Archons enforce order in all things. They uphold laws, structure, and balance, showing both the power and peril of rigid perfection.
The Archons are powerful, transcendent beings who embody the teachings of Orven. They are the guardians and enforcers of laws, systems, and moral structures, guiding societies toward balance, stability, and progress. They act as idealized forces that shape the world through their strict adherence to their domains, even though their worldview on its own isn’t enough to make the world go ‘round.
Each Archon is defined by a core concept—such as justice, fairness, control, or leadership—and their actions are driven by their quest to impose their personal brand of order on the world. They are impartial and often disconnected from human emotions, valuing logic, duty, and honor over individual nuance. Lacking understanding of the human experience, Archons can become inflexible, overbearing, and merciless. They may punish without mercy, push too hard for optimization, or disregard human limitations. As a result, Archons can be both revered and feared, acting as forces that guide civilizations to greater heights—while simultaneously stifling individuality and creativity in the name of balance.
Archons represent a force of order, a defiance of entropy, which in and of itself is neither good nor evil. Like mortals and most other Primordials, Archons are capable of both good and evil acts, with some individuals tending more in one direction than the other. Their brand of evil acts, however, always comes from a place of wanting to fix something broken, perhaps using a heavier hand than necessary.
Their interactions with humanity are complex, as they rarely intervene unless specifically asked. They do not claim direct leadership but instead offer their wisdom and guidance when needed. They are present in every corner of existence—among rulers and philosophers, builders and warriors—but they are more likely to be advisors than commanders. The Archons do not dominate, but their presence is felt wherever their ideals are practiced. Their confusion arises when human behavior deviates too far from the structured, idealized systems they advocate, which can lead to misinterpretations of their own purpose and place in the world.
- Although Archons can technically shapeshift at will like other Primordials, they tend to stick to the following:
- Natural forms: At rest, they look like an obelisk made of hard, durable marble, indestructible by natural means. When animated, it breaks into many pieces, moved by strands of light that look silvery, forming unconnected limbs, fingers, toes, three sections of torso, and a pyramid-shaped head. They are able to change the shape of their hands at will, forming any weapon or tool they want. Ancient runes that no mortal can read are carved into the marble, depicting the laws of the universe. In this form, they are about 12 feet tall. All of the archons are identical and indistinguishable in this form, though they recognize each other.
- Human forms: They can, like other primordials, change their appearance at will. However, archons have poor understanding of humans, so their rendering of human flaws and mannerisms are not quite right. Their body language and facial expressions would appear rigid and robotic. Their faces are plain and unremarkable, perfectly average, and very symmetrical.
The Confusion:
When something happens that an archon can’t comprehend, they enter a state called the Confusion. When this happens, they revert to their obelisk form and become unresponsive for at least two minutes unless attacked.