Water Pipes

The Water Pipes are a recurrent theme within the game

Green Pipes
The Green Pipes provide clean water that is safe to drink to the outside of the city through a series of automated filtration and treatment units. The letters on the pipes refers to three religious factions in the game: The Guild of the Greater Eye, the Unknowing, and the Order of the Cosmos.

Water that is not filtered through the pipes is regarded as contaminated or 'Unclean.' Unclean water brings out serve mental effects such as hallucinations, severe migraines and suicidal thoughts.

According to a written note, the Council of Modernity split the flow of the water into the three groups.

Symbolism/Meaning
The reference to Unclean water can be compared to the effect of drinking water contaminated by industrial waste which can bring about similar effects if not filtered properly.

As the player explores further, there are points where the pipes converge so that the water is effectively flowing through the same point. This, in addition to the fact that the water comes from the same source, could be a representation of the three groups. Despite their differing ideologies and methods, they share similar goals and even ideas.

The fact that the water comes from one source is perhaps an ironic statement in itself: all three groups drink the same water as each other yet they cannot find agreement amongst themselves.

By contrast, drinking the Unclean Water (thereby inducing insanity) may represent the absence of actual meaning, a sense of nihilism that is represented by the Minotaurs. This accounts for some of the nihilistic statements from Solomon and Jonah such as the suicidal thoughts and how they feel humanity is beyond hope.