With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

NightmareWarden · Apr 14, 2021

Hey Mister Zoat are you planning another update with Common-Sense!Paul soon? I'm curious what he's gotten up to with Krona's lantern and manhunter tech, as well as other Young Justice pitfalls that were avoided... or cases where he actually failed, despite thinking things through.

Mr Zoat · Apr 14, 2021

NightmareWarden said:
Hey Mister Zoat are you planning another update with Common-Sense!Paul soon?

I've already written one.

Coda · Apr 14, 2021

Chojin Patriarch said:
If you've ever had to have a mechanic or auto-electrician work on something like the dash panel system, I hope you tipped well. That shit's a pain to get at...

Or automatic windows, or door-mounted speakers... @.@ Some cars require completely disassembling the door to get at that kind of thing instead of just being able to pop off the outer panel.

Chojin Patriarch said:
coming out of a decade when Japan conquering the world through corporate methods was a lingering fear borne of the 80's.

It was a fear borne of the 30s and 40s, refitted to a more modern battlefield. Humans... so slow to forgive.

Prince Charon · Apr 15, 2021

GhostKing 666 said:
I'm still stuck on the idea that they aren't worshipped.

The key phrase seems to be 'as once we were.' They have large numbers of worshipers, but the acts of worship aren't as frequent (too many Japanese people are too busy literally working themselves to death, or have other things they need to do) or as emotionally intense (the same people are too tired, or don't believe as hard as they once did).

Mr Zoat · Apr 15, 2021

22nd July 2012
13:02 GMT -5

I float through the glowing barrier and knock on the door of the Tower of Fate.

At the request of the Salem Tourist Board, John agreed to leave the Tower in 'manifested' mode most of the time. The Tower's outer surface, anyway. The majority of its mass is still extruded into the Earthsphere with the rest poking into the Dream proper. At this point the approximate location of the Tower's earthly anchor point is common knowledge and John said that he missed interacting with people. A few cameras are raised at my appearance, but sightings of me aren't that unusual and these people are mostly here to look at the strange non-Euclidean structure of the Tower itself.

"Yes?"

Mr. Nelson's voice. John's left the butler spell running, though now that I know what I'm looking at it's obvious that it's sub-sophont. No desires or other emotions at all. I assume that he's modified it according to his own requirements, but I haven't actually asked.

"Orange Lantern to see Lord Fate. Is he available?"

"I'm afraid that he's indisposed at the moment. Can I take a message?"

"I'm investigating the possible emergence of a God of Technology, and I'd like to coordinate with him."

"One moment."

I can just about feel it as the presence of the butler vanishes to report to John. Huh. I'm not actually sure what John does on a day to day basis. His secret identity doesn't have regular employment so he's not working regular hours. I know that Dr. Balewa keeps himself busy checking up on every site of mystical significance on the planet, but I don't-.

The door opens, the spectral figure of Mr. Nelson beckoning me inside.

"The Master will speak to you now."

I walk inside, looking around the entrance of the Tower. It's abandoned the medieval tower aesthetic totally, swapping in a foyer such as I would expect to find in an upmarket hotel. The front desk is abandoned and… No computers? Something from the middle of the previous century? It would fit with the aesthetic of the elevator.

"Please take the lift up to the library. He's waiting for you."

"Thank you."

I walk over to the closest elevator and press the 'call' button. The spectral image of Mr. Nelson vanishes, reappearing behind the desk and taking on a somewhat vacant look. Seems a bit… Odd, but I suppose that John hardly needs its assistance if there's nothing much going on.

I step inside the elevator and press the button for the library. The doors close and then there's a moment of dislocation as the Tower changes the elevator's entry point before opening the doors again. Certainly more efficient than actually having a lift shaft. I suppose that's the difference between 'follows the rules of the world' orderly and 'acts with greatest possible efficiency' orderly. I exit the elevator and walk through the towering bookshelves in the direction of John's work area.

He's busy studying the Orb of Nabu as I arrive, his eyes not leaving it for a moment. I just get a quick wave from his right hand as an acknowledgement. He's dressed in the Fate uniform minus the Helmet, which is sitting on a nearby desk.

"I'm looking for an unborn God of Technology. Any ideas?"

"That's not news."

I come closer, frowning.

