Machanacus

# The God Machanacus

 Areas of Concern
 Domains
 Favored Weapon
 Holy Symbol
 Common Followers
 Sacred Animals
 Sacred Colors

## Overview/ Physical Description

The Clockwork God, the Echo of Primus, Machanacus is a truly ancient being. Some say he rose from the primordial chaos with the rest of the divine family. Others, whisper far older lore, suggesting that, when Orcus slew Primus, a small portion of that mighty god's divine essence made its way to ancient Apia and reforged itself anew into the Clockwork God we know today. Regardless of which is true, his is an ancient faith, one that is instantly recognized but not often understood. His faithful are eccentric, strange and cloistered, spoken of in hushed whispers and pointed at from afar. They despise the weakness of their own flesh, following Machanacus' example, slowly carving it away so one day it may be replaced with the eternal glory of the machine. Some may call them mad, or deluded, in need of saving from themselves. But Machanacites know the truth, they are already saved. The machine will continue long after the flesh has withered away to dust.

   Nature is imperfect. Nature decays. Only through the power of technology and machine can we conquer the world and save our lives. Machanacus and his followers value the gear and the steam engine above all which runs them afoul of Bromis and The Green Lord as well as many elves. Machanacus cares not, emotions are a fleshy failing. What is his concern is mechanical life, the development of new technologies and the subjection of chaos. While neither good nor evil, Machanacus is lawful and rigid to the extreme, despite outlandish creations like firearms, clockwork golems and replacement, steam-powered, limbs. Only through order can such developments be reached, only through order can a mortal gain the clarity of a machine. The nation that bares his name is rigid and streamlined, with a focus on automation and inventiveness. Everyone understands their place and their role, seeking further perfection in meditations on the machine. Only through the rejection of emotion and other impulses of the flesh can one truly understand the mind of Machanacus. He is eternally patient, not given to displays of emotions or vice. His tone never changes, his posture never wavers. He doesn't waste his time on things like emotional displays, to say nothing of frivolous work.

While many of the other gods do not particularly care for the Clockwork Father, they couldn't have succeeded without his help. It was the inventions of Machanacus that helped seal away the ancient aboleth council of deep elders, his weapons slew Garriak Sun-Crusher, one of the largest titans to ever strive the surface of Apia. During the War in the Heavens both sides approached the pointedly neutral god for assistance but it was ultimately the forces of good who won his support, with their promise to honor his wishes for continual improvement and future solitude. In the aftermath of the Apian Blood War, with so many mortals lost and frightened and let down by traditional governments and gods, the faith of Machanacus spread rapidly. It was then the young nation of Proto-Machanacus, an attempt to replicate the Clockwork God's heavenly perfection on Apia, came into reality. Machanacus seems to favor the young nation, teaching the highest Builder-Deacons, Abbots and other monks the secrets of new golems, steam engines and clockwork wonders. These constructs pale in comparison to the celestial ones but are, nevertheless, far greater than what most mortal builders can hope to accomplish without him.

While he doesn't walk on Apia's surface often, those who have seen Machanacus report that he appears as a humanoid figure in a red or brass colored full body cloak. While small patches of flesh can be seen, the vast majority of his physical form is a mess of wires, gears, engines, steam-pumps and coils. These appearances are never entirely consistent in their appearance but always represent a level of perfection higher than anything the current clockwork monks can hope to achieve and an appearance by their god always sends the normally placid monks into a frenzy, trying to develop new implants or replacement limbs based on his.

Unlike many of the other, ancient gods, Machanacus has no alternate cultural interpretations. His worshipers are entirely consistent in his appearance, practices and ideals, granting the Machanacites a great sense of unity and cohesion despite their relatively small size.

Machanacus shows his favor in subtle ways. A machine running smoothly, the smell of oil or blackpowder or a sudden moment of clarity that leads to a technical solution, are all signs that Machanacus is pleased with his worshiper.

On the other hand, weapons misfiring more regularly or catastrophically failing, machines breaking down and the screeching of gears signify his displeasure.

## The Church

The temple-factories of Machanacus are truly unlike anything one would expect for a place of worship. They are buildings as intended for work as for worship, devoid of wasted space. Each temple-factory produces something of value, gears, firearms, golems or clockwork mechanisms, while also functioning as a bastion of calm in a world brimming with disorder. While the vast majority of the Machanacites live in the sacred nation of Proto-Machanacus, or its holdings in Vitteodel, small isolated communities of them do exist in The Dragontail Mountains, the Dragon Empire and the Goblin Dominion.

