~Silver Cord

~~A Role Playing Setting Of Psychic Adventure

~~~by Ronald Pyatt

Ψ

~~~~Introduction

Welcome to the world of Silver Cord, a modern setting where psychics dominate the world from the behind shadows.

Silver Cord is a role playing game setting (RPG). Players take on role of characters set within the fictional game setting, taking part in a story, acting out scenes, planning strategies, and interacting with elements within the setting. In this particular setting player characters are psychically talented people caught up in the struggles of life as only psychics can. Delve into the mysteries of the unseen, and challenge those who would dominate you. Take on the spirits that attempt to corrupt you, and as you might have guessed, the life of a psychic is not a dull one (far from it).

Aside from the challenges you’ll face with the unseen, there are normal people with which to contend. These non-psychics are also called Blanks, and in many ways they are the most dangerous people of all.

There is a big secret in the world, and it’s the biggest secret ever kept. Part of your job is to prevent Blanks from discovering there are real psychics. And if its not part of your job yet, it soon might be. Not that you’d have much choice, because you can’t go around letting people know psychics exist. If you do, other psychics will start to notice, and if you think the powers-that-be will not find out... Well, they are Psychic, you know.

~~~~~The Real World

Again, welcome to the real world. In a way you’re lucky. This is a place few will ever get a chance to see. Up until now you may have thought you were living in the real world, but just wait. Life is about to get a little more interesting.

Oh, and please try to hold on to your sanity.

This book shows you the game world that puts players into the middle of supernatural action, conspiracy, horror, and mystery. You will be hunted by secret organizations, hidden government agencies, and malignant spirits as they attempt to subvert, destroy, and control you and the lives of people around the globe. Psychics are hunted down for their talents; tracked, tagged, and exploited by whoever can get away with it.

~~~~~A Deadly Place

Silver Cord is about survival, and these rules are designed so that a character’s death is a real possibility. Oh, but wait. Don’t back away. That chill crawling up your spine was more than just a demon clawing its way up your back. Monstrous beings roam the Earth in search of food, and you may have guessed that you are that food. These things search for the living light that psychics possess. Often, they are desperate to find it. The living light offers them the answers to big questions. Some will stop at nothing to get the answers they need. The light promises those answers each time they feed upon the light. Like a drug it is the power they desire or the life force they crave, and they will keep coming back for more. They’ll keep coming for you.

~~~~~ Who are they?

In Silver Cord psychic abilities are developed by those who have the potential for using mental powers, but there is trade off. Your character’s power comes at a price. This price is something many are unwilling to pay. You see, your mental abilities attract the attention of the unseen. That’s not all. Your mental abilities can easily cause you to go mad. Who are they? Why... they’re you!

Congratulations. You’ve taken your first step. Fasten you mind - You’re in for a bumpy ride.

~~~~The Setting

The world of Silver Cord takes place in modern times, as earth is now, but with a twist.

Psychics have been around since the dawn of man. However, most of the psychics from the past had psychic talents that showed up as strange manifestations, giving rise to visions, and to madmen. From shaman to soothsayer and tarot card reader to seer, psychics were embedded into the cultural fabric of human life. Psychics came in all manner of strength. From the minor telepath to the major precognitive seer, the past has had its share of psychics. Persecutions for having psychic talents were documented as devilry or devil worship, witchery and dark arts. Typically, psychics of lesser strength paid the price for anything that might have gone wrong in a village or a township. Due to strong beliefs, many psychics had a self loathing that extended to other despising psychics.

Stronger psychics were misunderstood and feared. Maladjusted psychic became anti-social creatures that did not adapt well with society. Under the harsh condition of the past, true psychics often went mad. Those that could find refuge in the churches turned to religion to stave off the psychic strength within them. Religions that promoted psychic activity ultimately limited most of their member’s psychic strength because they misunderstood the powers of the mind. Those that developed their own way had an easier time with the madness, but the resultant witch doctors, shaman, and seers felt themselves drift further apart from the society they served.

The days of madness are gone? No, but through the efforts of secret societies, the average person is unaware of, unwilling to believe in, or prevented from seeing the unseen world. For most people it is because they are prevented from seeing the unseen world. Telepaths are routinely sent out to suppress the mind of the masses, erasing any memories that might prove too damaging to the unseen.

