#Promethean Horror

[enddaysengine]

Sketch of a horrible little cigarette spirit I did the other day. While it is in no way polished, it is one of my favourite recents, not in the least because it went from idea to art in under an hour.

[bethanythebogwitch]

The TTRPG about self-discovery and zombies

Promethean: the Created is a game in the Chronicles of Darkness game line about learning about what it means to be human and persevering in the face of incredible adversity. Chronicles of Darkness is a line of tabletop role-playing games that share a setting (but can be played independently of each other), each of which focuses on playing as some kind of supernatural creature that lives in secret amongst humanity. Promethean is basically CoD’s take on the story of Frankenstien. You play as monstrous mockeries of humanity, doomed to be feared and hated by all you encounter, learning who you are and what it means to be human so you can escape your torturous existence. While Promethean is the kind of game where you can have plots about fighting radioactive zombies and mad scientists at the behest of a three-faced angel with seven flaming wings, it is ultimately about character growth and development over a long journey of self-improvement and -discovery. 

Central to Promethean is the practice of alchemy and alchemy is the magic of change. All alchemy is powered by the cosmic force of change that is the divine fire Pyros. Pyros is further divided into Azoth (change as a creative force) and Flux (change as a destructive force). There are many alchemists worldwide that study the power of Pyros, but all agree that the Magnum Opus of the craft is the creation of life from death. Those who attempt this feat will ultimately create a Promethean. Prometheans, more commonly known to themselves as the Created, are corpses brought to life and infused with raw Azoth in place of a soul. However, this is not true life and the Created are abominations against life itself. The Azoth that fuels them leaks out constantly and inflicts wild changes on the world around them. If a Promethean stays in one place too long, the people and even landscapes around them are twisted by their presence in effects called Disquiet and Wasteland. Disquiet alters people’s minds, causing them to ultimately come to fear and hate the Promethean who caused the effect. Wasteland alters the local landscape, environment, and weather into unnatural conditions. Thus the Created have to constantly be on the move, doomed to never stay in one place too long lest they ruin the land and trigger hate mobs out for their blood. It is a miserable existence, but there is a way out. Every Promethean is born with instinctual knowledge of the process called the Pilgrimage, a process where, by learning what it is to be human, a Promethean can transmute their Azoth replica of a soul into a true soul and become human. This journey is long and hard and no matter how bad things get, that bit of hope is always there. 

Prometheans are created from human corpses, but they are their own unique individuals, retaining no memories from their body’s former life. They are born with no real understanding of anything and must quickly learn or die. Fortunately (or not) for them, they are incredibly durable, able to take immense amounts of damage, heal themselves with exposure to electricity, and they even get one free resurrection. Their powers are called Transmutations, which let them spend some of their pool of Azoth to alter themselves or the world around them. One transmutation all Created share is the ability to project an illusion around themselves to appear like a normal human. This helps delay the onset of Disquiet and allows one to actually interact with people without the problems that come with looking like a walking corpse. There are many ways to make a Promethean and the Created are divided into Lineages based on which method was used to create them. Lineages are named after the first Promethean made using each method. Lineages affect how Prometheans think and what Transmutations they have access to. Each Lineage comes with its own Disfigurement, the physical tells of their origin, and Torment, mental compulsions the Promethean suffers. In addition, the different Lineages cause their own variants of Disquiet and Wasteland. Curiously, staying in proximity to Prometheans of different Lineages reduces the effects of Disquiet and Wasteland. This encourages Pormetheans to seek each other out and travel together in groups called Throngs. Even if this effect didn’t happen, the Created would still seek each other out. Loneliness is a burden all Created must carry and as they are immune to the effects of Disquiet, other Prometheans may be the only beings a Created can actually spend a lot of time with. There are five common Lineages and three rare ones.

Frankenstein is the youngest of the common Lineages and yes, the Victor Frankenstein was responsible for creating this Lineage. A guy called Mr. Verney claims to be the original Frankenstein’s Monster and he’s still around. He also inspired Mary Shelly to write the book. The ritual to create a Frankenstein requires parts from at least two bodies, which are attacked together through stitches, prostheses, or whatever other inanimate materials the creator has available. Then, Azoth is supplied to the body by electricity. This has traditionally been done through lightning strikes, but power plants work just as well. All Frankensteins experience constant pain through their existences and have naturally violent tempers. Unlike the other Lineages, Frankensteins began as a failed attempt to create a human and this sense of failure and rejection haunts them. Theri Disfigurements reveal the patchwork nature of their bodies. Their Torment compels them to lash out in rage and destroy the things they love. Their Disquiet causes them to become the scapegoats for anything that goes wrong. Their wastelands are dry and hot, with increased chance of fire and lightning. 

Galatea is a lineage that dates back to ancient Greece with the story of Pygmalion. Creating a Galateid requires an unmarred and beautiful corpse to be bathed in wine vinegar, pearls, and herbs. The final ingredient to bring one to life is a kiss that imbues the body with Azoth. Galateids are created as objects of desire, usually by lonely and artistic progenitors. They have to struggle with conflicting instincts, their desire for freedom contrasting with an innate urge to be loved and kept. Galateids tend to be vain and the most socially adept of the Lineages. Their Disfigurements make them appear as artificial mockeries of beauty, with skin like marble and glassy eyes. Their Torment makes them obsessed with obtaining people they love and see as beautiful. Their Disquiet makes people simultaneously obsess with and repulsed by them. Their Wastelands are marked with storms and extreme winds. 

