- "The Old Gods, the creators of the universe, of all magic itself. To Ember, we're like toys, but to them we're- we're cells. When we're harmless they ignore us, but when we become malignant, they amputate."
- ―Alice Quinn
The Old Gods are beings of thought and energy who are responsible for the creation of magic and the existence of the multiverse. They are the oldest and most powerful of primordial beings that gave birth to the Gods worshiped by civilizations across the multiverse.
History[]
Creating the Multiverse[]
While the details of the creation of reality are not known, Alice Quinn in her time as a niffin explored the universe and its functions, learning about higher dimensions and the Old Gods that resided within them. She stated that these beings are the oldest and strongest of all the gods, responsible for the existence of the universe and magic itself. Little more was revealed about these entities except that they viewed life within the material universe as beyond their concern, only taking action when certain events warranted their intervention.
Petitioned by Librarians[]
- "It was a problem that perplexed The Binder and his fellow Librarians, but, as it turned out, the Old Gods themselves provided a solution. Two siblings. Mistakes. Born with the power of many gods. They were created with one unique quality that made them essential to this experiment. They could not die."
- ―Binder
When five ancient Librarians from the Order of the Library of the Neitherlands searched for a way to become Gods, the Old Gods aided the Magicians by providing them with the twin siblings that were imprisoned in Castle Blackspire due to the flaws of their creation; they were unable to be killed and could not function if separated from each other. The Librarians successfully managed to bind the sister into four Stone Organs, which they then bound to themselves, becoming Gods.[1] It is unknown how the librarians contacted or petitioned them.
The Loss of Magic[]
After Quentin Coldwater killed the god Ember in timeline 40, the current timeline, The Old Gods sent the Plumber of the Gods to shut off access to magic from all magicians in the universe by sealing the wellspring. Leaving only gods, magical creatures and any beings with a separate source of magic capable of casting spells. This resulted in Quentin and his friends going on the Quest for the Seven Keys to restore magic within their universe.
Alternate Timelines[]
In Timeline 23, the Old Gods took away magic from the universe after Quentin Coldwater, now known as The Beast, killed Ember and stole his power.[2] Whether each timeline has its own set of Old Gods, or these same beings exist across all timelines is unknown.
Characteristic Traits[]
The Old Gods are described as intangible beings of thought with immense power, responsible for the creation of reality as we know it and are said to reside in a realm of their own after leaving the Material Universe. Alice Quinn stated that while Gods like Ember would see Humans as toys to play with, the Old Gods see them as cells and would only act if they became "malignant". The Old Gods created the universe and magic itself and can "shut off" magic from an entire universe, usually after something they consider serious, like a human killing a god. They can also restore magic to a universe just as easily, though this is often after a millennium or two has passed. The God Hades described magic as a "carrot" used to keep humans in check. Further contextualizing how the Old Gods perceive what, to humans, is the greatest power in the universe. They can even create new Gods or something even stronger with their power alone. While they are far beyond the physical world and considered the most powerful entities in existence, Nameless' sister stated that if powerful enough beings such as herself and her brother were to enter their realm, the Old Gods could be harmed. However, this is no easy feat and could be considered impossible after the Nameless siblings were banished to the seam between universes.