[OOC] Ergaleomancy & Moral Issues
Theta's technical knowledge is actually somewhat limited--clockworks are built with only a few basic requirements to them--the gears must be able to turn in all parts of the machine, the machine must be able to move in the proper directions, and the gearworks must go back to the spring that powers it. This can be fudged a little bit with certain metals--Theta uses an alloy made of brass and rubber that is 'flexible metal', capable of bending in more natural ways, a bit like skin. It is also capable of stretching to different sizes. It is NOT strong enough for use in things larger than household designs, such as Theta's teapot, which can turn its spout from side to side as though it is looking around, or somewhat slouch or straighten depending on its moods. That ties in with where the magical aspect of ergaleomancy takes over--clockworks are just as much a magical creation as they are a mechanical means, and that is why ergaleomancy in Theta's world is limited to those already born with the innate ability. It is not a teachable skill.
That is why Theta does need access to great technical knowledge, and she even makes use of technical knowledge that she cannot actually explain in more detail than the basic theories behind. This is because an ergaleomancer has a connection to the Akashic Records, or Collective Unconscious, through which Theta can pull more knowledge. Of course it doesn't give her an open connection to everything--this connection only works with relation to her clockworks. She can use the Akashic Records to make a medical clockwork capable of giving first aid, not to learn how to give first aid herself.
The closest thing to 'fudging' this rule is that she might get a list of supplies and then start guessing based on that. For example, she might draw a design for a burn treating clockwork, which includes a cold water spout, antibiotic dispenser, and gauze wrapping attachments, and from there guess that washing the burn, applying antibiotics, and wrapping it with gauze is a good idea. But that doesn't actually grant her any medical skills--it's just a list of supplies and basic common sense.
The difference in an ergaleomancer's skill is half magical and half mechanical. An ergaleomancer with a limited connection to the Collective Unconscious would not be able to make as many innovative designs as one with a more full connection, and there are many ergaleomancers who do not surpass this level, instead making many of the same sort of devices. Which has its place in society--this is where the bulk of the clockworks that run the world come from, such as automatic water kettles and other more mundane and practical devices. An ergaleomancer with limited mechanical skill, however, can go to school and otherwise work to improve it, as it's the more 'real world' based aspect of it. This is the 'craftsmanship' aspect of ergaleomancy--how to shape metal and wood, how to align the gears, and the otherwise purely physical points. No matter how good an ergaleomancer's connection to the Akashic Records, a poorly made clockwork will never outperform a well made one, even if the poorly made one is made by an ergaleomancer with magical abilities even a thousand fold over the magical abilities of a master craftsman.
A truly skilled ergaleomancer, however, excels in both, usually through having a good connection to the Akashic records innately and then polishing up their mechanical abilities through training and schooling. This is the category that Theta falls into, though it has come by practising the skill for most of her life, ever since it appeared. With her knowledge of science and physics as well, it has become possible for her to bend and even break the laws of reality through use of vehicles, which for example might allow her to jump between dimensions or through time, or various beams such as a sex inversion gun or an age alteration ray.
Really, she is limited by player consent and proper communication with the moderators. While it's feasible for her to be able to build nigh on anything, it's also -just- as feasible for it to /not/ work. By staying in touch with the moderators and asking permission before doing anything over the top or unusual, I can keep a very good balance between the times she succeeds and the times she fails. There's also the question of time and materials--she needs materials to be able to work, and it takes time to build something intricate. Without the materials, she can't build anything, and without the time to spend building it, she can't just pull things out of nowhere.
Clockworks and AI
Most clockworks wind up with a certain amount of sentience, though how this comes to be depends on whether or not the design was originally intended to have it. Devices that do not need any matter of autonomy do not develop sentience and are not given it to begin with. For example a sex inversion gun is aimed by a human, fired by a human, and does not need to make any 'decisions' for itself, so it would not develop AI. Similarly, a 'cheap' teapot would boil the water on activating a switch and would have the water poured, so it would not need awareness of its own. These are almost entirely mechanically based, using only the smallest amounts of magic, and as such, ergaleomancers with limited connection to the Akashic Records usually make clockworks of this type. The more intricate a clockwork, however, the more 'book knowledge' an ergaleomancer needs--sex inversion guns and age alteration rays are built on principles found in physics, so those with lesser educations would be building teapots and other miscellanea while those with university degrees work on building the things that break the laws of reality as we know them.
