The Schemata of Psykers, #1

Magic and other mysterious powers notwithstanding, the metaverse was rife with individuals of every shape and size who had what was known as “psychic” ability. ‘Psychic' ability was a phenomenon where individuals, without the aid of arcane powers, were able to perform special feats using only their minds. These feats ranged from telekinesis, mind-reading, mind-control, hypnosis, precognition, psychic attacks, and other unusual abilities. 

Psykers suffered everything from ridicule to murderous hysteria, and as such garnered an unspoken agreement amongst one another to put a stop to the persecution of psykers. Like it or no, all psykers had some degree of “mind-sharing” ability, although some psykers specialized in this ability alone. This “mind-sharing” ability allowed them to guide one another to do that which benefited other psykers, protecting one another and advancing the interest of psykers. When something happened that threatened the psi community, their linked brains would carry out, at bare minimum, a subliminal effort to address the threat and bring about a resolution.

In the same organizational structure of a cerebellum, the strongest psykers with the most potent “mind-sharing” ability formed The Schemata of Psykers, or the psychic network that represented the “government” of all psykers. Though having no legal authority, the Schemata was formed of the most powerful psykers, and so when they put their minds together, there was little that could stop them from achieving their goals. As such, they were the de facto “guild” that controlled everything concerning psykers. Though not always representing the interests of all psykers, they were in fact the governing structure of these gifted people.

At the onset of the bid for control of the metaverse, the psykers were wary. The combined strength of all psykers was a force to be reckoned with, but they were not a united people: they were merely a large variety of people who had psi powers. However, since the metaverse was a melting pot for the bid for supremacy among rival factions, the Schemata decided it was time to establish the dignity and acceptance of their kind— the Psykers would lend their aid to anyone who would respect and protect these gifted people. Supremacy was not their goal, nor even a portion of the metaverse to call their own. Rather, they would lend or refuse aid in whatever fashion that would advance the interest of people with psionic abilities.

Jerithos came from a world where psykers were honored, and in fact controlled his world’s governing structure. From his world, any gift that wasn’t psychic was considered from a lesser caste. Many from Jerithos’ homeworld would attend Havenforth University, the ultimate college that peoples from any world could peacefully attend. However, the people of Oriel, Jerithos’ home world, considered themselves superior in light of their gifts. Jerithos intended to distinguish himself from others from Oriel, and started by befriending a human with no psionic or mystic gifts of any kind. His name was Rigel, and he called himself a noble, though on Oriel, nobody without psychic ability could ever call himself a noble. Strange indeed…