Side Story 2 - The Primordials

Jelamel studied the tome meticulously as his teacher had commanded him to. One of the ancient tomes that, according to legend, had been written by the Eternal Servant himself. He had studied this book many times before, but he felt like it was never enough.

Of course, his copy wasn’t the original. Goodness no, that tome was stored in the sacred temple where the Servant himself resided. At least that is what the rumors said. For Jelamel, all of that was way above him. He was still just a young scholar, after all.

He had been allowed to enroll here after he had reached D-grade, which had only taken him a bit less than a century. Well ahead of his peers, who could easily take more than two centuries. This isn’t to say that faster is better; a true powerhouse is not made in just a few centuries, after all.

If he managed to reach C-grade, he would become a recognized scholar of the church. The Primordial Church didn’t have common religious names for its roles but was instead more scholarly. Their primary task was to serve, document, and spread knowledge of the Primordials, not to get new followers. Of course, they would gain new followers just from more people knowing them, because who wouldn’t want to serve a Primordial?

Turning the tome's page, he consulted the many notes that he had taken. While he didn’t need to take notes at D-grade, he did it anyway as he believed it helped. It was a kind of worship to dedicate your time to slowly digest and write down what you knew of the Primordials.

Looking through his many notes, he saw one of the many poems he had made introducing each Primordial in detail. He had always liked this one, as it mentioned all twelve primordials. He had made it when he was only less than twenty years old, but he still thought it was pretty good. His tutor had even praised him back then:

The system came, the worlds redone

Twelve they rose, when the worlds were one

One through fate, Holy she become

One a tree, a seed of life who sprung

One of cycles, of lives to come

One malefic, with rage, desolation he brung

One of magic, and with indomitable will, death he shun

One created, made by those undone

One of titans, the stars he won

One of storms, a disaster from which you run

One of karma, of love, hate, and the bonds we’ve strung

One of war, slaughter, and battles unsung

One of time, endless possibilities therefrom

One of seals and space, sleeping, the wyrm of might

Twelve they’ve stayed, their eternal right

Twelve they’ve been since gods begun

Many have risen, “slay one,” they say

But all have fallen, on their fateful day

So twelve they stay, forever the first

Primordials they are. Primordials they stay.

Jelamel always felt a shiver when he read it. He had already read it thousands of times, but he still liked it equally as much every time. He knew it probably had quite a few mistakes from a technical standpoint, but one had to make certain sacrifices for the arts. Grammar being one of them.

Next, he looked at his notes summarizing each Primordial. He had written it down just moments before, but he felt like it would be a good idea to go through it again.

The Holy Mother

The Holy Mother. Widely recognized as the most powerful god in the universe. She most certainly was the one with the most devoted followers. Her presence was felt in every single one of the 92 universes, and she no doubt would spread her influence to the 93rd too. One of the primary reasons for her massive following was undoubtedly her ability to offer something nearly no other god could: A life after death.

The chance to enter her Holyland. Her divine realm where the soul could live out the rest of its existence until the system reclaimed it. For most everyone, death was just the end. But if you lived within her influence, chances are your soul would be collected and saved.

While the soul could never leave her realm without dispersing, it was still possible to communicate with them. Many of her followers have skills to project souls from the divine realm and allow them to interact with their loved ones.

And all the Mother asked, in turn, was to follow her ideology. To serve the common good over yourself and realize the ideal destiny, not just for yourself but also for the community. Even if it requires sacrifices.

With her many followers and an ideology focusing on uplifting the strong with the weak supporting them, it is no wonder that the Holy Pantheon is also the most extensive Pantheon in the multiverse.

Jelamel had always liked the Holy Mother a lot. Of course, he liked all the Primordials, but he especially liked the Mother. She was strong, compassionate, and had even made her realm into a place for her believers to live in paradise after death.

Yggdrasil – The World Tree

The Tree of Worlds, The Lifebringer, Monarch of Nature.

The divine tree Yggdrasil holds many names, but they all encompass the being known as The World Tree.

