The Three Gods of Machinery

Merry Christmas, and I wish all of you probably imaginary but doubtless interesting people a wonderful pagan holiday.

Anyway, this is the thing I wanted to post last week but was too tired to finish. Let me know what you think!

There are three gods of machinery, and each has a different domain; the Assistive one’s domain is Tools, the Neutral one’s domain is Forces, and the Opposing one‘s domain is Puzzles. They can be worshiped individually or together, and each has a specific type of shrine.

The god of Tools can be worshipped by any form of tool crafting or use, and its shrines take the form of freely available tools. Anything meant to teach, such as signs, markings, statues, or most books all count, barring deliberate inaccessibility, as do fountains, lights, fire pits, stairways, and some types of wall. as such would fall under the domain of Puzzles. It is a common practice among those who worship it to leave tools they no longer have use for near a place where they will have use, such as weapons near hunting grounds, deadwood near campsites, and so forth. It is near universally worshipped, and it is traditional to ask it’s blessing on one’s equipment if one is about to do something dangerous, such as enter battle. The most popular of the three, although it is slowly losing prominence as engineers and philosophers begin to outnumber craftsmen.

The god of Forces can be worshipped singularly, but this is much less common than with either of the other two, as the only way is to represent a force or parameter without tools or puzzles. Hence, mathematics is the only way anyone’s come up with, and there is some debate whether or not it can be spoken without also falling under the domain of Tools. Often represented by a small object, such as a rock, atop another object, usually a cracked rock or a geode, with the planet itself as the final piece, representing gravity. There are many types of shrine to it, and this is merely one of the simplest and most common. While it is acknowledged by almost everyone, as it’s domain is rules both natural and artificial, and of the three it has the fewest who devote themselves primarily to it’s service. Doing so is seen as formal, traditionalist, and primarily the domain of the old and the very traditional families, although it has a small following that choose it because it is the least popular. As with all the Neutral gods, it is arguably the most powerful of it’s set, and the one which the other two rely on.

The domain of the god of Puzzles is any device, theoretical construct, or arrangement designed to obstruct, impede, or challenge, to which a solution is always available that does not rely on luck. Certain types of combat, almost all forms of contest, unlockable barriers, mazes, riddles, and fair tests all fall under this. It is worshipped in tandem with the other two, and thanked by those who use locks or games of skill or strategy, but it’s devotees live for a certain kind of challenge. It has an even greater role in combat than the god of Tools, as weapons, armor, and even communications are useless without adaptability, merely representing a greater challenge.

It is the most popular of the three among youths, engineers, and men of learning, as well as the majority of actual old people, and the second most popular of the three in general. It is somewhat more grudgingly accepted by farmers and craftsmen, but many who worship the gods of Fortune worship the god of Puzzles in some manner, although this is theoretically prohibited. The opposite is not, however, and has become something of a fad, as it allows the fusion of games of strategy and chance.