Ael, known as The Star-Smith, was the greatest of the Eldari, the primordial gods that existed before the dawn of the known universe. He was the Eldari of Life and Creation, embodying the raw force of creation and the essence of life itself. Revered as the divine architect of the cosmos, Ael played a pivotal role in shaping the universe as it is known today. His actions during the Solis Singularity gave birth to the Continuum Crystal Cosmology and established the fundamental balance between order and chaos.
Role as the Star-Smith
Ael was the embodiment of creation, a divine smith who wielded the power to shape stars, worlds, and life itself. He was known as the Star-Smith because of his ability to craft entire celestial bodies, manipulating the raw elements of the cosmos to form planets, stars, and the essence of life that would eventually inhabit them.
Unlike his fellow Eldari, whom represented existent elements or cosmic forces as perceived by Azhorra'tha, Ael’s domain was the creation of matter and life itself. His power lay not in the destruction or manipulation of existing matter, but in the ability to forge new life, new worlds, and new realities from the very fabric of the universe.
The Solis Singularity and The Forge of Creation
Ael’s greatest and most renowned act was his leadership during the Solis Singularity, the cataclysmic event in which the Eldari sacrificed themselves to bring order to the endless chaos of Primordial Pandemonium. Recognizing that the constant clashes between the Eldari's elemental powers were destabilizing reality, Ael devised a plan to forge an ordered cosmos from the chaos that threatened to consume all of existence.
Ael convinced the Eldari to channel their elemental forces into a final, cataclysmic clash. This event, known as the Solis Singularity, ignited the spark of creation, unleashing the energy needed to shape the universe. With his 'divine hammer' and the 'Star-Forge of the Cosmos', Ael harnessed the energy from this singularity to forge the Continuum Crystal Cosmology.
Through this act, Ael transmuted the essence of the Eldari into the elemental planes, creating the framework of existence where life, death, creation, and destruction would be in harmony. The elemental planes of Fire, Earth, Water, Air, Aether, Oblivion, and many others became the very embodiment of the Eldari’s essence, with Ael's guiding hand ensuring that they existed in balance.
At the heart of the cosmos, Ael forged The Continuum Crystal (from the essence of Kronus), as the linchpin of the universe, which maintained the connection between the planes and ensured the ongoing balance between order and chaos.
Betrayal at The Heart of Harmony
During the Solis Singularity, however, all went according to Ael’s grand design—except for Thanatos, the Eldari of Decay and Destruction, who Ael had long foreseen would betray him. In a moment of pure treachery, Thanatos attempted to consume all of creation in one instantaneous act of destruction, including Ael himself. Anticipating this, Ael sacrificed himself in a final act of creation, merging with Thanatos, fracturing their essence into what would become Helios and Deimos.
Their eternal struggle symbolizes the harmony of creation and destruction, ensuring that one force never fully overtakes the other, lest the universe fall into chaos. The two deities function in tandem, mirroring the natural cycles of day (Aether - Sun) and night (Deimos - Moon), life and death. Just as the moon reflects the sun’s light even in darkness, Death gives way to new Life. Together, they maintain the cosmic cycle, ensuring that creation and destruction are balanced.
This dualism—moon and sun—forms the foundation of the cosmos, and both gods are revered as founders of the Pantheon of Primus, alongside Symetrius, the god of symmetry and order, who ensures the structured balance between realms through the Riftways.
The Creation of Life
As the Eldari of Creation, Ael’s influence on the cosmos extended beyond the formation of stars and planets. He was also responsible for imbuing life into the Prime Plane, sowing the seeds of sentient beings and the myriad creatures that would inhabit the universe. From the simplest organisms to the most powerful of dragons, Ael’s touch can be seen in all living things.
Ael’s understanding of creation was not limited to mere biological life. He also forged the spiritual energies that gave rise to the gods of Primus—deities who would continue his legacy of maintaining the cosmic balance. In a sense, all life, both mortal and divine, can trace its origins back to Ael’s handiwork. As he created Helios & Deimos by merging with Thanatos, so did these remnant deities continue the cycle Ael had begun...
The Star-Smith’s Final Creation
Before his final sacrifice, Ael embedded his essence into the Plane of Helion, ensuring that life would continue to flourish across the cosmos. His divine essence is said to reside within the stars themselves, each one a beacon of his creative power. Some scholars believe that Ael’s spirit still guides the universe, silently watching over the worlds he forged and ensuring that creation continues in harmony with the elemental forces.
True Dragons, whom were among the first and most powerful beings of the prime plane, still revere him as their divine progenitor. They continue to serve as guardians of balance, protecting the World Stones and the Continuum Crystal from the forces of chaos that seek to undo Ael’s work. Although Helios is likely responsible for their direct creation, sentient lifes very existence is testament to Ael's divine will as the Star-Smith who created the cosmos...
The Legacy of Life
Though Ael sacrificed himself during the Solis Singularity, his legacy endures throughout the universe. The World Stones, scattered across the continents of Osira and Tolria, continue to maintain the balance of the elements, a direct result of Ael’s design. These elemental runestones control the ebb and flow of their respective elements, thus ensuring the stability of life throughout the natural world.
The Continuum Crystal, Ael’s most crucial creation, serves as the nexus for all energy in the cosmos. It connects the elemental planes, the material plane, and even the Plane of Khaos, ensuring that the delicate balance of the universe is preserved. The Primus Gods—deities of time, magic, life, death, and other forces—exist as protectors of Ael’s creation, continuing the work of maintaining the harmony he established.
Ael’s influence is also felt through the existence of sentient life. His divine spark continues to fuel the creation of new beings, and his legacy is honored by those who understand the importance of balance in the universe. Without Ael’s guiding hand, the cosmos would have been consumed by chaos, and the elements would have torn reality apart.