A massive tree that gained sapience during the first era as her roots dug into the planet on which she was born - her massive roots extending beyond as she floated through space, each root absorbing planet after planet into the massive network. Yet, these planets did not die nor were they consumed. No, they experienced growth like never before, the arrival of Yggrasil a blessing.

It was no wonder that the massive tree ascended to godhood after taking root on a Great Planet. Her roots sinking in deep as she absorbed and grew to new heights. Now, during the just-started 93rd era, her size is nearly incomparable to back then.

Her crown a web of leaves and galaxies; countless worlds were residing within her. Leader of the Pantheon of Life, her presence extends far throughout the universe. Her abilities ones of legends and myth. Her most famous being the ability to do what was thought impossible: True Ressurection. With her Golden Leaves, an item only gods can ever hope to obtain, it was possible to truly resurrect someone if done not too long after they are slain. All Records retained, or, if rumors were right, enhanced by the resurrection.

She loves all life, yet she even shows kindness and compassion towards the undead. But should any bring death and destruction to her crown of leaves, then be aware: The tree has thorns.

Yggdrasil was also a super interesting Primordial. She was so huge and so kind to all living creatures. She would heal anyone who came within her area of influence without even asking. Sadly, he could find very little of her actual interactions with her followers. Her Pantheon and followers did most of the work; it seems.

The Daofather – Samsara Daolord

Hailed as the most outstanding teacher in the multiverse, a guide who can lead any to become a powerhouse. Instead of founding a Pantheon, the Daofather instead leads a mighty sect of fervent followers.

The formal leaders were known as the Daolords - each of them, a god of untold power. To join the Dao Sect is the dream of many youngsters, their chance to reach for greatness.

In many ways, the Dao Sect separates itself. Instead of focusing on levels through combat, it concentrates instead on levels through learning and enlightenment. With the system one that accommodates nearly all paths, so did it recognize this one.

They still battle, but to take lives is not viewed as a necessity. Their philosophy differs widely from most, and it is believed it is only possible because of the Daofathers influence. The Daofather himself, having risen through slaughter and claiming godhood through killing, some have claimed him to be a hypocrite. Something the Primordial Church, of course, couldn’t disagree more with.

The personal power of the Samsara Daolord is an aspect often discussed, but any actual information is lacking. As a Primordial, his power is without a doubt at the pinnacle of the multiverse, but as no challenger has ever made it past his Daolords, there are no definitive battles to draw conclusions from.

The Daofather had always been a bit weird to Jelamel. In a good way, of course! He walked a very different path than many other gods, and based on how powerful his disciples were, he couldn’t be totally wrong. Well, being a Primordial, he wouldn’t be wrong, to begin with, but his results spoke for themselves too!

The Malefic Viper

The Malefic Viper is a god known more for his deeds than his name. A scaled being who has been standing at the pinnacle from when the first god appeared, spawning unconfirmable rumors that he may have been the first god.

Founder and leader of the Order of the Malefic Viper, a once-powerful organization that spanned from the first universe to the seventh. Masters of alchemy and combat, the Order was ruthless in its path of domination, believed to be an unstoppable force that would stay a peak force in the multiverse in perenniality.

This changed during the seventh era when [REDACTED]

Ultimately, this resulted in the descent of the Viper’s rage. The full wrath of the Primordial fell upon the seventh universe, resulting in what is today known as the Great Desolate – a testament to the might of a Primordial when crossed. A land in which not even the undead can exist, now only inhabited by spirits and apparitions of the past.

Since then, the Viper has remained hidden. The Order, waiting for his return with anticipation - a return that will no doubt send waves through the multiverse.

Jelamel honestly didn’t have much to say about the Viper. He didn’t even know anyone who had anything to say. The Viper had been gone far too long, and the only thing that remained was the results of his actions. What led to these results was redacted for reasons that Jelamel didn’t know and didn’t dare question either.

But when speaking of results, one has to mention the Great Desolate in the seventh universe. Nearly a tenth of an entire universe reduced to nothing but a wasteland where nothing can now exist. Jelamel had heard it was once the home of a powerful collection of gods who somehow managed to attract the ire of the Viper. Even after other Primordials tried to step in and mediate, none were spared.