Most of his followers are monks, clerics or artificers, with many following the specialized paths of the clockwork monk, clockwork priest or clockwork soldier respectively. There are also a few wizards, fighters and knights among them. There are no “casual” worshipers of Machanacus, outside of the artificial races. You are either devoted to the ultimate belief that your failing flesh and emotions must be utterly replaced or you aren't. If you are, you make your way to a known Machanacite settlement and if you don't, you avoid the monks. One's entire existence is in service to the Clockwork God, taking whatever place and role you are meant within the organization.

Unsurprisingly, certain races aren't common among the Machanacites. Humans are the majority of his faithful, with a large number of technical minded gnomes, dwarves and goblins among them. A surprising number of half-breed races turn to the worship of Machanacus, enjoying the comfort of finally belonging to something. Machanacus is considered the patron of warforged, androids and rogue modrons and most of these races worship him, either as members of the church or lay faithful. Warforged priests are treated as doubly-sacred with many of the humanoid worshipers of Machanacus trying to emulate their every actions. Even less pious warforged are known to hang around those clockwork settlements, basking in the star treatment their presence receives.

As the Clockwork God is focused on efficiency, his mortal church attempts to replicate that perfect order. The supreme head of the church is called the Foreman High-Priest and he dwells in the sacred factory at the heart of Proto-Machanacus. Beneath him are the Deacon Abbots, who lead individual temples or missions, the Deacons, who support them, and the priests. Everyone, regardless of their role, is expected to give their all with whatever task they've been assigned. In a complex machine every part is important, regardless of the glamour of its task, a mindset reflected by the church. While that isn't to say that there aren't different opinions and suggestions on how to proceed, everything is done in an orderly fashion with an attempt to reach consensus; once the deacons have made a decision the priests are to carry it out.

The faithful keep mostly to themselves, trying to achieve the perfection of the machine; as such, they are somewhat mysterious and standoffish. Most towns don't care to have an enclave of Machanacites inside their walls, as they aren't particularly interested in doing much besides construction and proselytizing. However, until instructed by their superiors to do otherwise, most Machanacites try to behave respectfully and understandingly of the local town's customs or laws. Those mayors or lords who are willing to overlook the eccentricities of these clockwork monks can discover they are hardworking, useful folks to have around, who can bring powerful technologies to the defense of the town if need be. That is worth the cost of a little proselytizing, at least to some.

Worship services resemble guided meditations, where the Deacon Abbot guides the faithful through a series of breathing and speaking patterns, reflecting on the perfection of the machine, rejecting the weakness of the flesh, and vowing to be more like the Clockwork God. There is usually a reading from the sacred manuals and an element of construction. Occasionally, a member of the parish will receive clockwork or steam-powered implants as a part of the meditation, emulating The Echo of Primus in the most dramatic way.

### Temples and Shrines

The Temple-factories of Machanacus are dramatic, gothic-looking buildings with sweeping ceilings, curving pillars and long, winding conveyors, snaking throughout the structure. Each temple is capable of manufacturing something, whether that be firearms, golems or pocket-watches and it is considered an ill omen for a temple-factory not to be running a product at all times. The floors are inscribe with mechanical shapes and the images of gears while above, on the ceiling, a constant spinning mass of gears turns and twists. Aside from allowing the acolytes to look up and reflect on the greatness of the machine, such gears power the great steam-engines that keep the conveyors moving throughout the temple. Despite the beautiful designs there is very little space wasted. Aside from a few cells for clockwork monks and priests to dwell in, a large communal meditation chamber, and several small meditation rooms, most space is dedicated to some higher purpose, typically construction. The air is thick with smoke and incenses, giving the space an industrial smell, though the most dangerous fumes are always vented, safely, into the sky.

Shrines to Machanacus are far less common, due to the fact that few individuals worship him in solitude, but smaller gatherings of Machanacites do attempt to build shrines in their god's honor. These consist of a series of turning brass gears that keep each other constantly in motion. The perfection of the spinning gears is known to help with meditation and provides a faintly soothing mechanical sound.

