Mechanus
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In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Mechanus, also known as The Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus, is a strongly lawful aligned plane of existence. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Planes that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) cosmology, used in the Planescape, Greyhawk and some editions of the Forgotten Realms campaign settings.
It is the plane of ultimate law and order, where the souls of people of lawful neutral alignment go after death. Mechanus operates on a strict schedule where every action is planned, measured and controlled perfectly. It is home to the construct-like geometric modrons, the law-enforcing inevitables and the regimented giant ants called formians.
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[edit] Structure
Mechanus consists of a single infinite plane, there are no constituent layers. Mechanus shares its borders with the neighbouring planes of the Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia and the Infernal Battlefield of Acheron; travel is possible between Mechanus and these planes at certain locations.
Throughout Mechanus exists a series of interlocking cogs that float in space, intersecting at all angles and directions. Many of the cogs are gigantic, stretching many miles across and turn so slowly that the rotation is undetectable. Smaller cogs can move at much higher speeds, but no centripetal force is experienced, except at the very edges. Usually smaller cogs bunch up with larger ones; these are called knots. The gears are fiercely guarded by gear spirits that reside within them.
[edit] Features
[edit] Regulus
Regulus is the home of the construct-like Modrons. Their strict hierarchy originates from Primus, a greater deity, which resides here. Regulus consists of a total of sixty-four cogs, a number that never varies. It is divided in to four quarters of sixteen cogs, each ruled by a Secundus. Each quarter is in turn split into four regions, of four cogs, each ruled by a Quarton. Finally, the regions are further subdivided into four sectors, of a single cog each, ruled by an Octon.
[edit] The Center
At the center of the Formian realm lies a central cog more than three-thousand miles across, where the Scion Queen Mother, leader of the Formians resides. The central cog supposedly imparts the movement to all other cogs in Mechanus.
[edit] Anu
Anu is ruled by Anu. Here exists a single huge disc, upon which his palace rests.[citation needed]
[edit] The Jade Palace
The Jade Palace is home to Shang-ti, the Celestial Emperor. His palace is the focal point of the Celestial Bureaucracy, which also supervises the Chinese pantheon. The Great Library can be found here.[citation needed]
[edit] More Godly Realms
The plane of Mechanus is the location of a number of godly realms, including the god Pholtus' realm of The Path of Law, Helm's realm of Everwatch, the myconid deity Psilofyr's realm of Mycelia, Nai No Kami's realm of The Shaking Land, Yama's realm of Yamasadena, Rudra's realm of Focus of Energy, and Varuna's realm of The Vigilant Eye.
[edit] Fauna
[edit] Historic influences
Mechanus was originally named after the Buddhist concept of Nirvana, which could be described as a perfectly ordered balance between extremes. With it's renaming in the Planescape setting, however, it has changed markedly from this concept
[edit] References
- Grubb, Jeff; Cordell, B.R.; Noonan D. (2001). Manual of the Planes. Wizards of the Coast, 127-130. ISBN 0-7869-1850-0.
| Outer Planes | ||||
| Celestia | Bytopia | Elysium | Beastlands | Arborea |
| Arcadia | Outlands |
Ysgard | ||
| Mechanus | Limbo | |||
| Acheron | Pandemonium | |||
| Baator | Gehenna | Hades | Carceri | Abyss |