Psychic abilities may manifest on their own in 1 in a thousand people in any given population. Of those psychics 10% might have measurable psychic strength, and 1% might have superior psychic strength. PC’s are part of the few psychics that walk the earth with the potential to be great, but may begin as part of the 99.9% that show no signs of talent, at least until they begin play.

~~~~~You

Silver Cord characters encounter supernatural action, conspiracy, horror, and mystery. Entering into Silver Cord brings you, the Player, into a world of suspense where secret organizations, hidden government agencies, and malignant spirits attempt to subvert, destroy, and control the lives of people around the globe. The setting is modern day. Players are the psychically talented and caught in the struggles of the unseen. Psychics are hunted down for their talents; tracked, tagged, and exploited by whoever can get away with it. Psychics shine brighter than other human with the living light which marks them as targets. This is the light that spirits crave as comfort food.

Ever in danger, characters struggle in a forest of minds that hunt and are hunted by you. That chill you felt down your spine was more than just winter setting in. Monstrous beings roam the Earth in search of meaning. They are desperate to find it. Some will stop at nothing to get the answers they need, the power they desire, or the life force that allows them continued existence.

In Silver Cord, psychic powers are honed abilities that are improved like skills by those who have the potential for using raw psychic energy. The trade off; this power comes at a price. Power attracts attention, madness, and despair. Once you’ve set down this path, there is no turning back.

~~~~~ Factions

Psychic groups have existed in the world for ages. They have recruited into their ranks a wide variety of their kind. Some groups are orders that recruit specific types of talents into their ranks. Some are gangs of thugs that seek out new members based on attitude, looks, or some other quality they find fitting. Some private organizations either seek or open their doors to psychics that are in need, while some try to exploit the psychics. Some are government agencies that have discovered psychics are a tool to be used. Some are research based agencies that have many motives, private and government sponsored. Some psychics get involved with a church or other religious organization and are exploited to promote the religion. Not all psychics belong to an order or faction.

There are Medical orders that recruit healers. Trancers, otherwise known as Mediums and Necromancers, specialize in communicating with ghosts and spirits. Magicians are psychics that tap into their abilities through ritual and rote. They believe they perform magic. Their magical knowledge is merely the catalyst for their psychic abilities. That’s why magic works for some folks, and it doesn’t work for others. Witches are magicians. In fact, all users of magic, whatever they call themselves, are the same in that they use their abilities through what they consider magic. Even clerical ‘divine’ faith healing magic is simply a manifestation of psychic energy. Yogans are skilled in talents involving the self and skin contact. Seishin are a paramilitary group that recruits electrokinetic, telekinetic, and cybercognative psychics. Resonance Order has a variety of members, but they mostly recruit precognitive and telepathic psychics. Tantras focus on talents that enhance pleasure, mind melding, and combining of talents. The Psi Forces are military branches of governments. All are classified, and none are said to exist. The Illuminated recruit all psychics and eliminate rogue Psis. Their numbers are unknown, and they may be loosely associated with gang psis. Shadows are mostly telepaths for hire. Psi Cops - local and state law enforcement are often supplemented by Espers from other government agencies, and they are collectively known as Psi Cops. Cleaners - also known as Fixers - are from the House of Dinner. Cleaners specialize in keeping rogue psis and groups in line.

~~~~~~Cult of Asclepius

Also known as the House of Medicine. Their members are known as the Immortals . They are mostly healers, empaths, dreamers, and telepaths that attempt to help ailing people. They recruit potential doctors from all walks of life, and they encourage the development of psychic healing in all its forms. They also encourage restraint at using psychic abilities to heal too often. They do not wish to see the world of psychics revealed to the Blanks, because Immortals have first hand knowledge of what that could mean to the world. The fear and loathing coming from the non-psychics is too much for many to handle. They, more than any other House, fear the days that psychics are revealed to the world.

~~~~~~Illuminated

The Illuminated consist of a mix of Espers that range in talents from telepaths, healers, and even witches and faithers. They recruit under disguised names or under no identity at all. They are out to promote the psychic life and prepare the world for psychics to be able to come out of the closet, despite the precognitive warnings. The Illuminated believe knowing the future, they can alter it. And they will.

~~~~~~Seishin

This group formed from an ancient tribe of strategist. In ancient China, the Seishin were initially five Espers that took over a military operation, but when the people they were helping revolted against them, they went underground. Believing they could help others better by keeping themselves unknown. They are a paramilitary group that recruit telekinetics and electrokenetics. They also have precognition espers that specialize in cyberkinesis, and they have the occasional telepath among them. ‘No matter what they think is correct, the way to help the world is to push them in the right direction or otherwise remove those that are causing harm.’ - Seishin saying.

