#Transformers: The Covenant of Primus

[groundrunner100]

#Star Wars #Mass Effect #Transformers #Destiny #Halo #Star Trek #science-fiction #lore #history #public opinion #Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic #Mass Effect 2 #Transformers: The Covenant of Primus #Destiny 2 #Halo: Combat Evolved #Star Trek: Enterprise #Star Wars: The Old Republic #Mass Effect 3 #Transformers: Generation 1 #Halo 2 #Star Trek: Voyager #Star Wars: The Clone Wars #Destiny: The Taken King #Transformers 2007 #Halo 3 #Star Trek: The Next Generation #Star Wars: Plagueis #Transformers: Exodus #Destiny 2: The Witch Queen #Halo Reach

[earthstellar]

Here’s a timeline summary of all the known Eras of Cybertronian history from Transformers Prime!

It doesn’t contain a whole lot of detail, as this is just intended to be used as a general reference, but it’s nice to see how each era does overlap with the next; It flows in canon like an actual timeline of events, and doesn’t skip around as much as you might think! 

For example, Ratchet was online during the Age of Wrath, as it is noted in the Covenant of Primus that he treated one of the first Cybertronians to present to medical services with signs of Quintesson manipulation. We don’t know when he came online exactly, but he was definitely already alive and was mature enough to be practicing medicine during this time.

But Orion Pax states in one of the novels (I believe the first one?) that he never got to see the original colonial expansion space bridges in operation, which means he had to have come online sometime during the Age of Rust.

So Ratchet is a very old friend, indeed-- Given that he was already mature during the Age of Wrath, and we know that he was around before the development of Iacon as a fully realised city-state (he was one of the first students of Remedy and had to walk to Iacon from Vaporex, hinting that this was before roadways were constructed in most places if at all)-- 

--It is entirely possible that Ratchet was one of the early Cybertronian sparklings that came out of the Well and had to enter stasis during the Cataclysm, coming up from stasis shelter underground in what would be known as Vaporex, although his dialogue in the show regarding Predacons may somewhat challenge that theory. (I need to dig up the episode script to check!) 

Either way, holy shit, Ratchet is old. Quite literally possibly as old as “dinosaurs”; The dialogue in the show may not be as contradictory as it might seem, as we know that natural memory lapse to save processor space and file integrity is something that can occur in this continuity as well, if I recall correctly--

--So it’s very possible that Ratchet just doesn’t remember his sparkling days very well, or those memory files may have been prone to information creep which was established in IDW 1 and may have been a concept that was already floating around when the writers for TFP were working on building the lore for this series as well. 

Anyway, it’s 4 AM so I’m gonna go make some tea, LOL 

I hope this is helpful for some people out there! :) <3

edit: I’m a doofus and just realised I put my old username and not my current one as the image credit. sigh. in my defence I made this very, very early in the morning 

#transformers prime #tfp #tfp ratchet #tfp optimus prime #orion pax #transformers #maccadam #maccadams #reference #transformers lore #covenant of primus #aligned continuity

[smolstarthief]

This part of "Transformers: The Covenant of Primus" gets me every. Damn! Time!

Optimus... Just realizing that he isn't alone... And feeling despair over Bumblebee being (temporarily) killed... Break my heart why don't you?? 💔😭

Like no, honey... You were never alone! They all love and care about you damn it!

#starchild rambles #transformers #transformers prime #the covenant of primus #tfp #tfp spoilers #tfp optimus #optimus prime #why does this also give me p5r third semester ending flashbacks too?? #if that's the case then that would VERY much explain my taste in fictional characters more now... #optimus you need a hug so badly!!! #i will defend this version of the character till my dying days #i know people tend to debate on the canonical nature of this book but I'd say it's canon (save for some errors)

[emperor-kumquat]

Present for @darks-lair

#transformers #megatronus #transformers rid2015 #the covenant of primus #transformers prime #Youtube

[dsco-kjs]

Thirteen may not have a face, but he can see that's not a crayon, Fallen.