The Osiris Lineage claims descent from the Egyptian god Osiris, who was killed and cut apart by his rival Set, then brought back when his wife reassembled the pieces. Osirans are often compared to mummies but as actual mummies exist in this setting (the game is Mummy: the Curse), their creation ritual may be an attempt at recreating the origin of true mummies. To create an Osiran a corpse must be immersed in river water, then cut into thirteen pieces with a bronze knife. The smallest piece is discarded and the rest are spat upon and sewn back together with flaxen threat. Finally, the creator places a handful of Azoth-laden rose petals in the body’s mouth and the new Promethean will chew and swallow its first meal. Osirans consider themselves to be the closest thing the Created have to royalty, being allegedly descended from a god. They are indisputably the oldest Lineage. Osirans tend to be inquisitive and struggle with deadened emotions. Their Disfigurement makes them appear withered and mummified, with the missing piece being very obvious. Their Torment drives them to be callous and manipulative. Their Disquiet makes people obsessed with learning how they work, to the point of capture and vivisection. Their Wastelands turn the land into desert. 

Tammuz is the Lineage born from the ancient Semitic tradition of making golems. The ritual for making a Tammuz is the easiest of all the Lineages. A body is selected and the progenitor writes an instinctually-known work on a slip of paper that is placed under the tongue. The body must then be marked as a slave. This can be through tattoos, brands, manacles, or a number of other methods. The body is then buried in bare earth and abandoned. When the new Promethean is ready, it will dig itself out. The Tammuz were created as servants and they chafe at bondage. The Tammuz desire freedom above all else. They do enjoy helping people out, but if a Tammus feels taken advantage of, they will become furious. Tammus are naturally pessimistic and melancholic. Their Disfigurement makes them appear earthen, with skin of cracked clay and stones for eyes. Their Torment drives them to be submissive and subservient. Their Disquiet causes people to become depressed and static. Their Wastelands are wet and sad, with rainstorms and animals becoming too depressed to survive. 

The Ulgan Lineage claims descent from a Siberian shaman of the same name who could rip himself apart and then put himself back together. The creation rite requires a body (alive or dead) to be sunk into the state of Twilight (the in-between state between the regular world and spirit world first introduced in the game Werewolf: the Forsaken), where spirits are summoned to rip the body apart. The progenitor then recovers the pieces, reassembles them, and vomits ectoplasm over the body to bring it to life. Ulgans are spiritually aware, able to sense spirits and uncontrollably drawing spirits to them. Ulgans tend to try to learn from the spirits, becoming shamans and mystics who seek out the mysteries of the occult. They are typically the least social of the Prometheans, but companionship is good for them as it keeps them from becoming totally shut off to the world. Ulgan Disfigurements appear as deep, bloodless gashes in the body that spill forth darkness. Their Torment drives them to isolate themselves and grow detached from the world. Their disquiet makes people paranoid and suspicious. Their Wastemend weakens the barrier between the world of matter and the world of spirits, eventually allowing spirits to pour through into reality (and if your Game Master is playing a game that acknowledges the other gamelines and this happens in werewolf territory, you better have that free resurrection lying around because your ass is turbofucked). 

Unfleshed is one of the rare Lineages, though it is not really a Lineage in and of itself but a common name for any promethean not made from a corpse but from inanimate objects. There is no common creation rite amongst the Unfleshed. The only requirement is an artificial object in the general shape of a human and it needs to have been made with a function in mind. Unfleshed can be created from statues, mannequins, toys, robots, and even artificial intelligences. The Unfleshed are created as tools and have an even harder time than the other Lineages learning what it is to be human. They tend to be very logical and emotionless and need to learn how to accept being emotional and imperfect. They despise being treated as mere tools. Also, the Colossus of Rhodes was a giant, immobile Unfleshed that was part of a magical network focused around the seven wonders of the world that kept godlike fairies out of the world. I’m not making this up, it’s in the lore. Their Disfigurement reveals the artificial nature of their bodies. Their Torment causes them to become emotionless and inhuman. Their Disquiet makes people treat them as tools and objects. Their Wasteland causes the world to run like clockwork, with no room for disorder. 

Zeka is one of the rare Lineages and the youngest Lineage of all. They first appeared in 1945 and while there is no common ritual for creating one, the birth of a Zeka requires large amounts of radiation. It is also possible for radiation to corrupt the creation rite of another Lineage, resulting in a Zeka instead. The Zeky did not appear until the development of atomic weapons and their very existence seems to be a reminder of the horrors of nuclear radiation. They are born in constant agony and secrete radiation wherever they go, poisoning the land they walk upon and the people they meet. The Zeky live an existence of even more pain than other Prometheans, so it is not much of a surprise that not one of them has ever completed the Pilgrimage. Their Disfigurement makes them look like victims of radiation, covered with tumors and keloid scars. Their Torment makes them lash out at the world in rage and pain. Their Disquiet makes people paranoid and insular, the worst of Cold War-era paranoia. Their Wasteland poisons the world with radiation.

Extempore is one of the rare Lineages, though it’s not actually a Lineage but the collective term for Prometheans born not from the actions of an intelligent progenitor, but through random chance. Pyros exists throughout the world and whenever enough of it comes together near a corpse, a Promethean can be born. This is usually a result of natural disasters or other cataclysmic events, as such events are wellsprings of Pyros. Each Extempore is effectively a lineage of one, though there have been cases where events are so widespread that multiple corpses can be animated in the same way, creating mini-Lineages. Two examples of this are the Faceless, born from the bodies of World War I victims of poison gas who were struck by lightning, and Hollows, who were victims of dehydration during the events of the Dust Bowl. In both cases, once the events that caused their creation ended, no new members of the mini-Lineage could be born, dooming them to extinction. Extempore Disfigurements, Torment, Disquiet, and Wastelands are unique to each individual. 