Everything and everyone was destroyed. Not a single mortal or god was spared. Countless lives reaped due to the mistake of a few arrogant gods who thought they could get away with making the Malefic One their enemy. Good riddance if Jelamel was to judge.

Blightfather Inmortau

If the Holy Mother is the parent who embraces the living, then Blightfather Inmortau is the stern father who embraces the undead. The progenitor of the entire race of the sapient dead, his very being, is a testament to his death and soul magic accomplishments.

Unchallenged leader of the Ghostlands, the undead empire, he is revered by those who choose to join him when their lives came to an end. Even if one foolishly ignored his creation of an entire path, one cannot ignore his unimaginable power.

As a god, he has been able to challenge the Holy Mother on several occasions, and the undead empire is the only organization even close in sheer scale and level of power to the Holy Church. Even if their numbers are far fewer, their unity is unquestioned. All assembled under the banner of the almighty Blightfather.

One truly cannot speak of the Blightfather without mentioning his empire. Many parts of the multiverse ruled by such massive amounts of death-affinity mana are occupied by them, their formations and magic circles creating a constant cycle of death.

Yet, despite what many uneducated assume, the undead empire is not antagonistic towards the living. Many living races live within their empire, and while their lives are often viewed as lesser, they are allowed to exist. The empire’s diplomatic abilities undoubtedly a big reason why many military forces have not sought to exterminate them.

The other, far larger reason why none have tried, being their fear of the Blightfather’s wrath.

For this one, he had to talk a lot to a fellow student to understand the undead empire better. The Primordial Church had several undead in it, and his friend had grown up in one of the undead zones not far from the academy he was currently in.

Which in itself was good enough proof that the undead empire was a-okay. The Blightfather being the founder and creator of the entire species of sapient undead, made him pretty damn awesome according to Jelamels standards.

Rigoria, the Maker

What happens when a race pools all of their Records together to try and create a god? Rigoria, the Maker, is the answer. Created by a forgotten race who dominated large parts of the first universe before the system’s arrival, Rigoria was their attempt to make a god.

A fusion of technology and magic, they made a construct meant to protect them. All of the brightest poured in all they had, even their very souls, to make it a reality - an eternal defender who would guard their race from all outside forces.

Yet, at first, they failed. A being at the peak of S-grade was created, a demigod with the might to challenge gods was born, but compared to other Primordials who had risen at the time, it was meaningless. None knew where they had gone wrong – none but Rigoria.

Fulfilling its purpose to become a god, it did so - the necessary sacrifice for its ascension the annihilation of the race that created it. And so Rigoria did, and the Maker was born.

Leader and creator of the great Automata race, Rigoria has continued to develop throughout the ages. Created a utopia for those who seek to progress through the technological paths.

Rigoria’s true form is still questioned as before becoming a god, Rigoria was a planet-sized sphere, but now the Maker has taken countless forms throughout the ages. Perhaps only the other Primordials knew of Rigoria’s true visage.

Jelamel had never even seen an automaton, but he had heard many rumors of them. They were nearly identical to the biological races but were created and not born. He also knew that they possessed free will not unlike all the other races, yet they were also made with an unyielding loyalty towards their creator.

While Rigoria wasn’t the one who made them anymore personally, he had heard that those the Maker created personally were at the pinnacle of S-grade. To be able to construct demigods… if that wasn’t a power worthy of a Primordial, Jelamel didn’t know. And if the rumors of having created god-level automatons were real… well, again, that would only make sense, being a Primordial and all.

The Starseizing Titan

Size does not necessarily equal power, but that does not make size worthless - the Starsiezing titan is a true example of this.

Born as a Celestial Titan, he was blessed with power from his creation. One of the most powerful races native to the first universe, these titans are born from the cosmos itself, and upon first opening their eyes, are already B-grade.

The size of a planet from birth, the Starseizing Titan would only grow larger as he gained power and evolved. Legend has it that his goal was to seize one of the largest stars as his own. The day he ascended to godhood was when he clasped his hands around the star and made it his. And with it, he forged the Celestial Forge, which he still uses to this very day.

