The Athar Guide to Primordials
by Burbank and Corsica Ralopolis
Once the Creator Gods had their fun, playing with cosmic clay and whatnot, along came the Primordials, elder beings who are as old as the dust of the planes. These ancient ones are said to have emerged from the Elemental Chaos, the primordial soup, or whatever dark corner of the multiverse was fashionable at the time.
Take Tiamat from those ancient Mesopotamians, a dragon goddess who’s more mood swing than deity, birthing and then battling gods like it’s going out of style. Or Cronus from the Greek lot, who had a nasty habit of swallowing his children and then vomiting them back up again—talk about family drama!
Take a turn to the Inner Planes and you’ve got the likes of elemental princes, like Olhydra of Water or Imix of Fire. These are beings who reckon they’re the embodiment of the elements themselves. Bit egotistical, if you ask us, thinking you’re the be-all and end-all of Fire or Water.
These primordial entities are the kind of grandparents nobody wants at family reunions. They’re often credited with birthing the powers, or shaping them from the raw stuff of the universe. But let’s be honest, most of these tales sound like they were spun after a long night at the on the bub.
So, here we are, peering back into the mists of time, at these so-called ‘first generation’ deities. Were they truly the architects of the divine lineage, or just the first ones to crawl out of the cosmic muck and declare themselves important? Let’s poke around in their ancient business and see what else we can uncover…
See Also: The Athar Guide to the Powers
The Primordials
These are the Primordials who’ve been detailed on this Mimir so far:
A Concordance of Primordials
- Asgoroth, the World Shaper
- Atropus, the World Born Dead
- Possibly an undead primordial, spawner of atropals.
- Open Grave
- Balcoth, the Groaning King
- His head was cut off by the gods, but it continues to survive as ash and cinders bound in a cave somewhere in the Elemental Chaos.
- Manual of the Planes
- Bazim-Gorag, Lord of the Pandemonium Stone
- Blazing Rorn, the Fury
- Borem of the Boiling Mud
- Dendar, the Night Serpent
- Kezef, the Chaos Hound
- Piranoth, the World Mover
- Primordial of earth, fire and frost.
- Revenge of the Giants
- Queen of Chaos, the
- A primordial
- Dungeon Master’s Guide
- Syvexrae, the Queen of Stone
- A primordial whose petrified but still-regenerating body serves as Doresain’s palace in the White Kingdom.
- Open Grave
- Tabrach-Ti, the Queen of Bronze
- Tabrach-Ti was slain by Achra (later called Bane), the first primordial to fall in the Dawn War.
- Deities and Demigods: Bane”, Dragon 372
- Thrym
- Primordial of cold
- Tmesus, the Black Star
- Primordial of dissolution.
- E3 Prince of Undeath
- Ulctilantilokla
- A primordial that only partially exists in reality, birthed from the multiverse’s first dream, also roams free.
- The Plane Below [4e] p65
- Ubtao the Deceiver
- A primordial of dinosaurs, now said to dwell in the Outlands.
- Powers & Pantheons [2e] p88
- Zurtharak, the Vein of Iron
- A primordial who could burrow through solid stone, Zurtharak was defeated by Moradin (with the help of Kord and Bahamut) wielding the “God Hammer” Guldarak.
- Hammer of Vengeance (avenger paragon path), Player’s Handbook 2
Former Primordials
- Abnegator, the
- This former primordial swore servitude to Torog at the end of the Dawn War, for this Torog rewarded him by killing him and tearing him into hundreds of pulsating pieces, which he then cast into volcanic pits. He now serves Torog as an exarch.
- Aseroth, the Winter Warlock
- A former archomental and Prince of Elemental Cold who has since become a Demon Lord.
- Baphomet, Demon Prince of Beasts
- A former primordial and patron deity of the Minotaurs who became one of the original Demon Lords in the beginning of time.
- Codricuhn, the Blood Storm
- A former primordial of the sea who is now a Demon Lord and harbinger of the Dusk War.
- Demogorgon, Prince of Demons
- A former primordial of the oceans deepest places who became one of the first demon lords in the beginning of time and who has since become the lord of all demonkind.
