Machine Men
From Rice Boy Wiki
The Machine Men are the eldest and most advanced race of creatures to live on Overside. They once ruled the world in a period known as the Machine Dominion, but after the fall of that empire, their power over the rest of Overside diminished. At the time of Order of Tales and Rice Boy, the Machine Men have been sequestered away in their fortress, the Black Teeth, for more than two Ages.
The One Electronic is the most well-known Machine Men, since he is both the longest-lived (due to his role as Searcher) and the most active in the world. Since the beginning of the Red Age, there have only been around 100 Machine Men who, like TOE, have left the Black Teeth behind. These wanderers are known as the Machine Exiles.[1] They are very rarely spotted in Overside; Olo the bartender, who has presumably met many people, has only seen three Machine Men in his life.[2]
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Names
In Order of Tales, the proper names of Machine Men are almost always two words, as in "Terrin Oculon" or "Interrum Requa". These names have a Latinate flavor. However, in Rice Boy (which is set roughly 600 years later), Machine Men names have a Spanish flavor, for instance "Maquín" and "Córon". It is unknown whether Machine Men naming practices changed in this time (echoing the evolution of Romance languages on Earth), or if the names given in Rice Boy are incomplete in some way.
Nicknames are used among Machine Men as well. TOE called his younger brother "Little Blue",[3] and TOE himself famously goes by many aliases among the different societies he interacts with.
Machine-Script
Main article: Machine-Script
The Machine-Script is a writing system used by the Machine Men. It can be found etched into stone buildings and walls[4], or written on paper.[5] Evan Dahm didn't finalize the details of this system until Order of Tales, thus, any Machine-Script writing in Rice Boy is likely gibberish.
History
The history of the Machine Men begins in the White Age, when the Giant Äm created Omem, the first Machine. Omem was made of rock from Overside, and was animated by Äm's breath.[6] After he grew lonely, Omem built four "sons": Omirm, Omon, Omerr, and Omo. They were smaller, faster, and smarter than Omem, and each had a portion of "the breath that gave him life".[7]. The four Machine Sons then built four towers, of which the Iron Tower is one.[8]
When the "New People" appeared on Overside, the Machine Sons decided they would rule over them and, by extension, the entirety of the world. Thus, the race of Machine Men grew, as the four Sons created many more Machines like themselves to become their soldiers.[9] The ensuing period of conquest led to the Machine Dominion, a worldwide empire ruled by the Machines. Since they were effectively immortal, they could outlive any opposition from the New People.
The fall of the Machine Men's influence began with the downfall of the Dominion; Omirm was killed, and the fates of Omon and Omerr are unknown. Their brother, Omo, survived, and with a small remnant of the Machine Men fled to the north of Acirca. He cursed himself and the rest of his race, reducing the Machine Man lifespan to only a few centuries. Omo hoped that this would stop the Machines from ever becoming arrogant enough to recreate the Dominion.[10] Eventually, in the Green Age, the Machines of the north built the fortress of the Black Teeth, writing on its gates "Omo's Spawn", in reference to the curse. Few Machines left the Black Teeth for any reason (except for the Exiles).
Society
The Judicials
Main article: Judicials
In the late Blue and early Red Ages, the Black Teeth was ruled by an oligarchy of three Machines known as the Judicials. They, true to their name, had judicial power over the life and rights of Machine Men, as well as any prisoners or visitors (the former was more common than the latter). They could and did limit access to significant portions of the Black Teeth, such as the Library.[11] The Judicials would make their proclamations from the Garden, next to the aptly-named "Judging Stone".
The Military
The Black Teeth has always had a prominent military, as well as a "Guard" in the early Red Age. However, the Machines' standard uniform has changed dramatically over time. In the time of Order of Tales, most members of the military wore cloaks clasped with a "watchlight" symbol,[12] but by Rice Boy they had transitioned to a traditional uniform,[13] with the symbol of the Black Teeth having been changed to a circle above two isosceles triangles (a pattern found on the Entranceway gates at that time).[14][15]
Legends
The Machine Men, much like any culture, have their own legends. TOE left as a child in emulation of the "explorers in the old legends"[16], and Maquín later reminds TOE himself of the "status [he's] gained" in Machine Man legend.[17] Their cultural knowledge presumably goes back farther than that of any other society on Overside.
Machine Men Characters
In Rice Boy
In Order of Tales
References
- ↑ Order of Tales (Book II), Appendix: "The Black Teeth", p278
- ↑ http://www.rice-boy.com/order/index.php?c=051
- ↑ http://www.rice-boy.com/see/index.php?c=202
- ↑ http://www.rice-boy.com/see/index.php?c=247
- ↑ http://www.rice-boy.com/order/index.php?c=104
- ↑ http://www.rice-boy.com/order/index.php?c=430
- ↑ http://www.rice-boy.com/order/index.php?c=431
- ↑ http://www.rice-boy.com/see/index.php?c=276
- ↑ http://www.rice-boy.com/order/index.php?c=433
- ↑ Rice Boy (First Edition), History: "The Gray Age"
- ↑ http://www.rice-boy.com/order/index.php?c=438
- ↑ http://www.rice-boy.com/order/index.php?c=404
- ↑ http://www.rice-boy.com/see/index.php?c=125
- ↑ http://www.rice-boy.com/see/index.php?c=123
- ↑ http://www.rice-boy.com/see/index.php?c=247
- ↑ http://www.rice-boy.com/see/index.php?c=144
- ↑ http://www.rice-boy.com/see/index.php?c=122
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