Final Fantasy 14: Primals Explained

thegamer.com:

There are many moving parts in the story of Final Fantasy 14 that all add up to make the realm of Eorzea feel alive and fleshed out, and the Primals—also known as Eikons—are an excellent example of that. Some recognize Primals as Summons found in previous Final Fantasy titles but are embodiments of the summoner's will and are created from concentrated aether in FF14.

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Primals generally take on the form of mythical creatures or legendary figures and need large amounts of aether to survive, which they receive by absorbing it from their surroundings, making them a serious threat to The Source. However, due to their immense power, they are often used as weapons of mass destruction, protection, or to help fight against the Garlean Empire.

Etheirys used to be a planet that possessed large amounts of aether. Much like the planet, its inhabitants—known in the future as ancients—also have an abundance of aether and can manipulate it into new forms of life, materials, and other objects via a process known as creation magick. But, as the Final Days of Etheirys played out, the ancients would be driven mad with fear, bringing monsters into the world with this method of creation. These monsters were based on twisted imaginings from the warped minds of the ancients, leading to devastation and chaos.

This would lead to the Convocation of Fourteen stepping in to summon the first Primal, Zodiark, to try and ward off the Final Days. The summoning of Zodiark would then cause Venat to summon in Hydaelyn to seal him away, with both summoning methods requiring sacrifices of nearly half the population of Etheirys combined. The battle between Zodiark and Hydaelyn would eventually sunder