#transformers prime #transformers #transformers:prime #transformers: Covenant of Primus #thirteen prime #Optimus prime #orion pax #megatronus prime #the fallen #prima prime #prima #familybonding #)? #Transformers aligned #the thirteen primes #transformers robots in disguise 2015 #rid15

[botmilf]

Optimus in the tfp series: -handling the stressful situation with calm and collectedness-

Optimus’s private journals in The Covenant of Primus during tfp: I AM LITERALLY SO STRESSED AND ALSO ME AND MEGATRON ARE GAY LOVERS. FUCK.

#transformers prime #the covenant of Primus #aligned continuity #maccadam #like this author really just wrote her lil Megop fanfic into canon and you know what I stan

[novafire-is-thinking]

What does it mean to be the last?

There’s no doubt that Optimus was the last of the primes. However, that could mean two things: Either he was The Thirteenth Prime or he was merely the last Cybertronian who would bear the Matrix and carry the title of “Prime.” Personally, I prefer the latter interpretation.

The exact relationship between Optimus and The Thirteenth Prime varies in the Aligned Continuity. Supposedly, the original plan was for Optimus to be a regular bot with “polarities” (explained below), but somewhere along the way, it was decided that he would be a reincarnation of Thirteen. This seems to be the view preferred by most fans. The Covenant of Primus upholds this idea while the Aligned shows don’t really say either way. Meanwhile, the other three novels strictly adhere to the original idea of him being a regular guy who became “The Chosen One” through bearing the Matrix.

Polarities

Furthermore, it is revealed Transformers have "polarities", equivalent to a human star sign and based on the Thirteen original Transformers. Optimus claims Prima and Alpha Trion as his primary and secondary polarity (but this was probably from before it was decided to make Optimus himself one of the Thirteen). (TFwiki)

The concept of polarities in Cybertronians presents some interesting possibilities. Back when I discovered the page, I distinctly recall it saying that Optimus claimed Prima and Thirteen as his primary and secondary polarity—which would make sense—but now it says Alpha Trion. Whoever wrote/edited the section didn’t provide a reference, so all I can do is speculate about which one is correct:

PRIMA

Prima was the archetypal hero, a warrior made closest to Primus's own type and intents, focused on the greater good. Such people can be dull, but Prima was clever and unselfish with a strong sense of self-awareness, so that even as he remained true to his principles, he was always able to stay one step away from pomposity. He cared for us all like the eldest brother of a large and unruly family, taking too much upon his shoulders perhaps. As Primus did, he was convinced he was both right and in the right all the time, which made him a frustrating person to deal with on occasion, but stood him in good stead when it came to a fight. His weapon was the Star Saber, a sword of an item type like the Quill, whose form was symbolic of its power rather than the actual full limit of it. Its edge could cut between atoms with the accuracy of the finest tool, or sunder mountains.

ALPHA TRION

I, Alpha Trion, was made to be the historian of the Primes and the memory of Primus, in case Primus was ever recalled to life. It was my nature to be detached, although I don't believe I was uncaring. I took a philosophical attitude, an analytic appreciation of others and their deeds. I was gifted with two artefacts: the Covenant, which truly came from and belonged to Primus himself, and in which much was written by Primus's will, and the Quill, with which I wrote my own observations. Unlike all other Primes and subsequent beings of the same lineage, I was given total recall and a direct link to the Spark of Primus, through which I was sustained and inspired during times when the accumulated knowledge and awareness of events would have been otherwise intolerable.

THE THIRTEENTH PRIME

Thirteen was unlike the other Primes. His type was warrior, a physical adept, with the leadership and intellectual fortitude of kings. Where Megatronus was riddled with contradiction. Thirteen had no such troubles and was perhaps as a result far lesser in ego than any of the other late Primes. At this time of our making he was quiet and dutiful, obedient to Prima’s commands and dedicated to assisting those who required it. He was like Prima’s second, but unlike the rest he had no special object or weapon associated with him, taking up only those lesser tools crafted by Solus, and his armor, as he was instructed. This would seem odd if we did not all know that his true purpose was as mediator and visionary. Thirteen was an inspirational speaker and a deep thinker with a calm soul. His steady, perceptive nature meant he was well liked, and he pulled his weight. He used to comfort others in times of stress with a friendly hand on their shoulder and the words, “All are one." There was a contented light in him that made us believe it. Even Megatronus could be calmed this way when he came in from one of his great battle rages, foaming with his own puissance and resentment. Thirteen united us. Without his influence we would have fallen into disarray far sooner.