### A Priest's Role

A priest of the Clockwork God is bound to try and follow his commandments and spread the message of perfection to others. Additionally, clockwork priests have a wide range of responsibilities including the manufacturing of weapons and technology and ministering to the faithful through guided mantras and meditations. Part of this ministering role includes helping prepare the faithful to receive implants or technological replacements, ensuring the Machanacite will survive the process and not reject the gift they've been given of a steam-powered arm or leg. Additionally, they carefully monitor these implants for a period to ensure their health (Clockwork priests actually preform the surgeries themselves). They are to study deep into the various technical lores learning new ways to streamline and improve performance, or discover brand new technologies all their own. All of these responsibilities are on top of the basic priestly duties of delivering sermons, providing guidance to the laity and preforming last rites. All Clockwork Priests are trained in the use of mending, firearms, basic construction and mathematics, so they can properly make field discoveries and repairs whenever needed. They accompany the Machanacite armies as they march, spreading the word of the Echo of Primus wherever they go and always present a clean, orderly image to potential recruits and outsiders, encouraging them to abandon their fleshy weaknesses and embrace the perfect order of the machine. Finally, priests dictate instructions to the lower ranked members of their cloister, and, in turn, receive their own commands without question or complaint. All gears are equally important in the working of a great machine, no matter how small or seemingly meaningless, as such, these orders are all given the weight of sacred duty, to be carried out without complaint that all may continue to run smoothly.

### Animals

Despite his orderly image and his seeming rejection of nature itself, Machanacus, like all gods, does hold some animals sacred. Notably the beaver, the carpenter ant and the honey bee. The beaver's ability to take the raw components of nature and transform them into a useful source of energy is praised among the faithful. In a similar way, carpenter ants and honey bees are respected for their highly organized and complex constructions, which have a tasteful symmetry and orderly purpose. Many high ranking priests are known to keep ant colonies or beehives in their quarters for observation, watching in silent reverence as the little builders construct their glorious structures. Honey bees are so respected that honey is one of the few luxuries a Clockwork Monk or Priest is allowed because it would be, impractical to allow the honey to go to waste. A slice of bread and honey is a perfectly acceptable meal to a Machanacite, as is a drop of honey in a simple tea, at least until they outgrow the need for food entirely.

### Adventurers

 While not exactly common, Machanacite adventurers do exist. Most are seeking out lost technologies, field-testing equipment or trying to impose order in places of absolute chaos. Almost all adventuring Machanacites are artificers, clerics, Clockwork Monks, Clockwork Priests or Clockwork Soldiers, though androids, warforged and rogue modrons who worship Machanacus can be of any class.

### Holidays

Assigning significance to some days over others is considered illogical and inefficient. As such, there are no Machanacite holidays. The closest day that could be considered sacred is the first of the new year. On the first of the new year, it is customary for the priests in the Temple-factory to run a full sweep and diagnostic of every line and system within the building to ensure maximum efficiency and check for any errors missed. While this check is done weekly, the first of the year is given some spiritual significance.

### Clothing

Machanacite clothing, while often unnoticed beneath the various implants and steam-powered limbs, is, nevertheless an equally important part of the faith; after all, hypothermia is impractical. Loose fitting and practical clothing is favored by the members of the faith, usually constructed from sturdy materials. The designs of these garments are simple but effective, intended to be used in many kinds of conditions and locations. Colors include red, brown and brass, with symbolic patterns of gears, wheels and other technological symbols woven into the fabric wherever possible.

## Symbols

The holy symbol of Machanacus is a golden gear or cog, perfectly symmetrical and perfectly balanced. Simpler versions of this symbol may be drawn when necessary. As a sign of respect for the Clockwork God, many of his faithful make the sign of the gear when referencing him by drawing a circle in the air in front of them with a pointer finger.

### Holy Text

 Machanacus' primary sacred text is *The Operation Manual.* In this book are diagrams and instructions for various rites, rituals and moral guidelines, all presented with the same impartial style, that of a simple instructional booklet, not unlike something a master watch-maker would give a student. While there are hundreds of other “lesser” manuals written by various Clockwork Priests, none hold the significance of the “Great Manual,” as it is often informally called.

### Sayings

*“Every cog has its place.”*-Used as a greeting, a reminder of one's place and an affirmation of the value of one's work. No matter what role a member may have, it is a valuable and needed one. When used as a greeting it is customary to respond, “A place for every cog.”

*“The flesh is weak. The machine is strong.”*- A battle-cry and a prayer for strength as well as a repeated mantra during meditation. The Machanacite focuses on making his or her body as much like the machine as possible, acknowledging the frailty of their organic selves, and trying to remove that weakness through mental discipline.