~~~~~~Yogan

Yogans build their talents toward enhancing their physical self and influence others through skin contact. They recruit anyone who will add to their numbers, but once in the Yogan fold, the new members are trained in the Yogan Arts. They are frequently tall and muscular and are always found wearing skin tight clothing. Many prefer black attire and will keep their hair growing dark.

~~~~~~Tantra

Pleasure is their main goal. The Blanks of the world could never understand what it would be like to be a Tantra. Keeping themselves hidden is primary to all other things. Their members practice and encourage group mind melding. Aside from joy through intimacy, this allows them to combine their individual abilities into a massive consciousness to create a super-ego with the strength of their combined minds. Psychics near them can actually feel something akin to a gravitational pull toward their meldings, and those that get close enough, may attempt to join the melding. Tantras have perfected the techniques that stimulate the pleasure centers of the mind, and they enjoy the discovery of new types of pleasure. The ultimate goal for Tantra is to find a peaceful place to relax and enjoy the universe. House Tantra is one of the most powerful houses. However, they are usually so caught up in their own pleasure they fail to recognize things going on in the world or don’t care to acknowledge much outside the world they create for themselves. Tantras are typically only roused by things that affect them directly or come into their focus for some reason. They quickly attempt to fix any problems that might cause them distraction.

~~~~~~Gurane

Gurane are not as powerful as the other Houses, but their influence can be felt in many world events. Most members are Pagans and Witches, and they use their psychic abilities to help correct the world’s injustices. Few members actually know the true name of their house or that they belong to it, but any ‘gifted’ Witch will be guided by this houses influence. These members channel their psychic abilities by casting spells and ritual incantations. Their biggest asset is their covens and networking. Combined psychic talents can be formidable, for this is where their true power lies, in numbers.

~~~~~~Thero

Records indicate that when the House Thero was first formed, or just before it was formed, a close friend of an actual Psychinian had discovered his friend’s unusual abilities. They discussed the Psychinians condition and decided that it should be investigated further. Together they formed The Seekers of Resonance People. They tried to find others like the Psychinian. They became close friends and looked for signs that might show who was Psychinian. They had very little luck, until one day the Psychinian and his friend telepathically linked with one another to delve deep into the Psychinians mind. The records indicate they were locked in mental rapport for days, but it doesn’t say exactly how many. When it was all done, the friend nearly died from the lack of nourishment. The Psychinian looked completely healthy and required no food or drink after that. He helped his friend back to health and told him that many things were coming into his mind. He found the answers to a great many thing, and that he needed more. He craved to move on. Then, as his friend watched, the Psychinian faded out of existence right before the eyes of at least six other Seekers.

~~~~~~Skin Traders

Though not really considered one of the Houses of Power, this faction of psychics consist of those who study medicine and healing like the Asclepius, and those who focus their psychic talents inward like the Yogan. Many of the ex-members of this group can be found in mental institutions or in the care of healers. Skin traders seek the answer to an aging question behind the legend of the werewolf and shape changers of old. Members routinely alter their appearance, some even taking the extreme risk of altering their bodies to the shape of an animal. This is usually done with great care and with other members to assist, just in case something goes wrong.

~~~~~~Trancers

Otherwise known as Necromancers and Mediums, Trancers are involved with handling the psychic entities such as ghosts and spirits. Life has a way of impressing itself upon the environment and leaving its mark for others to discover. Trancers’ that take this to heart bury themselves in their work.

An odd property of being a Trancer is that psychic entities are attracted to them, drawn to their presence. As if marked for life, Mediums become easier for spirits to see. The way of the Trancer is never ending companionship with the unseen, for good or ill.

Trancers can glean information from the dead and can enlist (or force) the aid of ghosts. However, the unseen are not to be trifled with, and Trancers must take care not to loose touch with this side of reality.

