In the early days, it was believed by certain people that the four cardinal directions were guarded by four heavenly beasts. In the North resided the mighty Azure Dragon, which represented the soft and flexible water. In the East was the Black Tortoise, representing sturdy and reliable earth. In the South resided the Vermillion Bird, or the Phoenix, representing hot and passionate fire. Finally, in the West resided the White Tiger, which represented swift and sharp wind. Similarly prominent in other cultures was a belief in a heaven and hell, with a holy light above and a dark abyss below.
When the human race entered the interstellar era, these beliefs were thought to be foolish ideas thought up by primitive brains. After travelling past their home solar system, humans thought themselves above the need for magical elements to explain the world around them. They had figured out space travel, after all. However, when they found planets teeming with life and atmospheres quite similar to earth's own in quite abundance, they found it odd. Such suitable conditions should have been quite rare, surely? In contrast to expectations, such planets were found every few lightyears it seemed. It was as if the universe itself wanted these planets to exist.
When the first of such planets around earth were explored, humanity was speechless. Strange environments were revealed despite perfectly normal readings from outside the atmosphere. They found animals that looked very similar to the beasts of earth, but each and every one had very strange aspects to them. From unnaturally tough hides to astonishingly sharp claws and fast creatures, these lands were quite dangerous yet strangely beautiful. For a long while, that was where humanity's understanding of these creatures stopped, a silent fear and admiration for their unnatural abilities.
That was, until one day a very strange and eccentric man named Clemont Leggs decided these beasts looked quite tasty. Most would have ignored him and branded him a fool, if not for the vast riches of the Leggs family. So Mr. Leggs funded a very special hunting party, which came back with many wounded or dead, but with one small vole-like creature with a slight red tint to it to show for their efforts. This event changes everything, as Mr. Leggs then claims that eating that vole gave him the ability to summon and control fire. After demonstrating his new abilities, humanity develops a whole new attitude towards these creatures: greed.
After years exploring the universe around their solar system, humanity makes a series of conclusions. One: the more of these creatures you eat, the more elemental powers you gain. Two: the farther out in one direction one goes, the stronger the creatures but the higher the gains one gets from eating them. Three: with their home solar system at the center, the direction you go determines the element from the creatures and the powers they have. In one direction is the element of water, another the element of earth, another the element of fire and another the element of wind, just like the four cardinal directions. on another axis is the element of light in one direction and the element of darkness in the other. Reminded of the old legends, humanity names these directions Universal North, East, South, West, Up, and Down based on the elemental forces to be found.
Eventually, as is natural for the human race, conflict arrived. It became increasingly obvious that Earth alone could not hold the human race. It was becoming obsolete as well, as no elemental beasts were to be found there. However, where they should go instead became a topic of heated debate. Some believed that all the elements of the universe should be mastered, and as such set out to orbit their original home in a wide orbit so as to pass through all elements and gain proficiency in all. Others believed that because space travel is not fast enough, it would be impossible to reach the apex in all elements and instead insisted that humanity go as far as possible in one direction. Believing as such, they split up into groups and all set off in their own directions never to see each other again. In such a manner, most of humanity left its home among the stars for brighter horizons. However, a certain intellectual few were unimpressed by the fancy magic of the elements and preferred to indulge themselves in science and technology on their home planet of earth. As such they stayed, isolated from the universe beyond and unperturbed for eons in their own little paradise.