These three descriptions are in The Covenant of Primus, along with the other 10.

Later, The Covenant states that Starscream is “A bot after Liege Maximo’s pattern,” hinting at the idea of Cybertronians still having polarities in that novel, to add to the confusion.

Demigod or Regular Guy(TM)?

It all depends on how each fan interprets things.

If Optimus is indeed a reincarnation of Thirteen, as The Covenant says, the bio for Thirteen gives a beautiful glimpse into TFP Optimus’ character.

If Optimus is just a regular guy elevated to the status of Prime by the Matrix, as is implied in the later novels, I think it’s more likely that he has Thirteen as his primary polarity with either Alpha Trion or Prima as his secondary one.

For fun, I could even go out on a limb, throw out the idea of polarities, and say that Optimus could have been patterned after Thirteen, Prima, and Alpha Trion. I mean—combine all three descriptions, and one gets the Optimus we see in TFP.

What about Robots in Disguise?

“Isn’t Optimus a reincarnation of Thirteen in there?”

It’s possible, but I’m inclined to think not. Excluding those who died or departed in The Covenant, several of the Primes, including Thirteen, never showed up in the show. For all we know, Thirteen could have been somewhere offscreen, gazing proudly at the one who was patterned so closely after him. Optimus being a regular Cybertronian elevated to the “spiritual” status of Prime at some point would also explain why Micronus and the others seemed to treat him with less respect than one might expect if they were seeing him as an equal.

When Optimus shows up in RiD15, he seems surprised that Micronus is taking him to The Realm of the Primes. Would not Thirteen himself remember the place and expect to dwell there after his recent death? Or, also:

“The crisis is upon us. And we sense our chosen champion is not prepared…”

“For you to face this challenge, we must share with you a portion of each of our sparks—an awesome amount of power. If you are not prepared, you will not survive.”

These are just two of many things said (and done) by the Primes that make me think they’re addressing a subordinate of sorts rather than a fellow being of equal power as they would if he were Thirteen, even a reincarnation of him.

Of course, one could always attribute these things to some sort of memory wipe inflicted upon Thirteen after each reincarnation… But I digress.

Conclusion

Optimus was definitely the last of the Primes because of the whole Matrix-merging-with-the-Allspark thing. However, his origins are debatable. Either interpretation is valid, although I personally prefer the one where he is an ordinary guy with an extraordinary destiny.

✧ ✧ ✧

series master post

#transformers prime #maccadam #tfp #tfp optimus prime #tfp orion pax #tfp character analysis #tfp meta #tfp theory #aligned continuity #tf aligned novels #the covenant of primus #the one and only op ❤️💙 #who is TFP Optimus? series #long post #nova’s nerding out again

[halenhusky309]

Ok so I'm reading the Covenant of Primus now and I noticed there were typos in that book.

For example, instead of "she", it is "sbe" or instead of "that", it is "tbat".

Is this an intention to show that A3 was struggling with our language (Which makes no sense to me), or the editor didn't do their job properly???

#transformers #transformers novel #The Covenant of Primus #am i reaching? #Why the f do I notice these things?

[robby-bobby-tommy]

just a quick thought abt how funny it would be if rid15 had Megstronus meet Alpha Trion (i havent watch the show). the 13 primes has unmatched comedic potential for a messed up family sitcom.

AT and Megaus were hard to draw tbh. All primes are. Honestly I have a two ideas abt how their reunion would go. Either they would calmly talk it out or they would distance from each other. Like they both are very lonely (one self-exiled and the other was the only one on Cybertron) but they werent ready for this whole conversation.

