Mechanus and Primus
Mechanus
Mechanus is the plane of absolute law and order — a Lawful Neutral outer plane composed of enormous interlocking gears and clockwork structures. Every action within Mechanus follows precise, immutable rules. It is a place devoid of chaos, where logic and structure govern all things.
Primus
Primus is not a name but a title, given to whoever leads Mechanus. The holder of the title is not necessarily immortal and has no fixed gender — Primus is simply the supreme authority of the plane, the embodiment of order itself.
The Fall of Primus
Primus was defeated by Orcus, the Demon Prince of Undeath. The assault shattered Primus’s essence, fragmenting it into shards that scattered across the planes.
In a final act of preservation, Primus sent these shards outward to find capable bodies — individuals who might serve as vessels to restore order to Mechanus and eventually reconstitute the title’s power.
Jaruul’s Connection
Jaruul carries one of these shards within him, granting him a direct connection to the remnants of Primus’s will. This bond ties Jaruul to the fate of Mechanus itself.
However, this connection is not without peril. Jaruul experienced a dark vision in which he saw himself becoming the destroyer of Mechanus, twisted under Orcus’s influence. The vision suggests that the same shard meant to restore order could, if corrupted, be turned into a weapon against the very plane it was meant to save.
The tension between Primus’s purpose and Orcus’s designs places Jaruul at the centre of a conflict that stretches far beyond the material plane.
The Prophecy
After his second shard merged with his first in Session 70 and the entity within him was fought off by the party in Session 71, Jaruul found himself unconscious within Mechanus. A presence confronted him — Primus — who asked what had become of him. Jaruul admitted he feared he had become a danger to his friends.
Primus left him with a chilling prophecy:
A great war is coming; Jaruul will either rule Mechanus… or destroy it.
In Session 72, Jaruul performed an improvised ritual to contact Primus once more. After a failed first attempt, the second succeeded. Primus spoke in riddles — confirming that Jaruul was special and that his decision could change the fate of the Planes, but offered no urging either way: the decision was Jaruul’s own, and no choice was right or wrong.