Welcome to the City of Auroris...
...a place of magic and mystery; gods and machines.
Feel free to explore this page as you see fit; there’s no particular order for it to be consumed in. I recommend using it as reference if you’re confused by anything about the world of Auroris and are looking for clarification.
The menu should provide quick reference for you.
Though, if you’d like to read through the whole thing, I certainly won’t stop you.
Lore
Long, long ago, there were two gods. Sol, god of the Sun, and Luna, goddess of the Moon. Sol was as bright as one might imagine: intelligent, powerful, and ever the hothead, while Luna was quite the opposite: cold, mysterious, and allusive. For hundreds of years Sol tried to win her heart, and for hundreds of years she denied him. The two sat on opposite ends of the sky; every time he drew close, she’d run to the other side once more. And so it went, night and day, night and day, two lights in a seemingly endless dance.
Until one day, the Sun finally caught the Moon, winning not only her heart, but also her hand in marriage. The two made a pact: no longer would they chase each other across the sky, but they would stand together side by side. Never again would earth see night followed by day, but rather both at the same time.
Time passed and Luna gave birth to twins: Aurora, goddess of the Dawn, and Dilucos, god of Twilight. In honor of their firstborn, Sol and Luna created a city on earth named Auroris, after their shining daughter. The family watched the city bloom like a flower. With each passing year they saw the buildings grow taller and the people grow wiser until it became the magnificent city we know today.
But peace can only last for so long, and Aurora grew restless. Though it was forbidden for the gods to fall in love with the humans down below, Aurora fell anyway. Not just for a man, but for the city itself; its towering skyscrapers, its crystal rivers, and its golden streets. Aurora eventually returned to the sky, but when Sol discovered that she had had a child with a human, he sent her back to earth, forbidding her to enter the heavens again. She had made her choice, and it had corrupted her.
But Aurora had made her mark, not only on earth, but in the heavens as well. The other gods were no longer content to sit in their thrones in the sky; they too wanted to see the city for themselves. Sol knew it was hopeless to restrain them, and at Luna’s advice, he allowed them to visit earth as they saw fit. It wasn’t until their half-breed children grew up that the problems arose. Neither god nor man, they were too powerful for earth, but too corruptible for the heavens. Never to know what it was to be human, and never to taste the light of the stars. Demigods.
Locations
Auroris
The time period of Auroris is kind of a hybrid between the Victorian Era and 1920s Prohibition. With a bit of magic, of course. So, technology is a bit weird, and doesn’t follow a strictly logical progression.
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Auroris was made by Sol (God of the Sun) and Luna (Goddess of the Moon) in honor of their firstborn, Aurora (Goddess of the Dawn). As such, the city is split into two halves. The upper level of the city is known as the Sun Level, the lower level, the Moon Level.
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In Auroris, the sun and moon are always next to each other in the sky, a result of the marriage between Sol and Luna. There are no day/night cycles. Therefore, it’s always daytime in the Sun Level. However, since the Moon Level is beneath the Sun Level, it’s always in shadow and it’s effectively always nighttime.
The Sun Level
The Sun Level is raised up on enormous stilts, suspending it hundreds of feet in the air. It’s mostly composed of large, round platforms, which are connected by bridges wide enough to allow two-way traffic for horse-drawn carriages. For smaller platforms, they may only be accessible by a small bridge, which must be walked across. Each bridge has metal, latticework fences guarding each side to prevent people from falling off.
The Sun Level is known for its exquisite beauty not only in its architecture, but also in its greenhouses. The greenhouses are dome-shaped glass structures, which grow all the plants required to sustain the city. They provide the main food source; without them, the city would likely starve.
A few factories can be found on the Sun Level, though you will mostly find artisans of all sorts on this level. Interspersed throughout the level, there will be airship hangars where pilots are willing to transport people throughout the city for a small fee. These airships rarely deliver passengers down to the Moon Level, but they regularly transport materials between the two levels.
In various locations in the city, there are elevators that allow people to travel from the Sun Level to the Moon Level. Aside from this, people can also take the Dawn Staircase between levels. The Dawn Staircase isn’t actually a staircase, but a large ramp, big enough to allow two-way traffic. This allows horse-drawn carriages to travel between the two levels.
