Monad

From PathfinderWiki
Monad
The Monad.
(Deity)

Titles
The Condition of All
Adjective
Monadic
Realm
Both within and outside the multiverse
Alignment
Areas of Concern
Creation
The infinite
Truth
Edicts
Ensure balance between opposing forces, mediate disagreements
Anathema
Allow your personal motivations to determine a major decision
Cleric Alignments (1E)
Domains (1E)
Artifice, Darkness, Knowledge, Void
Cleric Alignments (2E)
Domains (2E)
Creation, knowledge, truth, void
Favored Weapon
Unarmed strike; fist
Symbol
Spiral galaxy
Source: Concordance of Rivals, pg(s). 11 (1E)
Lost Omens Gods & Magic, pg(s). 130
f. (2E)

The Monad is a demigod that represents the transcendental undersoul of all life and the supreme oneness between the aeons and the Great Beyond itself. Less a being than an ancient design omnipresent across all creation, the Monad is described by the aeons as simultaneously the void that predated existence, the cosmos itself, the future infinity, and the truth that binds existence, and is equated to both the cosmic fire of Creation's Forge and the consuming Void.12

Relationships

The Monad is fixated upon the cosmic status quo. It3 seems content as long as the planes are in balance, but its aeon minions police the cosmos according to a design described as slightly out of synchronization with that of the gods. For this reason, it is speculated that the Monad seeks to recreate a previous existence through subtle, alien nudges.1

Appearance

The Monad is intrinsically formless and operates through the aeons, for whom it acts as a guiding force and a source of thought. The Monad creates aeons' quintessence and recycles it when they are destroyed or accomplish specific goals; in that way, it behaves much like a plane.14

Servants

The Monad is served by the aeons, and the relationship between them resembles that of a body and its constituent cells. Aeons are part of the Monad, and likewise the Monad exists in each. The Monad constantly informs each aeon about the instructions and information it needs, but the connection is imperfect, giving individual aeons some agency.5

Aeons do not limit the concept of the Monad to themselves, but include all creatures within the Great Beyond within it. A human and an aeon are both emanations of the Monad, but the aeon is much closer to the source and is in direct communication with it, while the human is distant and focused on the Material Plane.2

Cults

The Monad boasts no temples and counts few followers, and only those rare few mortal worshippers who approach an aeon's selflessness and detachment can hope to receive divine magic from it. They often experience flashes of insight and directives, like fledgeling aeons, and aid the aeon's work in preserving balance, usually focusing on an imbalance that common aeons do not oversee. Many of the Monad's followers are famous scholars who exert their influence to recruit new members and advance their goals, or judges and lawyers particularly capable of seeking a balance between both sides of a conflict. Because the Monad is a very distant patron (it is unknown if the Monad is even aware of its devotees), its followers often follow the guidance of lesser aeons; many are particularly adept at questioning them and interpreting their responses.16

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 John Compton, et al. “Auditors of the Absolute” in Concordance of Rivals, 11. Paizo Inc., 2019
  2. 2.0 2.1 Jason Bulmahn, et al. “Chapter 6: Running an Occult Game” in Occult Adventures, 238. Paizo Inc., 2015
  3. The Monad does not identify themself as having a particular gender.
  4. Paizo Inc., et al. “Monsters A to Z” in Bestiary 2, 8. Paizo Inc., 2010
  5. John Compton, et al. “The Monitors” in Concordance of Rivals, 27. Paizo Inc., 2019
  6. John Compton, et al. “Monitor Worship” in Concordance of Rivals, 40. Paizo Inc., 2019