**Archomental, Viceroy of the Void** **Alignment:** Evil (precise alignment undetermined) **Home Plane:** Quasielemental Plane of Vacuum **Realm:** An unidentified pocket of Negative Energy within Vacuum **Status:** Free **Also Known As:** Viceroy of the Void ### Overview Sun Sing, the Viceroy of the Void, is an ancient and extraordinarily malevolent elemental power associated with darkness, emptiness, and the Quasielemental Plane of Vacuum. His true identity remains one of the most enduring mysteries of the Inner Planes. Although he has been recognised among the archomentals, little is known of his origins, physical nature, or ultimate intentions. Sun Sing inhabits a secluded pocket of concentrated Negative Energy within the Quasielemental Plane of Vacuum. The location is especially remarkable because even the ordinary conditions of Vacuum are hostile to most living creatures, while the influence of Negative Energy presents additional dangers. How Sun Sing survives within such an environment has never been established. Unlike the better-known elemental princes, whose forms and powers have been extensively observed, Sun Sing possesses no reliably documented humanoid appearance. Accounts of his encounter with ancient demons describe him as a shapeless horror, an entity of extraordinary malevolence whose power exceeded that of the obyrith lords who discovered him. His association with the elemental forces of darkness and emptiness distinguishes him from other powerful inhabitants of Vacuum. Although he bears the title Viceroy of the Void, there is no conclusive evidence that he commands every quasielemental creature native to the plane or exercises universal sovereignty over its endless expanses. Sun Sing's origins remain uncertain. One tradition identifies him as the last surviving void mephit, a creature belonging to an elemental species supposedly exterminated during an ancient war. According to this account, Sun Sing escaped destruction by attaining supernatural power approaching that of an archomental. Other traditions propose that he is a lich or demilich who withdrew to the most isolated reaches of the Inner Planes to escape all contact with the living. These explanations remain competing theories rather than established facts. Whatever his original nature, Sun Sing has endured since the ancient conflict between Law and Chaos. His encounter with the obyriths during that war demonstrated extraordinary power, while the subsequent actions of a fragment of his essence revealed an ability to interfere with the planar passages connecting the layers of the Abyss. Despite these known events, Sun Sing remains profoundly reclusive. Few creatures have encountered him, and almost nothing is known of his immediate surroundings, personal interests, or the full extent of his influence. ### Domain and Influence Sun Sing inhabits the Quasielemental Plane of Vacuum, the realm formed where the Elemental Plane of Air meets the Negative Energy Plane. Among the Inner Planes, Vacuum is exceptional because it is defined not by the presence of a substance but by its almost complete absence. The plane consists of an apparently endless expanse containing virtually no matter, air, water, or natural illumination. Unlike many other elemental realms, Vacuum possesses no distinct border regions marked by substantial changes in its environment. Its emptiness remains remarkably consistent throughout its immense extent. Although the plane contains no natural air, its conditions differ from those of the empty spaces between worlds upon the Material Plane. Travellers do not ordinarily perish from sudden bodily rupture or extreme changes in pressure. Instead, the principal immediate danger is the complete absence of breathable air. Creatures dependent upon respiration must bring a suitable supply or possess supernatural abilities allowing them to survive without breathing. Ordinary flames cannot burn within the plane, although magical illumination remains effective and can extend farther than it would under ordinary conditions. The plane is also dangerous to creatures whose bodies consist of gases or vapours. Such beings may rapidly deteriorate when exposed to the complete absence of air, making Vacuum especially hostile to certain elemental creatures native to neighbouring planes. Another unusual property is the effect of Vacuum upon articulated mechanical objects. Armour joints, clockwork devices, and similar mechanisms may gradually seize because of the conditions within the plane. This phenomenon makes prolonged travel hazardous even for travellers who have already overcome the difficulty of breathing. Movement through Vacuum resembles travel within the Elemental Plane of Air. Creatures may choose a direction in which to fall, effectively moving through the void without conventional ground beneath them. Wings and similar means of flight that depend upon moving air do not function, although magical flight remains possible. Despite the apparent absence of anything capable of sustaining life, Vacuum possesses several native inhabitants. These include vacuum quasielementals, rare vacuum animentals, and unusual creatures adapted to existence within the empty reaches. The vacuum quasielementals are aggressive beings that seek to eliminate matter from their surroundings. Their hostility reflects the nature of their native realm, where the presence of physical substance is an intrusion upon almost absolute emptiness. Sun Sing's personal sanctuary lies within this immense expanse, at the centre of an unidentified pocket of