(ID: frist image is a split panel with Alpha Trion and Megatronus saying each others names. the second panel is a close up to Sideswipe's face with AT's body on the left. SS askes "You know him?". Third image shows both AT and SS standing, former facepalming. He says "Do i know him...", annoyed. The last picture is the same, but AT points his palm at the screen and exclaims "He's my brother!" End of ID)

#tfp #transformers #transformers prime #fanart #alpha trion #megatronus #sideswipe #tf rid15 #transformers fanart #megatronus prime #is at also alpha trion prime? cuz it sounds terrible #13 primes #the quotes from helluva boss #covenant of primus #i love how primus is such a dad #he got himself children and dipped #btw how did at told cybertronian abt 13 primes so that noone understood that he is the one #'so there were 13 guys and they fought super bad god. and they were like twice ur size.' #'fyi its not me even though i fit all descriptions'

[brookriver-mudlark]

drew the two members of the thirteen that catch my interest, mostly because of blehgh :P

in my mind's eye, solus prime didn't straight up get shot to death, she just got her creation lathe broken, so she punched her way back to the core along with onyx, micronus, amalgamous, and thirteen so that they could forge something new also the thirteenth never exactly reincarnated; instead they used their spark to help ignite the well of all sparks, splintering themself across all who would ever be born from it

#transformers #maccadam #thirteenth prime #solus prime #thirteen primes #aligned continuity #covenant of primus #transformers prime #tfp #thirteen is watching you #they're inside your wlls #brookriver art

[groundrunner100]

Covenant of Primus V.S. Prime Glow Up

In the year of our lord, 2024, Star Wars Canon ain’t got shit on how cookie-cutter the Aligned Continuity is with, well… continuity.

#Transformers #Transformers: Covenant of Primus #Transformers Prime #Orion Pax #Optimus Prime #character concept #concept art #character design #design #glow up #comparison #Transformers Aligned

[xenahikart]

The second Liege steps foot in the Realm of The Primes

Also a little note from Discord

#my art #xenahikart #artist on tumblr #art #digital art #13 primes #covenant of primus #liege maximo #solus prime #transformers #maccadams #maccadam #fanart #transformers fanart #transformers fan continuity #TF Abyssal Red

[transformers-abyssal-star]

Megatronus Prime and Prima Abyssal Star designs

They're meant to look alike, but Tronus modifies his body to match modern Transformers

While Primas abdomen is the same texture as the rest of his body (akin to a corset) Megatronus is condensed fire, magma and it radiates heat

Individual under cut

#transformers #character ref #transformers fan continuity #art #xenahikart #transformers abyssal star #my art #artist on tumblr #character design #13 primes #the 13 primes #the thirteen primes #Megatronus prime #prima #prima prime #tfp au #covenant of primus #lineless art

[emperor-kumquat]

Any chance the Covenant of Primus file was downloaded before the link was taken down, and can be reposted? (I never downloaded a copy.)

I don't know, but if I can in the future, I'll scan the pages of my Covenant of Primus book and make a PDF for it

#transformers #transformers prime #transformersprime #covenant of primus

[earthstellar]

Earthspark: Who is Quintus Prime?

In Earthspark, the Terrans are brought forth into existence by a cave saturated with the power of Quintus Prime’s relic, the Emberstone. 

(Quick aside, I love that Earthspark’s title is a direct reference to this. Earth = stone, Ember = spark.) 

But who is Quintus Prime, and what is the Emberstone? 

Quintus Prime: 10th Formed, Among the First to Go 

Traits: Idealism, Perfectionism, Creativity, Growth

As outlined in the Aligned Continuity’s Covenant of Primus, Quintus Prime is described as highly intelligent, being a sort of scientist among the Thirteen Primes. 

Now, we can’t assume that the backstory for Quintus Prime will be the same in the Earthspark continuity! However, the Aligned Continuity has given us most of the currently available information on the Thirteen Primes, even if it may not 100% carry over to Earthspark-- We’ll have to wait and see. 

But for now, I think it’s worth going over what’s been established for this character in the Covenant: 

He has a highly analytical mind, which has been applied for strategic purposes in forming methods to defeat Unicron in the earliest days of the Primes, and for creative purposes in the creation of new and unique lifeforms via his personal relic, the Emberstone. 

He was the 10th Prime to be forged by Primus, to help combat the encroaching influence of Unicron upon a delicate and still-new Cybertron. 

Famously, Quintus Prime worked alongside Megatronus (The Fallen) and Liege Maximo to create new forms of “beasts”, which led to a serious rift between the Primes-- Many of whom wanted this beast-generating project to be shut down. 