The ultimate goal of any Promethean following the Pilgrimage is to become human, an event called the New Dawn. Upon achieving the New Dawn, the power of Pyros will rewrite history, making it so the Promethean in question was always human, even if others can still remember their pre-New Dawn self. Their new life will be shaped by their experiences as a Promethean, even though they will remember none of it. Reaching the New Dawn requires Vitriol, a substance produced by the Created that is effectively a physical representation of their development along their Pilgrimage.Vitriol can also be stolen in an act called the Lacuna that is considered a monstrous crime. Because it is very useful in alchemy, some alchemists will attempt to hunt the Created to steal their Vitriol. Losing Vitriol sets a Promethean back on their Pilgrimage. Vitriol is generated when a Promethean completes milestones, specific steps along the journey to humanity. Some milestones are universal to all Prometheans while others are more personal. One important milestone is called multiplicato and it requires the Created to leave a legacy. The most common way of doing this is creating a new Promethean of the same lineage. There are other ways, but this is the most common. This is an issue for Extempore as their creation is often unreplicatable. The idea of dooming another in order to the miserable life of a Promethean rarely sits well, but many will end up doing it as the other options are either unknown to them or out of reach. Most milestones are gained through Refinements. These are roles a Promethean acts out to better understand humanity and themselves. There are 11 refinements, 5 common, 5 complex, and 1 forbidden. Changing between Refinements is important as staying static will eventually burn out the Azoth within and reduce the Promethean to a mindless automaton called a Petrificatus. The Refinement system means that Promethean is a game where humans roleplay monsters roleplaying as humans. 

The 5 common refinements are:

Aururum, Refinement of mortality. Followers of this Refinement attempt to learn about humanity by living amongst humans and acting like them. They will pick up human behavior, try to communicate with people, get jobs or attend schools, and develop a sense of empathy. These roles must ultimately be short to avoid Disquiet and the Pormethean must remember that they are learning to be human, not just imitating human behavior. 

Cuprum, Refinement of self. This Refinement focuses on the Promethean understanding who and what they are. They tend to be loners engaging in meditation and other forms of self-knowledge. This allows them to understand the mutability of their forms and hopefully the process by which they can transform their Azoth into a soul. Many adopt this Refinement after Disquiet forces them away from other people. 

Ferrum, Refinement of corpus. This Refinement teaches that since the body is the seat of the soul, understanding and perfecting the body is a vital part of obtaining a true soul. Thus, they train in martial arts, strength training, and other forms of exercise. Those following this Refinement tend to adopt the lifestyle of an honorable warrior who fights not just to fight, but to prove their strength and protect others.

Plumbum, the Refinement of source. This Refinement teaches that to escape the Promethean condition requires understanding it. They study the abilities and origins of the Created and especially the effects of Wasteland and Disquiet. They also tend to have the most knowledge about Promethean history, lore, and the nature of Transmutations and Legacies. 

Stannum, the Refinement of torment. This Refinement is all about believing that avoiding pain and Torment is impossible. The practitioners turn their rage and pain outwards, lashing out at the world around them. Most Created will end up on this Refinement eventually, as the torment of their condition drives them to the end of their rope. 

The complex Refinements are rarer and require a greeted understanding than the common ones. They are:

Aes, the Refinement of aid. This practice teaches that in order to proceed on your Pilgrimage, you must help others on theirs. Prometheans on this Refinement protect other Created and give them advice and help on their mission. It is all about learning to put others before yourself. On the other hand, you also must learn that some people don’t want help and how to avoid being taken advantage of.

Argentum, the Refinement of mystery. These Prometheans seek to learn about humanity by studying other supernatural creatures. Many of these beings (eg. vampires, ghosts, changelings, mummies, werewolves, mages) either were once human or are still part human. Those following Argentum believe that by studying the transformation from human to monster, they can learn to reverse the practice. Other supernatural beings (eg. spirits, demons, angels, etc) were never human and Prometheans hope that by studying them , they can learn what humanity is not. 

Cobalus, the Refinement of impurity. Similarly to Plumbum, this Refinement is about learning what the nature of a Promethean is. They engage in experimentation with Disquiet, Wastelands, Torment, and Transmutations. They also do not shun Disquiet and Wastelands, but encourage them so they can openly deal with the consequences and in doing so, find out how to master the Promethean condition. 

Mercurius, the Refinement of Pyros. This Refinement is all about studying the divine fire of Pyros and learning its abilities and limitations. They practice alchemy and delve into deep lore on Pyros and Azoth. They also learn how to amplify their Transmutations and control the fire within. After all, how best to learn how to turn their Azoth into a soul than to learn how to control it?

Phosphorum, the Refinement of ephemerality. These Prometheans can’t wait for the New Dawn, they want to be human now. Thus they indulge in vice and thrill, all while pushing the limits of life. Many take on this Refinement after a failed attempt to reach the New Dawn out of despair and a desire to forget their pain. However, by living life to the fullest, they can learn more about humanity and even the nature of death.

The forbidden Refinement is Centimani, the Refinement of Flux. This is the path of Prometheans who have given up on the Pilgrimage. In their mind, if the world treats them as monsters, they might as well be monsters. Those driven to despair by the pain, loneliness, and failure can fall to become twisted monsters with no hope of ever escaping their torment. Because Centimani is the path of rejecting the Pilgrimage, those on the path cannot generate Vitriol and must perform the Lacuna to steal it from other Prometheans to avoid becoming a Petrificatus. It is very rare but possible for a Centimanus to leave the Refinement and return to the Pilgrimage. The majority of Zeka are Centimani. 

There are many enemies of the Created: humans (or worse, other supernatural beings) caught in Disquiet, monster hunters, Alchemists out to steal their supply of Azoth and Vitriol, other Created eager to perform the Lacuna, and so on. The ones they fear the most, however, are the Pandorans. These monsters are the result of the creation of a Promethean gone wrong. Instead of being filled with Azoth, the body is filled with Flux. This causes the body to tear apart, each piece becoming a Pandoran. These monsters require Azoth to live and excel at hunting and devouring Prometheans for their supply. When deprived of Azoth, the Pandoran will become dormant and assume the shape of an inanimate object. Anything from a rock to an ornate sculpture could be a dormant Pandoran just waiting for the presence of a Promethean to awaken it and turn it into a vicious predator. While they possess a predator’s cunning, Pandorans are not sapient beings. However, if one manages to devour enough Vitriol from its prey, it can transform into a Sublimatus. These beings have all the power of Pandorans with a human-like mind and endless hunger. They frequently lead packs of Pandorans and human cultists in search of their own goals and precious Azoth. As terrifying as they are, Sublimati are victims of tragedy as well. They are just as inhuman and tormented as Prometheans, but there is no New Dawn for them. The only end to a Sublimatus’s misery is death.

