Their society was based on their natural abilities, though. It was only the Queen who wanted the Mammon Machine built to sap the power directly out of Lavos, causing it to wake up and rain fire from the heavens and all.
Quote Originally Posted by Doomgaze
Perhaps you missed the crowd(or at least the SNES approximation of such) outside of the Mammon Machine's chamber, wanting to bask in its power. Someone would have tried to tap Lavos eventually.
I'd say that lot was influenced by, again, the Queen. They were just following something she began.