This disagreement led to the debate in which Solus Prime was killed by Megatronus, and following her death, Quintus Prime backed down from any responsibility regarding his involvement in the creation of the beasts (possibly out of an inability to cope with the fact that he had personal involvement in the instigating incident, although the concept was Liege Maximo’s idea in the first place)-- Which led to an outright physical battle between all of the remaining Primes. 

With the relationship between the Primes irreparably strained, Quintus Prime left Cybertron in search of planets rich in base elements and base metals; Upon finding a suitable planet, he proceeded to create the Quintessons. 

It is not known what happened to Quintus Prime, although Alpha Trion guessed that perhaps he was killed by the Quintessons, once they no longer believed him to be useful to them-- But of course, this is only Alpha Trion’s conjecture. 

The Emberstone: Restoration and Creation

It has been described most thoroughly in the Aligned Continuity material, in which is has life-giving properties. 

Not only can the Emberstone accelerate natural processes with the correct base elements to construct new lifeforms, but it can also restore life in already extant beings-- The Emberstone has been used to essentially bring those felled in battle back to life, although it is not entirely clear if this was outright resurrection (being restored from a fatal wound) or just a form of accelerated healing (being restored from a significant injury that may have been fatal if left untreated). 

In Earthspark, Quintus Prime left Cybertron (we do not know if the preceding events were the same in this continuity or if there may be a different reason why he left), and used the Emberstone to seed life across many different planets. 

Ultimately, the Emberstone ended its journey on Earth, where it remained in place, until it was discovered and disturbed by the Malto siblings. 

Upon being activated by the Malto kids, the Emberstone sent out a surge of life-giving energy, thus creating the first Terrans: Twitch and Thrash. 

While we know the whereabouts of the Emberstone, we do not necessarily know where Quintus Prime is. 

His presence does seem to be at least partially inherent in the Emberstone itself, although whether this is some kind of cosmic projection or if he may in some way be tethered to the relic directly is not yet clear-- Or if there may be some other circumstance involved. 

As Earthspark is only in it’s first season at time of writing, there’s still a lot that hasn’t been established for this continuity as of yet! 

But we do know that Quintus Prime, for whatever reason, does have some kind of connection to Earth, and seems able to enact some degree of his own personal power on Earth as well-- Either as an extension of himself channelled through the energy of the Emberstone, or perhaps something else may be at play. 

---

Ultimately, I’m really happy to see more of the Thirteen Primes material being re-used or re-adapted to a new continuity, and I’m excited to see where things go from here! 

I love cosmic space god-entity stuff, and the Primes have always been extremely interesting to me. :) 

As always, thanks to everyone who bothered to read through all this!!! <3 

I’m making a list of Earthspark themed posts I’d like to get started on soon, including a few that some of you have messaged to me-- Thank you! :) I’m always happy to take suggestions or talk about stuff in any Transformers continuity that you might find interesting! 

It might take me some time to get around to all of my inbox/messages, especially as I work in healthcare so I’m often pretty wiped out after work lol, but I do keep note of every message/Ask I get-- And I really appreciate it! :) <3 

#earthspark #tf es #quintus prime #Aligned continuity #transformers earthspark #transformers #maccadam #maccadams #thirteen primes #covenant of primus #lore posting #long post #tf earthspark #emberstone

[novafire-is-thinking]

Idealistic and Stubborn

In TFP, one of the defining aspects of Optimus’ characterization is his stubborn belief that Megatron is not lost—that he can overcome his lust for power.

By the end of Predacons Rising, he was proven correct, but there was very little beforehand that gave any indication that Megatron would change.

In spite of this, Optimus refused to believe Megatron had fallen beyond redemption.

Potential, Potential, Potential

“Everything always fools you,” Makeshift said. “Megatron was right about a lot of things, but he especially knew you. Naive, he said. Vulnerable because you keep on insisting that the best in bots might show through even when all the evidence is to the contrary. (Exiles)

Optimus views the world and other people in terms of their greatest potential for good. He can’t help but look beyond the present reality and see a perfect ideal. He then finds it nearly impossible to let go of this perfect ideal, no matter what reality looks like.