"It is to me. And to the people whose machines are acting up."

"Earth is a thaumically active world that uses mechanical engineering en masse instead of sorcery." His hands move, his gaze still locked on the Orb. "Something like this was inevitable. Doctor Mist and I have been trying to come up with a plan for how to handle it."

"What have you got?"

"What we've got is that we shouldn't have to deal with this for another decade at least. Consciousnesses don't emerge from the Dream quickly. Usually."

"It's not Dream himself, is it? Because I really don't want to try picking a fight with one of the Endless."

"No, they don't care enough to do something like this. We're mildly interesting at best."

That statement doesn't entirely gel with what I remember from Sandman, but I suppose that it wasn't focused on what the Endless got up to on other planets. For all I know the bit we're shown is a trivial side note to their actual focus.

"This god has been forming since the invention of the internal combustion engine at the very least. It had a setback when humans shifted away from purely mechanical technology and towards electronic, but it managed to adapt to that a while ago. And now it's stirring."

"And that's what we're seeing?"

"Yes. Something's making parts of it act like it's awake when it's not. And I can't tell who and I can't tell why and that's a big problem."

"What's the worst-case scenario?"

He stops moving completely for a moment.

"The worst case-? Probably something like 'Darkseid gets control of everything more complex than a spring everywhere in the universe'. I don't think that's what's happening here, but I can't think of anything worse off the top of my head."

"Alright, what's the worst-case reasonably-probable scenario?"

"An evil magician is trying to use the god's power to destroy civilisation. Which is just as bad for us, but less bad for the rest of the universe. Whoever it is, I haven't been able to find them yet."

"Surely that narrows it down? There can't be that many people you can't overpower."

"I'm not a Lord of Order or a Lord of Chaos. I just stole their equipment. There are ancient magicians who never come to public attention who can hide themselves from me, if they're careful."

"So… Do we need to get hold of John Constantine?"

"We could, except I don't know where he is. And he definitely has the skill and power to keep me from finding him."

I frown.

"You don't think it's him, do you? I.. don't think-."

"No. No. John Constantine would only lash out against people he had a grudge against. This is going to affect the whole world."

"Okay. But we're sure this is a new god emerging from the Dream?"

"As opposed to what?"

"A titan."

He looks away from the orb and stares at me, blinking only very slowly. Slowly, he breathes in and out.

"Yes. And thank you for that heart attack."

"So what can I do that's useful?"

He returns his attention to the Orb.

"I could use a map of whatever incidents you can find. I can't afford to leave here right now."

I nod. "Okay, can do. Would intentionally using this nascent god's power for something hurt or help?"

"I'm not sure. If that's the sort of thing you want to do, let me know in advance. Either way, I might be able to learn something."

BlueMangoAdea · Apr 15, 2021

Pretty much confirmed to be a nascent god, then. Call me an optimist, but I wonder what the best-case scenario is?

Darko · Apr 15, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
A few camera

'cameras'

Mr Zoat said:
I walk inside, looking around the entrance of the Tower. It's abandoned the medieval tower aesthetic totally, swapping in a foyer such as I would expect to find in an upmarket hotel. The front desk is abandoned and… No computers? Something from the middle of the previous century? It would fit with the aesthetic of the elevator

Yeah, I think in one of the previous times the inside of the Tower was brought up, it was mentioned that it looked like the inside of a 20th century hotel.

Mr Zoat said:
Yes. Something's making parts of it act like it's awake when it's not. And I can't tell who and I can't tell why and that's a big problem."

Hmm, I'm getting the feeling that some wizard sensed its impending birth and wanted to gain control of it.

Mr Zoat said:
No. No. John Constantine would only lash out against people he had a grudge against. This is going to affect the whole world."

I don't know Quinn, John can be a petty little asshole sometimes.

Mr Zoat said:
"A titan."

He looks away from the orb and stares at me, blinking only very slowly. Slowly, he breathes in and out.

"Yes. And thank you for that heart attack."

That's Paul.

Always making people regret ever meeting and knowing him.

Ngamer11 · Apr 15, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
"Okay. But we're sure this is a new god emerging from the Dream?"

"As opposed to what?"

"A titan."

He looks away from the orb and stares at me, blinking only very slowly. Slowly, he breathes in and out.