~~~~~~Shadows

Predominantly telepaths for hire. These mental marvels are in this for themselves and for those who will pay a good price. They rarely take sides in any dispute between the houses, choosing to be neutral in all things psychic. This being the case, they will not spy on other houses or lone psychics unless they are seeking those who are psychically talented into their ranks. They will infiltrate the world of Blanks and gather as much information as required. Though they are loathe to do so, many will even alter the memories of Blanks as the need arises.

~~~~~~Wired

Also known as dope heads, the Wired are chemically enhanced psychics. Their ability to meld with machines, animals, and humans set them apart from other psychics. They have trouble with the abilities getting away with them, and they often end up with physical ailments and mental disorders more often than other psychics. This seems to be a small price to pay for their abilities develop quickly. Centers of power fluctuate rapidly with this faction.

~~~~~~Cleaners

This house will openly attack other houses. This faction is paranoid and they attract members that are conspiracy minded. Their numbers are not known, but they are numerous enough that the other houses try to keep their distance from them. On occasion, confrontation with the Cleaners leads to blood spilling, deaths, and a cover up. The cover up comes mostly from the Cleaners. They are called the House of Dinner because they have regular dinner parties for charities, but it is a ruse to attract more members, to keep an eye on the general public and private citizens. Loyalty outside the house is always questioned.

~~~~~~Psychinians

Psychinians are not a House or any organization. They are a class of humans, if they can be called humans. Beyond any understanding to the other houses is the Psychinians and their bloodlines. Family lines can be traced back to a few possible Psychinians, but only the most basic information and speculation can be said of the Psychinians of modern day. The House Thero have the greatest collection of knowledge regarding these beings. Their one common aspect that has endured throughout the centuries is their ability to cease to exist at the moment of enlightenment. It is theorized that Psychinians are psychics with the potential to exit this reality and move on to another. Some have theorized they are creatures of pure thought manifest as flesh, and only to discover their true nature is more profound than anything imaginable by others. No longer bound to the physical world in which they’ve live, they move on to another part of the universe to discover life or create new life on other planets. Psychinians are unaware of their true nature from birth, unless told. Once they embrace their identity they embrace their existence as pure thought. Then they cease to exist.

For a PC to be a Psychinian, nothing special is required. They are human for all intents and purposes. In fact, a Psychinian may not even have learned to use any Psychic Powers.

~~~~~~Oragwains

It is the dream of many Immortals to help humans survive the future. Some do so with the best intentions of beating the natural order of things, but they can turn in the direction of the Skin Traders. Oragwains are the result of one very talented Immortal, taking to experimenting with human inheritance later known as genes (forty years before DNA was proven to carry genetic information). In early 1902, Dr. Oragwain used his psychic talents and his medical knowledge to develop a species of human that were not quite human any more. They were designed to be psychically talented and completely self reliant. Their eventual escape from the Doctor’s lab had many psychics, including Dr. Oragwain, worried about the consequences of his experiment. They were hunted down, but the doctor was unsuccessful at finding his ‘experiments’, and eventually he and his experiments faded from the memory of history. As much time had passed, the Oragwains eventually revealed themselves to the Houses of Power, and in doing so secured themselves as a quasi-house of power. They are called upon whenever major psychic events threaten the unseen world. The Oragwains share a mental link with one another and can keep the link open across the distance of globe. They are famous for their ability to teleport, a rare talent among psychics. Other than emergencies, they keep far away from the minds and eyes of others, preferring to live in the deep jungle. Oragwains can create offspring when they choose and by whom they choose, male or female, or without a mate. The navel is their birthing canal.

For a PC to be an Oragwain, he must have the Quality Oragwain and psychic abilities in the Location Control Discipline and at least the Send Thoughts Power, because the Oragwains can contact each other to varying degrees.

~~~~~~Military

Governments that wish to remain unified have an Esper Military Force. Patriotic psychics answer the call of their country and provide the psychic defenses needed to maintain a country’s might. It is when these forces break down that serious infiltration into a country takes place. Much in the way of war and tactics known and practiced by the Blanks takes a backseat to what goes on in the unseen political arena. You know or think you know may be only a smokescreen. When leaders make rash decisions, seemingly incomprehensible reasons for going to war, it is the unseen pulling the strings. Most esper military are on the defensive due in large part to the potential threats from every corner of the globe, including within their own country. The sheer variety of possible attacks makes defense a number one priority.

Sometimes countries go on the psychic offensive, but the results have been less than favorable. Countries will not, however, give up trying offensive tactics. Keeping the Blanks unaware of their presence is critical to a countries success, and spin doctors have fake psychics ready to take the fall for any leaks in Esper Security.