But I Can Change Him!

Peace with the ones with whom war had been waged for eons. . .The Autobots might have believed it to be impossible, but Optimus was willing to give it a try because whatever anyone else might say, he knew that Megatron wasn’t entirely evil. (Retribution)

There was absolutely nothing anyone could have said that would have convinced Optimus that Megatron was evil to his core. This strength of conviction made Optimus a force to be reckoned with. I can only assume that after a while, those under his leadership gave up trying to change his mind. They recognized his incredible strength of will as an asset to the Autobot cause, even if they didn’t agree with him when it came to Megatron.

“Idiotic” Instincts

What happened next was pure instinct. Optimus reached out and grabbed Megatron with one arm, then used his legs and other arm to climb, pulling them both out of the rising white water. A dazed Megatron looked around.

“What are you doing?” he yelled.

“Saving your life,” Optimus told him.

“You’re an idiot, librarian.”

“Thanks for your opinion,” Optimus said. (Retribution)

This was only one of several times Optimus could have ended Megatron’s life.

However, the belief that Megatron could and would change was so deeply embedded in Optimus’ psyche that even though he may have reasoned Megatron’s death was best, his instincts overrode everything.

At that point, Optimus was operating on the old assumption that there was still a part of Megatron left untainted by the lust for power. I believe some part of Optimus hoped that the act of saving Megatron’s life would make the warlord reevaluate things. Optimus was blind to the reality that Megatron’s purely opportunistic mindset would just see it as an opportunity to continue working toward his twisted personal vision.

More than once in TFP, we saw Optimus hesitate to kill Megatron when he could have done so and ended Megatron’s reign of chaos and destruction.

Optimus did eventually snap and confront Megatron as Unicron was awakening, but by then, it was too late. Megatron had grown too powerful from giving himself fully to the influence of Dark Energon and Unicron himself.

Responsibility vs. Hope

Megatron’s obsession with Unicron disturbs me. I see that he is convinced that awakening the monster would grant him the power he’s always desired. Only I know the absolute naivete of that assumption. Still, nothing I can say alters his course. You can tow a bot to knowledge, but you cannot make it think. He has had a taste for Dark Energon for a while now, and constant exposure to it only accelerates his departure into delusions. Must I wait for one of his aides to start an insurrection, as his madness increases? What is the likelihood? Starscream is too fearful, Shockwave is served well by Megatron no matter how insane, Airachnid has failed and must be considered out of play. Soundwave—well, who knows what goes through his mind since the war? The rest are too small-minded to organize a rebellion in a tack factory. No, it will not be any of them who topple him from his throne. Rightfully the deed is mine, though I did not make him into what he is; he was my friend, and once my brother. I would not see him fall farther, but at the same time, I find no way to hold him back other than by recruiting the humans to the Autobot cause, if not for our survival, then certainly for theirs. (CoP)

Megatron refused to allow anyone but himself be the one to kill Optimus. Similarly, Optimus believed the responsibility to stop Megatron fell on him alone.

For Optimus, there was a constant inner war between his sense of responsibility telling him he was the “right” one to stop Megatron, and his instincts rooted in idealism telling him that Megatron still had the potential for change.

When Strength Becomes Weakness

Optimus’ refusal to believe Megatron had fallen beyond redemption was closely tied to his difficulty unseeing potential and seeing things as they were. This stubborn idealism was one of Optimus’ greatest strengths and one of his worst weaknesses. It enabled him to survive the most brutal of circumstances, but it also enabled him to allow Megatron’s reign of terror to last much longer than it would have otherwise.

“Megatron has fallen, Optimus.”

“I cannot bring myself to believe that.”

✧ ✧ ✧

series master post

#transformers prime #maccadam #tfp #tfp optimus prime #tfp orion pax #tfp character analysis #tfp meta #aligned continuity #tf aligned novels #tf exiles #tf retribution #the covenant of primus #the one and only op ❤️💙 #who is TFP Optimus? series #long post #nova’s nerding out again #it’s been ​almost 4 months since I wrote anything for this series #but I’m hoping to finish it this week