"Yes. And thank you for that heart attack."

I love it when Paul, or someone he brings along, just drops something that makes people take a few seconds to look at him and process what he just said. It never gets old. The last big thing I can think of was Karmang being revealed to have been a White Martian.

Darko · Apr 15, 2021

BlueMangoAdea said:
Pretty much confirmed to be a nascent god, then. Call me an optimist, but I wonder what the best-case scenario is?

Paul befriends said divine and gets his/her/their/zhes help in his uplift the Earth project.

Yog · Apr 15, 2021

BlueMangoAdea said:
Pretty much confirmed to be a nascent god, then. Call me an optimist, but I wonder what the best-case scenario is?

The Team / Justice League gets anew heavy weight member?

BlueMangoAdea · Apr 15, 2021

Could it be the Light? It's been a while.

Pinklestia · Apr 15, 2021

BlueMangoAdea said:
Pretty much confirmed to be a nascent god, then. Call me an optimist, but I wonder what the best-case scenario is?

God goes to sleep for the next thousand years and anyone who tries to wake him early again gets vaporized.

gustyeagle · Apr 15, 2021

BlueMangoAdea said:
Pretty much confirmed to be a nascent god, then. Call me an optimist, but I wonder what the best-case scenario is?

Earth becomes the next Oa through a mix of magic and technology?

Handlewithcare · Apr 15, 2021

Godcalling is probably a lot more common these days now that it's confirmed all kinds of god exist.

And the Darkseid guess might not be off. A New God with a mother/fatherbox might be able to pull something like this, right?

Still weird that Hephaestus/Vulcan isn't the technology god though.

Canonically Heph created automaton robots after all

Mr Zoat · Apr 15, 2021

Darko said:
'cameras'

Thank you, corrected.

Darko · Apr 15, 2021

BlueMangoAdea said:
Could it be the Light? It's been a while.

Makes sense.

They have Circe working for/with them, or at least with Truggs, so they have the magic mojo to control a god.

They also have motive, what with the whole lie most of them are telling themselves about wanting to improve the world, so they may think controlling this god can help them.

Though it'll probably backfire and cause technological regression.

FreeGod · Apr 15, 2021

BlueMangoAdea said:
Pretty much confirmed to be a nascent god, then. Call me an optimist, but I wonder what the best-case scenario is?

The god the technology agrees with Paul and really want to help the uplift project.

Darko · Apr 15, 2021

Handlewithcare said:
Still weird that Hephaestus/Vulcan isn't the technology god though.

Canonically Heph created automaton robots after all

Hephaestus and Vulcan have created automaton in this story.

Though their apparently part fire or earth elemental given a metallic body.

And they did explain why they're not a tech god.

Mr Zoat said:
"I know you said that technology isn't part of your domain, but I still don't understand why it isn't."

Vulcan looks around from the volcanic resonance engine he was cooing over. "Really? It's a pretty simple concept. Primal concepts have the largest impact on both the arcane world and the people living in it. The latter becoming increasingly important in more recent times."

Hephaestus pours more metal into a mould. They're making another metamaterial, something heavy as heck but super strong. "There's been lightning for as long as this world has existed. Darkness for longer."

"I know that, it's why enchanting swords is easy but enchanting guns is hard. But isn't smithing a lot more recent than everything else?"

Vulcan pushes a couple of levers downwards, and runes on the engine start glowing fiery red. "Isn't love?"

"Maybe, but sexual reproduction is a billion years old. Tool use is nothing like that old."

Hephaestus waves a tool a little like a coat hanger over his metal, the molten liquid visibly cooling as he does so. "Tool use is older than the humans who use most of them. And that matters more than you might think."

Vulcan nods. "There's a reason why we gods all look human. Before you, there was just power without form-."

Donna doesn't look impressed. "Are you saying we literally built gods in our own image?"

"I doubt it was a conscious process. But, in places, your ideas caused the Dreaming to… I'm not sure how you'd describe it. There was power, but you gave it form. Definition. That process eventually gave rise to the Titans. And because they already had powerful ties to the material world, moving from the Dreaming to the material world was simple for them."

"I know about the titans. I saw Oceanus this summer. Giant elemental monsters, who were really powerful because they embodied the most primal concepts."