~~~~~Psychic Entities

There are monsters in the world, spirits able to survive despite the world trying to reject them. Although this is not a complete list, generally psychics will find the following psychic entities to be annoying at best.

Ghosts are psychic remnants of the dead. Complete enough in their pattern to continue to exist beyond the grave. Ghosts are bound to a location, item, or sometimes even a person.

Spirits are manifestations of psychic energy created by thoughts, terrors, dreams or events from one or more people (and sometimes animals).

Demons and angels are ghosts or spirits that have gained in enough strength and personality to be less bound to areas, local boundaries, and fewer rules exist for their survival.

Of greater strength are deities and devils. These are some of the most dangerous ethereal entities. They are intoxicated demons and angels, drunk upon the thoughts of the living that give them strength, power and purpose. They must be worshiped to sustain their existence as gods. However, as they gain in power, so do the rules governing their actions and movement in the world. Their power restricts them to act in accordance with their worshipers desires.

Psychics shine brighter than other humans with the living light which marks them as targets of the spirit realm. For this is the Light that spirits crave.

The boogyman, which children deal with on occasion, is simply be one of many spirits that that occupy the border the Psi-scape. In fact, children’s fear end up fueling many of the entities that find a way to hang on to the physical world.

Vampires are humans that desire the light inside others. They have a demon or angel within them that has invaded the living psyche and occupies their body. Vampires crave and consume the psychic light, and their occupation of a body results in a drain upon the host’s life force. This life force requires replenishing, and a hunger grows that must be satiated. The desire for the light controls the character. So, Players finding their characters with this craving will loose control of their character in a very short period of time.

The undead are creatures that have died and have since obtained a ghost or spirit to occupy their carcass. Undead vampires are corpses that have a spirit that craves something of the living, be it blood, thoughts, emotions, essence or memories.

Were-creatures are people inhabited by a ghost or spirit of one or more animals that is attempting to impress its former self onto its host. A were-creature can be the result of a fractured mind finding its primitive path. Once the mind has gone feral, there is no true recovery. The transformation is also very painful.

~~~~~Vampires

Living Vampires drain from the living and are usually the result after their mind experiencing a schism from too much draining. This leaves a vampire craving for the extra energy needed to sustain it, a fix to keep going on the unnatural high created by such acts. Ones mind can only take so much before it needs to replace what was consumed. Sometimes without a schism a psychic can learn to crave the energy rush, the memories, the thoughts, or the emotions of others. Blanks have been known to develop vampire talents. (Ever meet someone who was just exhausting to be around?)

Undead vampires use blood to give them the power and unlife. Living vampires do the same, but the craving for blood comes from the spirit inside, and if the host will not supply the blood, the spirit will painfully take what it can from the host. Many times killing the host and turning the Living vampire into an undead one. Undead vampires have no supernatural strength save those that might manifest from their psychic abilities.

~~~~~Shapeshifters

Shapeshifting is the process by which one form of flesh is transformed into another. Because of the destructive nature of psychic shapeshifting, pain is prevalent in all types transformations. To prevent or lessen the pain, employing another talent along with the shapeshift, such as healing or telempathic pain reduction, a psychic can make the transformation without screaming his head off. There is discomfort in even cosmetic alterations that shapeshifting can provide. Cramps, kidney stones, child birth, and gallstones are gentle by comparison.

Shapeshifting is not only painful but often a deadly process. Psychic shapeshifting involves focusing of a specific form and making life conform to the new form. Changing in this way is akin plastic surgery and draws upon the healing and destructive energy within. Shapeshifting is usually an internalized power that allows the psychic to change himself, but there are psychics and spirits that use this ability to change other living beings. Because of the pain and difficulty involved in this process, shifting is usually not much more than cosmetic.

The Self-Control talents used to alter the size and shape of the psychic’s body is limited to moving tissue around, slight alteration in bone structure, changing skin tone. Size alteration is akin to a blow fish’s ability to puff up and look bigger by changing body density, again, cosmetic for the most part. Deeper changes are much more painful and does result in taking damage in the form of wounds and psychological trauma.

