction Free A vast, raging dust storm in the Elemental Chaos
Alyolvoy -- Unknown An obscure primordial of water and mud
Arambar -- Dead Slain long ago; its essence causes Abeir's steelsky
Asgorath The World Shaper Deity A primordial who hurled a comet at Toril, creating the Sea of Fallen Stars; worshiped in the draconic pantheon
Atropus The World Born Dead Free A vast primordial of undeath, spawner of the atropals
Balcoth The Groaning King Imprisoned Beheaded primordial, powerless without its body
Ben-hadar The Valorous Tempest Free Archomental, lord of good sea creatures
Borem of the lake of Boiling Mud Dead One of the Seven lost Gods of Toril; killed by Bane, Myrkul, and Bhaal in their mortal lives
Bristia Pel Princess of Everlasting Flame Dead Archomental of fire, killed in battle against the Queen of Chaos
Bryakus The Colossus of Chaos Dormant Sundered into many pieces; its blood spawned all hydras
Bwimb Baron of Ooze Dead? Archomental, prince of evil ooze creatures; killed by Orcus but respawned as a new Bwimb
Castanamir The Shattered Khan Dormant Patron of storm and cloud giants, entombed in sea
Chan The Silent One Free Archomental, queen of good air creatures
Chlimbia Prince of Magma Imprisoned Archomental, prince of evil magma creatures
Cryonax Prince of Elemental Cold Imprisoned Archomental, prince of evil cold creatures
Crystalle King of Minerals Free Archomental, prince of mineral creatures
Dendar The Night Serpent Imprisoned An Elder Evil of Abeir-Toril; fated to destroy the world
Dur-baagal -- Dead An ice primordial of Abeir-Toril slain by Auril
Ehkahk The Smoldering Duke Free Archomental, prince of smoke creatures, ruler of Fume
Entropy -- Imprisoned? Held in a sphere of annihilation; now free?
Erek-Hus King of Terror Dead Clove lo in two, then defeated by Bahamut and Tiamat
Garash -- Unknown A primordial that vanished seeking the Shard of Evil
Gargash -- Dead Underdark primordial that cursed Torog
Gazra The Shifting Emperor Free Archomental, prince of ash creatures
Grumbar Lord of Earth Deity Elemental lord worshiped in Toril as god of the earth
Haemnathuun The Blood Lord Dead Created abominations; its corpse floats in the Astral Sea
Herumar The Sand Scourge Free Monstrous hydra-like primordial dwelling in Athas
Heur-Ket The Storm Unabated Imprisoned Storm primordial thought to be bound in Hestavar
lktha-Lau The Ever Empty Free Primordial of nothingness, uncaring and remote
llmeth -- Dead A slain primordial that exists as a vestige now
lmix Prince of Elemental Fire Imprisoned Archomental, prince of evil fire creatures
lstishia Lord of Water Deity Elemental lord worshiped in Toril as god of water
Karshimis Despot of Shyr Unknown Primordial of Abeir, ruler of the land of Shyr
Kezef The Chaos Hound Free An Elder Evil of Abeir-Toril that hunts mortal souls
Kossuth Lord of Fire Deity Elemental lord worshiped in ToriI as the god of fire
Lormoch Master of Tides Dead Long-dead primordial
Maegera Dormant Dormant fire primordial trapped under Gauntlgrym
Maram of the Great Spear Imprisoned One of the Seven Lost Gods of Toril; sealed in the Elemental Chaos by the Monuments of the Ancients
Miska The Wolf Spider Exiled Demonic primordial banished by Rod of Seven Parts
Mual-Tar The Thunder Serpent Imprisoned Bound by chains forged by Moradin
Murgremir The Rotting Hill Free Primordial of muck and decay that haunts the Blackmire
Nehushta -- Unknown Primordial who created the fortress of Glaur
Nekal of the Glowing Deep Dead Water primordial slain by Pelor, Kord, Bane, Sehanine
Nihil -- Dead Primordial of unbeing, defeated by Bahamut