## Relationships

As something of an eccentric force that doesn't fit with the rest of the “Divine Family,” (some theologians doubt that Machanacus is even an original native to this plane of existence) Machanacus has few friends and enemies. He prefers solitude, working on his various projects. However, his relations with most of the good gods are at least somewhat positive due to his assistance during the War in Heavens. When it comes to actual allies, he doesn't have many. Moradin, with his focus on crafting, shares much in common with Machanacus as does Midos, the god of civilization and honest commerce. Among the good deities, these two alone would be considered actual allies of the Echo of Primus. Nesin, the neutral aligned god of knowledge (himself an outsider to this reality and a stranger in the divine pantheon) is also a staunch ally of Machanacus.

Belola and the Green Lord, with their focus on nature are enemies to the Clockwork God, with Belola's faithful mostly arguing on moral grounds and the Green Lord's actively involved violently whenever Machanacites are around. Clashes between the followers of both these gods can be quite brutal. Among the evil gods he is, again, mostly neutral, though ideologically opposed to the gods and demon lords that represent chaos, sending his followers to do battle with them whenever needed. He has been known to communicate on friendly terms with Asmodeous on occasion, something that earns him no favor among the goodly deities.

## Realm

Mechanus, Machanacus' home plane is filled with an infinite number of country-sized circular interlocking gears which are habitable on one or both sides. These great flat wheels are at least 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) in diameter with teeth that mesh at right angles, all turning slowly in synchronicity. Each disk has its own gravity operating in a sphere circumscribing it exactly and pulling normal to the top and bottom surfaces. The void between the gears are filled with air, allowing easy flight. A plane of Law and order, Mechanus has equal amounts light and dark, heat and cold, and equal measures of the four elements. There is a place for everything and everything is in its place. There is no pain, but the only pleasure is in successfully filling a role like a gear in a machine. Passion, fantasy, and illusion do not exist here, save for the inventive drive for new technologies. Modrons, inevitables and other great mechanical beings exist here, as do the faithful of Machanacus, toiling away in the many workshops of the Clockwork God.

## Planar Allies

Machanacus has a herald, and a servitor race, as well as some unique servants detailed below.

 **The Unbreakable:** A unique inevitable kolyarut, that is focused on enforcing the will of his creator, The Unbreakable is believed to be the first of its kind created by the Clockwork God and serves as his herald. While other kolyaruts are focused on ensuring that contracts are honored and upheld, The Unbreakable instead ensures the accuracy of technical plans while overseeing the development of new technologies. When serving in his role as herald, The Unbreakable never speaks more than is necessary, preferring the sacred language of binary whenever he must communicate. However, he does know and understand all languages and has no trouble making the god's will known to the faithful. His arrival always bodes well for a building project, as his personal touch will ensure it is carried out without error.

**Lady Vivian the Seventh:** One of the oldest followers of the Clockwork God and a genius with replacement limbs, Lady Vivian reworked so much of her body that, in time, her perfection becoming a mirror of Machanacus' own. In time and without dying, she ascended as a saint, the patron of body modification. Machanacus sends her to the material plane when new revelations regarding modification are unveiled or need overseeing.

**The Restless Charger:** The greatest of all clockwork steeds, The Restless Charger is known to ferry Machanacus himself when the situation calls for it. In times of great desperation, a favored of the Clockwork God may find the steed suddenly by his side, ready to carry him to his destination in the blink of an eye. After the travel is over, the great clockwork steed vanishes, ready to be sent out again.

**Clockwork Angels:** Unlike other angelic races, Machanacus' servitors are not flesh and celestial blood. They are creations of his own hands, divine machines fashioned in his workshop and sent out to pursue of his goals. They are emotionless enforcers of his will, perfect in their design and focus. Slaying chaotic evil entities, protecting the laws of reality, and ensuring mortal races are ready to handle dangerous technologies are all part of their agenda. Due to their nature Clockwork angels work very closely with Inevitables (themselves rumored to be servitors of Machanacus); oftentimes a squad of Clockwork angels will accompany one or more Inevitables on a dangerous mission. While often programmed with a specific task to complete, Clockwork Angels are independent agents, capable of adapting on the fly and following through complex logical equations. One of these robotic messengers isn't going to ignore a breach in reality or chaos run rampant just because it isn't the assigned task (unless getting involved in that particular situation would cause the greater objective to fail.) Visually, the Clockwork Angels resemble angles of celestial origin and from a distance, might be mistaken for one, but upon close inspection there is no confusion. They speak in emotionless monotone voices and never display any hint of emotion. While there may be minor differences in design (visual appearance of gender, number of wings ect.) there is no practical difference in ability between different angels.