Hephaestus shakes his head. "No. Not monsters. Not.. colossal animals, like some big elementals can be. The titans basically came from early humans, remember. And some parts of human life are so universal to your species that they had to share those elements themselves. Like breeding, for example. Or fighting for power."

Donna nods, a little irritated at the speed of the narration. "The titans begat the gods, resulting in a worldwide supernatural war which saw the titans lose to their children and either be killed or imprisoned."

Hephaestus turns his casting out, and then picks it up to look it over. "You're missing the point. Each god is a combination of the arcane characteristics of their parents, pared with some aspect of the world as experienced by humans. Humans have been making tools for long enough that nurturing and commanding could combine into crafting. It doesn't come up much these days, but flint tools are as much a part of…" He glances at Vulcan, who is hooking up his newly tested engine to an assemblage of some kind. "Our domain as metal tools. But they've got history. We've both tried, but our instinct for metalworking doesn't extend to circuitry."

"On the other hand, it can help with novel applications. Since you-" Vulcan nods in my direction. "-shared that idea about using jovium as a heat conductor, we've been building all sorts of things."

Hephaestus slots his casting into a rack with a dozen others like it, then pulls a chain to turn the pulleys to move it out into the middle of a clear area in the middle of the complex.

Hm. "So… You aren't the Gods of Technology."

"No." Vulcan picks up something that looks like a large bore rifle. "And we can't learn to become the Gods of Technology. But we can learn technology."

"From what you were saying about god breeding, would it follow that one of your offspring would be the God of Technology?"

"Hm." Hephaestus stops pulling and frowns as he thinks about it. "He wasn't, but at that point 'technology' wasn't much more than what was covered by my domain. And his mother…"

"Um."

"Probably not the right mix."

Donna frowns. "Just one? The myths-."

"I'm a married crippled smith who earned Zeus' disfavour. The goddesses weren't exactly lining up." He waves his right hand dismissively before clumping awkwardly back towards Vulcan. "Sometimes they named me as the father as a joke, or when they didn't want to get a mortal lover in trouble. Trust me, the real number isn't high."

"So who was he? And.. who was his mother?"

A very faint smile graces his lips. "I read everything I can on science and technology. I teach anyone with a mind to learn and a will to use their knowledge. And you need to ask me who my son's mother was?"

Donna blinks, shocked. "The myths about Erichtonius say-."

"Myths… Say a lot of things. I wouldn't put too much store in them." He comes to a halt next to Vulcan and turns around. "Zeus ate her mother because he feared her power. What do you think he would have done to her son?"

"So… You're saying that she's not a virgin?"

He shrugs. "We never married. And she couldn't acknowledge him…"

"So what would be?"

"What?"

"If learning and craft don't make technology, what does?"

Vulcan lowers his gun, rolling his eyes. "Can't we leave the theoretical theologism until we're well into our cups?"

"I was just wondering-?"

"As I said, the sort of technology that exists today wasn't a thing when Erichtonius was born. With no metaphysical source of power, he wasn't much more capable than a demigod. But… Athena is a war goddess as much as she is a patron of classical learning. I'm not sure that he'd have been technology even if he'd been born today."

"Technology. Someone sees a problem, comes up with a way to deal with it… And then a few years later it's being put to a use they never envisaged and society has shifted around it in unplanned and uncontrollable ways…" I smile. "How do you feel about E-"

"No."

"-ris?"

Vulcan raises his gun again. "Test seventy five, heat transfer gun mark four. Firing."

Hephaestus nods. "Thank you.

Chojin Patriarch · Apr 15, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
22nd July 2012
13:02 GMT -5

I float through the glowing barrier and knock on the door of the Tower of Fate.

Ah, as expected, going for his number one contact for the mystical. Well, the number one contact not directly a member of the Justice League (Giovanni Zatarra, Angelica Blaze or Dr Balewa) or linked to Atlantis (Mera and Sephtian, basically...) Let's hope the talented hobbyist wielding the tools of a Lord of Order can be of some assistance...

At the request of the Salem Tourist Board, John agreed to leave the Tower in 'manifested' mode most of the time. The Tower's outer surface, anyway. The majority of its mass is still extruded into the Earthsphere with the rest poking into the Dream proper. At this point the approximate location of the Tower's earthly anchor point is common knowledge and John said that he missed interacting with people. A few camera are raised at my appearance, but sightings of me aren't that unusual and these people are mostly here to look at the strange non-Euclidean structure of the Tower itself.