Negative Energy. No reliable account establishes the sanctuary's dimensions, construction, defensive arrangements, or precise location. The existence of this retreat is known, but it is not described as a conventional fortress or palace. Nor has any established account demonstrated that it serves as the capital of an organised elemental empire. The concentration of Negative Energy surrounding Sun Sing makes his continued existence especially difficult to explain. If he possesses the nature of an undead creature, this might account for his ability to endure conditions that would destroy ordinary living beings. If he is instead an elemental creature, the source of his protection remains unknown. His influence is not entirely restricted to this sanctuary. Accounts suggest that agents acting on his behalf may travel through the multiverse, while a sentient fragment of his essence is known to have followed ancient demons into the Abyss. These connections demonstrate that Sun Sing's isolation does not necessarily prevent his power from reaching beyond Vacuum. ### Symbols and Icons No verified personal symbol has been established for Sun Sing. His recognised title, Viceroy of the Void, identifies his association with darkness and emptiness. However, neither the title nor his residence within Vacuum establishes a particular religious emblem or official insignia. No canonical account describes a universally recognised crest, sacred object, ceremonial design, or religious symbol belonging to him. ### Origins and Identity Sun Sing's nature remains one of the least understood aspects of his existence. Several competing explanations have circulated among planar scholars, but none has been conclusively demonstrated. The first identifies him as the last surviving void mephit. These creatures once inhabited the Quasielemental Plane of Vacuum in considerable numbers, existing alongside the vacuum quasielementals. Their relationship eventually deteriorated into an ancient war. The vacuum quasielementals, whose nature compelled them to eliminate matter and other intrusions into their realm, turned against the void mephits. The resulting conflict ended with the apparent extermination of the entire mephit species. According to certain traditions, Sun Sing survived this destruction. His escape has been attributed to the accumulation of extraordinary supernatural power, sufficient to place him beyond the capabilities of ordinary elemental creatures. If this account is correct, Sun Sing represents the last remnant of an otherwise extinct elemental people. However, the tradition remains unproven, and no surviving account confirms that he was ever a mephit. The second explanation identifies him as a lich or demilich. According to this interpretation, Sun Sing was once a powerful spellcaster who attained undeath and eventually withdrew into Vacuum. The extraordinary isolation offered by the plane would provide a suitable refuge for a being seeking complete separation from the living. The presence of concentrated Negative Energy within his sanctuary is also consistent with an association with undeath. Nevertheless, there is no established account of Sun Sing's former mortal existence, transformation into a lich, or possession of the magical objects associated with such creatures. His encounter with the obyriths provides another important clue concerning his nature. Those ancient demons encountered Sun Sing as a shapeless being of extraordinary malevolence and power. This description establishes that Sun Sing need not possess an ordinary physical form. It does not, however, determine whether he is an elemental, undead spellcaster, or another kind of supernatural creature. Later catalogues identify Sun Sing as an archomental associated with darkness and emptiness. Such recognition establishes his place among the powerful elemental beings of the multiverse, but does not resolve the question of his original nature. The truth remains concealed within the depths of Vacuum, where Sun Sing has shown no desire to explain his existence to outsiders. ### Followers and Servants Sun Sing's following is poorly documented. Unlike the great elemental princes who command substantial armies of elementals and other native creatures, he is not known to maintain an extensive organised court or military force. Planar rumours claim that he possesses a small number of undead agents who travel throughout the multiverse on his behalf. Their existence has never been conclusively established, although repeated accounts describe such servants gathering information or recovering objects for an unknown purpose. The nature of their assignment remains especially mysterious. Some stories suggest that these agents are collecting the separate components of a larger undertaking, but whether these are physical objects, fragments of knowledge, or something entirely different is unknown. No reliable account identifies the specific undead creatures involved, their leaders, or the means through which Sun Sing communicates with them. Although the Quasielemental Plane of Vacuum contains numerous hostile inhabitants, these creatures should not automatically be regarded as his servants. The vacuum quasielementals possess their own violent disposition and are known to have destroyed the void mephits during their ancient conflict. Their activities have not been established as occurring under Sun Sing's direction. Similarly, the undead known as vacuous inhabit the empty expanses of the plane, where they hunt other creatures. They remain bitter enemies of the