Animal Assumption allows a psychic to assume characteristics of an animal, slightly altering the body to give some semblance of the animal chosen. Larger teeth, clawed hands, skin texture. Careful, this might become permanent.

Shapeshifting itself can be a basic cosmetic shift or it can be even deeper and more dangerous. Chromosomal shifting and activating of genes can allow a character to alter their body drastically. The amount of psychic energy to perform such a feat is tremendous and runs the risk of causing brain damage from an altered skull or scar tissue may result. A DNA modification, although far fetched, is not out of reach for a psychic. However, the damage from the change causes damage to all traits at once.

Shapeshifting is violent dissection causing damage to the body and mind. This damage can be healed over time, as long as the body can remember its original shape. The natural shape might slowly come back, but perhaps with traces of incomplete changes. Minor alterations of skin tone and cosmetic changes can heal as quickly as 16 hours, or even less with a nap.

Changes that cause loss of all Qualities result in permanent changes. It can be corrected by the shifter using an appropriate talent and/or another esper assisting. Shapeshifting is a dangerous talent to use. It most often results in madness or death and sometimes vampirism. Caution and Beware!

Lycanthropy is often a psychic condition brought on by a mental breakdown that causes the psychic to believe they are a beast. This can be caused by a schism in the mind where one part of the mind believes itself to be an animal. Or the cause may be a spirit invader that believes itself to be an animal and is fighting for control over the host human.

Most conditions would not allow a psychic to sanely become any chosen animal, but communion with an animal would give a psychic intimate knowledge of the animal, making it possible to become that animal. A transformation into another animal will be a permanent change. The human psyche cannot comfortably fit into a wolf’s mind, and neither could a sparrow’s head hold the mind of a human. To come back would take extraordinary events and assistance.

Forced shapshifting holds similar risks. Spirits that are of animal origin may try to force the character into what it had been in its living shape. If the spirit is successful in consuming the target, there is always some loss. The psychic may fight back to get their human form, but must do not succeed before the change is complete. Once complete, the human is no longer human. Nearly all such transformations are fatal. Changing back to human is not possible short of a host of espers combining their talents to bring the character back.

~~~~~Magic

Magic in Silver Cord is complex ability. It is the unexplained. Unlike other psychics, magic users cannot wield their talents without the props and rituals that come with their belief in magic. Magic is psychic energy given a life of its own following a set pattern in the mind of the magician.

Magicians are psychics that use rituals or spells to tap into their psychic abilities. Magic items are psychic energy impressed into a pattern and embedded into an object.

The investment a psychic puts into using magic takes a far greater amount of energy to wield. Magic has something akin to artificial intelligence. Magic is psychic energy with a self directed purpose.

A magician need not have any of the psychic abilities he aims to ‘cast’ as spells. In fact, a magician may not even realize he is accessing his psychic abilities at all. Each magician will have his own rituals or spells learned or techniques. Each spell cast is considered an extra effort and always consumes an extra Psi Point without an Upshift in Rank . However, the benefit the magician gains allows him to cast any spell he knows. Spells are ritualistic and may be cast or prepared for later release. The magician must ready his spells to be cast based upon that character’s casting rituals. These rituals vary from caster to caster, but they don’t change once a magician’s spell casting rules have been defined. These spell casting rules are dressing and flavor, but they are required.

~~~~~ Psychic Art and Impressions

Psychic Art is the ability to place psychic abilities into tattoos, drawings, sculptures, and other artwork. The psychic power placed into the art must be a talent the imbuing psychic possesses, and the power’s Rank cannot exceed the psychic’s Rank in that talent.

Impressions can be long standing or temporary. Artwork has an aesthetic pattern to it that allows a psychic power to be woven into its complex workings. This weave makes the power an essential part of the object giving it psychic properties. Powers placed into objects of art have an additional side effect upon the object. Powers increase that objects longevity.

Tattoos, being works of art, can hold psychic powers. They operate by the same rules as other artwork.

Impressions are activated by circumstances determined by their creators. The imbued powers work on their own as intended by the one who imbued them. Think of these impressions as being similar to ghosts, and in many ways they are indistinguishable from ghosts. Imbued powers operate with one track minds and rarely take people’s feelings into consideration. They don’t interact with the world as much as they react to disturbances in their own world. To an imbued power their world is within the object.

