It’s Complicated [Promethean: The Created]

Open Development, Promethean: The Created

The votes are – you folks want the complex stuff first. You got it.

Well, first, some context. A Refinement is a practical philosophy, a pattern of behavior and ethos that informs a Promethean’s approach to the Pilgrimage. But one Refinement isn’t going to lead you to the New Dawn – that would be a gross oversimplification of humanity. The Pilgrimage consists of many roads, and every Promethean has to discover her own journey as she undertakes it.

As she starts out, she follows one of the five basic Refinements, which we’ll talk about next week (how ’bout that, I’ll just make the decision now). But as she progresses, meets other Prometheans, encounters Athanors or journals left behind by other Created, she learns about the more nuanced, esoteric, and complex Refinements.

Aes , the Refinement of Bronze: Sentries place their throng’s safety above their own. Practitioners that don’t have a throng of Prometheans might latch on to a group of humans (dangerous work, but potentially rewarding). They act as bodyguards, but sometimes as spiritual guardians and advisers as well. Example: Marta always plays the voice of reason, the experienced viewpoint, the stable, solid, dependable one. It can be maddening, trying to live up to the expectations of others, to deal with the emotional fallout that Disquiet breeds, and more than once she’s wanted to simply smash it all and walk away. Yet she keeps coming back, trying to understand the difference between caring for someone and caring about them. Perhaps it has something to do with watching ones’ younger brothers and terribly awkward sister thrive and grow on their own? Or is that motherhood instead?

Sentries place their throng’s safety above their own. Practitioners that don’t have a throng of Prometheans might latch on to a group of humans (dangerous work, but potentially rewarding). They act as bodyguards, but sometimes as spiritual guardians and advisers as well. Example: Marta always plays the voice of reason, the experienced viewpoint, the stable, solid, dependable one. It can be maddening, trying to live up to the expectations of others, to deal with the emotional fallout that Disquiet breeds, and more than once she’s wanted to simply smash it all and walk away. Yet she keeps coming back, trying to understand the difference between caring for someone and caring about them. Perhaps it has something to do with watching ones’ younger brothers and terribly awkward sister thrive and grow on their own? Or is that motherhood instead? Argentum, the Refinement of Silver: Mystics see the larger supernatural world, and strive to understand humanity in that context. The mingle with vampires, werewolves, and any other non-human creatures to learn about what makes them not human, and where that separation lies. After all, if they can see the absence of humanity, maybe they can extrapolate what humanity is? Example: Cato found out about werewolves the hard way — and, likewise, they found out how awful Promethean flesh tastes. Still, it wasn’t enough to do him in completely, and when he woke up again he was absolutely fascinated by the idea of humans that could transmogrify themselves. Since then he’s made a thorough study, documenting case after case as he tries to narrow down an alchemical theory for how they do what they do. Most importantly, of course, he wants to figure out how to kill them — he doesn’t intend to be eaten alive a second time.

Mystics see the larger supernatural world, and strive to understand humanity in that context. The mingle with vampires, werewolves, and any other non-human creatures to learn about what makes them not human, and where that separation lies. After all, if they can see the absence of humanity, maybe they can extrapolate what humanity is? Cato found out about werewolves the hard way — and, likewise, they found out how awful Promethean flesh tastes. Still, it wasn’t enough to do him in completely, and when he woke up again he was absolutely fascinated by the idea of humans that could transmogrify themselves. Since then he’s made a thorough study, documenting case after case as he tries to narrow down an alchemical theory for how they do what they do. Most importantly, of course, he wants to figure out how to kill them — he doesn’t intend to be eaten alive a second time. Cobalus, the Refinement of Cobalt: Cathars revel in sin, weakness, vice, and impurity. If they’re going to turn lead into gold, the process needs to free of impurity. So they strive to understand what goes wrong, whether that’s the defects that some humans seem born with, and the defects they choose for themselves. But more than that, they strive to understand the nature of “wrong” and “transgression.” What makes an action immoral or transgressive? Why is denying impulse consider virtuous in most instances, and why isn’t it consistent? Humans seem to understand these things instinctively. Example: She considered the crack den to be her laboratory. The neighborhood was so bad here, the residents so squirrely, that Disquiet was barely noticeable. She lived among them: breathing the same rank air, taking the same drugs, and experiencing the same slow death. No Mimic would go this far, fall this low. But she understood their pain and each day cleansed her and strengthened her, like the heat of their need was a fire in which she was tempered. She watched as her companion started another pipe. She smiled and the flame of his lighter danced in her eyes.

