Primordial Lords: Overview

Beyond the established pantheons of Aru’Mas lies a group of enigmatic deities, known collectively as the Four Primordials. These entities are neither allies nor enemies of the Pathite Pantheon, existing in a liminal space where they represent universal forces beyond mortal morality. They embody chaotic principles that influence the fabric of reality, such as luck, fate, change, and entropy. While the Pathite Pantheon aims to protect and uphold values in Aru’Mas, the Four Primordials act as arbiters of natural law, imparting their influence indiscriminately. Worship of the Primordials is rare, but their followers are ardent and often embrace lives that mirror the chaotic and primal nature of their chosen deity.

Forgauth, the Lucklord

  • Domain: Luck, chance, fortune, and misfortune.
  • Symbol: A two-faced coin, with one side marked by a sun and the other by a storm cloud.

Forgauth, the Lucklord, is the most powerful of the Four Primordials and embodies the capricious and unpredictable nature of fortune. He is known for granting either blessings or curses of luck with equal zeal, relishing in the extremes of both joy and despair that follow. His followers, known as the Fortuned, live by the mantra that every event—whether good or bad—is a gift from Forgauth. They embrace the chaotic swings of fortune, viewing misfortune as a test or even a mark of favor, believing that the extremes they experience bring them closer to their patron. Forgauth’s influence can be felt in every game of chance, every unexpected turn of fate, and every instance of incredible luck or crushing failure.

Cult of the Fortuned

The Cult of the Fortuned is a loosely organized but passionate following dedicated to Forgauth. They believe that all forms of luck, whether beneficial or devastating, are sacred, viewing their lives as a gamble that pleases their god. Members of the Fortuned often engage in risk-taking behavior, testing fate with everything from high-stakes gambling to daring adventures. They leave offerings of coins or tokens of personal value at impromptu shrines, hoping to earn Forgauth’s favor, though they accept misfortune as eagerly as they would a blessing.

  • Practices and Beliefs: Followers of Forgauth celebrate both success and failure, seeing each as an inevitable part of the cycle of luck. Rituals involve dice games, card games, and moments of daring, with followers sometimes pledging themselves to take life-altering risks in their god’s honor.
  • Holy Days: The Turning of the Wheel is Forgauth’s most celebrated day, where followers perform rituals involving games of chance. By nightfall, followers make offerings and draw lots, committing themselves to whatever course of action chance dictates for them in the coming year.

Tirilan, the Ever-Flowing

  • Domain: Change, cycles, transformation.
  • Symbol: A circle divided into four segments representing the seasons.

Tirilan, the Ever-Flowing, represents the cycles of change—growth, decay, death, and renewal. As a god of transformation, Tirilan governs the passage of time and the natural processes that alter all things. Followers of Tirilan see change as the only constant, honoring the god by embracing personal growth and adaptation. While Tirilan’s influence is subtle, it is all-encompassing, visible in the changing seasons, the stages of life, and the transitions between states of being. Mortals often invoke Tirilan in times of transition, such as births, deaths, or the shifting of seasons, acknowledging the god’s silent hand in life’s natural cycles.

Cult of the Flowing Tide

The Cult of the Flowing Tide is dedicated to Tirilan’s principles of transformation and continuity. Members view themselves as part of an endless cycle, revering all stages of existence as sacred. They focus on self-reflection, personal evolution, and acceptance of life’s transient nature. Rituals of the Flowing Tide vary with the seasons and often involve symbolic acts of change, such as leaving behind an object from the past to welcome something new.

  • Practices and Beliefs: Followers of Tirilan frequently mark milestones in their lives with rituals of renewal, whether by shedding an old identity, leaving behind a physical possession, or embarking on new journeys. Seasonal gatherings celebrate the transformations within nature and within themselves.
  • Holy Days: The Day of Passing marks the shift from one season to another. Each seasonal transition is honored with ceremonies that reflect the values of that season, from planting rituals in spring to harvest festivals in autumn, celebrating Tirilan’s influence on life’s endless cycle.

Mordrith, the Shadow of Entropy

  • Domain: Decay, entropy, inevitability, and the end.
  • Symbol: A wilted flower or a crumbling stone.

Mordrith, the Shadow of Entropy, is a deity of decay, representing the slow but inevitable breakdown of all things. While often feared, Mordrith is not seen as malicious; rather, he is an impartial force that embodies the natural end of all things, from life and material to dreams and ambitions. His followers, the Ashbound, believe that everything must one day return to the earth, honoring Mordrith by embracing simplicity, humility, and detachment from the material. They see their god as a reminder of life’s impermanence, approaching life with a reverence for decay and an understanding of its necessity.

