The Firstborn

The Firstborn

The Firstborn were seven beings of pure crystallized light and will, created by the One (the Creator) to shape the world of Areth.

The Seven Firstborn

1. Aerithos — The Wind-Walker → Air Crystals
2. Terravon — The Stone-Shaper → Earth Crystals
3. Pyraleth — The Flame-Keeper → Fire Crystals
4. Aquenis — The Tide-Singer → Water Crystals
5. Vitarum — The Life-Bringer → Life Crystals
6. Chronazel — The Thread-Weaver → Fate Crystals
7. Umbraeth — The Shadow-Dweller → Shadow Crystals

The Great Shaping

Each Firstborn contributed to creating the world: Aerithos breathed the winds, Terravon raised the mountains, Pyraleth kindled the sun, Aquenis wept the oceans, Vitarum walked the earth to bring life, Chronazel wove time, and Umbraeth drew the curtain of night.

The Great Sacrifice

To give the world true life, the Firstborn poured their essence into creation. Their bodies shattered into crystalline shards—fragments of divine power that embedded themselves into the world. These crystals are the source of all crystal magic.

Legacy

Spoiler: The Crystal ConspiracyClick to reveal

In A History of Rislandia

A History of Rislandia treats the Firstborn as a subject of both theology and scholarly inquiry, drawing on creation myth, comparative religion, and archaeological evidence to reconstruct their nature and legacy.

Nature and Origin

According to A History of Rislandia, the Firstborn were "beings of pure crystallized light and will, neither fully spirit nor fully matter." They came forth from the First Song and served as the One's instruments — His hands in shaping creation. Though possessed of immense power, they were created beings subject to the One's will, and were given the gift of free choice. Before the Great Shaping, they descended into the Void to begin their work.

The Seven and Their Acts

Aerithos, the Wind-Walker

According to the sourcebook, Aerithos "breathed and the winds were born and the sky stretched wide." His Air Crystals grant the power of flight and wind. The bible adds that Air Crystals have been discovered in ancient Giant ruins, and that Aerithos's wind essence shaped the peoples of the Southwestern Highlands (Wyn) and the Western Island Chains (Panderica).

Terravon, the Stone-Shaper

According to A History of Rislandia, Terravon "struck the emptiness and stone and soil coalesced"; great landmasses rose from the waters, mountains thrust upward, and valleys carved themselves deep through his action. He is said to have "set the bones of the world in place." His Earth Crystals grant dominion over stone and soil. The sourcebook identifies Terravon's earth essence as the shaping influence on the peoples of the Central Landing (Atrebla) region.

Pyraleth, the Flame-Keeper

Aquenis, the Tide-Singer

Uniquely among the Firstborn, A History of Rislandia refers to Aquenis with feminine pronouns: "Aquenis wept for joy, and her tears became the oceans." Vast seas formed between landmasses, rivers carved through stone, lakes pooled in valleys, and rains blessed the land through her action. Her Water Crystals grant control of seas and storms. Aquenis's water essence shaped the peoples of the Eastern Coasts (Perryton) and also the Western Island Chains (Panderica).

Vitarum, the Life-Bringer

According to the sourcebook, "Vitarum walked the barren earth, and where his feet touched, grass grew, trees rose, and flowers bloomed." Jungles spread across warm lands, forests covered temperate regions, and even the harshest deserts held hidden life through his action. His Life Crystals grant animation and healing. Vitarum's life essence shaped the peoples of the Southern Jungles (Rescall). The bible adds a detail absent from the novel-based account on this page: the Fae were born from Vitarum's Life Crystals merging with Chronazel's Fate Shards.

Chronazel, the Thread-Weaver

According to A History of Rislandia, "Chronazel wove the threads of time, so that moments could follow moments, and history could be written." He set the seasons in motion, the tides to their rhythm, and gave each place its own character through the passage of ages. His sacrifice produced the Fate Crystals (also called Time Shards), which grant glimpses of destiny. The bible notes that the Fae were born from Vitarum's Life Crystals merging with Chronazel's Fate Shards.

Umbraeth, the Shadow-Dweller

Possible Additional Firstborn

According to A History of Rislandia, some scholars argue for additional Firstborn beyond the canonical seven. Two candidates are named: Luxara, the Light-Bearer and Morthen, the Death-Keeper. The sourcebook presents these as disputed, noting they may be aspects of the Seven rather than separate entities.

The Crystals and Their Corruption

The sourcebook states that the crystals "were not meant to be hoarded, corrupted, and twisted to serve tyranny," and that the connection to the Firstborn is faded in modern times — a fading that contributes to the weakness of crystal magic in the present era. One scholarly theory holds that the Firstborn's essence, corrupted by blood magic, may have rejected humanity.

The Ultra-Crystal

According to A History of Rislandia, the seven Firstborn combined their final essence during the Great Sacrifice, and this is theorized to have formed the Ultra-Crystal. This is consistent with the novel-based account on this page's account of the Prima Shard, though the sourcebook frames it as scholarly theory rather than legend.

Influence on the Second Children and Other Peoples

The sourcebook states that the Firstborn's lingering presence in the places where they dwelt shaped the Second Children — the peoples of Areth — each group bearing the character of the Firstborn associated with their homeland. Some human cultures worshipped the Firstborn under different names, having forgotten their true identities. The Zenwey tribes remembered the Firstborn by different names and honored them as ancient spirits. The Fae alone are said to have known the Firstborn's true names.

Archaeological and Religious Evidence

The sourcebook notes that the Firstborn are depicted in murals found in ancient ruins, including dungeon settings, and that Air Crystals have been recovered from ancient Giant ruins. The Church of the Great One's Great Temple contains mosaics depicting the sacrifice of the Firstborn, though the Church interpreted this as the sacrifice of the Great One himself rather than seven separate beings. The sourcebook also notes that some rural Rislandian folk still tell stories of "the Great One" or the Firstborn, and that the One who created the Firstborn is considered by modern scholars as a possible identity of the Great One worshipped in Atrebla.