The strangest beings Prometheans encounter are the Qashmallim. These angel-like beings are born directly of Pyros and can represent either Azoth or Flux. Each Qashmal is born with a mission and a limited supply of Pyros. They will attempt to fulfill this mission above everything else and only last until the mission is completed, they are destroyed, or their supply of Pyros runs out. Most Prometheans consider them to be either help or hindrances on the Pilgrimage, but Qashmallim can enact great change in the world. 

[probablybadrpgideas]

Unfleshed Promethean who’s an animated anime waifu body pillow.

[enddaysart]

Cigarette Spirit

Been working on this little dork for a bit. Not nice, not fun, not something you want to meet in a dark alley, but its oh so very friendly.

Instagram Patreon Writing and RPG Tumblr: @enddaysengine

[scionmysteries]

Alchemists (Chronicles of Darkness)

I’m a lot of things, but one of them is a science person. I’m driven to learn about the new and discover the unknown. All reality is one great big puzzle, and I get to see how the pieces fit together in new and exciting ways. So in fiction, I tend to have sympathy with academics, scientists, and explorers. I will die on my bed raving about how science wasn’t the problem in Jurassic Park. The problem was capitalism.

But alchemists? Alchemists in the Chronicles of Darkness scare me. Alchemists are the dark side of scientific progress, which transgresses and doesn’t care about the harm it causes. Alchemists are the western tradition’s deep connection with imperialism and its arrogance in disenfranchising other knowledge traditions. They are the “ends justify the means” people and the “it’s for your own good” people. They want knowledge, they want power (even if they won’t admit it to themselves), and they ultimately don’t care about anything that stops them from getting either.

Alchemists are mortals who tap into the secrets of Pyros, allowing them to learn Promethean’s Distillations, modify their bodies, and gain Dread Powers. Body modification? In a game crawling with body horror? Totally not going to backfire on you, but you do you. The catch is that most Alchemists get the barest trickle of Pyros and can’t stablize much of it at a time - unless they steal it from Prometheans. And those modifications? They need Vitrol to do that, so at best, they are delaying a Promethean’s progress toward becoming human for their own game. Most of the time, they just murder them.

If Promethean: the Created is a game that embraces humanity, its Alchemists represent the rejection of human nature. If you want to play a game where transhumanism leads to the loss of what makes humanity important, Alchemists are a great place to start.

Graveyard Gary’s been at this a long, long time. He considers himself a reanimator, in the “grand” tradition of Herbert West, while rather missing the point about West’s grizzly fate. In fact, Gary’s missed the point so completely that he didn’t even notice when his body died, but by that point, it was so laced with Spark of Life Distillations that it just kept moving. As a result, Gary’s lack of heartbeat and unblinking stare unnerve anyone who visits his cemetery, but other than the faint smell of formaldehyde and ozone, there is no decay. Gary wouldn’t even mind even if it was pointed out to him; this is the best he’s felt in years. Honestly. Mostly. Probably.

N0V4 thinks he’s big shit, with the corner office in his father’s company and a hacker alias, so he can pretend he’s on the worker’s side. He’s not untalented, but he’s a relentless taskmaster who isn’t half as bright as those who work for him. Unfortunately for every Promethean who comes near Toronto, the world of corporate ruthlessness trained him well for being an Alchemist. He’s mastered various Electrification and Luciferus Distillations, he even sees the electromagnetic spectrum’s invisible colours, but now the electricity is stalking him back. An electricity spirit has latched onto N0V4’s resonance, and it has no intention of letting its food source slow down his experiments.

Good intentions, hell, and all that. Annabel started her study of Alchemy after hearing rumours of the Created and hoped to help them. She’s even knowledgeable enough about Disquietism to help Prometheans learn the Transmutation. The problem is that she now inflicts Disquiet on those around her, and the temptation to use Weaponize to her advantage grows stronger daily.

[soysaucevictim]

Just thinking abt the Promethean!Twins.

Roman's a Muse/Galateid and Remus is a Wretched/Frankenstein, yeah?

Muses have an uncanny valley effect w/ their beauty and charm. Roman often leans into transmutations of the Deception variety (alongside Pat, another Muse, and Jan, a Hollow/Extempore.)

Quothe the Wiki:

It covers supernatural means of confusing or evading opponents, from changing one’s skin color to altering one’s facial features. Deception Transmutations are most commonly practiced by Mimics, who learn them easily as one of the classes taught on the Refinement of Gold; they use the Transmutations to better blend in with humanity.

The Wretched immediately provokes a sense of fear and anger in people. He doesn't have much aptitude in Deception, but he does have Metamorphosis, which he gleefully uses to freak people tf out.

It covers the transformation of the body into new shapes, from sprouting claws or fangs to creating a homunculus. It allows a Promethean to reshape their own body, stretching limbs or transforming their flesh into unnatural forms. It is used by those who follow or once followed the Cuprum Refinement.

Basically shape-changing is more illusory with Roman. It's extremely visceral with Remus~

[bump-1n-the-night]

What Dark Creature are You?

[blueheartbookclub]

"Resurrecting Prometheus: Mary Shelley's Haunting Masterpiece, Frankenstein"

Mary W. Shelley's "Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus" stands as an immortal testament to the enduring power of gothic literature and its exploration of the human condition. In this haunting tale of scientific ambition gone awry, Shelley weaves a narrative that transcends time, challenging our notions of morality, creation, and the pursuit of knowledge.