vacuum quasielementals, and warfare between these two groups has continued for ages. Nothing establishes that Sun Sing commands either side. Sun Sing's isolation therefore makes it difficult to determine whether he maintains any significant following beyond the rumoured undead agents. No established organised priesthood, temples, or mortal religious hierarchy is associated with him. His known influence rests upon his extraordinary supernatural nature rather than a documented system of worship. ### Powers and Abilities Sun Sing is an immensely powerful supernatural entity, although his precise abilities remain largely unknown. His most significant demonstrated powers concern his survival within concentrated Negative Energy, his ability to oppose ancient demon lords, and the creation of destructive planar effects through a fragment of his essence. **Extraordinary Survival:** Sun Sing dwells within a concentrated pocket of Negative Energy in the Quasielemental Plane of Vacuum. His ability to endure this environment distinguishes him from ordinary living creatures and remains unexplained. **Shapeless Manifestation:** Accounts of his encounter with the obyriths describe Sun Sing as a shapeless horror. No fixed humanoid body, conventional anatomy, or recognisable physical dimensions have been established. **Overwhelming Supernatural Power:** Sun Sing confronted a group of ancient obyrith lords and proved sufficiently dangerous that they retreated from the encounter. His power was described as greater than that of those demons, although the precise means through which he fought them remain unknown. **Division of Essence:** A sentient fragment of Sun Sing's essence separated from him and followed the retreating obyriths into the Abyss. The continued existence of this fragment demonstrates that part of his being can function independently of the entity residing within Vacuum. **Manipulation of Planar Gates:** The fragment that entered the Abyss developed the ability to disrupt stable portals connecting its layers. These passages could be transformed into dangerous vortices leading to the region of Vacuum from which Sun Sing originated. **Creation of Vacuum Gates:** The corrupted portals retain the appearance of ordinary planar gateways but exert an extraordinary pulling force upon creatures approaching them. Those unable to resist are drawn through the passage into the airless void beyond. **Persistence Across Ages:** The fragment of Sun Sing's essence has remained active in the Abyss for millennia. During that time, it has retained its awareness and developed the ability to manipulate planar passages despite being unable to interact directly with its demonic enemies. These abilities establish Sun Sing as a dangerous and exceptionally resilient being, but they do not provide a complete description of his supernatural powers. No reliable account establishes his individual spells, physical attacks, magical resistances, ability to command vacuum quasielementals, or capacity to summon undead. His recognised association with darkness and emptiness likewise does not establish unrestricted power over every phenomenon related to those forces. ### The War Between Law and Chaos Sun Sing's earliest documented involvement in the affairs of the multiverse occurred during the ancient conflict between Law and Chaos. During this war, numerous obyrith lords turned their attention toward the Inner Planes. Their expeditions brought them into contact with powerful elemental beings, including Cryonax, Ben-Hadar, and the armies of the efreet. Eventually, a group of obyriths entered the airless realm between the Elemental Plane of Air and the Negative Energy Plane. Within that region, they encountered Sun Sing. The entity was already extraordinarily powerful and malevolent. Although the obyriths themselves were among the oldest and most dangerous demons, they discovered that Sun Sing was capable of threatening them. A brief battle followed. The conflict ended with the obyriths withdrawing from Vacuum and returning to the Abyss. They left Sun Sing behind, apparently believing that they had escaped the strange creature and ended their involvement with it. Their assumption proved incorrect. Unknown to the retreating demons, a sentient fragment of Sun Sing's essence had followed them back into the Abyss. The fragment remained hidden within the deepest reaches of that plane, unable to interact directly with its inhabitants or the demonic enemies it had followed. Nevertheless, it continued to exist. Over the ages, the fragment discovered a means of using the Abyss's own planar passages against its inhabitants. By interfering with the stable gates connecting the layers of the Abyss, it could transform ordinary portals into dangerous conduits leading back toward the Quasielemental Plane of Vacuum. This development provided a means of attacking creatures that the fragment could not otherwise harm. The encounter therefore did not result in Sun Sing's destruction or imprisonment. Instead, it established a lasting connection between the Viceroy of the Void and one of the most dangerous phenomena found among the planar passages of the Abyss. ### The Vacuum Gates Vacuum gates are among the most dangerous consequences of Sun Sing's ancient confrontation with the obyriths. These gateways originate when the fragment of his essence residing within the Abyss interferes with an existing planar portal. A corrupted passage can retain the appearance of an ordinary gate, providing little obvious indication that its destination or nature has