Chapter 5: Near-Power: Singularity Primus

Near-Power: Singularity Primus

【Title】 The One and the Prime, the Clockwork God

【Alignment】 Lawful Neutral LN

【Power】 Previous Generation: Near-Power N → Dead (became a remnant soul)

【Power】 Current Generation: Near-Power N (equivalent to Greater Power G)

Relations with the Gods

【Supreme God】 None

【Enemies】 Tenebrous (Orcus), Chourst

Divine Realm and Church

【Divine Realm】 Mechanus

【Introduction】 Singularity is the "god" of the Maizhong and Mechanus, possessing power equal to a Greater Power. Whenever Singularity falls, it is replaced by a Secundi elevated from the Maizhong.

One generation of Singularity once expelled and nearly destroyed Chourst, the Random Lord of the Slithering Toads; the previous Singularity died at the hands of Tenebrous (Orcus), becoming a remnant soul (Qilin).

Near-Powers (Near-Divine Strength)

Among the countless commoners of the multiverse, climbing from the lowest dregs to the pinnacle is not unheard of. But unquestionably, the higher one climbs, the more enemies one gathers—and their time atop that peak will never be long. Yet this cruel truth fails to deter every villain's ascent; occasionally, one or two lucky few still reach the summit, clutching the handle of power, fighting to the death against all who follow.

They reek like rotting corpses, saturated with the scent of divinity. You see, by climbing atop piles of corpses, they forged their names and tricked those beneath them into offering praise and worship. Of course, their power levels vary wildly. The weakest Abyssal Lord cannot be matched by the strongest bird among the Animal Lords of the Menagerie. But reputation can be converted into raw power. The more beings know of an old bird, the more likely it is to enter the realm of the gods.

This old bird is not a deity, but it is not far from one.

Not all Near-Powers "wish" to become full-fledged gods; they feel their power is sufficient and occasionally deign to meddle in mortal affairs. Yet regardless, all Near-Powers are dangerous entities, and the best advice for any planar traveler is to stay far away.

Singularity

To be honest, Singularity—the Clockwork God, guardian of the Maizhong—is, in terms of power, roughly equivalent to a Greater Power. (Though Singularity transcends gender, it is typically referred to with male pronouns.) The only problem is that most of its followers do not worship, revere, or even know of its existence. You see, each Maizhong knows only its immediate superior and subordinate in the Maizhong hierarchy. Thus, only the second-highest Maizhong—the Secundi—are aware of Singularity's existence.

Nevertheless, Singularity manages everything with perfect order. It is the embodiment of order itself, representing all that Mechanus stands for. Under its leadership, the Maizhong are expected to operate with maximum efficiency, advance the ideal of order, and spread this structure throughout the cosmos. Singularity speaks only to its Secundi, yet its will permeates the entire Maizhong hierarchy.

This guardian deity rules from the Regulus Grand Clocktower, a vast divine realm within Mechanus. Singularity is typically depicted as a pool of energy or a radiant lighthouse—the source of all Maizhong, the hive-mind guiding every action. Information must travel up and down the command chain, but rumors say Singularity knows everything the Maizhong know (at least within minutes after they learn it).

When a Maizhong dies, its body dissolves and its energy immediately returns to Singularity. Then, it sends a signal elevating a lower-tier Maizhong to fill the vacancy; the newly elevated Maizhong's former position is filled by an even lower-tier Maizhong, until a Monodrone is elevated. At that point, Singularity emits a new Monodrone from its self-sustaining energy bath, and higher-tier Maizhong guide it into its new role. Thus, the claim that Maizhong have no individuality is true—they are in fact extensions of Singularity.

Every time the gears of Mechanus complete seventeen cycles (estimated by the Guvners to be roughly 289 years), Singularity dispatches Maizhong across the Outer Planes. Though the purpose of the Great Modron March remains largely secret, old birds believe it is to gather news of the current state of the multiverse. Fed by such information, Singularity and its bizarre logic grow ever stronger. After all, knowledge is power—and it is said that nearly all the secrets of the multiverse are locked within Singularity's mind.