Victor Frankenstein's reckless quest to defy the boundaries of life and death results in the birth of a creature both wretched and sublime. Shelley's evocative prose takes us on a journey through the icy landscapes of the Arctic and the darkest recesses of the human soul. The novel's layered narrative, framed within the letters of an ambitious explorer, adds depth to the overarching tragedy, creating a sense of impending doom.

As the creature grapples with his identity, rejected by society and his own creator, Shelley compels us to confront themes of isolation, prejudice, and the consequences of playing god. The moral ambiguity of Victor Frankenstein and the sympathetic portrayal of his creature blur the lines between good and evil, challenging readers to ponder the ethical implications of scientific innovation.

"Frankenstein" is more than a cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific hubris; it is a profound exploration of the consequences of unchecked ambition and the responsibility that comes with creation. Shelley's narrative mastery, coupled with her intellectual depth, makes this novel a timeless classic that continues to resonate with readers, inviting them to ponder the boundaries of human knowledge and the price of playing with the forces of life and death.

"Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus" by Mary W. Shelley is available in Amazon in paperback 12.99$ and hardcover 20.99$ editions.

Number of pages: 266

Language: English

Rating: 10/10                                           

Link of the book!

Review By: King's Cat

[blueheartbooks]

"Resurrecting Prometheus: Mary Shelley's Haunting Masterpiece, Frankenstein"

Mary W. Shelley's "Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus" stands as an immortal testament to the enduring power of gothic literature and its exploration of the human condition. In this haunting tale of scientific ambition gone awry, Shelley weaves a narrative that transcends time, challenging our notions of morality, creation, and the pursuit of knowledge.

Victor Frankenstein's reckless quest to defy the boundaries of life and death results in the birth of a creature both wretched and sublime. Shelley's evocative prose takes us on a journey through the icy landscapes of the Arctic and the darkest recesses of the human soul. The novel's layered narrative, framed within the letters of an ambitious explorer, adds depth to the overarching tragedy, creating a sense of impending doom.

As the creature grapples with his identity, rejected by society and his own creator, Shelley compels us to confront themes of isolation, prejudice, and the consequences of playing god. The moral ambiguity of Victor Frankenstein and the sympathetic portrayal of his creature blur the lines between good and evil, challenging readers to ponder the ethical implications of scientific innovation.

"Frankenstein" is more than a cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific hubris; it is a profound exploration of the consequences of unchecked ambition and the responsibility that comes with creation. Shelley's narrative mastery, coupled with her intellectual depth, makes this novel a timeless classic that continues to resonate with readers, inviting them to ponder the boundaries of human knowledge and the price of playing with the forces of life and death.

"Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus" by Mary W. Shelley is available in Amazon in paperback 12.99$ and hardcover 20.99$ editions.

Number of pages: 266

Language: English

Rating: 10/10                                           

Link of the book!

Review By: King's Cat

[tesshoundi]

(These were made using bases from https://www.deviantart.com/nukababe who you should go check out)

I’ve been working on writing a story set in world of darkness with character’s from most of the game lines (some excluded based on personal preference) and I had made VIIZ (unfleshed) awhile back but I got to thinking before they got wrapped up in (spoilers for plot) they probably had a throng at some point so I came up with some ideas as I was fleshing out the Unfleshed’s backstory (Pun intended) more info under the read more if you’re interested. Also It’d been awhile since I'd done any chibi base drawings and this was a convenient excuse to do some.

First up is Viiz (Unfleshed) Current Refinement: Argentum Role: Envoy Prior Refinements Cuprum ‘ role Hermit complete, Stannum role Vigilante  incomplete. Viiz was the creation of a Changeling (CTD) specifically a goblin. And once he left his mother’s care it seemed to eventually draw him to the refinement of silver once he realized that him mother wasn’t human that is. He originally after being separated from his mother followed the refinement of copper as he was unused to other people, but one fateful day when he was taking shelter from a storm what he thought was just another person unfortunate enough to be stuck outside during the downpour was another variety of changeling (Weeping Wight to be specific) The two had a brief fight with neither being victorious but that sparked Viiz’s interest in the supernatural and his switch to Argentum. A few years later after joining up with his throng (more on that later) he found out what had happened to his mother once they had been separated. She’d been murdered by a banal Changeling. Filled with an indescribable rage he’d never felt before he temporarily switched refinements to tin and quite brutally beat the man to death. He spent a few more weeks as a fury working out his anger before switching back to Silver.

Next is Mouse (Zeka) Current refinement: Aurum Role: Companion Prior Refinements: none. Mouse was left with no instructions from his creator and had to figure everything out for himself. For several months he’s been wandering throughout the city he awoke in occasionally taking part in various raves or going out to nightclubs a hobby he’s kept up even to this day. But he was unaware of the wasteland he was creating in the process. Eventually he triggered a massive firestorm and ended up wiping out the city’s population in the process but he also made our next character’s dream come true but more on that in a minute. He met Viiz soon after who was investigating the city because he believed that the radiation spikes in the area were due to balefires caused by black spiral dancer werewolves not knowing of the Zeka within the city. Mouse now knowing that their were other’s like him joined up with the Unfleshed starting a more focused approach to his pilgrimage. 

