Spoiler Alert: This chapter explains all the rules about how powers work in this story. It won't spoil what happens in the plot, but you might have more fun discovering these rules slowly as you read the story.
We recommend: Read the first 5 chapters first. Then come back here if you get confused about how the powers work.
> Reading Time: 5 minutes
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the world of psionics. This guide explains how mental powers work, how people are classified, and what limits exist. If you get confused while reading, come back here for clarification.
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The Fundamentals
What is Psi?
Psi is mental energy that exists inside every thinking being. It originates entirely from within,there is "usually" no external source. Everything comes from your own mind.
Think of it like a battery storing electricity. Your mind is the battery, and Psi is the electricity it stores.
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- The Three Core Components
Every psion (a person who can use Psi) has three fundamental aspects to their power:
1. Psi Reserve / Pool (Mental Vault)
This is the total amount of Psi energy you can store within yourself. It is mostly determined upon birth with only a chance of 10-15% improvement throughout ones life.
2. Nexus Line (or simply Nexus)
This is the connection between your Reserve and reality. It's the pipe that allows you to channel Psi outward and transform it into actual abilities."It's what differentiates psions from normal people, and what separates weak psions from strong ones.Can be dramatically improved through training. Determines how much energy you can release at a time.
3. Mental Fortitude
This is the toughness and resilience of your mind. It determines how much strain you can endure before suffering mental damage.
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Types of Psions
All psions fall into one of three categories:
Dreads - Masters of Chaos and Elements
Dreads wield powers that manipulate elemental forces and environmental phenomena. Their abilities are spectacular, destructive, and difficult to control. Common abilities include Flame control, weather control, Combat enhancement capabilities, water control e.t.c
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Druids - Masters of Mind and Space
Druids wield powers that manipulate mental processes and spatial reality. Their abilities are precise, subtle, and often invisible. Common abilities include Telepathy, mind control, teleportation, shields e.t.c
Critical Interaction: Because teleportation requires clear mental visualization of the destination, a telepath can disrupt a teleporter mid-jump by scrambling their mental image. This makes telepaths natural counters to teleporters.
( Quite intriguing right ? )
Omni-Types - Masters of Both
Extremely rare, an individual is born with access to both Dread and Druid abilities. This individuals spend longer time to master the opposing energies but are considered the most powerful variants of psions upon mastery.
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The Classification System
Every psion is evaluated using a three-part classification:
Format: "Reserve Class - Rank, Level X"
Example: "Beta-Class Arbiter, Level 7"
This tells you:
1. How much Psi they have (Reserve Class)
2. How skilled they are at using it (Rank)
3. Their progression within that skill tier (Level)
Reserve Classes- Innate Capacity
Reserve Class measures the size of your Psi Reserve—how much energy you were born with.
Epsilon: 500-1,500 units (Common)
Delta: 1,500-3,500 units (Below Average)
Gamma: 3,500-6,000 units (Average)
Beta: 6,000-8,500 units (Above Average)
Alpha: 8,500-10,000+ units (Rare)
Ranks- Demonstrated Mastery
Rank measures your skill, control, and efficiency when using Psi. It reflects the quality of your Nexus Line and your training.
There are five Ranks within the Earthly Realm:
INITIATE: Beginner level. Just learning to access and control their abilities.
ADEPT: Competent professional level. Reliable in standard situations.
INVOKER: Experienced combatant. Commands their abilities with confidence.
ARBITER: Master-level precision. Commands respect and fear.
SOVEREIGN: Peak mortal achievement. Absolute mastery of their abilities with flawless control and advanced usage.
The Mortal Ceiling
Tier 5 (Sovereign) is the absolute limit for earthly psions.
No human or other mortal being can naturally advance beyond this rank. Attempting to break through without external intervention results in immediate psychotic breakdown, uncontrolled power surges, rapid descent into madness, and death within hours or days.
The only way to transcend Tier 5:
- Intervention by a Tier 6 or Tier 7 entity
There is always a price for power!
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Levels Within Ranks
Each Rank contains 10 Levels (1 through 10).
Level 1: Just achieved this Rank
Level 5: Halfway to mastery of this Rank
Level 10: Mastered this Rank, ready to advance
Methods of Advancement: Completing missions and objectives, intensive training and practice, combat experience, breakthroughs in understanding, gaining Experience points (For the MC alone )
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Cosmic Ranks - Beyond Mortality
Two Ranks exist beyond the earthly ceiling. These are reserved for beings born outside the mortal realm—cosmic entities whose nature transcends human limits.
