Prologue

Excerpt from the Victorica Hall of Records

In the days of old, long before the formation of flesh and blood, of metal and steam, was the Great Tinkerer. A great mechanical force of unknown origin, unimaginable power, and otherworldly brilliance sat far above the foundations of his realm and, in his majesty, set forth the kindling of Time itself. Using his great Time Crystal, he put in motion the sun, moon, stars, and finally, us. Man and Maton, unequal in nature but equal in their thirst for prosperity and progress. With his Crystal he sees all, the past, the present, and what is to come.

The Great Tinkerer watched in mild approval as our ancestors erected structure after glorious structure in adoration of the Creator of our realm. Under his watchful eye, Victorica, our great kingdom, the one and only rampart of our otherwise desolate world, brandished herself in magnificence!

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

The Great Tinkerer’s Mehanicians, black-fingered acolytes of industry, meanwhile honed their skills in the lifeblood of our civilization, a gift from the Great Tinkerer himself – steam. Our preexisting structures were transformed into leviathans of clockwork, our waterways filled to the brim with Widgets and Shanties, our streets with Steamwheels and iron Stagecoaches. Our towers belched the white soot in veneration and thanksgiving, an offering in regard to this great gift, for it is by it and for it we flourish, our great realm, fastened and joined by innumerable sprockets and cogwheels, ticking and pulsating in perfect, perfunctory harmony.

And yet, despite our triumph, our observance of his most gracious decrees…

The Great Tinkerer withholds one more test for us, as one day, his grace will subside, our rains will cease to quench the thirst of our lands, and our people will once more turn to our Creator, this time to no avail.

No, in that time, he declares, he will entrust his omnipotence, in the name of an unknown motive, to one of us. To Man? To Automaton? No one knows, as his ways are certainly superior to ours.

And thus begins the Great Prophecy. May the Wielder’s tenacity and valor never subside, and his passion for his people never end.