Primal Spirit
The Primal Spirits are a classification of powerful, mystical entities indigenous to the World Axis cosmology of Dungeons & Dragons 4e. Standing as a neutral party between the Gods and the Primordials, though leaning more towards the former, they are responsible for trying to keep both parties out of the World so they can't damage it any further. This responsibility is called the Primal Ban.
On the meta-level, the Primal Spirits were born out of WoTC noting that the Druid had long been nebulously presented as being somehow different to ordinary nature Clerics, but precisely why that was and what they actually worshipped had never really been explored. So, they went to work and came up with an entire new pseudo-pantheon of animism-based entities, born out of the conflux of the Dawn War but independent of either the progenitor powers.
The Primal Spirits were most prominently detailed in the "Primal Power" sourcebook, alongside most other details relating to the "Primal Way", the specific religions and customs of those races who worship them.
The Great Elders[edit | edit source]
Whilst the pantheon of Primal Spirits is enormous, filled with all manner of ancestral, locational and elemental spirits, there are some who have attained a particularly universal appeal. These mightiest of all spirits are the closest thing to gods amongst the spirit way, and command respect.
Always Falling: Spirit of the constant motion and mixing of water.
Blood Cousin: Spirit of harmony between different tribes, innovation, creativity and friendship.
Carver: Spirit of the tides and of the forces that shape the natural world.
The Deep Winds: Spirits of the Underdark.
Earth Wheel: Spirit of nature's bounty and the cycle of life.
Everflame: Spirit of fire's cleansing power and the impermanence of flame.
Fate Weaver: Spirit of destiny.
Gnaw: Legend has it that Gnaw is the misbegotten child of Whisper and the Primal Beast. Once Gnaw clawed free from the womb, Whisper cast it away, sickened by what she had brought into being. Having never known a mother's affection, Gnaw exists at the edges of the spirit world, always creeping and crawling, surviving on the leavings of more powerful spirits. This Spirit is from The Book of Vile Darkness.
The Grandmothers: A collective of female ancestral spirits who form a social network that reaches across racial lines, all seeking to protect and nurture their living descendants.
Great Bear: Spirit of bears, strength, ferocity and protection.
Great Current: Spirit of the deep ocean.
Great Watcher: Spirit of knowledge, prophecy and insight.
The Hunter Twins: Spirits of the hunt, predator and prey.
Hunter of Winter: Spirit of winter and blizzards.
The Monster Slayers: Ancestral spirits of great warriors, patrons of adventurers.
Old Grandfather: A cantankerous, irascible, disreputable ancestral spirit who claims all the world's races as his children, not so much respected as placated so he'll bugger off and annoy somebody else.
The Primal Beast: Spirit of all predators.
The Soul Serpent: Serpentine guardian of the realm of dreams.
Stoneroot: Spirit of the mountains.
Stormhawk: Spirit of storms and transformation, a tireless guardian against interference in the world by entities from beyond.
Tree Father: Spirit of the forests.
Whisper: Spirit of trickery, deception and malice, also known as the Dark Sister, Fox Woman and Little Dragon.
The World Healer: Spirit of rebirth and renewal.
The World Serpent: Serpentine guardian of the world.
The World Tree: Spirit of the world itself and the balance that maintains life.