The Moon Level
The Moon Level is always dark, cast in the shadow of the platforms above. To counter this, its streets are lined with new, electric street lamps, which bath the cobblestones in a pale, blue light.
The Moon Level is home to social reprobates: criminals, runaway or defective automatons, and those too poor to afford housing in the Sun Level. It's wise to watch one's back in this area, as you’re likely to run into one of the many gangs or cartels that roam these streets.
The streets are cramped in the Moon Level, and aside from a few main roads, only allow one-way traffic or foot traffic. Because it’s often dangerous to walk places, most prefer to take the canals. The Twilight River winds its way throughout the Moon Level, and is usually filled to the brim with gondolas and small steam boats. The widest portion of the canal, running along the stone wall that fences in the city, is large enough to allow two-way traffic for barges to transport materials to and from inside the city and the world outside.
Auroris’ biggest factories are also on the Moon Level; mainly the steelworks and automaton construction factories. These factories have elaborate funnel systems that allow for the smoke they produce to be deposited outside the city, rather than having it simply rise into the Sun Level. However, this doesn’t stop much of it from leaking out into the Moon Level, resulting in a thin layer of smog filling the air. On colder days, this smog will be thicker and more fog-like.
The Catacombs
Rumor has it that there is a third level of Auroris: the Catacombs. Just beneath the Moon Level lies the sewers, and though the stench alone is often enough to dissuade people from exploring down there, some say that hidden doorways have been found in the walls of the sewers. They say that if you walk long enough, you’ll find yourself among the bones of the city itself. Remnants of the old city, which have long been built on top of, crumbling into ruin but still filled with history and ancient artifacts. However, the few who have ventured down into these depths either don’t return, or come up babbling about giant metal monsters and other strange creatures. Rumors, right? Perhaps some things are just better left to lie…
Caeles
Caeles (pronounced KAY-LESS), the realm of the gods, isn't exactly the sky, nor is it not the sky. Caeles is its own plane of existence that impacts the human realm. Only gods can pass between the human realm and Caeles. The gateways are specific mirrors whose locations are known only to the gods.
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God magic is typically tied to their primary plane of existence. When that connection is severed, a god is weakened if they're not careful with their magic reserves.
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Caeles is also home to other entities beyond the gods. Primarily, sprites: spiritual creatures without a solid, physical form. Because of their spiritual natures, sprites cannot pass into the human realm.
Social Classes
Automatons
In the social structure of Auroris, automatons fall straight to the bottom. These mechanical beings have somehow been endowed with human-like intelligence and emotions, almost as if they have a soul, but are still seen as nothing more than servants by most of the people in Auroris. Though automatons have been known to go rogue, most have been so well trained that they will perform their duties without question. Very few automatons are actually self-owned. However, automatons make up the majority of the city’s inhabitants in a 3:1 ratio, and the number is ever-climbing.
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Each automaton is constructed for a particular purpose and their mechanical shell reflects that purpose. There are three variations of power source for automatons, each one considered its own "class" of machine:
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Wind-Up
Wind-up automatons are known for their finesse and accuracy, as well as being the most human-like automatons, with average stature and body work. They have a keyhole on their back, which when wound allows them to move. During this time they’ll make a faint clicking sound until the spring finally releases. Each full wind-up allows them to function for 24 hours until they’re wound again. Keys are unique to each automaton, and unless the key is forged, there will only ever be one per automaton. Wind-up automatons are usually used for personal service, such as a maid, butler, or sometimes just companionship.
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Steam-Powered
These automatons are usually fairly large and operate with a steam-powered engine usually located inside their torso. A few of these automatons are big enough to allow room for a person inside, in which case the engine would be located on the automaton’s back. So long as steam-powered automatons have access to coal, water, and someone to keep their fire fueled, they can operate 24/7. These automatons are known for their strength and combat skills, and are usually used for factory work, police patrol, or as personal bodyguards.