Well, short of uprooting the Tower and hiding it elsewhere (a definite option with such a magical location,) anyone after it will have no trouble finding it. All they have to do is a quick internet search...

"Yes?"

Mr. Nelson's voice. John's left the butler spell running, though now that I know what I'm looking at it's obvious that it's sub-sophont. No desires or other emotions at all. I assume that he's modified it according to his own requirements, but I haven't actually asked.

The magical equivalent of a dumb VI. Though it probably has enough detection spells to identify any lies or ill intent and take measures to prevent such intrusion.

"Orange Lantern to see Lord Fate. It he available?"

"I'm afraid that he's indisposed at the moment. Can I take a message?"

...Dangit! Foiled by timing. It's like trying to start a GTA mission with a 'time of day' requirement... Or he just marked himself as 'Busy' to avoid showing up on the SuperFriends network?

"I'm investigating the possible emergence of a God of Technology, and I'd like to coordinate with him."

"One moment."

Ah, the Doctor is in, but not taking visitors, then. Which we could see his face when he hears OL's message, it's bound to be hilarious.

I can just about feel it as the presence of the butler vanishes to report to John. Huh. I'm not actually sure what John does on a day to day basis. His secret identity doesn't have regular employment so he's not working regular hours. I know that Dr. Balewa keeps himself busy checking up on every site of mystical significance on the planet, but I don't-.

The door opens, the spectral figure of Mr. Nelson beckoning me inside.

John Quinn is probably doing a lot of reading, trying to get up to speed on all the things Nabu knew that he at least wrote down... The worry is all the things he didn't write down, eh, Murphy?

"The Master will speak to you now."

I walk inside, looking around the entrance of the Tower. It's abandoned the medieval tower aesthetic totally, swapping in a foyer such as I would expect to find in an upmarket hotel. The front desk is abandoned and… No computers? Something from the middle of the previous century? It would fit with the aesthetic of the elevator.

Shifting to match the mood of their owner, eh? I guess Quinn likes his decor in classic Noir Deco...

"Please take the lift up to the library. He's waiting for you."

"Thank you."

I walk over to the closest elevator and press the 'call' button. The spectral image of Mr. Nelson vanishes, reappearing behind the desk and taking on a somewhat vacant look. Seems a bit… Odd, but I suppose that John hardly needs its assistance if there's nothing much going on.

It's default waiting mode, eh? Just imagine Siri, Alexa or Cortana looking like this when you're not talking to them...

I step inside the elevator and press the button for the library. The doors close and then there's a moment of dislocation as the Tower changes the elevator's entry point before opening the doors again. Certainly more efficient that actually having a lift shaft. I suppose that's the difference between 'follows the rules of the world' orderly and 'acts with greatest possible efficiency' orderly. I exit the elevator and walk through the towering bookshelves in the direction of John's work area.

Better than 'absolute stasis' Order, certainly. But that's hardly compatible with, you know, life.

He's busy studying the Orb of Nabu as I arrive, his eyes not leaving it for a moment. I just get a quick wave from his right hand as an acknowledgement. He's dressed in the Fate uniform minus the Helmet, which is sitting on a nearby desk.

"I'm looking for an unborn God of Technology. Any ideas?"

Well, it's hardly the strangest thing he's asked Quinn for.

"That's not news."

I come closer, frowning.

"It is to me. And to the people whose machines are acting up."

You'd kind of think the people who knew it was coming would have, ya'know, warned other people about it? Unless that would have changed the very emergence itself...

"Earth is a thaumically active world that uses mechanical engineering en masse instead of sorcery." His hands move, his gaze still locked on the Orb. "Something like this was inevitable. Doctor Mist and I have been trying to come up with a plan for how to handle it."

"What have you got?"

'Handle it' as in prevent it, or 'handle it' as in make sure it happens safely? Or did they make plans for both?

"What we've got is that we shouldn't have to deal with this for another decade at least. Consciousnesses don't emerge from the Dream quickly. Usually."

"It's not Dream himself, is it? Because I really don't want to try picking a fight with one of the Endless."

