A rare morning visit to Issar Roon’s study takes you through the morning chill alone. Though the residents of the monastery get up early, you pass none along your way. The raw air seems to have kept everyone within the stone walls. A silence hangs in the air, unbroken by songbirds or wind, and a silver frost attempts to imitate the snow that has finally disappeared from the sanctuary’s grounds.

You knock on the old man’s oak door hesitantly. Though you have visited him in the morning previously, habit demands an evening visit, and you are unsure if the old man is present. A raspy voice answers your announcement, and your hesitation evaporates like mist struck by sunlight.

My, you are here early today. I suppose my cozy study would be more enticing than your duties out in the cold. Very well, I will tell you a short tale before sending you on your way, but don’t expect me to tell your elders that I invited you here.

Unsure if the old man will rat on you for starting your responsibilities late, you slowly settle onto the floor. You promise yourself that you will begin them quickly, once the old man has finished his story.

Today I shall tell you of the Primeval Dragons. Dragons of such power that some claim they are direct descendents of the Elder Dragons, though they appeared thousands of years after the Elder Dragon War. Each one had a name in their ancient language, Old Draconic, to represent different stages of a dragon’s life; Rhammidarigaaz meaning “conception,” Rith meaning “childhood,” Treva meaning “youth,” Dromar meaning “adulthood,” and Crosis meaning “death.”

Though each dragon was incredibly powerful alone, they became self-proclaimed gods when all five of the Primevals were present. Together, they represented the full spirit of the Ur-Dragon, the spirit of all dragons. When all five lived, almost nothing could stand against them.

Excited, you listen intently, forgetting your worries about the elders. Hearing a story like this makes any punishment they may deliver bearable.

“The Ignitor,” as Rhammidarigaaz was also known, was the spark of the Primevals, perhaps a bit like a planeswalker’s spark infusing a planeswalker with power. When the Primeval Dragons were defeated by the Numena, it was his death that allowed the others to be sealed away. When they returned, it was he who reawakened them, living up to his name of “conception.” It was said that Rhammidarigaaz was “the breath of the Ur-Dragon, burning away the burdens of mortality.”

Rith, known as the “Awakener,” was the most malevolent of the Primevals. She enjoyed their rule over Dominaria for no reason other than the power it gave her over mortals. When bored by stretches of peace, she would raze a city just to keep her hunger sated.

So why was she named the “Awakener”? Because her breath could create the instant growth of dangerous vines across anything it touched. It was said that she could awaken the very stone of a mountain, though reports have argued otherwise. Her death seems to refute any affinity she held with the natural world, as she was imprisoned within a Magnigoth Treefolk.

Treva, the “Renewer,” might have been mistaken for an angel if one had never heard the word “dragon” before. Her body was pure white, and was covered in scales that were often thought to be feathers. Her breath took the form of pure light, able to cut through almost any element known to Dominarians, similar to that which people on your world will eventually call “lasers.” Treva’s death was also befitting of an angel, for the Numena crucified her in the depths of the ancient Argive library. Her death was the only thing the majority of Dominarians would agree to be “angelic,” however.

The old man’s body trembles with silent laughter at a hidden joke. Maybe one day he will realize that you cannot understand his humor and avoid future jokes, but you doubt it.

Dromar, the “Banisher,” was said to be “the wings of the Ur-Dragon, sweeping away all opposition.” With his breath, Dromar was able to launch creatures in any direction he desired, shake solid objects to pieces, and destroy the inner workings of machinations. His greed was only exceeded by Rith’s lust for violence. Though he had the power to dispel his enemies, Dromar feverishly gathered all forms of treasure.

It was that very trait the Numena exploited to trap Dromar under the sea. They created a vast cavern filled with every kind of treasure Dromar could ever want, removing his desire to live. Sated, he remained there, doing nothing, wanting nothing.

The final dragon, Crosis, was called the “Purger.” Jet-black, Crosis could wipe a battlefield of all enemies by screaming his name, the draconic word for death. All who heard it would instantly die.

Though his name was that of a dragon’s death, it was always his enemies who entered that final stage, not he. Not even the Numena could kill Crosis, but they did manage to imprison him in a tar pit in Urborg after Rhammidarigaaz’s death. It was there that he lay dormant for millennia, waiting for his siblings to release him.

So what of the Numena? Who were they, and why did they fight the Primeval Dragons?

The Numena were comprised of five powerful wizards, each practiced in one of the five colors of magic. Together, they fought the Primevals for rule over Dominaria, and were able to slay Rhammidarigaaz, breaking the other dragons’ immortality. After the remaining Primevals were killed or imprisoned, each of the Numena received one of the dragons’ powers, increasing their own beyond anything a wizard before or since has wielded.

Holding as much greed and lust for power as the Primeval Dragons, but having no dependency upon each other, the blue, black, and red Numena killed the other two shortly thereafter. The three remaining Numena ruled Dominaria for countless years before disappearing into the pages of history. No one is quite sure how they died. Maybe an upstart wizard bested them, or they fell prey to an unforeseen accident. One can only speculate about such things.

And that, my young student, is the end of my tale. I will tell you more of the Primeval Dragons at another time. Oh yes, there is more. It takes more than a few wizards—powerful as the Numena were—to rid the Multiverse of the Primevals. For now, I think it best if you go fulfill your responsibilities to this facility.

With his last words, the old man turns to his books, dismissing you as he always does. The renewed fear of your elders flooding back into your mind is enough to push you off the floor and out the door.