Mentats

Mental bloodlines are those with powers that affect the mind, from reading thoughts to controlling others' actions or even shaping memories. These powers are often subtle, but they can be the most dangerous in a world of magical politics. Modern Mentats reflect the pinnacle of learning and channel their abilities into levarging the study of the spark and applications of bloodline magic as well as a host of other related topics including Technology Development, Artifact Production, Lodestone Manipulation and more. Their services are also used to negotiation purposes and evaluation of markets, trading goods, weather patterns and more. Mentats who find their bloodlines with a mix of others might leverage their understanding in those areas in powerful ways. Archon-Mentats might find themselves used in signal detection, spying, or crippling mental attacks in warfare. Medico-Mentats might utilize their empathetic understanding of their patients to provide excellent care above simple treatment of the disease. Of the 5 major branches of Bloodline powers, the Mentats are the most comfortable interacting, exploring, and leveraging the Technos.

Typical Bloodline Powers:

Telepathy: Mentats can read minds or communicate mentally with others, bypassing the need for spoken words. The use of this ability is highly monitored by The Mentat Council to make sure that only surface thoughts are picked up without consent.

Telekinesis: Mentats can move objects with their minds, from small items to large ones. Some can control gravitational forces, levitate themselves, or crush objects with sheer force. Class IV and V Mentats are often recruited by architects and engineers to provide precise implementation using these abilities.

Memory Manipulation: Some Mentats can influence or erase memories, either by subtly adjusting a person's thoughts or completely rewriting their recollections. This skill is often used to treat victims of crimes or tragedies, but can also be used to draw out memories in criminal investigations.

Rare Bloodline Powers:

Mind Control: The rarest Mentats possess the ability to control the minds of others completely, overriding their free will and manipulating their thoughts and actions. This power is often feared, as it can be used for coercion, political manipulation, and mind-wiping. These powers are forbidden by the Mentat Oath, but still exist within the bloodlines of powerful Mentats. Concern remains that Mentats will find a way to circumvent their Oath and return to the use of this power.

Zone of Conviction: The Mentat emits a controlled psychic wave that infuses a region with a dominant emotional state, shaping the thoughts, actions, and behaviors of all within it. The strength, clarity, and type of emotion depend on the Mentat’s Spark level and precision. Class IV Mentats can generate more basic or moderate emotions such as: Calm, Focus, Unease, Sorrow, Comradery, or Mild Courage, while Class V Mentats can emit profound, near-overwhelming emotions, including: Existential Awe, Holy Terror, Despair, Fanatical Loyalty, Euphoric Inspiration, or Cowardice so deep it breaks military formations