Axiomite

From PathfinderWiki
Axiomite
An axiomite.
(Creature)

Axiomites (pronounced AK-see-oh-mite)1 are creatures of pure law, living incarnations of the Godmind that brought the Eternal City of Axis into existence. They are Axis' first inhabitants, and serve as the lords, caretakers, and architects of the city.2 According to aeons as part of the Convergence, axiomites are themselves aeons and part of the Monad, and represent a group that rebelled against the Monad as part of a long-forgotten cycle.3

Appearance

The true form of axiomites is that of glowing clouds of golden, crystalline dust. The clouds move and contort on their own accord, temporarily congealing into twisting lines of mathematical symbols and complex tangles of equations. Each axiomite is actually an immortal construct of living, intelligent mathematics approximating a humanoid shape.43

However, axiomites usually take a variety of outward forms of metallic, idealised, perfect humanoids of all descriptions.3 Non-humanoid axiomites also exist, but are rarely seen and usually stay in the depths of Axis. Their true forms can be seen briefly whenever axiomites move or perform any complex actions.45

Ecology

Axiomites claim that they are the mathematical laws of reality made manifest in order to understand itself.3 The first axiomites were created from arithmetic dust by the Threefold Pillars of the Axiomite Godmind, before the advent of mortal life. These ancient axiomites are known as hierarchs, and take the most alien forms among their race.56

New axiomites, like many outsiders, are created from the souls of mortals who embodied the ideals of law and impartiality—such as architects, crafters, mathematicians, and philosophers—and found their way to Axis.3 When asked, axiomites claim that this is an adjustment to the changing laws that govern all existence, as demons, devils, and all sorts of other outsiders reproduce using mortal souls, as do the axiomites.7

The actual transformation of a soul into an axiomite is a mysterious process. The soul experiences a strong call towards one of the axiomite constructions (axiomites describe this as "the call of the Godmind" or "answering the resonance"). Each of these structures is related to a single class of laws with each construction attracting souls with similar interests. Once a soul reaches one of these axiomites, they touch it, disappearing within for several days; when they emerge, they are an axiomite.7

Habitat

The only place axiomites call home is the Perfect City of Axis. They rarely leave their home, but some brave axiomites can be found elsewhere either trying to understand some fundamental laws of the Great Beyond, proselytise the value of order, fight chaos, or expand the borders of Axis. The ecology of the axiomites is bizarre and could exist only in the Outer Planes. According to their records, axiomites were the first creatures to inhabit the city of Axis.57

Outside of Axis, axiomites can be found in the Elemental Planes, Heaven, Hell, the Boneyard, and the domains of lawful deities, keeping embassies and working with fellow researchers. They also maintain a presence at the Spire of Golden Concordance in Nirvana, where they study agathions' history and methods of cooperation. On the Material Plane, axiomites guide the advancement of lawful cultures.5

Axiomites maintain numerous laboratories hidden across the multiverse, where they conduct dangerous research. One of the most notable of such black sites is Liracaenia's Cradle, a demiplane in the Astral Plane.5

Society

The Godmind of Axis

Axiomite society is inwardly focused and divided into three groups, mirroring the Threefold Pillars of Axis: Knowledge, Enforcement, and Administration. The First Pillar focuses on researching the history and laws of the planes beyond Axis and the multiverse itself; the Second Pillar is tasked with building and maintaining the axiomites' servitors, an army of inevitables; the Third Pillar occupies itself with managing Axis and the city's diplomatic relations. Axiomites of the Second Pillar are expansionist, but do this solely due to their wish to regulate the multiverse.57

Despite its three separate focuses, axiomite society moves with a single purpose. The race is collectively ruled by the Godmind of Axis, which is formally known as Transcendental Council of the Defined Infinite. Despite its name, the Godmind is not a deity, or a singular hive-mind entity. It is instead a composite of the greatest axiomite minds from each of the three focuses of their society. Referring to axiomites collectively is equatable to referring to the Godmind, and their actions are the Godmind's.5

Relationships

A council of pleroma aeons recently revealed that axiomites were prodigal aeons that broke free from the Monad, an aeon demigod that claims to represent the underpinning of all realities, in order to pursue acts of creation. This reassociation of axiomites as aeons is part of a cycle the aeon council calls the "Convergence". Most axiomites were swayed by these aeons' explanation of how the axiomite language, Utopian, itself is a melding of aeon envisioning and mathematical expression. However, some rejected the Convergence, and the aeon response has ranged from disregard to bargaining, or even destruction.3

Inevitables are by far the most prominent of the axiomites' servitors. Additionally, axiomites also employ scrivenites as preservers of knowledge and Axial monitors as a police force. Aphorites, despite also being axiomite creations, are less servants and more colleagues created by the Godmind as a way to better understand mortals. The most powerful of such creations are apkallus, the living sphere of annihilation known as the Ghost of Departed Quantities, inevitables that are worn as armour by axiomite generals, and other strange things that are both and neither inevitable and axiomite, but are amalgamations of metal and mathematics.5

Axiomites maintain strong alliances with archons and devils, and often cooperate with them against proteans and demons. They hold a deep, mutual respect with psychopomps and mercanes. Axiomites tolerate, but mostly ignore, the presence of Axis's curious gishvits. They have increasingly sought to collaborate with the Riftwardens, but have difficulty working alongside its chaotic members.58

Axiomites find it hard to interact with other beings, especially mortals; they operate on a geological timescale, often fail to grasp that different circumstances require different solutions, and their methods tend to be blunt, extreme, and lacking in nuance. Their actions are guided by cold pragmatism alone, devoid of any benevolence or malice.5

Accustomed to having loyal inevitable servants and reluctant to directly act, they usually hire adventurers as agents, which they see as operating according to their own law. Despite the difficulties of interaction between axiomites and their hirelings, they always follow their bargains to the letter.5

Some axiomites discover impossible calculations that are neither true nor false and reveal some terrible realities that lie beyond known creation. Agents of Norgorber often lure them to Duskfathom with the promise of clearing their memories, but instead transform them into graveknights as their despair is exacerbated, flesh melted away, and soulstuff twisted into negative energy to leave behind only a core of hateful mathematics.9

On Golarion

Throughout most of his reign over Thassilon, axiomites worked for Emperor Xin as aides, before the runelords took over and corrupted the empire.5

References

  1. Erik Mona, et al. “Appendices” in Campaign Setting, 246. Paizo Inc., 2008
  2. Robert Brookes, et al. “Chapter 3: The Great Beyond” in Planar Adventures, 173. Paizo Inc., 2018
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Logan Bonner, et al. “Monsters A-Z” in Bestiary, 8–9. Paizo Inc., 2019
  4. 4.0 4.1 Amber Stewart. “Bestiary” in The Great Beyond, A Guide to the Multiverse, 56. Paizo Inc., 2009
  5. 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 John Compton, et al. “The Monitors” in Concordance of Rivals, 28–29. Paizo Inc., 2019
  6. John Compton, et al. “War Between Law and Chaos” in Concordance of Rivals, 36. Paizo Inc., 2019
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Amber Stewart. “Bestiary” in The Great Beyond, A Guide to the Multiverse, 57. Paizo Inc., 2009
  8. Thurston Hillman & Adrian Ng. “Bestiary” in Crownfall, 84–85. Paizo Inc., 2018
  9. John Compton. “The Reaper's Right Hand” in The Reaper's Right Hand, 44. Paizo Inc., 2018