Not a single soul born upon the surface of our world remains ignorant as to what the Primordials are. They are the enemy of all Mankind, yes. But that is just one facet of what these mighty beings are.

  The Primordials are entities of great power. They were born from the days when the planet was but a mere infant. Primordials are older than us, older than the total collective history of mankind. And they are the ones who are solely responsible for the horrifying state that our world is currently in.

  The Primordials are the basic concepts of existence given thought and form; they are the walking, thinking, breathing fundamental truths that were birthed during the formation of all things.

  All together they number twelve, though some older scholarly texts claim that there used to be more of them in the distant, primeval past. Whatever the case, these twelve immensely powerful beings hold the fate of the world in their metaphorical hands. They have always existed, residing within their chaotic domains since the beginning of time. Some argue that they always will exist as long as the world continues to do so. They are as intrinsic to the nature of this plane as the earth that nurtures us, the sea that sustains us, and the sky that guides us. Without them, our planet could not exist.

  And yet it is because of these creatures that we human beings suffer. The Primordials, at their very core, are beings of chaos. They are unfathomable, yet predictable; cruel, yet without malice. As much as their existence forms the world, it is their tumultuous natures that makes our world unstable. It is because of these twelve that the mountains sometimes catch fire and that the seas oft transform into poison. It is they who are responsible for the times when grass comes alive to kill our livestock, or when the darkness under one’s bed starts whispering vile truths to us while we sleep. It is their mere presence upon the world that transforms entire spring harvests into useless detritus, their will that causes whole continents to vanish overnight.

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  The races of Man suffer because of them. It was only through great steadfast determination, as well as the unwavering instinct to survive, that humanity has been able to sustain itself in such a callous environment. Mankind has always been stubborn. We have always refused to give in to hardships. Since the time of our distant ancestors till today, humanity has marched on, despite the dangers that plagued them at each step. All of those who came before us suffered and endured in order to carve out a small portion of this world into something that we, their children, could own.

  Yet that is not enough, not anymore. Humanity can no longer sustain itself on the meager morsels we have scrounged. Due to our great success, our numbers have grown far too plenty. Each year, more and more healthy, hale children are born while less of our aged elders return to the earth. This victory against our world means less resources for everyone to go around. Our cities have grown overcrowded and our lands are unable to support Mankind's vast needs. Each day more bellies remain empty and the great, looming specter of famine hangs over all of our kingdoms. In order to save our people, we must have more.

  We must take more.

  The world as it currently is refuses to give us what we need. Thus, we must do everything in our power to change the world, to change how reality itself is.

  We great kings and queens of Mankind must stand up and do what the brave fighters of the First Crusade could not.

  We must all unite. We must all mobilize. We must all march.

  Only then can we achieve the one singular dream which has haunted humanity since our various peoples' birth: a true, final end to the Primordials.

  And the beginning of the Age of Humanity.

  ~Excerpt from a speech by King Vardin of Ispara during the Great Parley of Kingdoms, in support of forming the Second Crusade.