Primordials

Introduction

Primordials—the building blocks of the existing universe and those that came before it. Also called Principles, Primary Elements, and Primal Essences, these cosmic entities truly define the word "all-powerful." They embody scientific concepts and personifications of universal rules, making them co-creators of the world we know. Holding powers beyond even those of gods, primordials embody laws and concepts that were born to help create and shape the current universe.

When creating a primordial, consider:
Their unique powers, awakening, identity, and potential slumber.

World creation
Glossary of physics in Wikipedia

Birth

Similar to angels, primordials "pop" into existence either by accident or as another primordial's creation. They are tied to concepts and constants, and depend on a link to their element. As such, they have to represent a current power present in the existing universe, whether it be a measurable element like pressure or acceleration, or a more figurative concept witnessed in the world, like information or dreams. If the link to their fundamental power is severed, the primordial runs a risk of vanishing—and with them, their element. Leaving the current universe, though momentarily survivable, is hence forbidden by a shared agreement.

Primordials that haven't been created by another are usually unaware of their purpose or the reason of their existence. This can happen as a result of a concept becoming widespread enough to manifest an embodying entity, or purely by coincidence because of unavoidable entropy in the universe's fabric. Fortunately for humans, new primordials are never born on Earth, thanks to Order's protection. This prevents any catastrophe destroying the human race, and forces primordials to purposefully seek out life in the universe. It is up to the original principles to keep newcomers in check and protect Earth from irrepairable damage, manipulation, and, especially, Chaos' influence.

Appearance

The Primal Essences have no physical body they are tied to in an old-fashioned sense—their "bodies" reach across the universe and all its realms in the form of their powers. However, they can project a concept of their form to other beings, the illusion serving as an estimate of whatever would be considered their "true form". These gigantic illusions would take up entire horizons if viewed from Earth's surface, leaving even the greatest Sins and archangels in their shadow. It takes practise and trial and error to figure out how to appear to weaker life-forms with limited comprehension capabilities, and not to overwhelm the mortal mind into insanity.

The same goes for a primordial's voice: they can't simply mutter any words that come to mind, but have to find a mortal language and lower their voice lower than a whisper not to rupture the listener's ear drums. Violent deaths and madness are known to follow reckless Principles not yet used to dealing with lesser beings, driving fragile minds into mental institutions or suicide to escape the horrors of their new reality. Cults have been known to be born from less and entire religions have been based around glimpses of the divine. Yet, if a primordial finally finds a form and human voice they learn to master, they are unlikely to ever change away from them.

Variations

Not all primordials are recognized—with such concepts as Fate, Luck, and Dark Energy, the universe still hides more secrets than mankind has managed to discover. While the first primordials were handcrafted by Order and given purpose in shaping the world, those that have awakened after the initial six primary powers have had to identify themselves on their own.

While primordials do not follow traditional ranks, their powers diminish according to their generation. Chaos and Order were the initial archaic entities to exist, creating the first generation; out of Order came the next six Principals, forming the second generation; any primordials born after the first eight are considered "third generation" and thus lesser than those preceding them. They are still far beyond any archangel's or deadly sin's powers but pose no imminent threat to their older counterparts.

Chaos

The One That Was Before—Owuo. Spawning into existence simultaneously with Order, Chaos is both the first and last primordial that will ever be. Forced into deep slumber before the beginning of time, the Anti-God holds the power to end the universe and all realms beyond—or would if they still had their Voice. As the personification of all things chaotic and unpredictable, Chaos can be attributed to all kinds of random occurrences in the universe, from luck and misfortune to logic-defying dark matter and energy.

Order

The Almighty Creator—Ouranos, also known as God. The originator of everything that came after Himself and most concepts since their birth, Order commands all those beneath Him. Armed with the power to turn a simple thought into other living beings or entire worlds, the Almighty Father can create anything He desires with one limitation: whatever He makes has to have an equal counterpart. Good and evil, man and woman, free will and manipulation… Because without balance, there is no order—and without order, there is only chaos.

Time

The One That Erases Everything—Cronos. As the master of everything related to time, Cronos is entrusted with keeping a single, dominant timeline running and preventing it from splitting into several parallel realities. Not even mountains can resist Time's erosive powers—everything will bow down before the master of literal eternity. Anything is possible with infinity and the ability to squeeze a lifetime into a split second or stretch a blink of an eye into centuries… Or, at least, to command several millennia of ocean waves to wash through whatever stands in their way.

Matter

The All-Encompassing—Gaia. Without Matter, no other primordial functions, and time loses its meaning. In a constant delicate battle between matter and antimatter, Gaia's purpose is to ensure the universe continues to exist. Everything made of anything can be manipulated and repurposed, right down to atomic level and beyond. Individual entities down to their DNA depend on Matter following the laws of causality, and not changing the biological steps of aging or evolution on a whim.

Gravity

The Inescapable One—Theia. Not even light can resist gravity's pull, the cosmic glue that holds the universe together. Too much of it, or a fraction too little, and humans wouldn't be able to survive. The delicate balance between bodies of matter is Theia's handiwork, threading the thin line between a slow death and a violent crunch. Able to stop anything in its tracks or pull it across the universe, Gravity commands a truly terrifying force.

Magnetism

The Irresistible Contradiction—Ananke. Able to both repel and attract, Magnetism is what keeps molecules together and allows navigation based on magnetic fields. Ananke is responsible for protecting Earth from excess radiation and keeping its atmosphere intact, and determined to be more powerful than gravity itself. Unlike their siblings, Magnetism is barely affected by other primordials, but rather a constant current, or a loud explosion of electricity.

