bestiary
The Simurgh
The great mechanical guardian of the world, a Tier 5 Demiurge-level automaton residing in Mount Damavand.
Origin
The Simurgh is not merely an automaton—it is a monument to love, loss, and eternal duty. Created by the Broken Sun in his final moments of coherent divinity, before he was fully imprisoned within the Sun, the Simurgh represents his last conscious act of protection.
At its core lies the body of the Broken Sun's beloved wife, transformed and preserved through divine power. Her essence, combined with the Broken Sun's soul and promise, animates this golden being. It is simultaneously a weapon, a guardian, and a memorial.
Physical Form
The Simurgh is a colossal mechanical bird, its body composed of nano-cellular Athanatic Steel that shifts between solid and fluid states. Its wingspan, when fully extended, can blot out the sky. Its feathers are blade-sharp plates of gold and brass that can separate and reform at will.
It does not walk—it flows and glides, defying conventional physics. Its eyes are twin suns of concentrated Azhur's Ore, capable of perceiving spiritual signatures across vast distances.
Powers and Abilities
- Planetary Regulation: From its perch in Mount Damavand, the Simurgh regulates climate, tectonic activity, and the spiritual field of the entire planet.
- Reality Imposition: As a Tier 5 Demiurge, it can locally rewrite physical laws, creating zones where its will becomes absolute.
- Soul Perception: It can see the truth of a person's soul—their intent, their alignment, their deepest fears and hopes.
- Defensive Protocols: When threatened, it can deploy legions of smaller automata, reshape its body into defensive configurations, or emit pulses of Spenta energy that purify Angra corruption.
- The Archive: It contains the accumulated knowledge of ages—history, science, magic, and the true names of all things.
The Forgotten Memory
To protect itself from the pain of its own origin, the Simurgh erased its memory of being the union of the Broken Sun and his beloved. It knows its purpose—to protect—but not the personal tragedy that birthed it. This amnesia is both mercy and vulnerability.
In Arc 2 of the novels, this becomes crucial: the Simurgh is being corrupted because it has forgotten why it protects. Only by remembering its true origin—the love story of the soldier and his wife—can it be healed.
Current State
The Simurgh dwells in the heart of Mount Damavand, which has been transformed into a vast mechanical fortress. It rarely emerges, acting instead through intermediaries and smaller constructs. It speaks in a voice like singing crystal, rarely and only when necessary.
It is worshipped by some, feared by others, and misunderstood by most. It is not a god—it is a promise made manifest. It is duty without end, love without release.
Symbolic Significance
In Persian mythology, the Simurgh is a benevolent bird of wisdom. In Némand, it retains this role but with a tragic undertone: it is wisdom born from grief, benevolence powered by trauma. It protects because it cannot forget (even though it has forgotten the specifics) what it means to lose everything.