Ogremoch Prince of Elemental Earth Imprisoned Archomental, prince of evil earth creatures
Olhydra Princess of Elemental Water Imprisoned Archomental, princess of evil water creatures
Piranoth The World Mover Imprisoned Primordial of earth, fire, frost; patron of giants
Queen of Chaos -- Dormant Demonic primordial or obyrith now dormant in the Steaming Fen, an Abyssal layer
Rorn Rorn of the Rages Dormant Powerful, hated, lava-like primordial of Abeir
Sehil -- Dead Primordial killed by Kord in last battle of the Dawn War
Shangar The Uncrowned Imprisoned A primordial of fire
Shax The Destroyer Dead Dead primordial of the sea; exists as a vestige now
Sisanthak The Endless Winter Imprisoned Ice primordial trapped on the astral mote Frostburn
Solkara The Crushing Wave Imprisoned Primordial of crushing depths and icy cold defeated by Melora, Kord, and Sehanine; imprisoned in glacier
Sun Sing Viceroy of the Void Free Archomental associated with darkness, emptiness
Sunnis The True Stone Free Archomental, patron of the Underdark, venerated by svirfneblin and stonechildren
Syvexrae The Queen of Stone Dead Petrified; her body serves as the palace of Doresain
Tabrach-Ti Queen of Bronze Dead First primordial to fall in Dawn War; slain by Bane
Telos -- Dormant Primordial of Abeir-Toril who fell from the sky in Vaasa
Timesus The Black Star Dead A powerful primordial of dissolution, entropy
Ty-h'kadi Prince of Thunder and Lightning Free Storm primordial, rival of Heur-Ket
Tziphal The Mountain Builder Dormant Primordial of folding earth, petrification, volcanoes; created many races with power of petrification
Ubtao The Deceiver Deity A primordial of Abeir-toril that keeps Dendar imprisoned; worshipped as the god of Chult
UI-Athra The Mouths of Thirst Free Monstrous primordial of Athas; spawner of silt horrors
Ulctilantilokla -- Free A primordial that grew from the first dream
Umboras Lord of Rimefire Imprisoned Lured to Pandemonium by Raven Queen and trapped
Uzrith -- Unknown An obscure primordial of earth and mud
Vezzuvu The Burning Mountain Imprisoned Volcano primordial; trapped in a field of radiance
Vorsheen -- Imprisoned Fire primordial trapped on the astral mote Frostburn
Yan-C-Bin Prince of Elemental Air Imprisoned Archomental, prince of evil air creatures
Zaaman Rul The Resilient Ember Free Archomental, chid of Imix and Bristia Pel
Zurtharak The Vein of Iron Dead Earth primordial defeated by Moradin

Character Options[]

Here are some options for players to consider if they want a stronger thematic link to primordials in their play.

Classes[]

  • Druid (Primal Wrath class feature)
  • Elementalist (Sorcerer subclass)
  • Hexblade (Warlock subclass, Elemental Pact class feature)
  • Mage (School of Pyromancy class feature)
  • Sentinel (Druid subclass, Druid of the Wastes class feature)
  • Sha'ir (Wizard subclass)
  • Shaman (Animist Shaman build, Elemental Spirit class feature)
  • Sorcerer (Chaos Spell Source or Storm Spell Source class feature)
  • Warlock (Elemental Pact class feature)

Character Themes[]

Paragon Paths[]

  • Herald of Vezzuvu (Earthforger theme, firecrafter theme, primordial adept theme, or elemental pact warlock, HotEC)
  • Primordial Channeler (Sorcerer, Wild Magic class feature, Arcane Power)
  • Rimetongue Caller (Wizard, Primordial language, Arcane Power)
  • Smoking Crown Initiate (Elemental Priest theme, Dark Sun Campaign Setting)

Epic destinies[]

  • Emerging Primordial (HotEC)
  • Master Hierophant (Dragon Magazine #396)
  • Storm Sovereign (Dragon Magazine #372)
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