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The
perfect synthesis of world and machine, the plane is
constructed of an infinite number of gears and cogs,
connected by an ever-turning array crankshafts, axles and
rotors. Where the machine is kept oiled and greased it
runs smooth and quiet, with only the gentle creak of
metal rubbing against metal and the pungent smell of
mechanical lubricant to remind a cutter he's anywhere
odd. Oh, and the view -- even a hardened planewalker
draws a sharp breath when he first claps eyes on
Mechanus.
Where
the modrons are less vigilant, nearer the edges of
Mechanus (as much as any infinite area can have edges)
the grinding can be almost unbearably shrill. It's said
that these parts of Mechanus are haunted by unquiet gear
spirits, or Mathematicians driven barmy by the manyfold
paradoxes of the plane.
A
traveller must remember, of course, that Mechanus is far
more three-dimensional than many planes. Gears and cogs
can be orientated at any angle, but are usually all
horizontal or perpendicular to each other (the occasional
cog can be found at other angles but these usually have
complex connection mechanisms to ensure the motion of the
plane is transmitted). Unlike many more "prime-like"
Outer Planes, where most of the realms and burgs are
found on the surface, there are burgs on Mechanus not
only next to one another but stacked above and below, and
at right angles. Some large cities can spill over several
adjoining cogs, and the rotating bridges that engineers
have made to cope with this are a sight to
behold!
A number of useful facts about the
plane are detailed below, but above all, a visitor should
be warned to find out as much about the local laws as she
can and stick to them rigidly. On Mechanus, Crime Doesn't
Pay.
"The
sentence should be light.
All
I did was walk on the wrong side of the street."
-- The (late) mage
Fiwex to a companion,
while in a Mechanus courtroom.
PHYSICAL
CONDITIONS
THE
SKY
-- Mechanus doesn't have a sky, as such, because the cogs
and gears are endless in all directions. Mechanical
locations can be found "above" or "below" as well, which
makes mapping the place a sodding sight more difficult.
The atmosphere of the plane is breathable for any
creature -- a fact that's not often remembered.
Water-breathing creatures can exist quite happily out of
water (assuming they have the correct limbs to move
around, that is), although most feel terribly
uncomfortable with the idea and will seek to return to
water as quickly as possible.
THE
GROUND
-- Although it's mostly cog and gear, the whole plane's
not metal. Much of the hard-wearing framework of Mechanus
is steel, iron, or tungsten, but many cogs have soil and
vegetation growing atop them. Sure, the trees and flowers
are organised in neat rows of ascending height, similar
colour and species, but that's what passes for Natural on
this perfect plane. Some cogs are actually made of stone,
usually a hard granite or millstone grit, but
planewalkers report cogs made from wood, slate, chalk,
flint (watch out for the sparks!), glassteel, and even
(allegedly) ice!
THE
LIGHT
-- Mechanus is lit by an
ambient glow that radiates from the space between the
gears, apparently. Some cogs have glowing mosses, pools
of lava, continual light spells or burning flames which
cast additional shadows, but otherwise the plane is
equally light all over. The glow fluctuates regularly
across the whole plane, but never to be particularly
bright or dark. 'Days' last exactly twelve hours, and
'nights' the same, but lighting conditions vary between
an overcast day on Arborea (or a bright one in Sigil!)
and dusky twilight.
THE
LOCALS
-- Even a clueless prime knows
Mechanus is the home of the modrons, the clockwork
creatures who're responsible for cleaning and maintaining
the delicate structure of the plane. Fewer cutters know
of the other locals; the gear spirits who protect the
machinery with a dryad's fanaticism, or the moigno,
mathematical extrapolations come alive. Many sages have
studied the ecology of Mechanus, but few can admit to
understand the intricacies of the system. While
everything that occurs on the plane is theoretically
predictable, in practise there are so many variables that
creating a working theory becomes humanly impossible. Of
course, creatures like the moigno are rather more than
mere humans, and many of them try to achieve just
this...
THE
LANGUAGE
-- Curiously enough, all spoken
languages can be understood on Mechanus by all cutters.
No matter how stupid a basher is, as long as he can talk,
he can communicate with any other berk on Mechanus.
Unfortunately, this savvy does not extend to the written
word, so a basher hoping to use Mechanus' linguistical
gift to read an obscure piece of text will have to do it
the old-fashioned way...
THE
LAWS
-- On the plane of Ultimate
Law, a cutter had better watch his step. As any
cross-trader can tell you, there's nothing stricter than
Mechanical law-enforcement, be they modronic, Guvner or
just local planar burg dwellers. A thief on this plane
had better be good, or have a quick getaway plan, because
once caught, there ain't a court in the land that can be
fast-talked. However, canny knights of the post have been
able to fool Mechanical juries by invoking obscure laws
and technicalities. It's a difficult game to play, for
nobody understands Law better than these folks, but
apparently it's possible. Fail and you're dead,
however.
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