Axis

Not to be confused with "Axis" in the Axis & Allies sense

Axis is the Lawful Neutral plane in the Pathfinder Great Beyond cosmology. (D&D's analogue to Axis is Mechanus.)

It is a utopian city of immutable law and order, acting as a border between Heaven and Hell as well as being a bulwark against the chaos of the Maelstrom.

Quite possibly the second "oldest" plane after the Maelstrom, it was once a flat and barren landscape, devoid of life and activity. When the first mortals arrived in the Material Plane and created laws and cities, portions of the Maelstrom coalesced and split off and eventually fell here, symbolically representing the crystallization of ideas from infinite possibilities into something concrete. The first shards became the Axiomite Godmind, after which the Axiomites emerged who began to construct the city known as "Axis".

Unlike the other Outer Planes, Axis is finite in size, although to call it "small" would be a gross injustice as it encompasses an area and population equivalent to millions of other cities that would take lifetimes to cross. This means that travel across the city has to be facilitated by a network of portals. Most of the city districts are the realm of a particular deity, although many districts belong to long dead and forgotten deities, but remain standing all the same, simply adding to the size of the plane. Therefore it is presumable that although Axis is only finite, it is still growing, seeing as mortal beliefs will constantly make new concepts into concrete reality, new gods will rise and fall, and petitioners from the the material plane will continue arriving up until the cosmos eventually ends.

Locations

Threefold Pillars of the Axiomite Godmind

At the dead center of Axis are the three crystalline obelisks which first appeared in the wasteland and they are the largest structures in the whole city. The surface of each obelisk is marked with a constantly shifting stream of mathematical equations, which represent the Godmind's attempts at making sense of the multiverse; given that it has to contend with planes of improbable chaos, unspeakable evil, and idealistic good, this is a task that is unlikely to be ever completed unless law and order is brought to every other plane of existence, at which point the city of "Axis" will likely have grown outwards to envelop the whole maelstrom.

The space between the three obelisks is where the Godmind chooses to manifest physically, though when it does not, the area still acts as the seat of governance for axiomite society.

Aktun

The "capital" of Axis is the district belonging to Abadar, fittingly the god of cities, wealth, and civilization. Despite the Axiomites and their Godmind holding most, if not all, of the influence over the defense and construction of the city, De facto governance and rulership has fallen on Adabar's shoulders.

At the district's outer edge, entrance is gained by walking through one of four immense golden archways, guarded by a colossal construct called "Lawgiver", who is capable of occupying multiple locations simultaneously, including on other planes while maintaining his vigil over the arches.

At Aktun's heart is the First Vault, which is reputed to contain a perfected version of every creature and object that ever existed.

The Wasteland

While the city of Axis is measurably finite, the space in which it inhabits is not. Outside of the city walls the barren void that the city originated from still exists, stretching off into the infinite where it becomes virtually indistinguishable from the Maelstrom. From this wasteland the city gets routinely assaulted by the forces of the chaotic Proteans and abyssal demons, the results of which eventually created the Inevitables to be used as servitors and guards by the Axiomites. The city has also weathered assaults from the primordial titans and the battle scars are still visible from the walls of the city.

Pharasma's Spire

Axis is host to the pillar of quintessence that leads to the Boneyard, which stands outside of the city walls and is visible from nearly all points on the plane. Unlike the Spire in D&D that leads to Sigil, the spire of Axis is not deceptively infinite, though it is impossibly tall, and continually growing. Reaching the spire would mean leaving the city and crossing the battle scarred wasteland to the base itself, where one would find that is is encircled by a tributary of the River Styx. The base is also surrounded by golden walls which are guarded by Inevitables, which oversee the polluted water and protect against Daemons.

Inhabitants

An axiomite, looking like an elf with a magical skin rash.

From the beginning of mortal civilization, the Godmind emerged in response, and from the Godmind came the Axiomites. These shapeshifters can choose to look like any race, but their true form is a cloud of glowing mathematical symbols and equations. They are the Lawful Neutral race of outsiders in the Pathfinder setting, and share a common goal and purpose. They are not necessarily servants of the Godmind so much as its physical incarnations and act as the caretakers and architects of the city's never-ending expansion.

The Axiomites then created the Inevitables in response to the first assaults by the forces of the maelstrom. This new construct race act as the guardians and enforcers of the city. They are also more likely to leave Axis for other planes where they can further the cause of law according to their own directives.

Lawful Neutral souls and servants of native gods rise again as petitioners called the Remade, who appear as perfectly formed humanoids whose bodies are inscribed with metallic writing. They are usually more intelligent than their mortal forms (though as petitioners likely have lost their mortal memories) and are completely immune to transformative magics.

Gallery

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