Cult of the Ashbound

The Cult of the Ashbound worships Mordrith by embracing decay and the natural end of all things. Members of this cult are often morticians, healers, or ascetics, living lives of simplicity and devoting themselves to the concept of letting go. They see the slow degradation of material objects, societal constructs, and even life itself as sacred, a reminder that all things must one day fade.

  • Practices and Beliefs: Followers of Mordrith honor the process of decay by embracing minimalism and humility. They often engage in meditative rituals centered on transience, such as observing the decomposition of plants or practicing burial rites that emphasize the return to the earth.
  • Holy Days: The Rite of the Waning Moon is observed once a year, when the moon is at its darkest. During this time, followers reflect on what they need to let go of, burning symbolic items in a fire to signify their acceptance of loss and renewal in the cycle of decay.

Vaylis, the Weaver of Paradox

  • Domain: Paradox, duality, and balance through opposition.
  • Symbol: A broken mirror or two interlocking circles.

Vaylis, the Weaver of Paradox, embodies the concept of duality and contradiction, finding harmony in opposing forces. As the god of paradox, Vaylis governs the coexistence of opposites—light and darkness, joy and sorrow, life and death—emphasizing the importance of balance through contradiction. Followers of Vaylis, known as the Paradox Seekers, explore the interplay of duality in their lives, finding strength in embracing both sides of every situation. Vaylis’s influence is mysterious and unpredictable, sometimes appearing as moments of strange coincidence or surreal alignment, where opposites blend seamlessly.

Cult of the Paradox Seekers

The Paradox Seekers embrace the mysteries of duality, often living lives that balance contradictory principles. They believe that wisdom is found through understanding opposites and that embracing both sides of any situation leads to true insight. Paradox Seekers are philosophers, mystics, and artists who view the blending of opposites as a pathway to enlightenment. They often gather in secret to debate and explore paradoxes, using riddles and puzzles as a means to honor Vaylis.

  • Practices and Beliefs: The Paradox Seekers use meditation, debate, and art to explore dualities, creating symbols and stories that reflect the tension between opposing forces. They may take on contradictory roles, such as healer and warrior, to explore balance in all aspects of life.
  • Holy Days: The Eclipse of Paradox is celebrated when one of Ahvantir’s moons eclipses the other, symbolizing the coexistence of light and shadow. Followers gather to discuss paradoxes, exchange riddles, and perform rituals that embody opposites, such as mixing fire and water or silence and sound.

Interactions Among the Four Primordials

The Four Primordials operate with a sense of mutual respect, as they each embody forces that are fundamental to existence itself. They are independent but see value in one another’s domains, understanding that their influence is most potent when it complements the others. Unlike the Eight Shadows, who are often driven by ambition and rivalry, the Primordials exist in a delicate balance, each deity representing a different aspect of chaos and natural law. While alliances among them are rare, they occasionally acknowledge the interconnectedness of their domains, influencing events in tandem without direct interference.

  • Forgauth and Vaylis: These two deities share a connection through unpredictability. Forgauth’s luck is deeply rooted in chance, and Vaylis’s paradoxes embody that very concept. When these two align, strange phenomena of both fortune and paradox can arise, creating moments of unexpected harmony or surreal coincidence.
  • Tirilan and Mordrith: Tirilan’s cycles of change often complement Mordrith’s domain of decay, as death and rebirth are natural stages within Tirilan’s wheel. Their relationship is one of quiet acceptance, with Tirilan honoring Mordrith’s inevitability and Mordrith viewing Tirilan’s renewal as a necessity for his work to continue.
  • Vaylis and Tirilan: Vaylis’s paradoxical nature finds kinship in Tirilan’s cycles, as both deities embrace the concept of duality and continuity. They sometimes work in tandem to create balance, with Vaylis’s paradoxes serving as catalysts for Tirilan’s transformations, allowing opposites to coexist and strengthen one another.

The Primordials’ Relationship with the Pathite Pantheon

The Four Primordials are indifferent to the Pathite Pantheon, as they represent forces that are universal and eternal, existing outside the realm of mortal morality or values. While the Pathite Pantheon upholds virtues of courage, compassion, and wisdom, the Four Primordials see these as transient concepts that fall within the larger patterns they govern. They do not oppose the Pathite gods outright, but they occasionally clash when their influence disrupts the Pantheon’s goals or when their chaotic nature stirs events that challenge the stability of Aru’Mas.

The Primordials do not seek followers or worship in the same way that other deities might; instead, they draw followers who feel a natural affinity with their principles. While they are capable of responding to prayer, they are less interested in shaping society or offering protection. Those who follow the Four Primordials are generally left to interpret the influence of their gods as they see fit, embracing the wild, untamable forces of nature that the Primordials represent.

Together, the Four Primordials stand as ancient witnesses to the laws that govern existence, embodying forces that are as inevitable as they are unpredictable.

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