A master of smithing and creation, he has made many artifacts throughout the ages, with the most impressive one being his own body. A massive being the size of galaxies, entire worlds dwelling within, he is the cosmos incarnate.

Looking at his notes, the most extraordinary thing about this one was the attached picture. Yes, he had a picture of a Primordial. He also had many paintings, banners, and posters, but this one was an actual, true magical picture. One that could not be faked.

Of all the Primordials, the Starsiezing Titan was the most visible one by far due to his sheer size. Whenever he appeared, many would come to observe him. The very same people would leave too whenever his crafting begun. Jelamel had heard that a demigod once died because she tried to observe him smithing, but the reverberations that went through the cosmos when the hammer hit the anvil annihilated her in both body and soul.

Jelamel dreamed of one day being able to see the Primordial himself. At a time where he wasn’t crafting anything, of course.

Stormild

Stormild is an entity that can be summarized in a simple word: Catastrophy.

An elemental of lightning, wind, and fire, Stormild has blazed through the cosmos, consuming all in her path. A peculiar being for sure, spending most of her time within her realm of storms, breeding and giving life to new elementals.

The true body of Stormild is hardly ever seen, and those who have seen it only do so moments before their end. Stormild is not associated with any formal organizations or forces, but she has many elementals in her sphere of influence.

According to the records of the first era, Stormilds true form is said to be that of a giant bird-like creature, giving birth to calling her the Phoenix God. An unconfirmed rumor, as most elementals are known for their ability to change forms and assume any shape they wish.

Yet despite Stormilds destructive nature, she is very rarely in conflict with other forces unless provoked. But if one should provoke her, then be aware that destruction of not just you, but all that you know, is a foregone conclusion.

Many would say that if there was a Primordial they didn’t want to meet, it had to be Stormild, but Jelamel disagreed. He couldn’t help but imagine how glorious it would be to be consumed by the flames and lighting as she swept her power over him. Now THAT was an excellent way to die for any member of the Primordial Church. Sadly, he would likely never get the chance.

Eversmile

Perhaps the most enigmatic of all the Primordials, Eversmile is a mystery to even the Primordial Church. His actions often appear to be without meaning or even actively hurt himself, yet he has managed to reach the pinnacle of power through his path.

A self-proclaimed researcher of karma, he makes experiments too complicated for mortal minds to comprehend. Manipulate empires and individuals alike to learn just a sliver more. He appears and disappears throughout all the universes, bringing with him calamity and miracles alike.

To understand Eversmile would be to understand the intricacies of karma itself. Perhaps only the other Primordials have the privilege and the intelligence to comprehend him.

One thing is for sure, however. To face Eversmile in combat is no longer a question of life and death. For losing may mean karmic annihilation, your existence stripped from the Records of the multiverse itself. For thus is his Transcendence.

He had not noted down Eversmile as enigmatic without good reason. Heck, Jelamel could have met Eversmile without even knowing he had! The Primordial appeared out of nothing, his visage changing as he did his experiments to study the concept of karma further. It was an open secret that nearly every single member of the Primordial Church dreamed of one day being a part of one of his experiments… though chances are that if they were, they would never notice.

Aeon Clok

Aeon Clok, the master of time, the Timekeeper, He Who Stole A Breath. The Watchmaker.

Many titles and names have been given to the one who all chronomancers view with fervent worship. Like Eversmile, he is very individualistic and does not have any organization tied to him, but unlike Eversmile, he never appears to move throughout the multiverse with any purpose.

Instead, Aeon tends to mainly reside within his realm. Or perhaps no one just ever knows where or when he goes. As the most potent time mage in existence, who is to say he has not already been everywhere?

The only real trace of his whereabouts is the watches he makes and gives out to those he chooses. Every watch an immaculate work of art, often collected by other deities after their owner’s death. Even with the artifact no longer functional, it is still a worthy piece for any collector.

Throughout the ages, Aeon Clok has been in few battles that are noted. Yet of all the Primordial’s, he may be the hardest to defeat, his escape always assured. For he did the impossible: He stole a breath from time itself.

