Primordial

The Divinities made dragons, right, and those first dragons are immortal, right? So what I'm saying is, the first humans would've been immortal too!
Then why aren't they around? Well, we killed that old dragon, didn't we? They could be killed, they just don't die on their own!

— A drunkard's theory of humanity

Primordials are a theorised type of "mortal" who existed at the start of the world. Created by The Divinities, each would have been akin to a minor god in their own right, and capable of enacting immense change throughout the land.

History/Theory

The history of primordials on Tiyu Amara, or indeed any world, is very unclear. The belief is that, while dragons were created to mold the physical landscape, primordials were made to mold the cultural landscape and to be the progenitors of intelligent mortal life.
In the grand theory of primordials, there are a few semi-historical or mythical people from throughout Tiyu Amara who are believed to possibly be one, or otherwise the children of them.

• The First Empress is a figure in the history of the Urisoril Empire, credited with its founding. Rather than a conqueror like her descendants, she was renowned for her empathy and compassion, and supposedly ruled her empire for 100 years.
• Vasa is a figure from the Krenar myth of The Vosti Empire. While in theory her death at the hand of the dragon in question would disqualify her from being a Primordial, her resurrection and subsequent role in the foundation of the Vosti Empire slot her in the appropriate role of cultural change.
• Däko is less concretely tied to any single country, instead being a common semi-historical figure in Northern-Central Thurásin. If he did exist, he's believed to have founded a small kingdom on the north shore of Lake Strelish. Before he could turn it into a conquering kingdom like those above, he was assassinated by a woman who was either his wife or his sister. He, and possibly her as well, may have been supposed to found grand kingdoms prior to this disagreement.

Similar founding figures can be found in elven and merfolk myths, and while all of these individuals could be entirely fictitious and used only to justify the claim of a queen or empress to their throne, some of the similarities are very strange.

Genetic Descendants

• Elf
• Human
• Merfolk

Shared Traits

Among those believed to be Primordials, there are some shared traits. All are placed in a pre-historical time period, or else at the very beginning of archaeological records. They have significant roles in the foundation of kingdoms or grand empires, with royal bloodlines claiming direct and important descent from these figures. And, most importantly, they live long lives.
The last is attributed either to being a fictitious amalgam of several real people, or to their divine heritage granting them nigh-immortality. Even supposed primordials like Däko, who was killed before he could become a conquering emperor, is said to have lived for hundreds of years in the rough central mountains uniting the people to prepare for that conquest.

Graveyard by Scott Rodgerson