- Miska, the Wolf Spider
- Demonic primordial and champion of the Elder Elemental Eye who was banished by the Rod of Seven Parts.
- Ollomegh
- A primordial who was forgotten long ago, but has been recently discovered as a slumbering Demon Lord.
- Orcus, Demon Prince of Undeath
- One of the first Demon Lords, a corrupted primordial who now rules over undeath.
- Yeenoghu, Demon Prince of Gnoll
- One of the first primordials to become a Demon Lord and the patron god of the Gnoll.
Dead-Booked or Missing
- Bristia Pel, Princess of Everlasting Fire
- Archomental of fire, killed in battle by the Queen of Chaos.
- Bryakus
- Defeated by the gods long ago, the spilled blood of Bryakus gave rise to the first hydras.
- Monster Manual (see: Hydra)
- Castanamir, the Shattered Khan
- Primordial served by storm titans.
- Manual of the Planes
- Durbaagal
- Defeated by Auril at the dawn of time
- Entropy
- Bound in a sphere of annihilation; now might be free.
- Erek-Hus, the King of Terror
- Erek-Hus cleaved the dragon-power Io into two equal halves with his adamantine axe, but was then defeated when the two halves became Bahamut and Tiamat.
- Dragon Magazine; Monster Manual
- Gargash
- Primordial of the Underdark, mortal enemy of (and defeated by) Torog. His corpse currently serves as Torog’s palace in the Underdark.
- Underdark
- Golden Monolith, the
- A primordial who was either petrified or slain in the Astral Dominion of Erishani becoming the Golden Monolith.
- Haemnathuun, the Blood Lord (Hamnathuun)
- His corpse, a thousand foot long mass of dark red stone, floats in the Astral Sea. Chant goes the Blood Lord created the abominations known as blood fiends in his own image. The Keening Delve, near the City of Brass, was once his stronghold. Haemnathuun was slain by Bahamut, Bane, and Ioun.
- Manual of the Planes [4e] p76
- Ilmeth
- A primordial who regretted the lives he took and was slain by his own followers in the Dawn War. Now exists as a vestige.
- Vestige of Ilmeth (warlock power), Arcane Power
- Lormoch, Master of Tides
- A long dead primordial who is responsible for planar breaches and cross-dimensional portals.
- Nekal of the Glowing Deep
- A primordial.
- Concordant Leader (warlord paragon path), Martial Power
- Nihil
- Primordial of unbeing, defeated by Bahamut.
- The Plane Above
- Ramenos
- Once a consort of the slaad-queen Urae-Naas, how he died is unknown but upon death he became the 53rd layer of the Abyss.
- Sehil
- Primordial slain by Kord in the final battle of the Dawn War.
- Shax, the Devastator, the Destructor
- Dead primordial of the sea.
- Vestige of Shax (warlock power), Arcane Power
- Syvexrae, the Queen of Stone
- Petrified; her body serves as the palace of Dorsein.
- Tabrach-Ti, Queen of Bronze
- The first primordial slain in the Dawn War; defeated by Bane.
- Timesus, the Black Star
- A powerful primordial of dissolution and entropy.
- Tziphal, the Mountain Builder
- Primordial of folding earth, petrification, and volcanoes, is said to have created many of the creatures that possess the power of petrification. He was defeated in the Dawn War and imprisoned in a barrow in the Elemental Chaos, shifted slightly into the past so the barrow cannot be tampered with.
- The Plane Below
- Zurtharak, Tte Vein of Iron
- Earth primordial defeated by Moradin .
Archomentals
- Akadi, Queen of the Air
- Alu Kahn Sang, the Wind of Destruction
- Inner Planes [2e]; Heroes of Elemental Chaos [4e] p30
- Alyolvoy
- An obscure primordial of water and mud.
- Ben-Hadar, the Valorous Tempest
- The archomental lord of benevolent sea creatures.
- Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol. III [2e]
- Bwimb, Baron of Ooze
- The archomental prince of evil ooze creatures; killed by Orcus but replaced by his daughter, Bwimb II.