I mean, Desire might back you in the matter, if only out of curiosity. Or simply ignore you, which is more likely. And generally, fighting an Endless never ends well for the Mortal.

"No, they don't care enough to do something like this. We're mildly interesting at best."

That statement doesn't entirely gel with what I remember from Sandman, but I suppose that it wasn't focused on what the Endless got up to on other planets. For all I know the bit we're shown is a trivial side note to their actual focus.

Given that they can be present in multiple places simultaneously, I'm sure it would be. Death, at least, is a busy young lady...

"This god has been forming since the invention of the internal combustion engine at the very least. It had a setback when humans shifted away from purely mechanical technology and towards electronic, but it managed to adapt to that a while ago. And now it's stirring."

"And that's what we're seeing?"

It would make sense, then. Not a full Kingdom, not nearly yet. But a nascent Diety seems a lot more likely...

"Yes. Something's making parts of it act like it's awake when it's not. And I can't tell who and I can't tell why and that's a big problem."

"What's the worse-case scenario?"

...And people say I taunt Murphy? Anyway, he has me on Ignore.

Too many pings.

He stops moving completely for a moment.

"The worst case-? Probably something like 'Darkseid gets control of everything more complex than a spring everywhere in the universe'. I don't think that's what's happening here, but I can't think of anything worse off the top of my head."

Ugh, there's a nasty thought. Not sure how that woudl work, but it certainly gives all manner of images of killer androids... Most of which end up resembling ambulatory skeletons, you notice that?

"Alright, what's the worst-case reasonably-probable scenario?"

"An evil magician is trying to use the god's power to destroy civilisation. Which is just as bad for us, but less bad for the rest of the universe. Whoever it is, I haven't been able to find them yet."

Maybe... Because they're not in this era?

"Surely that narrows it down? There can't be that many people you can't overpower."

"I'm not a Lord of Order or a Lord of Chaos. I just stole their equipment. There are ancient magicians who never come to public attention who can hide themselves from me, if they're careful."

As we saw in the Renegade timeline, with Arion the Elder. Or with Karmang, who didn't show up until his attention was directly attracted by social upheavals.

"So… Do we need to get hold of John Constantine?"

"We could, except I don't know where he is. And he definitely has the skill and power to keep me from finding him."

Goddamit. OL, you really have to look into tracking him down somehow. A Constantine in the wind is trouble just waiting to happen...

I frown.

"You don't think it's him, do you? I.. don't think-."

"No. No. John Constantine would only lash out against people he had a grudge against. This is going to affect the whole world."

Now, someone he pissed off, maybe. Remember the whole Beast/Black Dog situation? Or the artificial Fear God-Dragon thing?

"Okay. But we're sure this is a new god emerging from the Dream?"

"As opposed to what?"

Quinn, you should know by now, never ask that around OL...

"A titan."

He looks away from the orb and stares at me, blinking only very slowly. Slowly, he breathes in and out.

...Because he can always make things worse.

"Yes. And thank you for that heart attack."

"So what can I do that's useful?"

Try not to poke your nose in unless Quinn or Balewa tell you to? To quote Princess Irulan from the opening of Dune: "Beginnings are delicate times..."

He returns his attention to the Orb.

"I could use a map of whatever incidents you can find. I can't afford to leave here right now."

Okay, that, OL can do. Hell, pretty sure he's had his Ring AI running a tracking script for that sort of thing the whole time.

I nod. "Okay, can do. Would intentionally using this nascent god's power for something hurt or help?"

"I'm not sure. If that's the sort of thing you want to do, let me know in advance. Either way, I might be able to learn something."

Please, OL. Please do not poke the developing god of technology in any way... Who knows how outside contacts influence it...

And so we have some clear confirmation. It's a developing god of Technology, huh? But someone's messing with it? Yeah, that's going to have to be dealt with. The hard part will be working out who the culprit is. Especially since we know of at least one time-travelling possibility. Guess the rest of the episode will turn to that...

Can't wait!

GhostKing 666 · Apr 15, 2021

Prince Charon said:
The key phrase seems to be 'as once we were.' They have large numbers of worshipers, but the acts of worship aren't as frequent (too many Japanese people are too busy literally working themselves to death, or have other things they need to do) or as emotionally intense (the same people are too tired, or don't believe as hard as they once did).

