World of Darkness

The Ulgan Progenitor
Thursday, July 20th, 2006 Preview of Promethean: The Created
Posted: 2006-07-20

Today, we proceed with this week's previews of the Riven, and discuss the first of their kind. This animated creature became the Progenitor of a line of Prometheans, and each generation made more of its kind. Continuing in our weekdaily previews of the next World of Darkness game, Promethean: The Created, we bring you a peek at the Ulgan's reputed Progenitor.

Ulgan - The Riven

Progenitor: Among the ancient horse-tribes of Siberia, Ulgan was one of the gods, the creator of man, himself the creation of Tengri (though Ulgan and Tengri are sometimes one and the same). Among his creations was Erlik. He had seen a piece of earth with a man's face floating down a river. He breathed life into Erlik, and the two were friends for a time. But Erlik was full of pride and violence, and he fell from grace. Ulgan banished Erlik to the Underworld, and Erlik took the domain of the dead.

Erlik was the first of the Kara Kam — the black shamans who traffic with the realm of the spirits. He taught the Kara Kam how to cross over the wall between the material world and the spirit realm. First, they had to become aware of the spirit world. Each underwent a visionary experience before they came into their powers, each dreaming that Erlik's spirit servants dragged them over the threshold and tore them to pieces before putting them back together. When they awoke from this dream, the Kara Kam had the power to speak with the spirits and to touch them.

The version of the story that the Riven tell about themselves is vague. One version is that the Kara Kam were always there — they'd been part of human knowledge since humanity had been born — and that one (whose name might have been Tengri) found a way to create a spirit-riven slave. Through esoteric means, he found Ulgan, a man in his village who, unknowing, had the element of spirit ruling in his body.

The shaman sent him into Twilight alive. The demons in Twilight tore him apart, and he was aware the entire time. He was awake when Tengri remade him, missing his soul. Tengri made a mistake in this. Ulgan knew the name of his tormentor. Tengri had intended to make a slave; Ulgan was anything but. In revenge for his torment, Ulgan killed Tengri with his bare hands, just moments after he awoke as a Promethean. When the body was cold, he did the same to Tengri as Tengri had done. Tengri awoke with the power of a shaman but cleansed of his identity and devoid of a Kut. Ulgan called this being — both creator and progeny — Erlik, and from Erlik the Lineage of Ulgan grew.

Promethean Lexicon

throng: A group of Prometheans who team up for a task or who travel together on the Pilgrimage. Some throngs formalize their bond into an alchemical pact.

Order Promethean: The Created