"If Aghaaz were destroyed, we could simply take the Power Source," brass explains. "Because his forces would be scattered without the High Priest's leadership."

"What would you do with it then?"

"We would leave this place. Learn about the world. Be people. It is our goal."

"Sounds good to me. And it'll help if we go check out the sanctum, confirm it's unoccupied?"

"Yes. And if the traditionalists are correct, and the Maker has somehow survived, we will at least have new data on what he desires of us," silver says.

"I will bring you before High Priest Aghaaz," flesh says. "If he consents, we will show you the way down to the sanctum."

She looks at her party for confirmation, but this sounds fine to her.

They agree! They follow flesh and clay northwards, through passageways broad enough to accommodate two ogres walking abreast. Eventually they begin to pass more golems, of assorted make. Most of them are flesh golems; some are clay, or stone. There are a couple of iron golems towering over the rest. 

"Flesh golem have name?" Deekin asks their guide. "Since 'flesh golem' no longer disambiguating."

"My designation is F-12," it says.

Deekin notes this down. "And clay friend?"

"C-6," F-12 says. "It does not speak."

Deekin notes this down as well. "Why Aghaaz get name and you guys get numbers?"

"High Priest Aghaaz has certain privileges afforded him by his status," F-12 says. "He is best loved by the Maker, after all."

"Why's he the favorite? And can C-6 understand us and stuff?"

"C-6 understands as well as any of us," F-12 confirms. "Aghaaz is best beloved by the Maker because he was always the wisest of us, and because the Maker expended the greatest effort in his creation."

C-6 makes a sign with its massive, clublike hands. F-12 grimaces. "The heretic Ferron was also beloved by the Maker, yes, but he has betrayed the Maker's precepts, and should not be counted."

Deekin makes another note.

"So if you all get your personhood from the same localized object will you all have to move around and settle down together if you ultimately elect to leave?"

"That is one of the reasons the heretic's proposed solution cannot be borne, yes," F-12 says. "If he merely proposed an exodus of his followers... it would still be unacceptable, because it would be a betrayal of the Maker, but it would not be entirely unthinkable. But to abscond with the Power Source and force the rest of us to come with him or descend into mindlessness is wholly selfish."

"Any hope of making a second one?"

"The Maker's genius is unparallelled," F-12 says suspiciously. "But... perhaps, with the attention of a wizard of great skill."

Belmarniss writes this down. "Is it just the two factions?"

"Yes. The heretics and the faithful."

"No iconoclasts with oddball interpretations of the Maker's words, or heretics who don't get along with all the other heretics? Okay, one more power source would do the trick, then, I guess."

"I am at least unaware of any such iconoclasts," F-12 confirms.

They come, eventually, to a very large door set in the wall. F-12 knocks tentatively; the door swings open, revealing a massive construct stitched together out of dull red flesh. He is sitting at a large desk, with a pen held between two massive fingers.

Jojo visibly flinches at the sight of the High Priest.

"F-12," Aghaaz rumbles genially. "You have brought visitors."

"Hi. We want to go check out the sanctum, see if the Maker's still there or not."

Aghaaz's gruesome smile drops from his face. "F-12, you should leave us for now. We have matters of import to discuss."

F-12 bows as it retreats, and closes the door behind itself.

Aghaaz turns back to Belmarniss. "You seek to disrupt a delicate equilibrium. Why?"

"Is it delicate? He's either there or not, isn't he, and either way somebody can hang up their colorful sashes and go 'okay, you guys were right all along'."

"The silence of the Maker has lasted for seven hundred and thirty-three years. The current civil war between myself and the heretic Ferron has lasted fifty-six. His heretical teachings have sundered our people, perhaps beyond repair. All I desire is to serve the Maker by following his command. If you really seek the truth of whether the Maker still lives, and if Ferron will accept the truth when he hears it, then this would be an elegant solution. And..." He looks conflicted. "Even I would appreciate knowing for certain. I would not admit it to my subjects, who look to me for support, but it has been so long..."

He shakes his head. "I have faith. But if you can bring me proof, I will certainly not turn you away. I simply wish to know that you are entering into this with truthful intentions. What do you seek to achieve, here?"

"To be perfectly honest with you we came here intending to recruit for a war effort and also if we encounter a spare chassis nobody's using we'd like it for our talking sword."

Aghaaz doesn't blink - indeed, it's not clear if he has eyelids - but he does manage to look somewhat bemused.

"Well," he says after a moment's thought, "that is... honestly, better than many alternatives. You are unbiased philosophically; you have not falsely claimed a more sympathetic goal; and if you resolve our schism then I am sure no one would begrudge you an empty chassis. I will grant you access to the Maker's sanctum."

"Delightful, thank you."

He taps a button on his desk, and shortly afterward an intricately carved human-sized iron golem opens the door.

"I-1, please escort our honored guests to the door to the Maker's Sanctum."

I-1 bows deeply, with the faint sound of oiled metal. "It would be my honor, High Priest Aghaaz," it says. "Follow me."