The next step up from that is the most basic form of sentience. Clockworks that need to be able to follow basic instructions or need a basic awareness of their surroundings would fall into this category. At creation, the ergaleomancer building the clockwork interacts with the Collective Unconscious not only in building the clockwork, but also to take some of the Unconscious Energy and imbue the clockwork with it. Having been given a body, that Unconscious Energy becomes a consciousness of its own, inhabiting the clockwork body it has been given. As only a small amount of energy has been put into it, it is only a small amount of awareness--a fish fryer that can take the fish out when they are done, a teapot that activates on being told to make tea (as opposed to by the use of a switch as in the first example) would be examples of this.
A clockwork of this type that regularly undergoes maintenance and tune-ups will also gradually absorb energy from the ergaleomancer tending to it. This occurs only when it is the same ergaleomancer to tend to it over a number of years, and usually only when there is an emotional connection between the ergaleomancer and either the clockwork itself or the clockwork's owner. With time, it will come to be on par with the next type of clockwork, which is called a 'spirited clockwork'. These clockworks are made with the intention of being given personalities and a bit of a 'spirit'. Again, when the ergaleomancer connects to the Collective Unconscious, they take some of the Unconscious Energy and imbue it into the clockwork, but this time they take more. To do so requires a greater connection to the Collective Unconscious, and also cannot be done on a clockwork that is not at least somewhat well made, as the Unconscious Energy cannot inhabit a body too close to falling apart. These are the highest form of sentient clockwork available to the general public, and are prohibitively expensive, a token of the upper class rather than something commonly found.
There is one more type of clockwork besides this, however, and the method behind its creation is a tightly guarded secret. Theta's father, Charles Buckley, wanted to create a clockwork capable of keeping an eye on his daughter, even with her...questionable tendencies. He put so much effort into the thing's creation, coupled with his impressive skill as an ergaleomancer, that he tore loose a piece of his -own- soul to embed in the clockwork. It now speaks with Charles' voice and expresses similar feelings to him, though the pocket watch is limited in his scope, seeing all questions as relating to his purpose--keeping an eye on Theta. A workable comparison would be some of the minor-character robots in A.I. and how they see the world in terms of their initial programming even when well out of the bounds of their normal use.
The topic of Coggy brings me to an important point about clockworks relating to Theta's world. People fear the idea of what might happen if clockworks start to overtake humans, much like how science fiction universes fear that about robots and computers. As such, clockworks are always deliberately made to look inhuman, whether that is to look like animals or household objects. While spirited clockworks are a well loved bit of craftsmanship, they are usually viewed as novel in that they are -not- human but have human characteristics. The occasional odd people do see them as alive in their own right, but these people are regarded as weird, in the same vein as a man that talks to his car in the real world.
A clockwork such as Coggy would upset the proverbial apple cart, forcing people to consider clockworks in a completely different light. That is why Charles refuses to reveal the method he used in making Coggy--Coggy is not just a machine but in possession of a soul, meaning that the energy that drives all clockworks is like unto a soul. Charles fears that Coggy will be destroyed in the same way Frankenstein's Monster was reviled, only being a pocket watch, Coggy cannot protect himself, and Theta and her family would be destroyed for trying to protect him. As such, as a part of protecting Theta (as his design is to do such), Coggy always refers to himself as a possession and makes a point of trying not to insinuate that he has feelings of his own.
Also to assist with preventing a clockwork uprising is the idea of winding. No clockwork may be capable of winding itself, and this includes clockworks capable of winding other clockworks--all clockworks must be wound with a non-attached key, and it is illegal to let a clockwork hold its key or the key to any other clockworks. Notably this and the law against making spirited clockworks designed for harming humans are the only -laws- surrounding clockworks and the moral conventions enforced upon their creation. People are expected to police themselves and exercise common sense. Queen Victoria does not believe it is necessary to enact further laws, though if any issues do come up, the decisions made in such cases will set a precedent and as such will be exceptionally harsh. (This is not to say the laws have not been broken before, but that people haven't been caught at it before.)