Light

The Law Nothing Surpasses—Helios. What would happen if the speed of Light changed? The rules of time, space, and causality would shatter, resulting in immeasurable entropy and paradoxes. Manifesting as radiation, Light's heat feeds life and allows time to pass, yet mutates everything it touches in one way or another. From relatively harmless radio waves to destructive gamma rays, a world without Helios would be silent and lightless—quite literally, lifeless.

Energy

The Inevitable Metamorphosis—Bia. Everything that has existed has undergone some kind of transformation over its lifespan, producing heat due to its change. With the potential to go nuclear, Energy can only be transferred, transformed, and distributed, and certainly not tamed. Despite being the last primordial created by Order, Energy is the life force that runs through every living being. As the most diverse cosmic entity, Energy allows life to exist and the universe to flourish.

Powers

Words

Words hold power—the phrase has never been more true. Why lift your hand, when your lips can create, destroy, and manipulate entire realms? Every primordial possesses a unique set of Words they can utilize to use their powers, but such words are not single syllables or quickly quipped commands. Each Word takes immense amounts of energy to pronounce, by which time another primordial usually has time to react to it. Words are the manifestation of a Primal Essence's power, which makes them the most terrifying force in the universe.

Physics manipulation

It goes without saying that a primordial can manipulate every aspect of their personified power(s): slow or speed up time, multiply or reverse gravity, create or destroy matter, or stop a living organism's aging, either entirely or partially. If an element overlaps into multiple domains, so does its control. Because of the sheer scale of everything the archaic entities can do, a force that has been altered is nigh impossible to revert, never mind its (usually catastrophic) effects. Even small manipulations targeted at individuals are at risk of going viral and causing widespread panic, prohibiting any shenanigans from happening among humans.

Derivation/concept embodiment

Primordials are embodiments of their elements, their origins and sources—one cannot exist without the other. They are permanently bound to their concepts, unchangeable, and without power to evolve. Just like archangels and deadly sins are embodiments of their sins and virtues, primordials are equal to their elements. In a sense, the Primal Essences have no natural body to inhabit or control, but rather a humane projection of something they can appear in among mortals. Hence, their "human bodies" are immune to any harm, and without a single form to concentrate their essence, harming a primordial chips away their effect in the universe. Sufficiently damaging a primordial may cause their power to bleed out of their human form instead of blood, forming a stream of concentrated power lethal to lesser beings.

Absolute cannibalism

Finally, a primordial is able to consume another primal essence, removing them from existence together with their power. If this was to happen, it is likely the universe would collapse, forcing its creation anew. This is the ultimate threat Chaos is told to pose—to destroy everything and anything, forever. Needless to say, any form of cannibalism is strictly forbidden—in fact, the power has never been witnessed, or perhaps even acknowledged to exist. It is of grave importance to preserve the balance between all creation, lest everything collapse like an unstable deck of cards.

Innate abilities

Invulnerability

Every primordial can survive in conditions fatal to mortals: deep in the ocean, out in space, entombed underground, or any other scenario that lacks access to food, water, and oxygen. While it doesn't make them completely immune to damage, they can shrug off injuries that would cripple an immortal. Healing requires access to their personal domain—as in, existence anywhere in the universe and its realms—but will be accelerated to inhuman speed if the primordial can stay in close contact with whatever responds to their power. (I.e., Gravity staying in the center of a black hole, Radication staying close to the sun, etc.)

Temporal teleportation

Since time and space are not constant, all primordials possess the power to travel both across and outside of both, appearing at different points of time or multiple places simultaneously. Chronoshiting carries a major risk of paradoxes and time loops, and is thus strongly discouraged outside emergencies. Generally, only Time is allowed to meddle with such abilities, and even they should have an explanation ready for Order's inevitable interrogation.

Cosmic awareness

Every primordial knows whatever happens around the universe and its realm at all times, assuming their power exists within it. No force in the universe is capable of preventing other primordials from sensing changes in the cosmos, even if they would be powerless to affect its outcome. However, with constant minimal changes the effect could be hidden beneath everything else that's making the universe sing, until it will be too late to change the end result… Of course, nobody would be stupid enough to even try.

Weaknesses

Voice removal

A primordial can't access their powers without their Voice and will be severely weakened. Words hold cosmic power; even a single syllable could spell immeasurable destruction. It is why vocal commands are a primordial's most terrifying weapon—there is little that they couldn't do if given the chance. Of course, since every entity is highly specialized in a particular domain, Words like "Create" or "Eradicate" are limited to a single user or two. Even so, removing even one primary element from the universe would have life-ending consequences.

Enochian sigils

Enochian sigils are written Words of a primordial's voice, carrying entire concepts behind them. They are a mortal's way of bending the supernatural to their will, holding primal power behind each stroke of ink. Even though knowledge of most Words are either forgotten or safely guarded by a small number of individuals, commands like "Submit" or "Heel" have been known to bring even the most powerful enemies to their knees. As long as the sigils have been physically painted on a flat surface and kept intact, no primordial can undo or protest against such force.

Divine weapons

Despite being called "divine", weapons capable of harming primordials are actually made by Order or formed out of His power. Other primordials have little to no defensive capability against their supreme creator, and must flee or risk serious damage if confronted with such weaponry. Even the smallest blades can make a cut into a primordial's life force, releasing a blood-like stream of raw cosmic power into the world. Even though it takes much more to seriously harm a Primal Essence, no beef in the world is worth risking it.

Other primordials

Theoretically, any primordial would be able to consume another and remove them from existence, even though no one knows exactly how. It would take an immense amount of effort and energy to even begin such task, nevermind the time it would require to finish. It's a horrifying concept to scare off lesser primordials, but the possibility might as well be there, since no one has ever attempted it.