Next is Dualette (Extempore) Current Refinement: Aes role Servant  Prior Refinements: Aurum Role: Follower complete , Centimani. Do you remember ‘the pilgrim’ from the second edition core rulebook? If so you should know that her belief that she could become a true promethean which is suggested to be possible in Night Horrors the tormented was her entire goal. Dualette is her dream and now she aspires to be more than Promethean she aspires to be human. That massive radioactive firestorm Mouse triggered caused a lot of damage to buildings and such and The Pilgrim was caught partially under the debris as the firestorm flayed her (and everyone else) alive. This firestorm lasted absurdly long (a full 24 hours) but when it finally ceased the Pilgrim had gotten their wish Pyros was able to partially hide their disfigurements when needed and they no longer felt the need to tear into prometheans for now she was one herself. Now as Dualette she had sought out others so she could learn from them eventually stumbling upon Viiz, Mouse and Viiz’s only throngmate at the time Suitor ‘more on him later’ She joined their throng overjoyed that she had finally gotten her wish but when Viiz and Suitor started talking about being human she when lightheaded as she couldn’t believe the possibility put before her. He was on the refinment of flux temporarily as she had just crossed from pandorian to promethean but quickly switched to Aurum quickly meeting her milestones after a few years she switched to Aes wanting to help those who’d helped her, inadvertent as some of it may have been. She has two humors Ectoplasm from her ulgan creator and Radiation from Mouse’s firestorm and her wastelands embody both together but each half is only about half as bad a a firestorm of that level from either lineage if you were to separated out the effects from each humor. For example people in her wasteland only take half as much radiation damage as from a Zeka wasteland of the same rating.

Lastly is Suitor ( Galateid ) Current Refinement: Stannum role Savage  Prior Refinements: none.  Suitor was created to be the perfect romantic partner to his creator but he’s actually repulsed by romantic and sexual affection and quickly went his own way. He’s one of the few Galatea who are created from multiple bodies with his main one still bearing autopsy scars (not visible here) The parts that came from a separate donor are his eyes and his arms just below the shoulder. His scalp is a wig cap that was sewn on with the sole purpose of giving his creator the ability switch out his hair as they saw fit. He does usually wear wigs usually switching them out to avoid being recognized when he doesn’t want to. He loves picking fights with others and isn’t above using his puppy like brown eyes to figuratively disarm those who fight him. He met Viiz after deciding to pick a fight with a Brujah not that he knew of course. Viiz saved his life but staking them allowing a bloodied and beaten Suitor to lick his wounds so to speak. He decided that in case any of his fights pit him against supernaturals again having Viiz around would come in handy. He’s the only member of the throng who wasn’t appalled at Viiz beating his mother’s killer to death and instead agreed with the action though Viiz’s rampage afterwards was so unlike him that Suitor was glad when he returned to silver like the rest of the throng. 

[enddaysengine]

The Devil (Chronicles of Darkness, Alchemist)

He says the song’s about him. He insists he is the Devil, incarnated as human, using the alchemical arts to unlock his true powers. To mortals, he appears as a man in his 60s, with stringy grey hair and an ever-present fiddle, but all in all, rather unremarkable. Only Prometheans see the broken horns rising from his crown, the faint crimson hue to his skin, and the cloven hooves. Only they smell the brimstone on his breath as he sings and dances.

He goes by a million pseudonyms and assumes names all over North America but answers to only one: the Devil. Even though he doesn’t look like much, he is rich as sin and enjoys seeing what makes people tick. When he has the Pyros to spare, he uses it to “free” people from their inhibitions, so they do what they want instead of what they think is “good.” He firmly believes that a person’s flaws make them human and that trying to paper over them makes people lesser - a point of view he espouses to any Promethean he meets, whether they are interested in hearing it or not.

The Devil’s tools bewilder other alchemists. All he works with are a dozen Pyros-infused oils and his fiddle. He carefully mixes the oleaginous substances as he treats the fiddle’s strings. Once it is ready, he activates the Pyros through song. The few colleagues he keeps insist it has something to do with the vibrational frequencies resonating with the Divine Fire. The Devil just shrugs them off. What is music if not magic?

Rumours “Be careful; he’s not just an alchemist! He’s some strange hybrid of ghouls and fae-touched.”

This rumour is incorrect but gets at an essential truth about the Devil. Alchemy is his great love, and he will happily chatter at a throng for hours if they catch him in the right mood. But he doesn’t use alchemy exclusively. He knows he’s done for if an angry Titan catches him off guard. He scrounges every bit of occult lore, teaching himself Ceremonies and Open Rites. He summons angels, demons, ghosts, and spirits, binding them to his will. The Devil never puts all his eggs in one basket and always has a backup plan in case things go belly up.

“The Devil bound an angel in his basement, and now the God-Machine is hunting him down.”

The Devil has interfered enough times the God-Machine is on the lookout for him, although it won’t go out of its way without a solid lead. The Devil’s more significant problem is that the Lucifuge is hunting him down and is willing to go to considerably more trouble to kill him. As to what’s in his basement - he’s not telling.

“You can’t trust the Devil. He lies and will say whatever it takes to get you to agree to his bargains. The second he can get away with breaking his end, he will.”

The Devil is probably one of the safer alchemists for the Created. When he comes after a Promethean’s Pyros or Vitrol, he’s upfront about his actions. He always wagers them against something the Promethean wants: information, an introduction to important people, or an Anathor. If the Promethean wins, they get their desire. If they lose, they have to give up the resources they wagered. Despite the rumours (which amuse him endlessly), the Devil is a man of his word and will go out of his way to ensure he upholds his end of the bargain. He only tries to take Pyros or Virtol from Prometheans with violence or deception if they break their end of the deal first.

Virtue: Reliable Vice: Indulgent Attributes: Intelligence 2, Wits 3, Resolve 3, Strength 1, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2, Presence 4, Manipulation 4, Composure 4 Skills: Academics 2, Occult 5 (demons), Politics 3, Science 2; Athletics 1, Brawl 2, Drive 3, Larceny 2, Stealth 4; Empath 2, Expression 4 (fiddling), Intimidation 3 (curses), Persuasion 4, Socialize 4, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 4 Merits: Resources 5, Perfect Recall Health: 7 Magnitude: 2 Distillations: Indulgence (all), Temptation (all) Dread Powers: Jump Scare, Know Soul, Scurry 5 Pryos/per turn: 6/2 Willpower: 7 Integrity: 4 Size: 5 Speed: 10 Defence: 4 Initiative: +8

Disfigurements: Much like Prometheans, the Devil possesses Disfigurements that shine through when he uses Pyros, which trigger Disquiet. The Devil may avoid flaring Disfigurements on any Distillation by taking the Callous Condition.