Cathars revel in sin, weakness, vice, and impurity. If they’re going to turn lead into gold, the process needs to free of impurity. So they strive to understand what goes wrong, whether that’s the defects that some humans seem born with, and the defects they choose for themselves. But more than that, they strive to understand the nature of “wrong” and “transgression.” What makes an action immoral or transgressive? Why is denying impulse consider virtuous in most instances, and why isn’t it consistent? Humans seem to understand these things instinctively. Example: She considered the crack den to be her laboratory. The neighborhood was so bad here, the residents so squirrely, that Disquiet was barely noticeable. She lived among them: breathing the same rank air, taking the same drugs, and experiencing the same slow death. No Mimic would go this far, fall this low. But she understood their pain and each day cleansed her and strengthened her, like the heat of their need was a fire in which she was tempered. She watched as her companion started another pipe. She smiled and the flame of his lighter danced in her eyes. Mercurius, the Refinement of Quicksilver: Savants are students of the Divine Fire, practitioners of alchemy for alchemy’s sake. They study the effects of Pyros on themselves and on the world around them, the Wastelands and Firestorms, but also the transformative effects of poisons and drugs on humans. Chemicals are alchemy, after all, and neurochemistry is just as dependent on electrical impulse as anything a Promethean can do. Example: It had been two years since she escaped from her creator but she still had nightmares of being strapped to that table, subjected to torturous experiments to test the limits and properties of her Pyros. In the end, she reflected, the experiments were his undoing. His attempt to cause her to manifest a new Transmutation worked, but her newfound ability allowed her to shatter her bonds. She can still feel how his flesh crystallized under her touch and finally shattered. Despite all of it, she saw the value in his work, and continued on his Refinement. The nightmares guide her towards avoiding his excesses.

Savants are students of the Divine Fire, practitioners of alchemy for alchemy’s sake. They study the effects of Pyros on themselves and on the world around them, the Wastelands and Firestorms, but also the transformative effects of poisons and drugs on humans. Chemicals are alchemy, after all, and neurochemistry is just as dependent on electrical impulse as anything a Promethean can do. Example: It had been two years since she escaped from her creator but she still had nightmares of being strapped to that table, subjected to torturous experiments to test the limits and properties of her Pyros. In the end, she reflected, the experiments were his undoing. His attempt to cause her to manifest a new Transmutation worked, but her newfound ability allowed her to shatter her bonds. She can still feel how his flesh crystallized under her touch and finally shattered. Despite all of it, she saw the value in his work, and continued on his Refinement. The nightmares guide her towards avoiding his excesses. Phosphorum, the Refinement of Phosphorus: The candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long. The Light-Bringers reject the cautionary aspect to that philosophy and burning dazzingly, brilliantly. They take risks that no human would consider, they abuse their bodies and minds, and they risk their own existences to follow other Prometheans to the River of Death. Why? Many Light-Bringers have tasted defeat. They tried to create a new Promethean, but raised Pandorans instead. They attempted the New Dawn, but something went wrong and sent them stumbling backwards on the path. And now that they know how tenuous it all really is, instead of becoming fearful and cautious, they stand, bloody but unbowed, burning bright. Alex loves it when they see others trying in vain to gender them. They personally gave up trying to decide between the two long ago, perfectly happy with that nebulous nonbinary space. They’ve been at this for a while, long enough to have been through half a dozen Refinements trying to find one that fits, but like their gender it always seemed to be one big question mark… until they discovered the path of the Light-Bringer.

There’s the complex Refinements. Feel free to ask questions in the comments; I may not do a Sunday update, since Tuesday I’m going to cover the basic Refinements.