One of the proudest moments of his life was when he was allowed to see one of the timepieces left behind by Aeon Clok. It belonged to a demigod who visited, and he happily showed it off to every single party interested. Even if it didn’t carry any abilities any longer, it was still so meticulously built that not even the majority of gods could leave a single scratch on it.

Also, while he said it didn’t carry any abilities, it still had one left… one none of his watches had ever lost: To tell the time. A watch unaffected by time manipulation, not even when in Nevermore. It would always tell you the time in the real-time of the multiverse.

Valdemar

Valdemar is… Valdemar. Without a doubt, the most well-documented god insisted on having all his achievements written down and turned into songs. As blasphemous as it may sound, Valdemar can be described as simple-minded.

He is a testament that conniving behavior and enlightened thought is no requirement for a human to reach the pinnacle. With an axe in hand, he has cleaved himself from the bottom rung of mortality to the apex of godhood.

His tales speak of the day the system came - a war between nations where he stood in the middle - a lowly soldier with only his father’s old axe in hand. Everyone panicked when the system arrived…  everyone but Valdemar, who didn’t even bother with it as he kept cleaving, each swing more powerful than the last.

After slaughtering every enemy on the battlefield, he moved on to the next. He became a mercenary who entered war after war until one day, a band of followers appeared around him. They made him king and conquered the entire planet.

Politics after that didn’t suit him. He was ‘saved’ when the king of another planet tried to conquer his, and with all his pent-up frustrations, Valdemar cleaved the entire invading planet in two. That was also the day he learned that he could breathe in space… despite having been able to for centuries already at that point.

From there on out, he traveled the multiverse and fought anything he could find, until one day he just reappeared as a god.

Now, he leads Valhal’s sacred halls, where he welcomes any god to challenge him in combat. However, most of his time is spent making alcohol and getting drunk.

He didn’t like to admit this, but… Jelamel wasn’t that big of a fan of Valdemar. He still liked him a lot as he was a Primordial, but he just seemed too ordinary compared to the others. He was, in essence, just a human who was good at swinging his axe.

Granted, he was likely the best in the entire multiverse at swinging his axe, but it was still a bit too simple in Jelamel’s view. But the army he had amassed over the ages was quite awesome… and he had so many records of battles that were just exhilarating to read. Even if most of them ended in a single swing.

Wyrmgod of Nevermore

The Wyrmgod of Nevermore. The lord of dragons and space itself. Sealer of Nevermore.

A dragon of untold might that has managed to reach the apex of its species. A master of magic, especially space magic, the Wyrmgod is powerful beyond approach. The creator of the dungeon known as Nevermore, his grandest creation yet, one the Primordial was still continiously working on improving.

To speak of the Wyrmgod without speaking of Nevermore would not make sense. Nevermore is a genuinely unique dungeon, blessed by the system itself to have many unique properties. The size of Nevermore rivals some Great Worlds, with each dimensional space within the size of a Great Planet or even larger.

With the system’s recognition, it has also become the only known dungeon with warped real-time, allowing one to spend time within at a deaccelerated rate without any negative consequences. The beings within Nevermore, ranging from D-grade to natural gods, are among the few places all aspiring powerhouses will one day find themselves.

And on the lowest floor of this immaculate creation lies the Wyrmgod. Sleeping as he watches over the dungeon and all that inhabit it.

One day, likely not that long from now, Jelamel would take a trip to Nevermore with an excursion from the church. All new members needed to experience the wonders of the most impressive dungeon that wasn’t created by the system.

He said he needed to, but it was not like anyone needed convincing, especially not him.

After reading his papers through a second time, Jelamel nodded to himself and put them into his storage ring with a swipe of his tail.

“Jelamel, the teacher is calling for you,” he heard his roommate say as he turned and nodded at the elf.

Leaving together, they went to the grand study as Jelamel went over all his notes mentally one last time... a bit afraid that his slightly critical disposition towards Valdemar would get him punished. He hoped that it wasn’t too critical.

All Primordials were awesome, after all, and who was he to question them?