Occultist Extraordinaire: The Devil knows as many Ceremonies, Open Rituals, and mortal magics as the Storyteller desires. He also achieves an exceptional success on Occult rolls with three successes.

[thestuffedalligator]

Graft is fun. I like a few of the suggestions in the notes that have a similar energy as graft like “patchwork” from Girl Genius or “stitched” from Twig. Like the main thing that distinguishes a Frankenstein’s monster from your average reanimated corpse is the cobbledness. The stitches. The proof of being made.

There should be a new name for Frankenstein’s monsters as a species. I love Frankenstein’s monsters, I love mismatched flesh tones and visible stitches, but I can’t keep calling them Frankenstein’s monsters because A) most of them aren’t made by Frankensteins, and B) it’s a fucking mouthful every time. We need a generic no name brand Frankenstein’s monster.

[quinnred]

Halo 4 Reimagining - Perdition Visual concept for the Perditions, a reimagining of the Prometheans of Halo 4 based me and my brother's thought exercises.

The artificial Forerunner world of Requiem was a paradise to be enjoyed at leisure, an entirely modular geography and biosphere allowing it's three managerial AIs to please it's creators. Upon the true horrors of the Flood coming to light, Requiem's purpose was changed to one of experimentation. The managerial AIs were given the goal of discovering and exploring strategies that may make their creators immune or unappealing to the parasitic scourge. They were given near complete reign over any and all Forerunner's within Requiem and were locked within their shield world until their masters returned. The boldest and potentially successful operation was Perdition, a project involving a hybrid of sentinel robotics and engineer nanotechnology to create replacement bodies for subject Forerunners. Volunteers were not even considered, with random selection of the civilian populous for conversion. The process involved gradual cell-by-cell replacement of subject body matter with engineer materials, the sentinel mechanics acting as the exo and endoskeleton of the body and protected vital parts. Perdition subjects would be homed in the pleasure facility Idyll Halja, where the Trinity supplied them a glut of stimuli to occupy these immortals for millennia under observation. This only entertained a few hundred years, their technological processing information far faster than their original human bodies. What followed was an eternity of boredom and eventual madness, with suicide in these regenerating forms and true reproduction being impossible. The Perditions would devolve and shift culturally as they tore each other apart and remade themselves, bastardizing their forms into ghostly gravity manipulating monstrosities. Unable to develop into the Meta-Stability stage of their rampancy due to their confines, the Perditions had been tunneling into and hacking Idyll Halja in attempts to breakout into the rest of Requiem. The Trinity AIs were forced to quarantine Idyll Halja deep into the bowels of Requiem and have been in constant digital warfare with their experiments. The Perdition's aggression has been so overwhelming that many other managerial duties of the Trinity have been shunned. Lord help any who may find their way into the Perdition's den.

[aen-hen-ichaer]

just saw romulus im so so normal about it NO IM NOT. GOD IM NOT IM GNAWING AT THE BARS OF MY ENCLOSURE GAAAUUGH

my thoughts + spoilers under the cut :3

• giger would be so proud of this film. so yonic. so phallic. my god. Every vagina shaped thing gave way to the most sinister form of life. Every penis shaped thing was violently penetrating. Super duper leans into the original underlying themes of SA. got under my skin like crazy

• this film combined all my favourite elements of alien (slow burn immersive horror), aliens (great action) and resurrection (human/xeno hybrid) I literally cannot fault it at all

•the offspring (babymorph as me and my bf dubbed it) BAD BAD SO BAD THROWING UP IN MY MOUTH I was legit shaking and had tears in my eyes I have never been so close to screaming in a cinema. 1000/10 creature design. I knew something horrific and fucked up was gonna happen after the pregnancy reveal but JESUS

• Andy's actor was AMAZZINNNGG. The way he played "regular" Andy vs "evil fuckass weyland-yutani synth" was seamless and perfect and he was my fav character

• Ian Holm's cameo felt...... weird. I generally don't like dead actors being reanimated in cgi anyway even with the consent of the family yadda yadda but... blegh. The cgi felt a little dodgy on his face as well but tbh the glitchy jilted nature of it really added to him being a damaged synth LOL

• references were v cute. might be ott to some but I liked it

•PRACTICAL EFFECTS MY BELOVED. BIG SCARY ASS PUPPETS MY BELOVED. GOO AND SLIME MY BELOVED

• the whole birth scene shook me to my coooorrree. As someone who wants to be pregnant and give birth nothing has gotten so under my skin like that before. The ides of doing your best to nurture what will be your child only for this fucking horror to come out of you.... oh my god......... AND LACTATING THE GOO?? ARE YOU FR????????

• mostly smart characters in this movie which I appreciate! the whole zero g acid blood vortex scene was very funsies

• great score. Calls back to the original but not too much

• PERFECT set design. Felt like watching alien isolation as a movie

• I love that they went back to a more analog clicky buttons/flicky switches aesthetic, the holograms and touchscreens of prometheus and covenant never felt right

• the black goo as an almost intelligent substance is so so fun. It "speeds up evolution" but it's smart enough not to destroy its host outright. The offspring was gestated in an egg sac containing fucking acid BUT it didn't hurt kay (until she birthed it and it no longer needed her)

• also the offspring not growing its xeno tail until it consumed the last of the goo from kay? Very nice touch

• JUST. PREGNANCY AS A GROUNDWORK FOR HORROR. SO UNDERUTILISED. SO EFFECTIVE.

• this films chest burster scene... dare I say....scarier than the original. Watching her ribs crack with the xray machine.... YUCKY

• me and my bf has settled to calling the black goo Promethean Fire. This isn't part of the review I just like that hehe

• when I heard the name Romulus I mentioned to my bf about Romulus and Remus being raised by wolves and I was like "what if this is the start of the crossbreeds like in resurrection?" AND I WAS FUCKING RIGHT BITCH!!!!!!!!!!

