Pneuma

Pneuma is an alternative Refinement of Gold that fell out of use after the Thirty Years War. It departs from the alchemical focus of the standard Refinements and offers a religious path to the New Dawn, which proves ultimately flawed.

Those dedicated to Pneuma consider the sacraments pivotal to their redemption. New followers seek baptism and confirmation at the earliest opportunity and all strive to regularly attend mass and offer penance. Many pursue holy orders and even marry in order to fulfill their obligations to God as well as fulfill the Refinement’s roles.

Edenites strive to pray several times a day, both alone and with the congregation of the church they attend. In addition to the standard prayers is one specific to the order, an entreaty to God to take mercy on them and forgive the sins of their genitors, called the Prayer for Ensoulment. The most dedicated (and desperate) will intone this prayer repeatedly for days, taking neither sleep nor food as proof of their faith.

The faithful work diligently among the sick and the poor to prove their worthiness to be humans, and the bonds they form with their charges are in stark contrast to the usual hate and distrust they engender. It is common to discover others of their kind among the destitute and their kindness often helps convert those so found.

Prometheans, by the nature of their Great Work, have a fascination with all things human and so, when provided with the educational resources of an abbey or monastery, it is no wonder that many lose themselves in learning. Their greatest dedication is to the Bible, which members of the order read obsessively in the hopes of discovering more clues to help in repairing their soulless state.

Many of the deepest bonds found between people form over common labor and the Edenites claim that honest work is a sacrament in itself. The unnatural endurance and strength of the Created allows them to do more than their fair share, thus relieving others of their toil.

The Edenites attempt to adhere to the proscribed tenets of the faith. When the Roman Catholic Church dominated, this was a straightforward proposition. Then came the Lutherans and now the Calvinists, and the Refinement, like Europe, is beginning to fracture. Followers of Pneuma argue over which branch of the faith to follow and some wonder if their Great Work is even possible without a clear path. The strain of adhering to already mastered Roles has also forced many to leave the Refinement or be lost.

Roles
Followers of Pneuma inhabit the same Roles as Aurum, but usually within the context of a religious community. They master Companion by joining a religious order or getting married, Follower by being a faithful member of a congregation, and Leader by becoming a priest, abbot, or abbess.