Primal Earth
Overview
Primal Earth is a dimensional universe and the primary setting of the City of Heroes lore. It is one of many dimensions in the multiverse and is the dimension where most of the user's gameplay takes place.
The name "Primal Earth" was given to the dimension by that dimension's Portal Corporation after their discovery of alternate Earths in other dimensions. Leading scientists of Primal Earth believe their world is a nexus of power with tendrils that connect it to many alternate Earths such as the Rikti homeworld and Praetoria. They further postulate that it has more such connections than any alternate Earth and so it must be considered the focal point of those worlds.
As with any scientific theorem, there are some who disagree, even within the Primal Earth scientific community. Beings who call those other Earths their home also tend to see their world as central. The Praetorian emperor, for example, often refers to Primal Earth simply as “Statesman’s World” and any scientist trying to convince him otherwise would most likely find his employment terminated.
Portal Corps has encountered more than thirty different dimensions through their portal technology, many of which are alternate versions of Primal Earth.
Primal and Praetorian Player Characters
New characters created by City of Heroes players have the option to start in Primal Earth or, with the purchase of Going Rogue, in Praetoria. While this decision is primarily cosmetic, it does have some minor effects on the character, and their dimension of origin can never be changed.
Differences between Primal and Praetorian player characters include the following:
- Praetorian characters are exclusively restricted to Praetoria and Pocket D until level 20, at which point they migrate to Primal Earth.
- Primal characters cannot gain access to Praetorian mission content, but they may join Praetorians as teammates in that content.
- Praetorian characters cannot select or unlock any of the Epic Archetypes.
- Only Praetorians may be of the Loyalist or Resistance Alignments. After level 20, they share the same Alignments as Primal characters.
- Primal and Praetorian characters each can earn a different set of Achievement Badges.
- All Badges available to Primal characters can either be earned by Praetorians directly or have Praetorian equivalents.
- The Praetorian badges that Primal characters cannot earn are: Loyalist, Resistance Member and Moral High Ground.
