Primals, Gods and others (Possible Spoilers)

[TinyRedLeaf]

I don't think there's a link between darkness and the Void, although it seems intuitive there should be one.

The Void is just that: Nothingness.

Darkness, on the other hand, implies the existence of Light. Something exists and, therefore, it is not void.

According to the Lore Train, it is such a massive undertaking to summon any one of the Twelve, that Louisoix decided to hold back, and summon only a fraction of the deities' strength to stop Bahamut.

So, I don't know what the Twelve actually are. To me, they're much, much more than mere gods. They are the personifications of the very principles that make civilisation possible:

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Existence began the moment Time (Althyk) appeared.

Time and Fate (Nymeia) are intertwined, and from their coupling came our Love (Menphina) of life, and our desire to know (Azeyma).

Fate decrees not just our paths in life, but also its Destruction (Rhalgr).

War (Halone) and creation have ever been the children of Destruction.

Thankfully, when Inquiry was married with Knowledge (Thaliak), peaceful pursuits like Agriculture (Nophica) and Navigation (Llymlaen) were born.

And with sound instruction, creation became useful Industry (Bryegot).

But the Love of Travel (Oschon) may still lead others to Trade and Commerce (Nald'thal), or to battle in faraway places.

And wandering warriors will ever remain the enemies of settled civilisations*.
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In contrast to the Twelve, the primals appear so much more basic, being no more than representations of simple elements and concepts.

*P/S:

My reflections on the Eorzean pantheon were inspired by The Endless of Neil Gaiman's Sandman comics.

The Wikipedia entry describes The Endless (Destiny, Death, Dream, Desire, Despair, Destruction and Delirium) as such:

They are a group of beings who embody powerful forces or aspects of the universe of The Sandman, by Neil Gaiman. They have existed since the dawn of time and are thought to be among the most powerful beings in the universe. They are distinct from, and supposedly more powerful, than most gods.

And indeed, the graphic novels would go on to show how gods are born in the Dreaming, the realm of Dream. They come into existence in much the same way that primals are apparently born in Eorzea: through the simple act of belief. Whatever you can dream of would exist in the Dreaming. And given enough worship, the entities of the realm may become gods, and can also die when no one believes in them any more.