changed. However, creatures approaching the portal encounter an extraordinary pulling force. The gateway draws nearby beings toward itself, threatening to drag them into the airless void where the Elemental Plane of Air meets the Negative Energy Plane. Those who are unable to resist this supernatural force may be pulled through before they can retreat. The destination presents an immediate danger to creatures that require air. Without a means of surviving in Vacuum, victims can rapidly suffocate. Creatures capable of surviving without breathing are not necessarily safe. Although such beings may endure the environment beyond the gate, the corrupted passage cannot be used to return to the plane from which they arrived. The portals therefore function as dangerous one-way traps rather than conventional means of planar travel. These vacuum gates do not establish that Sun Sing personally travels throughout the Abyss or controls every gateway within it. Their creation is attributed specifically to the sentient fragment of his essence that followed the obyriths into the demonic plane. Nor is the fragment known to have conquered territory within the Abyss. Its influence is demonstrated through the corruption of planar passages rather than direct rule over demons or their realms. The continued presence of vacuum gates demonstrates that the consequences of Sun Sing's ancient encounter with the obyriths have endured long after the original conflict. ### Other Powers of Vacuum Sun Sing is not the only formidable being inhabiting the Quasielemental Plane of Vacuum. Among the most dangerous is Zal the Destroyer, an enormous beholder who has adapted to life within the empty realm. Zal is considerably larger than an ordinary member of his kind and possesses exceptionally powerful supernatural abilities. From a fortress built upon a drifting fragment of elemental ice, Zal commands a deadly army of vacuum quasielementals. His guards include numerous beholders that have likewise adapted to the plane's unusual conditions. Zal's reputation for violence and destruction has attracted the attention of the Doomguard, whose members monitor his activities. Although both Sun Sing and Zal are powerful and malevolent inhabitants of Vacuum, no established account identifies the two as allies, enemies, or members of a shared political hierarchy. Their separate residences and activities demonstrate that the plane contains multiple influential beings rather than a single universally recognised ruler. The Doomguard also maintain a stronghold within Vacuum known as Citadel Exhalus, or the Portal of the Last Breath. This fortress surrounds an unusual gate connecting the plane to the Negative Energy Plane. Approximately two hundred members of the Doomguard reside within it, studying entropy and the ultimate destruction of matter. The citadel contains passages to other locations throughout the multiverse and provides one of the few established settlements within the otherwise empty plane. Its inhabitants are not known to serve Sun Sing, and the fortress should not be confused with his secluded sanctuary. The relationship between Sun Sing and these other powers remains unknown. His extreme isolation and the absence of reliable accounts concerning his activities prevent any definitive explanation of his political position within Vacuum. ### Myths and Legends Sun Sing's history is preserved through a small number of accounts concerning his uncertain origins, the ancient war between Law and Chaos, and the mysterious activities attributed to his servants. - **The Last Void Mephit:** One tradition identifies Sun Sing as the sole survivor of the void mephits, an elemental species supposedly exterminated by the vacuum quasielementals. According to the tale, he survived by attaining extraordinary supernatural power. No reliable evidence has confirmed his identity as a mephit. - **The War of Extinction:** Long before the present age, the vacuum quasielementals turned against the void mephits inhabiting their plane. The resulting conflict ended with the apparent destruction of the entire mephit population. Sun Sing's proposed connection to this war remains a matter of speculation. - **The Lich of the Void:** Another tradition identifies Sun Sing as a lich or demilich who sought complete isolation from the living. His residence within a pocket of concentrated Negative Energy is consistent with the theory, but no account establishes a previous mortal identity or transformation into undeath. - **The Sanctuary of Sun Sing:** Sun Sing inhabits a secluded sanctuary within Vacuum, at the centre of a pocket of Negative Energy. Its construction, extent, and precise location remain unknown. The conditions within the sanctuary are sufficiently extreme that even the means of its inhabitant's survival remain mysterious. - **The Encounter with the Obyriths:** During the ancient war between Law and Chaos, obyrith lords exploring the Inner Planes discovered Sun Sing. A brief conflict followed, and the demons retreated after encountering an entity of extraordinary power. - **The Fragment in the Abyss:** A sentient fragment of Sun Sing's essence followed the retreating demons into the Abyss. It remained concealed there for ages, unable to confront its enemies directly but capable of developing another means of attacking them. - **The Corruption of Planar Gates:** The fragment eventually learned to transform stable Abyssal portals into vacuum gates. These corrupted passages draw creatures into the airless realm between Air and Negative Energy and cannot be