Psionic Dampener
The T'ka'an differ from Humans in more than their outward visible appearance. Over their evolutionary history, the T'ka'an have developed mental capabilities to the point that most exhibit abilities to manipulate their environment by mental action alone - a capacity referred to as "psionics". Though history reports some instances of Humans displaying similar capabilities, humanity almost universally considers these abilities to be abnormal, often shunning any possess them. In the New Terran Hegemony, this disapproval - some would say fear - of psionic abilities is codified into law. Few doubt that this was part of the deliberate intent to rid the Hegemony of any non-Human influence.
The above-quoted law was passed within a year of the development of technology that could completely dampen the wearer's ability to project psionic abilities.
Technically, the law requires that even the relatively rare Human possessing psionic abilities must also wear something akin to the psionic dampener, the rarity of such Humans means that, in the 300 or so years since the passing of the law, psionic dampener helmets have become associated with the T'ka'an people. And for T'ka'an living or operating within the Hegemony, wearing such a device has become a way of life.
This has a side effect, though, of suppressing brain activity in nearby regions; some T'ka'an using these helmets report diminished abilities to perform mathematical calculations mentally. Others have reported difficulty reading and/or comprehending written or spoken words. Slightly blurred vision and slurred, slow speech. and diminished dexterity and coordination have also been cited as potential, though rare.
Because of these side effects, any T'ka'an financially capable of obtaining a custom-fit, tightly tuned helmet will make every attempt to do so. For the majority of T'ka'an within the Hegemony, however, the cheaper models are all that can be afforded. The diminished capabilities resulting from the expanded dampening fields mean that most T'ka'an find themselves on an unlevel playing field when it comes to competing against Humans in various aspects of day-to-day living.
Whether custom-made or off-the-shelf, T'ka'an psionic dampeners are brightly hued in order to comply with the "visibility" portion of the law. But the law does not preclude the addition of embellishments to the helmet as long as any decoration does not impede the dampening capability of the device or make it less visually obvious.
It has become popular among the T'ka'an - especially those who are more vocal in their protestations about how their people are treated - to add a semblance of a heavy iron chain or similar symbol of captivity and oppression to their dampening helmets.
The depiction above includes such a decoration.
The above-quoted law was passed within a year of the development of technology that could completely dampen the wearer's ability to project psionic abilities.
The Psionic Dampener
Today, any T'ka'an wishing to appear in public within the Hegemony - especially anywhere in or near the core worlds - wears a helmet constructed using the dampening technology. These helmets are brightly colored in bright red, orange, or amber tones - colors that human eyes are well attuned to, and colors which Humans have culturally come to associate with caution or danger. These colors also clash with the fur tinting of almost every T'ka'an, making them and their wearers even more obvious in public situations.Technically, the law requires that even the relatively rare Human possessing psionic abilities must also wear something akin to the psionic dampener, the rarity of such Humans means that, in the 300 or so years since the passing of the law, psionic dampener helmets have become associated with the T'ka'an people. And for T'ka'an living or operating within the Hegemony, wearing such a device has become a way of life.
Technical Description
To operate effectively, the helmet must completely cover the braincase area of a wearer's skull. Electronics embedded in the helmet actively suppress activity in the areas of the brain that researchers have associated with psionic activity. A custom-fitted helmet can be tuned to ensure that only psionic activity areas of the brain are affected, but to improve mass production efficiency, "standard size" models have become available. To compensate for imperfect fit around the braincase, these cheaper models have pre-tuned electronics focused on the dampening areas, but with wider fields of effect to ensure that psionic dampening is achieved.This has a side effect, though, of suppressing brain activity in nearby regions; some T'ka'an using these helmets report diminished abilities to perform mathematical calculations mentally. Others have reported difficulty reading and/or comprehending written or spoken words. Slightly blurred vision and slurred, slow speech. and diminished dexterity and coordination have also been cited as potential, though rare.
Because of these side effects, any T'ka'an financially capable of obtaining a custom-fit, tightly tuned helmet will make every attempt to do so. For the majority of T'ka'an within the Hegemony, however, the cheaper models are all that can be afforded. The diminished capabilities resulting from the expanded dampening fields mean that most T'ka'an find themselves on an unlevel playing field when it comes to competing against Humans in various aspects of day-to-day living.
T'ka'an w/ Decorated Psionic Dampener
Whether custom-made or off-the-shelf, T'ka'an psionic dampeners are brightly hued in order to comply with the "visibility" portion of the law. But the law does not preclude the addition of embellishments to the helmet as long as any decoration does not impede the dampening capability of the device or make it less visually obvious.
It has become popular among the T'ka'an - especially those who are more vocal in their protestations about how their people are treated - to add a semblance of a heavy iron chain or similar symbol of captivity and oppression to their dampening helmets.
The depiction above includes such a decoration.
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