Psychokinetics

 

An extrasensory capability exhibited by many intelligent species, psychokinetic abilities manifest as an electrical field typically generated by nervous system organs.  Salient organisms exhibiting this power can manipulate this field to agitate atoms in their vicinity in order to alter their energy state, or detect acute alterations within the psychokinetic field to give them a cryptaesthesic awareness of their immediate surroundings.  While many species can use this capability in different ways, all manifest a similar psychokinetic field.

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Psychokinetic Classification​

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Organisms capable of generating psychokinetic fields are often referred to as psychokines.  Psychokinetic fields capable of physically manipulating their environment are referred to as "strong", whereas fields only capable of being used in a perceptive capacity are referred to as "weak"; these tend to have a longer range but are more difficult to detect.

Fields can also be classified by their capacity to be influenced consciously by an organism.  A "passive" field can be generated but not used consciously; this is most typically attributed to weak fields and often manifests in an acute extrasensory perception.  "Active" fields can be altered and manipulated by an organism.  While this differentiation usually applies to an entire species; with some organisms entirely lacking the ability to use their field actively, it can also apply to individuals based on their level of awareness or training.  Oftentimes passive weak fields can simply manifest to an individual as a particularly clairvoyant gut-instinct or quick reflexes, whereas passive strong fields can cause an individual to appear extremely lucky or highly skilled at specific physical tasks.

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Antipsych​

Because a psychokinetic field is mainly a variable electromagnetic field; it is conceived that an energetic field of an opposed wavelength would be able to cancel its effects.

This is the primary mode of operation for Ativari disruptor nanofield technology; clouds of nanomachines that broadcast an extremely short-range electrical field, disrupting weak psychokinetic fields and rendering their user almost invisible to nearby psychokines.

More powerful mirage or invisibility nanofields are also capable of disrupting visible light and other electromagnetic spectra.

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The Evolution of Psychokines

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In many species it is theorized that this ability originally developed to fill a sensory capacity; projecting a field a field that could grant an organism greater perception of its environment, especially in low-visibility conditions.  An alternate pathway of psychokinetic evolution is the development of specialized neuromuscular organs; highly specialized control neurons that developed to project their electrical field rather than direct signals into muscular tissue.  This results in a psychokinetic ability that can act more acutely as an extension of an organism's body, but with a more limited sensory capacity.

 

While attempts have been made to replicate psychokinetic abilities mechanically, or engineer new psychokinetic organisms artificially, these have been largely unsuccessful.  It is theorized that the evolution of psychokines is so specific to the development of higher nervous systems that even a small alteration to any part of that system can eliminate an organism's capability to generate or control their field.

 

Dangers of Psychokinetics

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Once highly enough refined; development of psychokinetic fields can pose dangers to almost any species capable of generating them.  Highly developed weak fields can feed an individual more information than their nervous system was evolved to naturally handle, which can result in distraction, irritability, or even mental illness in some cases.  Passive strong fields can even result in harm to others in a psychokine's proximity.

 

Once acute enough; active strong fields can allow manipulation of fundamental particles.  This can allow extremely adept individuals to enact exceptional changes to their physical surroundings with relatively minimal effort; potentially causing irreversible damage or even more esoteric consequences if this capability is not used in a safe manner.

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Psychokinetic Species

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Ativari All Ativari generate both weak and strong fields; and can can develop their capabilities with practice and study.  Unlike other species, Ativari possess unique nervous ganglia from which these fields are generated; which can grow into large spines across their body as their field is used and strengthened.  It is theorized that these organs developed in a response to the harsh ash storms that often limited visibility on their homeworld of Ativar.

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Humans Some humans are capable of generating both weak and strong fields.  This ability is governed by a rare recessive genetic sequence, and is often inherited, but can become active spontaneously.  It is theorized based on current rates of expression that the ability should be more widespread among the human population; but the reason for its rarity is unknown.  Also unknown is the limits of human psychokinetic expression - largely due to a limited data set.

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Zhren'thrar All Zhren'thrar are capable of generating strong psychokinetic fields; but most do so passively.  Some Zhren'thrar are capable of active control of their abilities; and when born within the Collected Prides these rare individuals are typically drafted into the ranks of the Khariphesh Templars.  Zhren'thrar physiology boasts an extremely advanced neuromuscular system from which this ability likely derives.