Imbued artwork changes how it is perceived. The eyes in portraits appear to follow the passersby. A presence surrounds a statue making people act as if someone is there, even when they’re alone. Tattoos appear to move of their own volition but not actually move at all. Psychic artwork attracts the eye making it difficult to look away.

Generally, psychic powers within artwork do not grant powers to the possessor of that artwork.

Impermanent impressions can be placed upon objects that have no aesthetic value. These impressions fade quickly. Powers can be placed upon just about any object.

If a traumatic event happens around an impermanent impression, there is a chance the impression will manifest a more permanent version or transform into a spirit.

Psychic Impressions cost 4 XP per power imbued. These powers have a number of Psi Points equal to the creator’s Grade.

~~~~~~Psi 101 - Philosophy de Psionic

~~~~~New to psychics

Psychic abilities are subtle, individualized powers that run the spectrum of mental feats in the supernatural world. These feats are not magical. They are mental manifestations of the mind. As such, the setting is designed with magical effects left out, and psychic powers work according to this assumption. If a player chooses to have his character’s powers perform outside this default, the player must seek permission from the GM, as it could greatly affect game play.

~~~~~Blanks

Blanks are people that have no psychic powers. Blanks cannot see the psychic energy or sense psychic activity except for strange goose bumps or chills. Players that choose to play a Blank can do so, but they are at a great disadvantage, unless all the players are playing Blanks.

~~~~~Psionics

Psionics is a branch of science. It is the applied study of physics surrounding psychic phenomenon. It boils down to making a rational attempt to understand and explain the supernatural. Psionics is considered unscientific in any respectable scientific field of study. Amongst peers, Psionicists are considered it a secret science and is not spoken of in public, or brought up in conversations at mixed parties. It would be socially safer to stick with the study of chemistry or economics, lest the public consider calling the funny farm on you.

~~~~~ Limits

Psychic powers have their limits. A psychic would be hard pressed to instantly transform himself into a flock of birds. Far easier would be the trained psychic to project his mind into a bird. A psychic might even be able to more slowly transform into a bird. However, the attempt would be painful in the extreme, traumatizing mind and body, and a one way ticket to loosing sanity.

Psychic abilities are ‘supernatural’ powers, subtle abilities that usually require concentration on the part of the psychic.

~~~~~ Boundaries

Psychic abilities are usually non-linear, in the sense that they are often outside of the restrictions of space and time. Psychic energy tends to take unintuitive paths with a tendency to eliminate or exaggerate the space between those involved, connecting them at a primal level. Physical distance will have little meaning to psychic energies.

~~~~~ Channeling

Channeled psychic energy is usually energy that passes through a living conduit, passing from the psychic to the target by way of a body part or close proximity. Keep in mind that channeled psychic energy does not take on vulgar forms of channeling such as light beams or electrical bolts from the eyes or fingers of the psychic. However, a sensitive psychic can see a psychic light from the activity.

~~~~~ Fabric of Reality

Woven into the fabric of reality, psychics discover how to tap into their own minds ability to influence the world around them. The resulting struggles by and against psychics have created more intricate weaves in the pattern of life. Traumatic events leave deep impressions, scars upon the pattern, however blurred, that can linger for centuries.

~~~~~ The Spirits

Some psychic impressions are so intense and focused that they gain a life of their own independent of what caused their initial impression. These animated impressions manifest as entities that roam the Earth. Starting with a rudimentary consciousness and bound by rules in their creation, these spirits tug upon the weaves in the pattern, creating threads of their own. Lacking in many of the traits and qualities living humans have, many desire such things that only the mortal world may truly possess, such as money, love, a family, or a car.

Some of these spirits include ghosts, demons, angels, deities, and devils. Most seek out the psychic light that humans have inside themselves. Spirits are attracted to the brighter light that is the mark of a powerful psychic.