TRANSCENDENT
Has broken through the mortal ceiling. Operates on principles beyond earthly understanding they could defeat dozens of Sovereigns simultaneously.
PRIMARCH
Foundational cosmic entity. Among the first and most powerful beings in existence. They are capable of creation and destruction at cosmic scales.
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The Detriment of Power
Using Psi comes at a cost. Overuse causes progressive mental damage called the Detriment. There are 6 stages of Detriment.
Stage 1: Physical Exhaustion, symptoms includes; muscle fatigue, heavy breathing, trembling hands.
Stage 2: Mental Strain, symptoms includes; persistent headache, blurred vision, difficulty concentrating
Stage 3: Psychic Fracturing, symptoms includes; Hallucinations (voices, visual distortions), paranoia, anxiety. Can risk permanent damage above this level.
Stage 4: Onset of Madness, symptoms include; Severe delusions, loss of emotional control, powers activating involuntarily. Reversible with difficulty.
Stage 5: Vegetative Collapse,symptoms include; complete mental shutdown, catatonic state, consciousness trapped inside non-functional body. Irreversible.
Stage 6: Death
Prevention: Know your Reserve capacity. Monitor your Psi expenditure. Rest when experiencing Stage 1 symptoms. Strengthen Mental Fortitude through meditation. Never push past Stage 2 unless life-or-death circumstances.
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Emotional Instability
Under normal circumstances, your Nexus Line controls how much Psi you can channel at once. However, extreme emotional states can bypass this limitation entirely.
Emotional Breakdown can be triggered by
Overwhelming rage, paralyzing terror, crushing grief, complete despair, traumatic shock.
What Happens is that their Nexus Line ruptures and the controlled pipe breaks open like a shattered dam causing their reserves to flood out with no regulation.
Consequences:
- Massive power increase
- Zero control
- Rapid Detriment progression
- Collateral damage irrespective of friends and foes
- Higher risk of death
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Methods of Growth
There are three primary paths to increasing your power:
1. Meditation and Mental Discipline
Slowly expands Psi Reserve but can take years of consistent practice for major results.
2. Practice and Refinement
Dramatically improves Nexus Line efficiency but takes weeks to months for noticeable improvement.
3. Combat and High-Stress Experience
Rapid advancement in Levels and sometimes Ranks, forces adaptation under pressure, reveals limits and breaks through them. One can advance multiple Levels in a single encounter. It is the most dangerous method of advancing.
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How Psions Recognize Advancement
Most psions don't have systems that tell them when they've advanced. Instead, they recognize growth through:
Official Testing Centers
Most nations have Psionic Assessment Bureaus that test psions regularly.
Natural Indicators
Psions can feel their own growth: Expanding Reserve, improved Nexus Line and Stronger Fortitude.
Combat and Peer Comparison
Sparring reveals growth naturally amongst peers.
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Institutional Recognition
Many nations issue official credentials similar to licenses that include your classification. These are renewed every 1-3 years with re-testing.
Psionic guilds, military units, and private organizations also maintain internal rankings.
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Glossary
Adept: Tier 2 rank. Competent, professional-level ability.
Arbiter: Tier 4 rank. Master-level control and precision.
Detriment: Progressive mental damage from Psi overuse.
Dread: Psion who controls elements and environmental forces.
Druid: Psion who controls minds and spatial reality.
Emotional Breakdown: Loss of control causing massive unregulated power release.
Fortitude (Mental): The toughness and resilience of the mind.
Initiate: Tier 1 rank. Beginner level.
Invoker: Tier 3 rank. Experienced, reliable command of abilities.
Level: Sub-progression within a Rank (1-10).
Mental Vault: Another term for Psi Reserve.
Nexus Line: The channel connecting Psi Reserve to reality; allows manifestation of abilities.
Omni-Type: Extremely rare psion with both Dread and Druid abilities.
Primarch: Tier 7 cosmic rank. Godlike reality-shaping entity.
Psi: Mental energy originating from within a person's mind.
Psi Reserve: Total amount of Psi energy a person can store.
Psion: Any person capable of using Psi.
Rank: Measure of skill and control.
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