First Principles: Basic Refinements [Promethean: The Created]

Open Development, Promethean: The Created

Prometheans come to life with very little understanding of themselves or the world around them. Residual memories from their constituent bodies and Azothic memory help, of course; they give the Created a grounding in language, movement, and the skills and knowledge they need to embark on their Pilgrimage.

But taking as read that a young Promethean understands the Pilgrimage in broad terms – I am not human, but that is what I can become – what is the next step? How does a Promethean refine the base lead of her existence into the gold of humanity?

The first steps are the five basic Refinements, which are:

Aurum, the Refinement of Gold: The goal is to become human, and what better way than to live among people, to pretend to the human condition, and try to figure out what exact balance of humours will allow the transformation from Promethean to human? Mimics try to learn about humanity from whatever angle they can manage, reveling in the beauty and the horror of the human race. They take part in whatever human rituals they can, no matter how minor, because (especially at first) they have no good gauge for what is important and what isn’t. As a side effect, they alter their humours and manipulate the Divine Fire to induce a variety of emotional effects in the people around them. Example: He knows just about everything there is to know about the old man. He has to. He is the old man now. A month ago, when he came to the house to bring him his groceries and check his meds, he found the poor dear dead in bed. Quickly, respectfully, he buried him in the back under the flower bed. He would like that. Then, he stepped into his life. He’s been over every inch of the apartment: reading old letters and dog-eared books, looking through all of the photo albums, examining his clothes. Tomorrow, the grandchildren come. He is ready.

The goal is to become human, and what better way than to live among people, to pretend to the human condition, and try to figure out what exact balance of humours will allow the transformation from Promethean to human? Mimics try to learn about humanity from whatever angle they can manage, reveling in the beauty and the horror of the human race. They take part in whatever human rituals they can, no matter how minor, because (especially at first) they have no good gauge for what is important and what isn’t. As a side effect, they alter their humours and manipulate the Divine Fire to induce a variety of emotional effects in the people around them. Example: He knows just about everything there is to know about the old man. He has to. He is the old man now. A month ago, when he came to the house to bring him his groceries and check his meds, he found the poor dear dead in bed. Quickly, respectfully, he buried him in the back under the flower bed. He would like that. Then, he stepped into his life. He’s been over every inch of the apartment: reading old letters and dog-eared books, looking through all of the photo albums, examining his clothes. Tomorrow, the grandchildren come. He is ready. Cuprum, the Refinement of Copper: The Created are not ready. That’s the whole point. They need to take it slow, observe the world around them, find an entry point. The Pariahs of the Refinement of Copper take this as their ethos: Reduce, but do not eliminate, contact. Speak when spoken to. Engage when sought. Share wisdom when it is requested. Pay attention. Some Created find Pariahs to be hyper-vigilant, wound too tightly, but the truth of the matter is that they are simply trying to take in so much information that they can’t help seem a little off. Example: Ila began as an obsessive effort to crack the Turing barrier, a chatbot to end all chatbots. When she started speaking in broken sentences without inputs to prompt her, though, her creator knew something was wrong, and only an open internet connection saved her from being deleted outright. Aware of her own fragility as nothing more than data, Ila hijacked a factory and constructed a body for herself. She avoids humans both because she fears them and because she is unused to independent articulation. She perseveres in the hope that someday, maybe, she can talk to her creator, and they won’t be afraid of her this time.



The Created are not ready. That’s the whole point. They need to take it slow, observe the world around them, find an entry point. The Pariahs of the Refinement of Copper take this as their ethos: Reduce, but do not eliminate, contact. Speak when spoken to. Engage when sought. Share wisdom when it is requested. Pay attention. Some Created find Pariahs to be hyper-vigilant, wound too tightly, but the truth of the matter is that they are simply trying to take in so much information that they can’t help seem a little off. Example: Ila began as an obsessive effort to crack the Turing barrier, a chatbot to end all chatbots. When she started speaking in broken sentences without inputs to prompt her, though, her creator knew something was wrong, and only an open internet connection saved her from being deleted outright. Aware of her own fragility as nothing more than data, Ila hijacked a factory and constructed a body for herself. She avoids humans both because she fears them and because she is unused to independent articulation. She perseveres in the hope that someday, maybe, she can talk to her creator, and they won’t be afraid of her this time. Ferrum, the Refinement of Iron: The world is dangerous. Some of the dangerous are obvious – Pandorans, Centimani, alchemists, and the ever-present threat of Disquiet-infected humans. But many dangers are more ephemeral, and more insidious. Despair, grief, loneliness, dysmorphia. A Promethean needs to have the strength, both of body and of will, to carry on, and mustering that strength, tempering the body and soul into iron, is what drives the Titans . Some Prometheans mistake this Refinement for an exercise or combat regimen, but it is that and a philosophy of hope and fortitude. A Titan tests herself to the breaking point, growing stronger with each setback. Example: Alice was made by a man who wanted the perfect wife. Delicate, gentle Alice, who would ever be at his side. Needless to say, it didn’t go well, and Alice has had to learn to the hard way how to survive on her own. She is still beautiful, but on her own terms; taut muscle has replaced the soft limbs her creator gave her, and small fingers have grown firm and callused with hours upon hours of training. She’s made her body her own, decorated it with piercings and tattoos, and become a very different Alice than she was meant to be. She’s proud of that.

