During the questline to create a new arbiter for the afterlife part of the cycle, we learn following things:
- Pelagos says: If this is where the Arbiter was made, then which came first? These souls or… so many questions.
- Pelagos says: These souls can be used to create the Arbiter, but can they become other beings as well?
Considering these two phrases and the questline, which ends up in Pelagos becoming an arbiter, we know that:
a) arbiters are made by merging a mechanical vessel with a living soul;
b) Crypts of Eternals contain powerful souls, which were previously used to create arbiters.
Based on this it seems plausible to assume that the whole pantheon was made using the same method we applied to create a new arbiter — by infusing vessels constructed by the automa of the Progenitors with living souls . If so, which souls were used?
Perhaps, following monologue voiced by the oracle Saezurah during the same questline at Zereth Mortis might shed some light:
Saezurah says: (Titanic) Midnir.
Saezurah says: (Draconic) Rethul.
Saezurah says: (Demonic) Kasharu.
Saezurah says: (Shath’Yar) An’qoth.
Saezurah says: Vessel.
Saezurah says: Vessel.
Saezurah says: Vessel.
To our knowledge, through the history there were three vessels used to create arbiters: the first one for Zovaal, the second one for the unnamed arbiter, who followed Zovaal and finally the third one, which was merged with Pelagos. Can it be that the whole speech of the oracle indicates species of souls, which became the core of each member of the pantheon of death?
Let’s consider following − in the oracle’s speech she says 7 words, 4 of which are in titanic, draconic, demonic and shath’Yar. In the light of the aforementioned argument that by using last three words “vessel” she refers to the arbiter, the language of the other four words might refer to the souls of entities from the other species, which were used to create the other 4 members of the pantheon of death − one made out of the soul of a titan, the others − from souls of dragon, demon and some shadow entity respectively.
P.S. If this whole theory is true, is there a chance that we already know from before some entities who became members of the pantheon of death? Perhaps it is possible that Primus was Galakrond in life, considering that a) the name of the realm he rules is Maldraxxus (loosely translated from Latin as “evil dragon”); b) theorizing that he is a actual villain behind actions of Zovaal; c) information from the interview of Steve Danuser, lead narrative designer for World of Warcraft, where he says that Primus became a master-strategist by cooperating with someone (a dragon), who could manipulate time: “It is said that the Primus sought out an ally who could show him the infinite timeways, which he used to watch the same battle play out over and over again across realities”; d) space in my theory for a member of the pantheon of death to be made out of dragon soul?