After the creation of the Eidolons, the Primordials gained powerful champions to lead their legions in the battles of the Eclipse Epoch. However, even with the tactical brilliance of the Eidolons, the armies of the Primordials still lacked cohesion on the battlefield. The Elementals, while fierce and loyal, were prone to untamed instincts, often fracturing under pressure or acting without coordination. The Primordials needed a bridge—a force that could translate the vision of the Eidolons into direct, controlled power across the battlefield.
Legends speak of a moment of clarity, when Sophianox, the Celestial Arbiter, one of the greatest Eidolons, proposed the creation of Espers—champions of focused elemental will. The Espers would not rival the Eidolons in authority but would serve as extensions of their intent, bringing order to the chaos of the Elementals and magnifying the Primordials’ power.
The Second Forge: Birth of the Espers
The Forge of Will, a smaller but no less potent counterpart to the Forge of Eternity, was said to have been created by the Lesser Primordials. Xerathor, the Frost Seraphid, Scor’thul, the Bringer of Cinders, and Raindros, the Stormreaver contributed their unique insights into the forging process, ensuring the Espers were not merely extensions of power but also reflections of the Primordials’ will.
Unlike the Eidolons, the Espers were not individuals of grand autonomy but specialized beings, each tied to a specific aspect of their element. Their forms were less humanoid and more abstract, embodying the primal essence of their domains. Ignis, the Inferno Guardian, for instance, burned as a living flame that could never be extinguished, while Zephyrus, the Gale Enforcer, existed as a swirling windstorm given purpose.
Each Esper was created with a single directive: to amplify the will of the Eidolons and execute their commands with unwavering precision. Espers were designed to act as the perfect intermediaries. While the Eidolons devised strategy and commanded the grand movements of the Primordials’ legions, the Espers became the executors of their will, leading elemental forces in smaller but crucial operations. Espers coordinated troops, disrupted enemy lines, and exploited vulnerabilities, turning the chaotic power of the Elementals into a disciplined force.
Legends describe the Espers as the “breath of the Eidolons,” their presence on the battlefield often heralding decisive victories. Their bond to the Eidolons was profound, functioning almost telepathically—an extension of the generals themselves.
The creation of the Espers marked a turning point in the Eclipse Epoch. With their arrival, the Primordial forces became more than a collection of raw elemental power; they became an unstoppable machine of destruction and precision. Stories tell of battles where an Esper’s intervention turned the tide:
Ignis, the Inferno Guardian, once encircled an entire celestial battalion in an inferno so intense that it burned away even divine protection. Tempestus, the Storm Bringer, summoned a superstorm so vast that it disrupted an entire fiendish fleet, scattering their ships across the planes. Gravitus, the Earthbinder, anchored a battlefield with immense gravity wells, rendering celestial fliers and fiendish mounts useless.
Espers were not mere servants but trusted extensions of the Eidolons’ will. This bond was sacred, and myths suggest that the loss of an Esper caused immense anguish to its Eidolon counterpart. The Primordials viewed the Espers as manifestations of their elemental authority, and their existence reinforced the unity between the Eidolons and the Elementals.
As with the Eidolons, the origin of the Espers has become a myth lost to time. Mortals who recount tales of the Espers speak of them as celestial avatars, spirits of immense power that appear only in times of great need. The truth of their origin—rooted in the Primordials’ need to refine their chaos into precision—remains hidden in the echoes of the elemental planes.
Though the Espers themselves are seldom remembered in the mortal realm, their influence endures. Every tempest that seems to act with intent, every flame that moves as though alive, and every tremor that feels deliberate is whispered to be the work of an ancient Esper. Among the Primordials’ forces, the Espers remain the backbone of every operation, a reminder of the discipline and focus required to turn primal chaos into ordered power.
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