The Clockwork

"Molded by steam and steel and given life by burning coal, the Clockwork watches, and it learns."

- Common saying about the Clockwork

The Clockwork is a god believed to have been created by the industrial revolution. It is uniquely global, as it appears in various similar forms in several cultures and beliefs across the planet. The Clockwork is thus considered a god without a religion, though there are some groups that worship only it.

Origins
Even though the industrial revolution by some metrics would begin in the 18th century, it was not until the early to middle 19th century that the idea of an artificial god would start to form in many places across the globe.

Matrism
Surprisingly for a religion that denies the existence of other gods, Matrists recognize that the Clockwork exists - but that it is merely a form of spirit and not even close to being "divine". Because of the often repeated claim that the Clockwork is in fact a god, it is often seen in a negative light among Matrists. A common belief is that the existence of the Clockwork is a form of accidental sacrilege towards the Allmother, because humans would create something of their own and worship it as a god. Therefore, the way one would deal with the Clockwork is to simply ignore it. While no law is in effect in any Matrist country against the worship of the Clockwork, it is considered a form of heresy by Matrist clergy.

There are other fringe beliefs within Matrism associated with the Clockwork, also considered heretical. One belief is that the Clockwork is in its very nature evil, as an antagonist to Matrist belief itself - and by association, it means technology is also evil. Another belief, even more abhorrent to the Matrist clergy, is that the Clockwork represents a new age of the divine, and that it is destined to succeed the Allmother as the one true god. This belief is closely associated with sects that worship only the Clockwork, and is even considered a form of apostasy by Matrists.

Patrism
Very much in line with Patrist thought, the Clockwork is acknowledged to exist as a natural consequence of humanity's connection with the divine. As long as the Allfather remains the most important divine being, the Clockwork is not questioned - this does however mean that sects who worship only it or place it above the Allfather are seen unfavourably and even as heretical.