~~~~~ Time Flows

The future is not known or destined, but the pattern that develops in the Psi-scape lends itself to paths of certainty and a way for the future to unfold and complete the pattern. A trained psychic can learn to see down that path to a possible future. This path may provide answers to questions about the future events, giving the psychic a chance to alter the future. Attempting to see through time can be difficult, because Time is a flowing river where even just looking into its depths can alter the flow.

~~~~~ Psi-scape

Looking into the psi-scape, traveling through it, or tapping its resources is chaotic. The psychic landscape is much like the turbulent atmosphere found in some gas giant planet. Like the gas giant, the multi layered landscape of the psychic plane holds patterns of events from around world, but much like the storms on a gas giant, the details get blown away.

~~~~~ Using the Pattern

When someone watches their children in the park or when someone is jogging on a treadmill, it makes impressions in the Psi-scape. These impressions mark the Psi-scape and act as a memory for the universe. Psychics learn to access this landscape and gain information from the patterns that are formed. Some psychics learn to project their consciousness into the landscape, also known as astral projection. Some travel to the past, and others travel into the potential future. These patterns are not all the same. Living things create life impression. Sentient life creates a sentient impression. These patterns are signatures that can be accessed by a psychic.

Spirits and ghosts sometimes take advantage of these patterns to keep living. Across the landscape spirits and ghosts create their own type of impression. Patterns are created from events that unfold and linger on from places that once existed. Some of these patterns embed themselves in a place, causing a haunting. Some patterns embed themselves in objects bringing luck for good or ill.

Ordinary patterns are created from plain ordinary objects such as pencils or rocks or scissors. These patterns are merely noise in the background of the landscape. Electronic devices create their own impression and more noise.

Even Time has a pattern, but the pattern it creates is not as clearly defined and may even imitate other patterns, creating echoes. Time leaves a chaotic and blurred impression.

Most important, within the Psi-scape of patterns is the idea that more than one pattern can emerge from the same object or event.

A human creates a deep impression with a life pattern, an event pattern, a time pattern, an emotional pattern, and a sentient pattern.

Although these may not be all the patterns it creates, the idea that it creates so many at once should emphasize the nature of the psychic plane.

When looking into the psychic plane, it will be blurred with other overlapping patterns.

It will be hard to see events or things clearly.

Looking into the Psi-scape or projecting yourself into it is like wading through a dream.

Sometimes the dream is clear, but usually it’s vague and distorted with overlapping images and multiple meanings.

~~~~~ Psychic Weather

Layered upon the world we know is a thin membrane that is of the Unseen, a dimension, of a sort, that can be seen by psychics sensitive enough to sense its presence. It is a vale that is both an integral part of normal reality and yet completely separated from it. Often it is a reflection of the real, but it is always twisted away from reality by the constant psychic activity. Its dimensions are inconsistent with the real world, often shifting as if it were merely a dream. The Psi-scape touches the real world in odd and contradictory ways, where East can point in many directions at once.

~~~~~ Fueling the Landscape

This flowing Psi-scape is fueled by the activity of the real world. Thoughts have power here. Thoughts influence the weather, and the psychic wind is the constant flow of psychic energy across this landscape, where a wind traveling over the landscape may appear to a south wind, but in the real world it might touch and flow in several cities at once. Danger awaits those in the path of a wind that crosses itself in the real world. For if the middle portion of a wind that blows east for several miles and collides with itself in a west wind front end, it will appear to have collided with itself just as it begins. This paradox can fuel a psychic storm. A south wind blowing its way northward may collide with itself from multiple directions in the real world.

~~~~~ When Winds Collide

When psychic winds collide, storms brew. Psychic storms are intense winds of psychic wave fronts. These are disruptions in the Psi-scape, and when observed it is like dust storms rising in the desert. Psychic storms disrupt psychic abilities in the real world, and make it difficult for psychics traverse the Psi-scape. These storms cause other unusual effects like Psychic Plumes and Psychic Noise.

~~~~~ Psychic Plumes

Psychic Plumes are eruptions of psychic energy that explode in the Psi-scape and seep through the vale into the real world. Unfortunately, plumes increase the psychic energy in a region, resulting in freak occurrences of town madness or mass delusions, where dormant psychics discover their powers but are often left wondering why their powers went away.

~~~~~ Psychic Noise

Psychic noise is the white noise effect that negates psychic activity. Psychic noise is associated with tornado like spikes that pierce the vale. This noise can also be produced by the use of nullifying Psi devices and psychic powers. Though not always due to a storm, Psychic Spikes are often produced from a large city’s population or powerful psychic discharges.

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