The world is dangerous. Some of the dangerous are obvious – Pandorans, Centimani, alchemists, and the ever-present threat of Disquiet-infected humans. But many dangers are more ephemeral, and more insidious. Despair, grief, loneliness, dysmorphia. A Promethean needs to have the strength, both of body and of will, to carry on, and mustering that strength, tempering the body and soul into iron, is what drives the . Some Prometheans mistake this Refinement for an exercise or combat regimen, but it is that and a philosophy of hope and fortitude. A Titan tests herself to the breaking point, growing stronger with each setback. Example: Alice was made by a man who wanted the perfect wife. Delicate, gentle Alice, who would ever be at his side. Needless to say, it didn’t go well, and Alice has had to learn to the hard way how to survive on her own. She is still beautiful, but on her own terms; taut muscle has replaced the soft limbs her creator gave her, and small fingers have grown firm and callused with hours upon hours of training. She’s made her body her own, decorated it with piercings and tattoos, and become a very different Alice than she was meant to be. She’s proud of that. Plumbum, the Refinement of Lead: What is a Promethean? What is the nature of the Divine Fire? How are Prometheans able to manipulate it, to leave their memories and teachings behind in Athanors, to form alchemical pacts with others of their kind? Azothic radiance alerts other Created and awakens Pandorans – can this fire be muffled? Amplified? The Originists‘ ethos, simply put, is “know thyself.” They record their Rambles, noting changes in their bodies as they learn and grow on the Pilgrimage, and they help other Prometheans master the basics of their condition. A Promethean cannot ignore what she is, they argue, to focus on what she could be. Example: For her, the transition from Copper to Lead was a natural one. She feels that her time as a Pariah prepared her for the path she now follows, but she has learned all she can on her own. Now it is time to find others of her kind. Lead has given her the ability to do so, but she is afraid. The only time she has spent with another of their kind was when she was created and that time was very brief. Now, she lurks in the shadows, watching other Prometheans at a distance and trying to work up the courage to make contact.

What is a Promethean? What is the nature of the Divine Fire? How are Prometheans able to manipulate it, to leave their memories and teachings behind in Athanors, to form alchemical pacts with others of their kind? Azothic radiance alerts other Created and awakens Pandorans – can this fire be muffled? Amplified? The Originists‘ ethos, simply put, is “know thyself.” They record their Rambles, noting changes in their bodies as they learn and grow on the Pilgrimage, and they help other Prometheans master the basics of their condition. A Promethean cannot ignore what she is, they argue, to focus on what she could be. Example: For her, the transition from Copper to Lead was a natural one. She feels that her time as a Pariah prepared her for the path she now follows, but she has learned all she can on her own. Now it is time to find others of her kind. Lead has given her the ability to do so, but she is afraid. The only time she has spent with another of their kind was when she was created and that time was very brief. Now, she lurks in the shadows, watching other Prometheans at a distance and trying to work up the courage to make contact. Stannum, the Refinement of Tin: The world hates the Created. Savants and Originists might talk about how the world simply recoils from the power of the Divine Fire, but the Furies know masturbation when they see it. The world shuns the Prometheans because they are abhorrent. And sometimes, a Promethean sees this hatred and decides to earn it. Furies the the raging storm, the fury of the Divine Fire channeled to destructive ends. They call up lightning and hurl it at those they hate, loosing the Torment that festers in the heart of all Prometheans. Any of the Created can adopt the Refinement of Tin, instantly. And yet, this makes Stannum, in some ways a source of hope – it’s open to anyone, any time, even the Centimani. Example: He used to follow the Refinement of Cobalt but his time spent among the sick, the mad, and the weak made him cynical about humanity and his experiments became crueler, more pointless. Eventually, his phlegmatic humour got the better of him and he found himself dispassionately torturing the humans who crossed his path. In an effort to save himself, he allowed himself to fall to Tin. He is still cold and vicious towards those around him, but he is once again making progress on his Great Work, learning the lessons only a monster can learn. His sadism is no longer an indulgence distracting from the Pilgrimage, but a tool he learns to wield so that it doesn’t consume him.

And there ya have it: The 10 Refinements. Tune in Sunday to vote on next week’s topic!