After Japan's defeat in World War II, the Emperor Hirohito was forced by the occupying allied forces to renounce his claim of divinity. Shinto lost its status as the state religion, teaching of shinto cult doctrines was discontinued, and the use of Shinto symbols for nationalistic purposes was strictly forbidden. Despite such formidable setbacks, Shinto has managed to not only survive but is alive and well in Japan. In the mid-1990s 110 million Japanese participated in the various Shinto sects. The Shinto sects have approximately 90,000 priests and about 81,000 shrines. However, the State Shinto of the pre-war days has given way to a more benign Shrine Shinto that focuses on the ancient kami rituals and incorporates Buddhist and Confucian influences. Indeed most present-day Japanese view themselves as both Buddhists and Shintoists, and Japanese households typically contain two separate altars for these devotions. Of Japan's 124 million people, 106 million say they believe in Shintoism, and 96 million follow Buddhism, making Japan perhaps the only country in the world where a majority of the people follow more than two religions at a time.

Shinto is primarily found in Japan, where there are around 100,000 public shrines, although practitioners are also found abroad. Numerically, it is Japan's largest religion, the second being Buddhism. Most of the country's population takes part in both Shinto and Buddhist activities, especially festivals, reflecting a common view in Japanese culture that the beliefs and practices of different religions need not be exclusive.

Believe me, Shintoism is very much alive and well in Japan. If Shinto gods are the type to draw power form their worshippers, then like the Hindu gods, the shinto gods of today would be stronger then they'd ever been before. The Abrahamic religions might have taken a crowbar to the native faiths of Europe, Americas and large parts of Africa, but they had significantly less success across much of Asia and the native faiths are still very much existent and culturally active and relevant.

Darko · Apr 15, 2021

Chojin Patriarch said:
John Quinn is probably doing a lot of reading, trying to get up to speed on all the things Nabu knew that he at least wrote down... The worry is all the things he didn't write down, eh, Murphy?

And you'd know a lot about Murphy.

Chojin Patriarch said:
It's default waiting mode, eh? Just imagine Siri, Alexa or Cortana looking like this when you're not talking to them...

Siri and Alexa I can imagine, Cortana not so much.

Chojin Patriarch said:
You'd kind of think the people who knew it was coming would have, ya'know, warned other people about it?

They either did or they were still trying to figure out what's happening exactly before they did.

Chojin Patriarch said:
I mean, Desire might back you in the matter, if only out of curiosity. Or simply ignore you, which is more likely

And getting that particular Endless to help is probably something that is best avoided.

Chojin Patriarch said:
And generally, fighting an Endless never ends well for the Mortal.

Comic Hippolyta can attest to that.

Chojin Patriarch said:
And people say I taunt Murphy? Anyway, he has me on Ignore. Too many pings.

That wasn't really taunting Murphy, that was just asking a perfectly good question.

Taunting Murphy would be 'Oh, I'm sure it won't be that bad'

Paul didn't say that, he just asked a good question.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Goddamit. OL, you really have to look into tracking him down somehow

Easier said than done.

Chojin Patriarch said:
. A Constantine in the wind is trouble just waiting to happen...

A Constantine anywhere is trouble waiting to happen.

In the wind, in front of you, behind you, it's just trouble.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Now, someone he pissed off, maybe.

That narrows it down.

Paul can question suspect 1 to 764.987 and Quinn can ask suspects 764.988 to 1.234.531.

Within a decade they should be done.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Because he can always make things worse.

Who else but Paul.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Try not to poke your nose in unless Quinn or Balewa tell you to?

He's going to poke his nose.

We just know it.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Please, OL. Please do not poke the developing god of technology in any way... Who knows how outside contacts influence it...

Now I'm imagining this god imprinting on Paul and thinking of him as his mommy.

And that's how paragon became a parent.

And the universe gained another potential Paul.

Excuse, I'm going to go and drink now.

Sockmonkey · Apr 15, 2021

Ooo, maybe it's hell? Remember how they've been teching up lately?

I would have figured the god started forming with widespread use of steam engines during the industrial revolution rather than use of the internal combustion ones.

