Taxonomy of Spirits, Addendum

All spirits benefit from attention – whether that is emotion directed at them or, even better, conscious worship. Such things not only empower the spirits who receive them, but gradually shape them. This is reflected in animae as well. For example, a creature (or a person!) who is feared will gradually become more dangerous while a child-prince who is beloved by his subjects and imagined as a great leader will gradually tend to become one. With animae of intelligent beings, this is only a tendency that can be overcome with free will, but it is often the path of least resistance.

The techgods are the spirits of working technology. They are conscious – and often malicious – inanimae, awakened and given strength by the fear and wonder that people have for technology. The more powerful of them can inhabit the physical objects to which they are attached, animating them. All but the least of them can cause their physical halves to malfunction. Some wizards specialize in the domination of techgods, binding them to servitude or mutating them to create strange technology the likes of which was never known, even in the ancient world.