Weaknesses
Ergaleomancy is first and foremost a crafting skill. Unlike a fictional mage that can just summon a golem and have it rise from the earth, there is a technical aspect to it. Clockworks have to be well crafted, and that can take ages to do. She requires a clockworking workshop, which includes many costly tools, and supplies, not the least of which include gemstones. Furthermore, making a clockwork takes time and effort both in designing it and in crafting it. Some weeks can be spent in the design phase of a clockwork that follows normal conventions (such as the now oft-used teapot example, designing a teapot from scratch but it's still a teapot with the basic design already known); it can take months or years to design an innovative clockwork that hasn't been done before. Actually building it can take months to years, depending on the project.
That is why Theta does need access to great technical knowledge, and she even makes use of technical knowledge that she cannot actually explain in more detail than the basic theories behind. This is because an ergaleomancer has a connection to the Akashic Records, or Collective Unconscious, through which Theta can pull more knowledge. Of course it doesn't give her an open connection to everything--this connection only works with relation to her clockworks. She can use the Akashic Records to make a medical clockwork capable of giving first aid, not to learn how to give first aid herself.
The closest thing to 'fudging' this rule is that she might get a list of supplies and then start guessing based on that. For example, she might draw a design for a burn treating clockwork, which includes a cold water spout, antibiotic dispenser, and gauze wrapping attachments, and from there guess that washing the burn, applying antibiotics, and wrapping it with gauze is a good idea. But that doesn't actually grant her any medical skills--it's just a list of supplies and basic common sense.
The difference in an ergaleomancer's skill is half magical and half mechanical. An ergaleomancer with a limited connection to the Collective Unconscious would not be able to make as many innovative designs as one with a more full connection, and there are many ergaleomancers who do not surpass this level, instead making many of the same sort of devices. Which has its place in society--this is where the bulk of the clockworks that run the world come from, such as automatic water kettles and other more mundane and practical devices. An ergaleomancer with limited mechanical skill, however, can go to school and otherwise work to improve it, as it's the more 'real world' based aspect of it. This is the 'craftsmanship' aspect of ergaleomancy--how to shape metal and wood, how to align the gears, and the otherwise purely physical points. No matter how good an ergaleomancer's connection to the Akashic Records, a poorly made clockwork will never outperform a well made one, even if the poorly made one is made by an ergaleomancer with magical abilities even a thousand fold over the magical abilities of a master craftsman.
A truly skilled ergaleomancer, however, excels in both, usually through having a good connection to the Akashic records innately and then polishing up their mechanical abilities through training and schooling. This is the category that Theta falls into, though it has come by practising the skill for most of her life, ever since it appeared. With her knowledge of science and physics as well, it has become possible for her to bend and even break the laws of reality through use of vehicles, which for example might allow her to jump between dimensions or through time, or various beams such as a sex inversion gun or an age alteration ray.
Really, she is limited by player consent and proper communication with the moderators. While it's feasible for her to be able to build nigh on anything, it's also -just- as feasible for it to /not/ work. By staying in touch with the moderators and asking permission before doing anything over the top or unusual, I can keep a very good balance between the times she succeeds and the times she fails. There's also the question of time and materials--she needs materials to be able to work, and it takes time to build something intricate. Without the materials, she can't build anything, and without the time to spend building it, she can't just pull things out of nowhere.
Clockworks and AI
Most clockworks wind up with a certain amount of sentience, though how this comes to be depends on whether or not the design was originally intended to have it. Devices that do not need any matter of autonomy do not develop sentience and are not given it to begin with. For example a sex inversion gun is aimed by a human, fired by a human, and does not need to make any 'decisions' for itself, so it would not develop AI. Similarly, a 'cheap' teapot would boil the water on activating a switch and would have the water poured, so it would not need awareness of its own. These are almost entirely mechanically based, using only the smallest amounts of magic, and as such, ergaleomancers with limited connection to the Akashic Records usually make clockworks of this type. The more intricate a clockwork, however, the more 'book knowledge' an ergaleomancer needs--sex inversion guns and age alteration rays are built on principles found in physics, so those with lesser educations would be building teapots and other miscellanea while those with university degrees work on building the things that break the laws of reality as we know them.
The next step up from that is the most basic form of sentience. Clockworks that need to be able to follow basic instructions or need a basic awareness of their surroundings would fall into this category. At creation, the ergaleomancer building the clockwork interacts with the Collective Unconscious not only in building the clockwork, but also to take some of the Unconscious Energy and imbue the clockwork with it. Having been given a body, that Unconscious Energy becomes a consciousness of its own, inhabiting the clockwork body it has been given. As only a small amount of energy has been put into it, it is only a small amount of awareness--a fish fryer that can take the fish out when they are done, a teapot that activates on being told to make tea (as opposed to by the use of a switch as in the first example) would be examples of this.