Senevri · Apr 15, 2021

First thing that comes up is Metron, but he's more the New God of scientific inquiry than machines doing work - which is what we see here
On earth, Thoth would be the old god of tech, but considering how Bast is barely scraping by, Thoth would be dead or dying.
Maybe he died and that triggered this event?

I'm interested to see how this turns out, as MrZoat doesn't usually do OC:s.
Also, from the description, it does not seem this new god will be based on an old, established power.

Vaermina · Apr 15, 2021

Is that a Raising Steam reference I spy?

Darko · Apr 15, 2021

Senevri said:
First thing that comes up is Metron, but he's more the New God of scientific inquiry than machines doing work - which is what we see here
On earth, Thoth would be the old god of tech, but considering how Bast is barely scraping by, Thoth would be dead or dying.
Maybe he died and that triggered this event?

I'm interested to see how this turns out, as MrZoat doesn't usually do OC:s.
Also, from the description, it does not seem this new god will be based on an old, established power.

Thoth, or Zehuti, is alive and well in this story.

He's one of the gods empowering Teth Adom.

The gods of this story seem to be less dependent on prayer and worship to continue existing.

Having a lot of worship may make it easier for them to influence the mortal world, but they can apparently exist without it.

Stsword · Apr 15, 2021

Darko said:
And you'd know a lot about Murphy.

Actually in DC it should be Vext, God of Mishaps and Misfortune.

Son of the Goddess of Emasculating Shrews and God of The Perpetually Cuckolded.

On and off boyfriend of the Goddess of Romantic Relationships Gone Hellishly Wrong.

Happened to be around in the Garden of Eden when they decided to eat a certain fruit and when a ship sank that got a major motion picture by James Cameron.

Lives in Delta City, the city protected by the Heckler, who annoys the hell out of crime, having Seinfeildian non adventures like learning how to drive (and encounter a gamma irradiated road rage mutant car monster) or eating a hamburger (and eating a colony of sapient bacteria out to conquer the world!) for the first time.

Darko · Apr 15, 2021

Stsword said:
Actually in DC it should be Vext, God of Mishaps and Misfortune.

Son of the Goddess of Emasculating Shrews and God of The Perpetually Cuckolded.

On and off boyfriend of the Goddess of Romantic Relationships Gone Hellishly Wrong.

Happened to be around in the Garden of Eden when they decided to eat a certain fruit and when a ship sank that got a major motion picture by James Cameron.

Lives in Delta City, the city protected by the Heckler, who annoys the hell out of crime, having Seinfeildian non adventures like learning how to drive (and encounter a gamma irradiated road rage mutant car monster) or eating a hamburger (and eating a colony of sapient bacteria out to conquer the world!) for the first time.

...

I don't know how to respond to this.

The fact that it exists is both somewhat surprising and yet makes a ton of sense.

CTrees · Apr 15, 2021

It could just be Paul's influence accelerating things. He's worked on various uplift projects, accelerating human technology, which may accelerate the emergence of the tech god. He's shown people that pagan religions are valid in-universe, and that angels and the silver city definitely exist, both of which are bound to increase global belief and worship of various gods, possibly making it easier for a new one to emerge. Also, Boss Smiley may have been working to suppress the god of technology, so if Paul's actions are distracting/countering that...

moralrelativity · Apr 15, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
It he available?

It -> Is

CTrees said:
Also, Boss Smiley may have been working to suppress the god of technology, so if Paul's actions are distracting/countering that.

Good point... I keep forgetting about Boss Smiley.

earlyriser · Apr 15, 2021

Honestly, if this is the Light I hope it is Brain. He's appeared so rarely in the story I sometimes forget he is part of the organizaton.

With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

Versed in the lewd.

Dedicated ragequitter

Versed in the lewd.

Just zis guy, you know?

Dedicated ragequitter

Alive. For now.

Connoisseur.

Experienced.

Connoisseur.

Know what you're doing yet?

Alive. For now.

Well worn.

Know what you're doing yet?

Versed in the lewd.

Dedicated ragequitter

Connoisseur.

If you see a God on the road fuck it!

Connoisseur.

Veteran Lurker

Know what you're doing yet?

Connoisseur.

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Not too sore, are you?

Well worn.

Connoisseur.

Versed in the lewd.

Connoisseur.

Chasing the ring

Recovering pendant.

Getting sticky.

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