used for a return journey. - **The Undead Agents:** Planar rumours suggest that Sun Sing employs a handful of undead servants to travel throughout the multiverse. These agents are supposedly engaged in collecting objects or information connected to a mysterious undertaking. Their existence and purpose remain unconfirmed. - **The Unfinished Puzzle:** Stories concerning the supposed undead agents describe their activities as the gathering of separate pieces of a greater mystery. No one knows whether these pieces are physical objects, fragments of knowledge, or something else entirely. - **The Viceroy of the Void:** Sun Sing is recognised among the archomentals associated with darkness and emptiness. His title identifies his extraordinary position among elemental powers, although it does not establish that he exercises direct control over every inhabitant of Vacuum. ### Encounters with Sun Sing's Influence Sun Sing is seldom encountered directly. His reclusive nature, the hostility of his native plane, and the uncertainty surrounding his servants make his influence particularly difficult to trace. - **The Negative Energy Pocket:** Sun Sing's known residence lies within a concentration of Negative Energy in Vacuum. The location presents dangers beyond those of the surrounding plane, and no reliable account explains how he survives there. - **The Sanctuary of Sun Sing:** The sanctuary is known to exist, but its appearance and defences remain undescribed. There is no established account of a conventional palace, throne room, military garrison, or organised court within it. - **The Vacuum Gates of the Abyss:** Certain gateways connecting the Abyss's layers may have been corrupted by the fragment of Sun Sing's essence. These passages attract nearby creatures through a supernatural pulling force and deliver them into the airless void. - **The Wandering Undead:** Rumours concerning Sun Sing's servants suggest that a small number of undead agents may be gathering information or objects throughout the multiverse. Their identities, specific activities, and ultimate purpose remain unknown. - **The Extinct Void Mephits:** The disappearance of the void mephits remains one of the great mysteries associated with Vacuum. Although some traditions identify Sun Sing as their last survivor, no conclusive evidence establishes his participation in their ancient war. - **The Hostile Quasielementals:** Vacuum quasielementals seek to eliminate matter from their native realm and are exceptionally dangerous to travellers. Their hostility is an established property of these creatures, not proof that they obey Sun Sing. - **Zal the Destroyer:** This enormous beholder maintains a separate fortress within Vacuum and commands an army of quasielementals. His authority is independent of Sun Sing in the surviving accounts, and no established relationship connects the two. - **Citadel Exhalus:** The Doomguard maintain a fortress around a gate to the Negative Energy Plane. Their settlement provides a rare point of contact with the plane's inhabitants, but it has not been established as an outpost belonging to Sun Sing. - **The Howling Gate:** A portal in Pandemonium opens into Vacuum, drawing air from the surrounding tunnels into the empty plane. The gateway provides one of the known means of reaching the quasiplane, although no direct association with Sun Sing has been established. - **The Unseen Viceroy:** Those seeking Sun Sing himself face the greatest uncertainty. His physical nature, personal defences, and willingness to communicate remain unknown. The ancient obyriths survived their encounter only by retreating, while the subsequent actions of his fragmented essence continue to threaten travellers far beyond Vacuum. ### Conclusion Sun Sing, the Viceroy of the Void, is an exceptionally powerful and malevolent being associated with the Quasielemental Plane of Vacuum. His residence within a concentrated pocket of Negative Energy, his uncertain origins, and his extraordinary reclusiveness distinguish him from the better-known elemental princes. His true nature remains unresolved. Traditions identifying him as the last surviving void mephit compete with accounts describing a lich or demilich who withdrew from contact with the living. Although recognised among the archomentals, he possesses no conclusively established physical form, personal symbol, or organised following of elemental creatures. His most significant documented involvement in the affairs of the multiverse occurred during the ancient war between Law and Chaos. The obyrith lords who encountered him discovered an entity of extraordinary power and withdrew from the conflict, unaware that a fragment of his essence had followed them into the Abyss. That fragment eventually developed the ability to transform stable planar passages into vacuum gates, creating deadly traps that draw unsuspecting creatures into the airless reaches of Vacuum. This enduring influence demonstrates that Sun Sing's power can threaten creatures far beyond the secluded region he inhabits. Rumours of undead agents gathering the pieces of an unknown undertaking suggest further activities, but their existence and purpose remain unconfirmed. Sun Sing continues to dwell within the depths of Vacuum, his origins concealed and his ultimate intentions unknown. His recognised association with darkness and emptiness, together with the formidable power demonstrated during his confrontation with the obyriths, establishes him as one of the most mysterious and dangerous elemental beings of the multiverse.