This is the story of how the world of Nuradan came to be. This tale has been passed down from generation to generation, and some version of it can be found in every civilization that has ever walked the planet.
In the beginning, there was a constant battle between light and darkness. There were only cosmic nightmares, dreamscapes, and flashes of light against fleeting shadows.
From that feverish dream six elemental Aspects were born and gained consciousness, desires, and motives.
They brought order and structure into the universe, by separating the light into stars and dispersing darkness into the cosmos, weakening its force.
Bored, the Aspect of earth, rocks, and minerals manifested as aggregates of solid material drifting in the empty dreamscape. Some hurled into each other, forming planets and asteroids that roamed around the newly formed stars.
The Aspect of fire and heat, annoyed by the stillness of the universe, push themselves inside some of the rock formations. Many bodies gained volcanic activity and tectonics, and a handful just got a core of molten rock. Most were left alone.
Amazed by what was happening, the Aspect of wind and air flew around and into the the other Aspects’ creations. A few planets exploded into balls of gas. Others gained atmospheres, some breathable, some concocted with the most various assortments of gases.
The Aspect of water, admiring what the other aspects were creating, brought rain and floods to the nascent worlds.
The incredible diversity of environments that was starting to form gained the attention of Aspect of nature, who started spreading a wide variety of plants, trees, and other flora to the celestial bodies that supported them, experimenting with shapes, uses, and forms.
Reluctant to join at first, the Aspect of frost was terrified by the apparent chaos the other aspects were making of the universe. Tentatively, they decided to bring down the temperature of some worlds, freezing some completely in place.
The Aspects got carried away, experimenting with the elements and giving birth to countless worlds, for thousands of years. In a mix of playful rivalry, friendship, and communal love, they didn’t notice that their energy and power were diminishing with every new manifestation. Until it was too late.
Old, tired, and forgetful, the Aspects knew they would soon turn into cosmic dust. They were leaving an immense legacy behind them, but had no control over it. They had created worlds on a whim, never making sure they were stable enough to endure universal timescales. In one last, desperate effort, the Aspects conjured all their remaining life into a final world. A planet that will become known as Nuradan.
But they didn’t leave it alone. Each Aspect also created a Guardian, titanic, immortal beings tasked with supervising their makers’ last creation. All Guardians were, in some way, imbued with the character of the corresponding Aspect, reflecting their elemental powers. They weren’t as mighty as their creators, but each Guardian could wield enough elemental energy to significantly alter Nuradan’s climate and geology.
When all was done, the Aspects ceased to exist, leaving only their distant echoes reverberating across the universe they shaped. The Guardians got to work, tending their new garden in the light of the nearby star. Behind them, shadows and nightmares were setting their sight on Nuradan.