--- ### **Timeline of Mechanus** --- #### **The Primordial Age (Pre-Dalereckoning)** - **Before -35,000 DR: Creation of Mechanus** - Mechanus is formed during the creation of the multiverse as the plane of ultimate order. - **Primus**, the One and Prime, emerges as its ruler, shaping Mechanus into a perfect system of interlocking gears. - Modrons, Primus’s creations, begin spreading law throughout the multiverse. - **The Dawn War:** - During the war between the gods and the primordials, Mechanus remains neutral, focusing on maintaining the balance of the multiverse. - Modrons act as arbiters, ensuring neither side disrupts the planar fabric excessively. --- #### **The Age of Expansion (-30,000 DR to -10,000 DR)** - **-30,000 DR: The Modron March Begins** - The first **Great Modron March** occurs, with modrons traveling across the planes to enforce the will of Mechanus. - This cyclical event occurs approximately every 289 years, allowing modrons to monitor and repair the multiverse's balance. - **-25,000 DR: Mechanus’s Influence Expands** - Mechanus establishes connections to the Outer and Inner Planes, embedding gears in key planar nexuses to monitor the flow of law and chaos. - Modrons begin recording the histories of other planes, creating the first **Archives of Order**. - **-20,000 DR: Conflict with Limbo** - Mechanus engages in minor skirmishes with forces from **Limbo**, the Plane of Chaos. - Modrons attempt to impose order on Limbo’s chaotic energies but are ultimately unsuccessful, retreating to Mechanus. --- #### **The Age of Mortal Interaction (-10,000 DR to -1,000 DR)** - **-10,000 DR: Discovery by Planar Travelers** - Mortals from Toril and other Material Planes begin to explore Mechanus, seeking its knowledge and the guidance of Primus. - Many adventurers find themselves overwhelmed by the rigid logic and precision of the plane. - **-7,000 DR: Rise of the Lawful Orders** - Mechanus inspires the formation of mortal orders dedicated to law and order, including paladin sects and legalistic faiths. - These orders often consult with modrons for advice on maintaining balance and justice. - **-5,000 DR: The Netherese Experiments** - Netherese wizards attempt to harness Mechanus’s precise energies for their magic. - Their efforts disrupt several gears, drawing the ire of modrons, who retaliate by severing the wizards' access to the plane. --- #### **The Age of Lawful Expansion (-1,000 DR to 1358 DR)** - **-1,000 DR: The Codex of Mechanus** - A mortal scholar from Toril named **Sorran Tarsis** writes the **Codex of Mechanus**, a treatise on the laws of the multiverse as interpreted by Primus. - The codex becomes a sacred text for several lawful religions and organizations. - **500 DR: Modron Intervention** - Mechanus intervenes in a planar conflict between Baator and the Abyss, deploying modron legions to prevent the Blood War from destabilizing planar borders. - While the modrons fail to end the war, they reinforce Mechanus’s reputation as enforcers of balance. - **714 DR: The Siege of Myth Drannor** - During the siege, a group of elven wizards summon modrons to aid in repairing the city’s magical wards. - The modrons succeed but withdraw as soon as the work is complete, refusing to engage in the ongoing battle. --- #### **The Time of Troubles and Mechanus’s Role (1358 DR)** - **1358 DR: The Time of Troubles** - During the chaos of the gods walking Faerûn, Mechanus works to prevent catastrophic disruptions to the multiverse’s balance. - Primus orders modrons to stabilize weakened planar barriers, ensuring the Material Plane remains intact. - Several mortals report encounters with modrons delivering cryptic warnings about maintaining balance in the wake of divine upheaval. --- #### **The Spellplague and Mechanus’s Adjustments (1385 DR to 1487 DR)** - **1385 DR: The Spellplague** - The collapse of the Weave disrupts Mechanus’s operations, as many of its gears temporarily lose synchronization with the multiverse. - Primus recalibrates Mechanus’s systems, stabilizing the plane and minimizing further disruption. - The modrons focus on repairing the damage caused by wild magic and rogue planar entities. - **1395 DR: The Rogue Modron Incident** - A rogue modron escapes Mechanus, spreading chaos across the planes. - Adventurers track and destroy the rogue before its influence destabilizes key planar nexuses. --- #### **The Second Sundering and Modern Era (1484 DR to Present)** - **1484–1487 DR: The Second Sundering** - The restoration of the **Tablets of Fate** allows Mechanus to fully realign with the multiverse. - Modrons once again march across the planes, repairing damage caused by the Spellplague and the chaos of the Sundering. - **1492 DR: Baldur’s Gate 3 and Mechanus’s Influence** - Agents of Mechanus, including modrons and planar scholars, investigate disturbances in Baldur’s Gate caused by chaotic and infernal influences. - Adventurers encounter modrons attempting to impose order, leading to philosophical and physical conflicts. - **Present Day:** - Mechanus continues to monitor the multiverse, deploying modrons to address imbalances and prevent chaos from overwhelming law. - Adventurers often visit Mechanus to seek knowledge, forge alliances with modrons, or recover artifacts imbued with the plane’s precise energies. --- ### **Themes of Mechanus’s Timeline** 1. **Absolute Order:** - Mechanus embodies the concept of perfect balance and unyielding law, ensuring the multiverse operates smoothly. 2. **Modron March:** - The cyclical Great Modron March serves as a reminder of Mechanus’s ongoing vigilance and intervention in the multiverse. 3. **Interplay with Chaos:** - Mechanus frequently clashes with chaotic planes like Limbo, highlighting the eternal struggle between law and chaos. 4. **Adventuring Opportunities:** - Mechanus offers challenges such as navigating its massive gears, negotiating with modrons, and unraveling mysteries surrounding Primus’s logic. ---