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Electric
Electric automatons are very rare and still in their experimental stages. For now, these automatons must be plugged into a power grid to function, as sufficient batteries have not been invented yet. Most will avoid making (they must be handmade) or owning an electric automaton, as they’re prone to malfunctioning and electrocuting everything in the immediate vicinity. While they are not outlawed, many believe they should be. Because they’re so rare, electric automatons have no decided use as of yet.
Humans
When it comes to social structure, humans are pretty much in the middle. They’re not looked down upon like automatons often are, but neither are they particularly respected. Hypothetically, humans have all the job opportunities that demis do, although this isn’t always the case in the real world. Some humans might harbor a certain animosity toward demis because of this power gap.
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Beyond this, Auroris was originally made on the backs of, well, humans. As is to be expected, the people of Auroris have an upper, lower, and middle class. The upper class is typically referred to as "nobles," families descended from the original founders of the House of Royals, the political leaders of Auroris. The lower class is usually found in the Moon Level, while the middle class primarily resides in the Sun Level. There is a very strong sense of classism within Auroris, which impacts how people from the Sun and Moon Levels interact with one another. Much bitterness has festered between the levels over the centuries.
Demigods
Also called “demis,” demigods are more or less at the top of the social ladder in Auroris. Because of their added strength, they are usually able to find better positions whether through bullying, manipulation, and on some occasions, just being better at the job than the average human. Most demigods have had no contact with their godly parent; in fact there are a few demis out there who might not even know of their godly parentage. This is because demigod powers are latent unless a demi has had some kind of metal embedded in their body.
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Because of past incidents that have impacted the public's impression of demigods, there's an implicit distrust between most demis and humans. Therefore, a demi will typically hide their heritage until it seems profitable to them to reveal it and/or their magic.
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That said, the appearance of demigods also led to some considerable changes in the political structure of Auroris. Traditionally, each noble house was run by a collective of families, passing down those leadership roles to their children. But when demigods were born, having a demigod child that aligned with your patron was seen as an honor and gave the family a leg up if that demi's abilities were useful. It became common practice to seek out these demis and adopt them into the household.
The Pantheon
This list is by no means comprehensive. There are more gods in the Auroris pantheon unlisted here, and this list is prone to change/grow in order to suit the evolution of the story of Deus Ex Machina. That said, this is a good start to understanding primary gods and their sphere of influence.
Sky:
Life and Death:
Mors - God of Death
Medella - Goddess of the Living
Cassis - Goddess of Combat
Craftsmanship:
Artifex - God of Art
Narat - God of Smithing
Fulgur - God of Electricity
Elemental:
Fyurei - Goddess of Fire
Alume - God of Water
Silvis - Goddess of Nature
Tempest - Goddess of Storms
Sonus - God of Sound
Somnium - God of Sleep
Emotion:
Malitia - Goddess of Trickery
Logos - God of Reason
Ius - Goddess of Justice
Amor - Goddess of Love
Vindicta - Goddess of Revenge/Grudges
Krima - Goddess of Mercy
Fortuna – Goddess of Luck
Magic System
Every god has a type of magic associated with their “element,” if you will. For example, Luna has magic based on the moon. Gods can access their magic anytime, anywhere, with virtually no limitations. However, they are strongest in their own realm (Caeles, the godly realm), as that’s where their power source is.
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Other than elemental powers, every god has additional abilities that are (almost) never passed on to their demigod children: immortality and shapeshifting. Gods don’t age, but they also cannot be injured by any mortal. Each god has an animal form they can shift into that aligns with them in some way. They will also appear human to anyone who doesn’t know that they’re a god.
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While the gods have almost no limitations on their powers, demigod magic is finicky. The gods’ blood isn’t the same as mortal blood, in fact their blood is actually different types of liquid metal, called their “blood metal.” (For example, Luna’s blood is liquid silver). This blood metal in a demigod’s veins is what gives them magic. However, demigods are born with mortal blood, not blood metal. What they do have is an affinity to a certain metal based on their godly parent’s blood metal. In order to unlock their magic, this metal would need to be in their blood stream. The more metal in their blood, the more magic they can have (although their humanity limits how much metal they can take).
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There are a couple ways demigods typically achieve this: a metal prosthetic, piercings, or metal infusions (tattoos using their blood metal). The catch is that the wrong metal can poison a demigod’s blood, which they call “blood sickness.” This makes it dangerous to activate their magic if a demigod doesn’t know their blood metal.
