Cult of Machina

= The Cult of Machina =
"Deus Ex Machina"
== Overview ==
The Cult of Machina was created by Overseer using The Godless Epiphanies from under the deserts of the Aurlûnor Velande during his escape during the fall of Akratia. After losing his home and purpose no more than three separate times, he began to doubt the existence of control all conscious beings possess and deemed that every event in history had happened and existed for a reason, as if the world was controlled by a "Great Machine".
Machina comes from the quote "Deus ex machina", otherwise known as "God from a machine". The Cult of Machina is based on a pessimistic version of inevitability.
Worshipping a being known as "The Great Machine", the Cult of Machina pillars its belief in the aspects of inevitability, decay, laziness, and the abstract.
The Cult of Machina shares many of its qualities with other nihilistic cults such as Entropy and worship of Segra. However, when one takes a closer look into its scriptures, there seems to be a contradictory positiveness of its teachings.
== The Godless Epiphanies ==
The Godless Epiphanies are revelations that all members of the Cult of Machina follow. Each epiphany has multiple subsets of minor epiphanies which go into further detail.
These are followed loosely as guides instead of strict rules, and many members of the cult interpret them in their own varied ways. To present day, no full physical copy of The Godless Epiphanies has been compiled.
=== All Will End ===
The first revelation of the Cult of Machina preaches the inevitability of change, that nothing lasts forever. 
"Dirt washes away and stone cracks. Leather tears and chains break. Iron rusts and gold blemishes. Diamonds break and netherite, well, netherite get deleted by cacti"
It teaches of the non-permanence of good times, of the eventual end of golden ages of empires, and the end of all civilizations is to end and fall into ruin. However, it can also be interpreted as the presence of change. The change which can get one out of a difficult situation, that the end times of loss and sadness is unavoidable. 
"When you are at bedrock, there is only one way left to go"
===== Nothing Will Keep =====
"Wealth cannot achieve everything, but without it, one can do nothing"
A minor epiphany relating to the inevitability of change, it teaches the cult members to not horde wealth as one will inevitably lose it. Yet, one should also not take the other end of the extreme and reject all material wealth.
Others believe that it is a sign one should only live with the bare necessities in life, forgoing luxuries such as enchanted tools and advanced modes of transportation like elytra in order to lessen the sadness that one would experience after losing them.
===== Monuments To Narcissism =====
"A block placed is a block lost"
One of if not the most controversial minor epiphany in the Cult of Machina, which discourages the act of building and decoration. This minor epiphany is the sole reason the Cult of Machina possess little to no churches, temples, or shrines.
It preaches of the non-permanence of buildings and structures, which can be lost or damaged in many ways, ranging from griefing, stealing important blocks, world resets, and wars. On the flip side, this epiphany teaches members to respect buildings and architects for they have lost uncountable amounts of materials and sacrificed much blood, sweat, and tears in order to create the grand structures. 
=== Give Into Sloth ===
The second revelation of the Cult of Machina preaches the importance of laziness. 
"My dream is to never play on this server ever again"
Being able to be lazy is a luxury that not many can afford to do so. Kings need to rule, counts need to develop their land, soldiers need to defend, and farmers need to farm. Each role in a society has their jobs that they need to perform in order to fight against the inevitability of collapse. 
===== Automation Is Enlightenment =====
"I have given my entire life to Greg. Through Greg, will New Horizons be revealed to us"
Yeah but the server has hoppers turned off so what are we even supposed to do?
===== Every Word To Others Turns Against You =====
"Stop spamming global you nerd"
The most cryptic minor epiphany of all, for only few members of the Cult of Machina truly understand their meaning. Some have interpreted it to mean that one should not ask others to join the cult as that might be considered annoying. As history has shown, most of the time efforts to spread religion only ends in that religion being hated, so one can conclude that it is best to only speak of it when inquired to. 
=== Mind Over Matter ===
The third revelation of the Cult of Machina preaches the power of the abstract.
"The most dangerous person is someone with nothing to lose"
Relating to the epiphanies of the inevitability of decay and change, the third revelation instead encourages cult members to produce works of art to share through this eldritch web called "Discord". As no block placed in the world is permanent, and every land claim is able to be destroyed through war or neglect, one should instead savor the memories and experiences.
These abstract and intangible things can come in the form of pictures, music, videos, and more.
===== Sticks And Stones Break Bones, Words Also Hurt =====
"What will you do if 50 dudes with full diamond suddenly show up on your doorstep?"
This minor epiphany is a combination of many other epiphanies and tells a tale in which one should not grind for better gear as it would inevitably be lost when killed, takes too much effort and time for its payoff, and there are much better ways to get back at a wrongdoer than to kill them. 
== Trivia ==
* Yes, the logo was inspired by thaumcraft.
* The religion was created after every settlement, town, or state that I was in got destroyed by other nations who just grinded for better gear or had more cities and people.
* My favorite pickaxe in minecraft is the Stone Pickaxe.
Category:Traveler's Era