Psionics
Power of the Mind
”Focus inwards. Can you feel it? The energy that’s brimming inside you?”For some, psionics is magic -- a limitless, mystical practice able to accomplish feats of wonder and strength. For others, it boils down to pure science -- a complex, methodical system with limits, boundaries, and rules. But no matter one's opinion on what psionics is, all can agree on its power and potency.
Source
The power of psionics originates in the minds of humans. It dates back to approximately 2000 years ago -- at least, that's how far back found records of psionic phenomena go. It is a source of research for many scientists; it's debated whether it occured naturally in ancient humans, evolved as a response to a certain condition, or mutated due to some sort of source from space. Nobody knows for certain, but it is a well proven fact that psionic power originates from the bodies and minds of people.Not everyone has access to psionic abilities, however. Only a select amount of people are psionic, or as scientists call it, "neuro-psiactively functional." It's unknown what factors play into whether a person is born psionic or not.
Types
Largely, the use of psionics falls into one of 4 classes: Telekinesis, Telepathy, Electrophagy, or Electropathy.Telekinesis
Telepathy
Electrophagy
Electropathy
Every psionic can use any branch of psionics, but some people have affinities for one branch over the others. However, the best psionics are proficient in multiple branches, blending their use seamlessly.
Limitations
The one large drawback of psionic abilities is that, specifically with electrophagy and electropathy, they are unable to interact with any microplasmic technology, which constitutes the vast majority of technology on Passe-Rath. Any psionic's attempt to drain power or data from microplasmic systems will invariably result in a burst of pain, a splitting headache, a sense of dizziness, and a stunning sensation. Every psionic has to be careful when taking data or energy from an unknown piece of technology -- experienced psionics are often able to tell by the feel of the energy what kind of technology it's using, but novice psionics don't have that innate sense yet.Overdraw
Psionics cannot just call on their powers at will without incurring a cost -- using psionic abilities costs energy. The more impactful or taxing the power, the more energy it uses. This is called psionic overdraw. The first sign of energy overdraw is a headache and light exhaustion, same as light burnout from regular activities. However, when a psionic approaches medium and heavy overdraw, effects start to become more intense. Not every psionic experiences the same effect when overdrawing, and some effects are more common when using different types of psionics. Some of the documented effects of overdraw include:- Fever and overheating (Light, medium & heavy)
- A prickling feeling on the back of the neck, the wrists and fingertips, and inside the brain (Light, medium & heavy)
- Mental fatigue (Light, medium & heavy)
- Blurry vision (Medium & heavy)
- Ringing in the ears (Medium & heavy)
- Tension or soreness in the brain stem (Medium & heavy)
- Excessive static electricity (especially common in electrophagy and electropathy) (Medium & heavy)
- Nausea (Heavy)
- Severe migraine (Heavy)
- Unconsciousness -- but it is unclear whether this is a direct result of overdraw or if it's caused by other side effects (Heavy)
- Discoloration of eyes and partial loss of vision
- Absentmindedness
- Audio & visual hallucinations
- Muscle atrophy and shakiness
- Decreased resistance to the effects of future overdraws
- In extreme cases, organ failure
- Increased likelihood of comas
Manifestation
Usually, when someone is born psionic, their abilities don't manifest until they experience a moment of intense stress. This manifestion occurs in a burst of power -- which can be anything from releasing a telekinetic blast while being mugged, draining excess energy from a deadly power surge, or reading a classmate's thoughts during a particularly harrowing math exam.Appearance
To the casual observer, practiced psionic abilites look like nothing at all. However, to those knowledgeable in its forms, each branch of psionics shows different tell-tale signs that alert watchers to their use. Telekinesis is often accompanied by physical movement as a psionic channels their power into the physical world, and sometimes visible strain as well. Electrophagy is noticable when the power source that energy is being drawn from flickers or dims -- this can be caused from natural fluctuations, but also can be due to a meddling psionic. Additionally, especially in less practiced psionics, the body temperature of the psionic will rise significantly as they take in electricity. Electropathy is somewhat hard to notice, but a common sign is when a person suddenly becomes still and their face freezes in concentration as they take pure data into their mind. Finally, telepathy is the hardest to notice to an outside observer, but one subtle sign that someone is using it is when their eyelids flutter slightly, as if from a wind or bright light, when they connect to someone else's mind.
Type
Metaphysical, Psychic
Unique to Humans
In all of humanity's explorations of the galaxy, no other species have been found that possess psionic power. Only humans, or subspecies of humans that evolved on other planets after leaving Passe-Rath, are documented to be able to use psionic abilities. The reason for this is currently unknown.Friction & Sparks
When new psionics are first learning to use their abilities, it is common to see sparks fly -- literally. Psionics requires a lot of energy, and like many electric systems, some of that energy will be converted to heat. Experienced psionics can reduce the heat produced, but less experienced ones will often cause sparks to fly around the object of their concentration. However, this unintended effect can be repurposed into a useful ability: lighting fires through friction by vibrating small amounts of matter at high speeds. This ability is often one of the first learned by novice psionics.Dangerous Secrets
Across Passe-Rath, rumors swirl that there is a fifth branch of psionics. Whispers in dark alleys and behind locked doors tell of a set of abilities called Biophagy. Nobody is really sure what it does, however; wildly conflicting tales claim that this branch manipulates deadly radiation, or funnels death straight into the bodies of innocent people, or drains mental energy from others to fuel various dastardly abilities, or erases and modifies peoples' memories. All people know for sure is that five years ago, a dangerous psionic killed dozens of people using this ability -- and since then, suspicion towards psionics has only grown.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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