PrometheusChains

Towards the end of the first age, there was a powerful Solar, known as Prometheus, who committed a great crime. No history book records what the crime was, but it was presumably epic beyond comprehension. Although the Solar was not punished by his fellows, he himself felt a great guilt, such that he could think of nothing but his crime day or night. He could only find peace through self-flagellation. He would subject himself to horrible punishments such as sleeping in boiling oil, drinking molten lead, and ordering his lover to eat part of his body while still alive. But within a few days, his Exalted essence had repaired his body, and he was again driven mad by the thought of his crime. Eventually, he devised a permanent solution: The Prometheus Chains. He crafted barbed wire out of orichalchum, and tied it all around his body, terrible ivy growing on a living wall. (if you’re having a hard imagining this: think of a candy cane. His body was the white, the wire was the red.)

The Chains worked better than Prometheus could have dreamed. The nightmares and guilt that had plagued him for years ended. He might have become one of the kindest and best of the Solar rulers. Unforunately, the Chains worked too well: Awareness came crashing down on him like a blow from Hell. His mind was open to the true source of his pain. He saw the Great Curse laid upon his kind by the Primoridials. He saw how it ripped the world apart. He saw how the Sidereals, themselves its victims, plotted to destroy the Solars because of it. What was worse, he realized the impossiblity of lifting the curse. For a time, he thought to publicize his discovery, but he was laughed off. He tried to use the power of the Chains to find a cure, but he only made things worse. Eventually, in he went quite mad killed himself.

The Prometheus Chains still exist, however. The Chains still exist, and are an Artifact of amazing power. Despite the name, the Chains are actually thin, gold wire, with barbs around them. The barbs are not particularly subtle, and any idiot can tell they’re not a pleasant prospect. Still, the Chains radiate power that is obvious to any living being who approaches them, and so some might be tempted to endure them.

To attune the Chains, a Solar Exalted must wrap them around his body and commit 25 motes of Essence. The Exalt will take 9 unsoakable lethal damage immediately. Needless to say, Ox-Body Technique is a must. After that, the Chains remain heavy and unattuned at first, rendering the Exalt immobile under their weight. The Exalt may heal normally while the chains are attuning, the chains attune when all but three of the lost health levels have been regained. These health levels will never heal.

While the Chains are attuning, they look into the mind of the Solar wearing them. If the Solar has done harm to others, he must recognize this, and be willing to change. The Exalt need not seek to become a Saint or ‘Paladin’, but must be sincerely well-intentioned. If anything, the Chains prefer people with some flaws. If the Chains reject the Exalt, they unravel, and the Exalt may heal normally. If they choose to accept a host, then they may never be removed.

The Chains main power is the ability to control the Great Curse. Here, as in many things, the Malfeans had the last laugh: the Chains are more useful for making the Curse worse than or making it better. The Chains grant a number of powers, related to the different kinds of Exalts:

The Exalt may manage his own limit break. Not "cure", but "manage." Specifically, she may change his Virtue Flaw and limit break condition whenever she likes by spending an hour Meditating. She must have a score of three or higher in the relevant virtue. This can give you a Limit Break that is totally anathema to your normal personality. So you can build up limit with Heart of Flint, then end up breaking with Ascetic Drive. The strange impulses that Prometheus gave himself in an attempt to minimize the damage he did when in Limit Break eventually drove him mad.

-The Exalt may see the Limit Break meters of herself and her Exalts. She may not see Resonance or Paradox meters.

-Solars find their Limit Breaks turning againist them. Specifically, whenever a Solar Exalt Limit Breaks in the presence of the Chained Exalt, a mark is placed upon their Soul. At some point in the future, one of their ally's will experience the Solar's limit break. (even if he normally has a different limit break or no limit break.) The Solar wearing the Chains is immune to this power, her companions are not.

-(I'm not sure what to say about Lunars. )

-The Exalt may choose when to target Dragon-Blooded with the Chains. To do so, he must pay one point of temporary Willpower. The next time the Dragon-Blooded deals with a large group of Mortals, the Mortals will be effected by the Dragon-Blooded's elemental aspect. Fire Aspects will find mortals to be completly ruled by emotions and unable to think clearly. Earth aspects find them stubborn and inflexible. Water Aspects find Mortals falling comically in love with the Dragon-Blooded. Air Aspects find mortals thinking in purely rational terms, incapable of emotion. (I have no idea what to say about Wood Aspects.)

-The Chains used to effect the Great Curse of the Sidereals, but now effect the greatest price of their hubris: the Arcane Fate. The Exalt wearing these Chains 'enjoys' the benefits of the Arcane Fate - but only in relation to Sidereals and their close companions (ie, acquantices and familiars) Sidereals will be at -3 dice to recognize the character, will tend to forget the character quickly, and so forth. Memos relating to the character will never reach a Sidereal.
In addition, the character is immune to the Arcane Fate, and may recognize and remember Sidereals normally. (assuming he meets one)
Finally, the Exalt is fated to discover the existence of the Sidereal conspiracy (if not its full extent.)

-The Chains use a Deathknight's own own destructive tendecies againist him. For (10-their Resonance) in days, Deathknights find supernatural destruction hampering them in various small ways. For example, a Deathknight who tries to run up a flight of stairs finds the stars rot to nothing just before he can use them. If he wears nonmagical armor, he finds that it rusts and becomes useless. He may even find his coffin turning to dust.

• The barbs on the outside of the Chains allow the Exalt to do Lethal damage with unarmed attacks. Anyone who wants to wrestle is in for a big surprise.
• The barbs may not be retracted. This makes it difficult to handle delicate objects, give people hugs, and so forth. They've been enchanted so as not to damage clothes or armor, but other objects do not enjoy such protection.
• The Chains toughen the Exalt's body, and confer some of Prometheus' normal regenerative powers. The Exalt treats all Lethal attacks as though they were Bashing. This has three effects:

• • She may block Lethal attacks with her bare hands
  • She may soak Lethal damage with her full Stamina
  • Unsoaked Lethal damage becomes bashing damage, meaning it heals very quickly.
  • Note that the Solar's Armor is not effected, and reatins its normal Bashing and Lethal soaks.