- Chan, The Silent One
- The archomental queen of good air creatures.
- Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol. III [2e]
- Chimblia, Prince of Magma
- The archomental prince of evil magma creatures. Cound
- Cryonax, Prince of Elemental Cold
- The archomental prince of evil cold creatures. Bound
- Dragon Magazine #347
- Crystalle, King of Minerals
- The archomental prince of mineral creatures.
- Inner Planes [2e]
- Ehkahk, the Smoldering Duke
- Archomental of Para-Elemental Smoke
- The Plane Below [4e] p146
- Gazra, the Shifting Emperor
- The archomental prince of ash creatures.
- Inner Planes [2e]
- Grumbar, Lord of the Earth
- Heur-Ket
- A blustery primordial of wind, thunder, lightning. Bound
- “Hestavar: the Bright City,” Dragon 371
- Iktha-Lau The Ever Empty
- A uncaring and remote primordial of utter cold and nothingness from the darkest voids of existence, said to be one of the few primordials who still roam free.
- The Plane Below [4e] p65
- Imix, the Fire Lord
- A primordial served by fire titans. He also has a temple of beaten gold called the Eternal Flame Pavilion in the City of Brass, and goblin cults across the Prime.
- Dragon Magazine #347; Manual of the Planes [4e] p73
- Istishia, Lord of Water
- Kossuth, Lord of Fire
- Ogremoch, Prince of Elemental Earth
- The archomental prince of evil earth creatures. Bound
- Dragon Magazine #347
- Olhydra, the Rain Queen
- Primordial served by storm titans. Bound
- Dragon Magazine #347; Manual of the Planes
- Mual-tar, the Chained Serpent, the Thunder Serpent
- Dragon Magazine #370
- Murgremir, the Rotting Hill
- Primordial of muck and decay who haunts the Blackmire.
- Shangar, the Uncrowned
- Primordial served by fire titans. Bound
- Manual of the Planes
- Sisanthak, the Endless Winter
- Ice primordial trapped on the astral mote, Frostburn.
- Solkara, the Crushing Wave
- This primordial has a terrifyingly monstrous form. With a body made from two humanoid torsos joined at the shoulders, Solkara has three arms with too many joints, two thick reptilian legs, and a long scaled tail. Two necks rise from the torsos, connected to a single head that looks like a monster from the deep ocean. Fortunately, this monstrous primordial is trapped in a glacier in the Elemental Chaos, imprisoned by Melora, her exarch Sekolah, Kord, and Sehanine. The abomination Xixecal the Living Glacier claims to speak for her, much to the chagrin of the Cult of the Crushing Wave, who worship the primordial.
- Manual of the Plane; The Plane Below [4e] p152
- Sun Sing, Viceroy of the Void
- The archomental associated with darkness and emptiness.
- Inner Planes [2e]
- Sunnis, the True Stone
- The archomental patron of the Underdark; venerated by Svirfneblin and Stonechildren.
- Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol. III [2e]
- Ty-h’kadi, Prince of Thunder and Lightning
- Storm primordial and rival of Huer-Ket.
- Dragon Magazine #347
- Umboras, Lord of Rimefire
- Lured to and bound in Pandemonium by the Raven Queen.
- Uzrith
- An obscure primordial of earth and mud.
- Vezzuvu, the Burning Mountain
- She is trapped in a field of radiance that keeps her shifted partially out of reality, unable to affect or be affected by her surroundings
- Manual of the Planes
- Vorsheen
- Fire primordial trapped on the astral mote, Frostburn.
- Yan-C-Bin, Prince of Elemental Air
- The archomental prince of evil air creatures.
- Dragon Magazine #347
- Zaaman Rul, The Resilient Ember
- The archomental child of Imix and Bristia Pel.
- Planescape Monstrous Compendium Vol. III [2e]
Genie Lords
- Sirrajadt, the Vengeful Storm
- Djinn lord
- The Plane Below [4e] p150
Source: Jon Winter-Holt. The longlist of Primordials is based on the work of Mentat55 (on enworld) and Medivh (on the RPGnet forum)