•Sound design was excellent, the thumping huge heavy footprints of the xeno felt sososososososo good with the cinema surround sound auugghhg

ANYWAY I FUCKING LOVED THIS MOVIE. If u wanna share any thoughts pls do in insane about this :)

[soysaucevictim]

Firstly. I love Monster!Sides shit to pieces over here as a body horror fan who will never not giggle about Remus's Monster Smash shoot series, okay?

Just thinking abt a ramble I had abt my Monster!Remuses and their relationship with that concept...

iZombie - generally over here living his best unlife. doesn't have to worry abt his chronic pain probs from just all his orthopedic insults over the yrs + the Big C. Fucking choice if ya asked him. Tho at times thinking about the other blunted senses kinda sucks and also just having a new Life Meter in brains intake comes with it - it's own issues. (something he was made to more seriously than ever reckon w/ after the whole being starved thing.)

Begotten - absolutely loves how learning what he really was just made shit click into place. loves all the cool shit he can do and just the highs bringing chaos truly gets him. that said - the whole mess w/ Cass fucked him up a lot.

Promethean - doesn't really know anything else. might be a lil jealous of iZ's persistent extreme hypoalgesia. But then again it's also an "all Remus knows thing" - just because he's a Wretched One (Frankenstein), specifically. I think a lot of his manic desire to cause chaos comes from a more… bitter place, than BOTH iZ and Begotten's case.

[poisonheadcrabsalesman]

stumpy i like receiving damage from your writing so i will submit "things you said when the world was ending"

“Captain Lasky to all hands! Battle stations! This is not a drill!”

Alarms blare and emergency lights flash. The room is doused in red and the sirens wail like banshees. He drops his datapad and looks at the ceiling in horror before his coworkers' cries snap his attention back into focus. Something terrible was happening and there was no time to stand around and wait for the news to reach them.

Voices yelling in the hallways turn to screams and he ducks down behind the desk with his teammates. Clanking metal, flaring like flames walks into the room before exploding into a burst of cinders as gunfire erupts behind it. Yells echo again, this time orders to move.

This was supposed to be a safe contract. The Infinity had an army onboard! and Spartans!

But now things out of his nightmares were teleporting onto the ship! At least the aliens boarded via the hangars, but this new hell had Esparza scared out of his mind. He followed a handful of others being hustled from the crew quarters towards any place with armed comrades. They were sitting ducks otherwise.

Marines corral the unarmed crew members to whatever passed for safety as their flying fortress is boarded by machines that can ghost past their defenses. Esparza follows them to parts of the ship he's never seen before. He usually stayed in engineering and his brain is in overdrive as adrenaline floods his system.

His eyes see nothing and everything, fixating on the way the doors are too big and the way his brain cannot remember which hallway they took to get here. Blurred vision and detailed memories mix in his mind as his heart beats rabbit-quick.

They're hustled quickly into some kind of communications room. A holotable sits with it's display updating in real time as ships approach the Infinity. The marines nod to a Spartan and then turn back to the hallway, already moving towards their next objective.

A Spartan. A real Spartan, kitted out in the legendary armor, is in the room with them. He can't help the nervous exhale as his nerves calm and his shoulders drop a fraction of a millimeter from around his shoulders.

The Spartan is focused, eyes glued to the multiple screens at his station. He offered them a nod as the contractors had been shepherded in and dropped off like lost sheep.

Esparza watches him in lieu of watching the door or straining his ears to hear the not-so-distant sounds of battle.

“Roland, sitrep on our invaders.” The Spartan asks.

“Prometheans appearing all over the ship. No means to stop them at the moment.”

The Spartan takes the info in stride and shifts to the teams under his command. He radios pilots and Spartan Fireteams and reacts faster to this mess than Esparza can even respond. Things might be okay, his brain traitorously thinks too early.

God or Roland must hear him because then a warning comes across the live feed. “Spartan Miller, you’ve got Prometheans near Ops command!”

Esparza's heart stutters and someone next to him grabs at him. There's a flutter of nervous gasps as their Spartan, Spartan Miller simply nods and keeps working.

“Acknowledged, Roland. I’ve got my sidearm in hand.” He does. It looks like a toy in his hand.

Esparza wants to laugh. It's such a funny gun for a Spartan to have. He's seen the super soldiers from a distance. Larger than life, looking like automatons. He's seen more marines and helljumpers up close, and they had rifles that could take down the killer robots faster than the sidearm could.

Spartan Miller turns to the civilians huddled in the corner and walks towards them. His brow unfurrows and his face softens enough to look almost sheepish as he gestures for them to move to the other side of the holotable and further away from the door.

Esparza studies him. Miller is younger than he thought. Seeing him this close, without a helmet, reminds him of people he's lost, of what he's seen. The manic fear sours into a deeper grief and near-acceptance about what's coming.

Their eyes meet and Miller's face hardens again, back to business, but he watches Esparza.

Something explodes onscreen behind him and the civilians flinch. Miller looks over his shoulder and smiles. "That's Crimson for you, they're on their way home to help us clean up this mess."

Esparza feels his face shift into something incredulous as helmet cams show a battle that looks more like a light-show than what he's seen. Miller catches him and the smile broadens. "They're some of our best." He gets serious again and holds up the sidearm Esparza was judging earlier. "This is the M6H, it takes a few rounds to get through Promethean shielding, but after that they pop easy. Anything tries to come through that door isn't getting further than me."

Esparza finds himself nodding. He joins his fellows and braces for whatever comes next.

“Murphy?” Miller touches the comm device in his ear and nods back at Esparza. Whatever intel he gets must be good, or maybe he's being brave because he smiles at him again. It seems real enough that Esparza's stomach stops doing flips.

The Spartans are here. Maybe things would be okay.