A clockwork of this type that regularly undergoes maintenance and tune-ups will also gradually absorb energy from the ergaleomancer tending to it. This occurs only when it is the same ergaleomancer to tend to it over a number of years, and usually only when there is an emotional connection between the ergaleomancer and either the clockwork itself or the clockwork's owner. With time, it will come to be on par with the next type of clockwork, which is called a 'spirited clockwork'. These clockworks are made with the intention of being given personalities and a bit of a 'spirit'. Again, when the ergaleomancer connects to the Collective Unconscious, they take some of the Unconscious Energy and imbue it into the clockwork, but this time they take more. To do so requires a greater connection to the Collective Unconscious, and also cannot be done on a clockwork that is not at least somewhat well made, as the Unconscious Energy cannot inhabit a body too close to falling apart. These are the highest form of sentient clockwork available to the general public, and are prohibitively expensive, a token of the upper class rather than something commonly found.
There is one more type of clockwork besides this, however, and the method behind its creation is a tightly guarded secret. Theta's father, Charles Buckley, wanted to create a clockwork capable of keeping an eye on his daughter, even with her...questionable tendencies. He put so much effort into the thing's creation, coupled with his impressive skill as an ergaleomancer, that he tore loose a piece of his -own- soul to embed in the clockwork. It now speaks with Charles' voice and expresses similar feelings to him, though the pocket watch is limited in his scope, seeing all questions as relating to his purpose--keeping an eye on Theta. A workable comparison would be some of the minor-character robots in A.I. and how they see the world in terms of their initial programming even when well out of the bounds of their normal use.
The topic of Coggy brings me to an important point about clockworks relating to Theta's world. People fear the idea of what might happen if clockworks start to overtake humans, much like how science fiction universes fear that about robots and computers. As such, clockworks are always deliberately made to look inhuman, whether that is to look like animals or household objects. While spirited clockworks are a well loved bit of craftsmanship, they are usually viewed as novel in that they are -not- human but have human characteristics. The occasional odd people do see them as alive in their own right, but these people are regarded as weird, in the same vein as a man that talks to his car in the real world.
A clockwork such as Coggy would upset the proverbial apple cart, forcing people to consider clockworks in a completely different light. That is why Charles refuses to reveal the method he used in making Coggy--Coggy is not just a machine but in possession of a soul, meaning that the energy that drives all clockworks is like unto a soul. Charles fears that Coggy will be destroyed in the same way Frankenstein's Monster was reviled, only being a pocket watch, Coggy cannot protect himself, and Theta and her family would be destroyed for trying to protect him. As such, as a part of protecting Theta (as his design is to do such), Coggy always refers to himself as a possession and makes a point of trying not to insinuate that he has feelings of his own.
Also to assist with preventing a clockwork uprising is the idea of winding. No clockwork may be capable of winding itself, and this includes clockworks capable of winding other clockworks--all clockworks must be wound with a non-attached key, and it is illegal to let a clockwork hold its key or the key to any other clockworks. Notably this and the law against making spirited clockworks designed for harming humans are the only -laws- surrounding clockworks and the moral conventions enforced upon their creation. People are expected to police themselves and exercise common sense. Queen Victoria does not believe it is necessary to enact further laws, though if any issues do come up, the decisions made in such cases will set a precedent and as such will be exceptionally harsh. (This is not to say the laws have not been broken before, but that people haven't been caught at it before.)
Weaknesses
Ergaleomancy is first and foremost a crafting skill. Unlike a fictional mage that can just summon a golem and have it rise from the earth, there is a technical aspect to it. Clockworks have to be well crafted, and that can take ages to do. She requires a clockworking workshop, which includes many costly tools, and supplies, not the least of which include gemstones. Furthermore, making a clockwork takes time and effort both in designing it and in crafting it. Some weeks can be spent in the design phase of a clockwork that follows normal conventions (such as the now oft-used teapot example, designing a teapot from scratch but it's still a teapot with the basic design already known); it can take months or years to design an innovative clockwork that hasn't been done before. Actually building it can take months to years, depending on the project.