The Inevitables

Hailing from the lawful neutral plane of Mechanus, inevitables are constructs whose sole aim is to enforce the natural laws of the universe. They are the mechanical embodiments of Law, and seek to deal out justice where ever they are.

Specialized Creation. Each type of inevitable is designed to find and punish a particular kind of transgression, hunting down a person or group that has violated a fundamental principle, such as “The guilty should be punished,” “Bargains should be kept,” or “Everyone dies eventually.” When an inevitable is created, it receives its first mission, then finds the transgressors and metes out appropriate punishment. The sentence is usually death, although some inevitables insist on compensation to the wronged party instead, using geas and mark of justice to ensure compliance. From its first step, an inevitable focuses totally on its target. It continues its efforts no matter how cold the trail or hopeless the task. If unable to cross an ocean any other way, inevitables have been known to walk into the waves, traversing the seabed to emerge on another continent months later.

Unnatural Focus. Inevitables are single-minded in pursuit of their quarry, but they are under orders to leave innocents alone. Accomplices to their prey are fair game, however, which sometimes creates conflicts within their programming. Even the most effective inevitables are periodically recalled to Mechanus for reprogramming.

Patient Hunters. Inevitables gladly sacrifice themselves to complete a mission, but they aren’t suicidal. Faced with impending defeat, they are likely to withdraw and seek a way to even the odds. They are determined but patient foes. They ally with others if that helps accomplish their mission, but they have a hard time keeping allies for long. It’s apparent to anyone who spends much time with one that an inevitable would sacrifice an ally to fulfill its purpose without a second thought.

Wandering Judgment. When an inevitable completes its task, it wanders the landscape and passively observes life around it. When it discerns another transgression of the principle it is dedicated to, it has a new mission. Inevitables tend to stick out in a crowd while they’re in observation mode, but they seem oblivious to the attention. Those in the know who hear about a 12-foot-tall, golden-armored statue roaming the countryside might seek out the inevitable and present a case, hoping it will take on the alleged transgressor. The decision is based on the idiosyncrasies of the inevitable’s programming, so there’s no guarantee.

Their forms vary, but all inevitables are gold-and-silver clockwork creatures, with gears and pistons where muscles would be on flesh-and-blood creatures. Their eyes glow with a golden radiance.

Combat

Unless their very existence is threatened, inevitables focus completely on the transgressor they’ve been assigned to, ignoring other combatants completely. An inevitable might attack anyone who hinders its progress, but it won’t tarry beyond the point where it can reengage its quarry.

Inevitables take self-defense very seriously; anyone who attacks an inevitable with what the creature perceives as deadly force is met with deadly force in return.

Inevitable Types

There are five known types of inevitables, each more powerful than the last. However, there isn't necessarily a hierarchy between them, as they all act independant of one another and rarely interact. However, beyond this, all Modrons besides the highest of levels are beholden to any of the inevitables, as the inevitables represent a higher being of Law.

Kolyarut

Kolyaruts represent the ultimate enforcement clause in a contract— they mete out punishment to those who break bargains and oaths. Originally sent from Mechanus to avenge major betrayals, once on the Material Plane they hunt down everyone from unscrupulous merchants to army deserters. Anyone who reneges on a deal could draw the ire of a kolyarut, although the creature usually ignores inconsequential deals and rashly sworn oaths.

Before beginning a mission against a deal-breaker, a kolyarut learns as much about the contract or oath as possible. It’s not interested in those who break deals accidentally or against their will— only those who willingly break contracts violate the principle that kolyaruts are created to uphold. If a written contract was broken, the kolyarut typically carries a copy of the contract with it.

Kolyaruts are the most talkative of the inevitables, making credible attempts at social niceties such as proper greetings before getting down to the matter at hand. They can use disguise self to appear as almost any kind of humanoid—useful if they need to go undercover to catch their quarry.

Marut

Maruts represent the inevitability of death. They confront those who would try to deny the grave itself.

Any who use unnatural means to extend their life span (such as a lich) could be targeted by a marut. Those who take extraordinary measures to cheat death in some other way (such as sacrificing hundreds of others to keep oneself safe from a plague) might be labeled transgressors as well. Those who use magic to reverse death (raise dead spells, for example) aren’t worthy of a marut’s attention unless they do so repeatedly or on a massive scale.

When a marut has identified its target, it walks surely and implacably toward the foe, never resting.