Prometheans are biological constructs Scientifically assembled from dead organic matter animated by the Sons of Ether and/or Progenitors but unable to Awaken. The single exception is Elias Waldmann, who is said to be the inspiration for Frankenstein's monster, and has survived into the Final Nights as an active member of the Sons of Ether.
After the techniques for their creation were pioneered in the late Eighteenth Century, both the Æsculpian Order and the newly-formed Voltarian Order proceeded to produce experimental variants, and produce them en-masse, threatening both public health and Paradox. Eventually, the saturation of Prometheans, dubbed the Promethean Plague or Promethean Atrocity, was used as a rallying cry for internal reformists in the Order of Reason, leading to mass purges of Prometheans and their creators, and fomenting a push for stronger regulation and centralized authority within the Order.
In a somewhat darkly amusing twist, both organizations claim credit for originating the technology, but insist that the other was responsible for allowing it to proliferate to such volatile extent.
References[]
- MTAs: Mage Storytellers Handbook, p. 154-156
- MTAs: Sons of Ether Tradition Book, p. 18-19
- MTAs: Convention Book: Progenitors, p. 22, 25, 57