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Piercings are the least risky method, but any magic would be weak, as it’s a small amount of metal. Tattoos are the most common method, as it’s easy to get multiple tattoos to increase one’s magic. Prosthetics are powerful, and are powered by the demigod’s magic, but the magic they gain is usually limited to magic that’s housed in the prosthetic itself.
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As far as how that magic is actually used and what powers are granted to a demigod, it all depends on their godly parent. Some powers require touch or proximity to work. Some are passive. Some are activated verbally. Not every demigod has access to the same powers, in fact even those that share the same godly parent could have vastly different abilities.
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Beyond demigod magic, there are other forms of magic that exist in the world of Deus Ex Machina, but they're considered "dead" forms of magic, as they stopped working shortly after the introduction of demigods into the world. The most well-known magic of this type is referred to as "alchemical magic," also known as "sigil magic." The origin and function of this magic is largely unknown, but there are remnants of it still scattered around Auroris and included in old texts.
Factions
Luna's Blades
On the surface, the Temple of the Moon seems like any other temple, where those who live in the Moon Level can go and pay their respects to the queen of the gods, Luna. However, something darker lurks beneath the innocent facade. For the last 185 years, Luna's Blades follow the commands of their goddess: puritatem per lunae lumen. Purification through the light of the moon.
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Luna's Blades are a pair of two assassins that eliminate anyone perceived as a significant threat to the Moon Level. While their calling is a sacred and secret one, their existence has since become known throughout the Moon Level in the form of whispers and stories, particularly among street rat children. For some, they represent judgment. For others, the hope of a better Moon Level under the watchful gaze of Luna. Though for most, Luna's Blades are mere tales for children.
The Blue Devils
Currently led by Nelson Zicari, also known as "The Devil," the Blue Devils are the oldest and most influential gang in the Moon Level. Previously in their history, the Blue Devils were known to provide stability within the Moon Level. That has since changed under Zicari's leadership. The Blue Devils have gradually become the unofficial political voice of the Moon Level through Zicari's underhanded deals within the House of Royals. While the Blue Devils have continued to cause many problems for the citizens of the Moon Level (and Auroris as a whole), House Cassis continues to turn a blind eye to their activities insofar as they're restricted to the Moon Level.
The House of Royals
Auroris is run by six major noble houses, each named after a god, who is considered their “patron.” However, because of Sol’s ban, these gods don’t actually have anything to do with the noble houses, and it’s more an honorific title at best. They’re purely human-run, but the emergence of demigods led to some changes as some nobles started to adopt demis into their families in order to give them and their House the advantage.
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But let’s talk about how the noble houses are structured.
Roughly, it’s like this:
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Noble family > Collective of noble families > Noble House > Collective of Noble Houses > Government
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Breaking it down further, there are also Greater and Lesser houses. Lesser houses are essentially a subsection of a Great House, and they follow Great House directions.
Not every god in the DEM pantheon has a noble house aligned with them (either greater or lesser). Some gods are considered to have too much religious influence to be associated with the government (like Sol and Luna), and some are just too inconsequential (like Somnium or Fortuna).
Noble Houses
House Fulgur
(God of Electricity)
Runs infrastructure. Located in the Moon Level.
Lesser House Silvis:
Runs the gardens.
House Logos
(God of Reason)
Runs trade. Located in the Sun Level.
Lesser House Tempest:
Air transport.
Lesser House Alume:
Water transport.
House Ius
(Goddess of Justice)
Runs the courts. Located in the Sun Level.
Lesser House Krima:
The go-between for House Ius and House Cassis.
House Narat
(God of Smithing)
Runs factories and mass innovation. Located in the Moon Level.
Lesser House Fyurei:
Made up of heads of the major factories.
House Artifex
(God of Art)
Runs artisan guilds. Located in Sun Level.
No lesser house, rather it’s made up of several different artisan guilds.
House Cassis
(Goddess of Combat)
Runs military and city security (police). Located in the Sun Level.
Lesser House Vindicta:
Secret police (disbanded).