Local Myths & Tales
25.1 The Legend of the First Cog
"Before there was sound, before there was light, the Celestial Artificer turned a single gear in the darkness. And from its turning came the hum - the First Hum - that shook the silence into being. Where the gear rested, stone became copper, copper became bronze, and from the warmth of its friction, the first of us opened our eyes."
This foundational myth is recited at every Night of the First Cog vigil. Scholars debate whether the First Cog is literal (a physical artifact buried beneath Gearhaven) or metaphorical (the initial act of universal creation).
25.2 The Gear-Fox's Trick
A popular children's fable: a clever Gear-Fox steals an Artificer's favorite wrench. The Artificer chases the fox through Gearhaven, learning that every gear she passes plays a role she had never noticed. When she finally catches the fox, she realizes the "theft" was a lesson - no tool is more important than understanding the whole machine. Moral: humility and systemic thinking.
25.3 The Ghost in the Machine
An eerie tale told in Gear-Taverns: an ancient automaton in the Steam-Carriage Depot begins operating on its own at midnight, carrying out tasks its long-dead creator once performed. Some say it is a harmless echo; others warn it is a case of Ghost-Gearing - proof that Soul-Gearing prohibitions exist for good reason. The tale reinforces taboos against binding consciousness to machines.
25.4 The Prophecy of the Last Crystal
A contested text from the Age of Upheaval warns: "When the last Aether Crystal dims and the Gear-Net falls silent, the Celestial Artificer shall return - but only if the children of the Cog have kept faith with Balance." Optimists interpret this as a promise of renewal; pessimists see it as a warning against Aether depletion. The prophecy fuels urgency behind the Gear-Future Initiative's sustainability goals.
25.5 Torren and the Drake
An epic ballad recounting General Torren Brassguard's duel with the Drakonian war-lord Scorr the Ashen during the Ember Rift Conflict. Torren, outmatched in raw power, lured Scorr into a narrow canyon rigged with Aether-Pulse Emitters that neutralized the drake's fire. The ballad celebrates ingenuity over brute strength - a core Gnomish value.