The Machine

In an alternate universe, the world saw the Industrial Revolution arise in a very different way - the discovery of a superstructure, dubbed The Machine. It, along with thousands of artefacts found with it - the Relics - sparked the rise of new technologies, and gave birth to a new and wondrous future. The city that grew around it boasted a flourishing population, rich in culture and enlightenment.   Three Ideologies arose the Machine's influence, each with their own unique understandings and interpretations of the Machine. The Devoted claimed the Machine was a god-given Relic, and that its secrets would lead Humanity to the pinnacle of technological advancements. The Cultists believed the Machine to be a divine force, balanced by its counterweight, the Starvation. The Scientists saw the Machine as a great stumbling block, something to hold Humanity back, and sought the Alternative.   In modern times, the city faces a new and ghastly threat - the Beasts. These monstrosities seemingly appeared without warning, each one unique, all of them characterized by certain traits. There were many theories addressing just where they might come from, but no one could solve the biggest problem: how to deal with them, permanently.   As if in answer to the looming danger, four individuals from vastly different walks of life came together, not in search of a solution, but instead out of need - for each other. They would have no way of knowing just where their journey would take them, but in the course of their adventures, they will find themselves face to face with the ugliest truths of the City of the Machine, and be given a difficult choice: to save the city, or save themselves.