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Lady Aleena Van Staal (and friends!)

Started by Chipperz, May 08, 2010, 02:26:11 AM

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Chipperz

Quote from: MarcoSkoll on May 22, 2010, 11:03:46 PM
Unfortunately, I managed to lose quite a long post, so what you're getting here is what I can remember of it.

Quote from: Chipperz on May 22, 2010, 01:21:38 AMI'm fairly certain that all humanity is evolving into a psychic race. All but the Untouchables have presences in the Warp, which would give everyone the potential to be a psyker.
I had the potential to be a girl with green eyes and black hair. As those who have met me at Conclave meets can testify, I am not - that particular possibility was quashed about nine months before I was born.

Being a psyker is more than just "having a presence in the warp" - in fact, I see that as a consequence of being a psyker, not a cause. The existence of psi-boosters and psychic hoods very strongly implies that there's a physical aspect to psychic power - that is to say, the brain of a psyker is physically different.

While I agree that there is clearly a physical aspect to psykers above the human norm which is clearly a mutation, I'd have to argue that there is also a "spiritual" side to psychic powers - as an example, the Tau can mutate as much as they want (and from what I remember of their background, they do...), and they'll never, ever, ever become psykers, because racially they have little/no presence in the Warp.  Every human that isn't an Untouchable has that presence in the Warp, which has been repeatedly been shown to give a low level psychic ability - the whole reason Pariahs are so loathed is because humans can't "read" their warp signature, which would suggest that every human must have at least that ammount of ability.

Quote from: MarcoSkoll on May 22, 2010, 11:03:46 PMAnd having Asperger Syndrome, I am an real world example of an individual with a brain structure that differs from the human norm. Almost any human birth has the potential to be autistic - maybe as high as a 1% chance.
Ignore any nonsense you've heard about "people becoming autistic" for whatever ridiculous reason they've thought up this week. There is no force on earth which can restructure a neurotypical brain into an autistic one - it has to be built that way in the first place. No cause, no cure.

Just like I was born with an autistic brain structure, a psyker is born with a psychic brain structure (and as a consequence, has a "stronger" soul.) You don't just become a psyker, although you can be unaware that you are one.

To close this, while I accept that mutating and altering brain structure in such a way would be relatively trifling for the energies of the warp, I would expect serious side effects to go with it.

QuoteA ridiculously low-level psyker would be all but undetectable, with no powers of note
While true, it also means that they'll never have powers of note, unless their brain structure is somehow altered to allow them to channel greater energies.

A Lambda level (i.e. pretty wimpy) psyker is always a Lambda level, even if they haven't realised that yet. An Epsilon level (i.e. hope they're on your side) psyker is always an Epsilon, even if they're not capable of utilising all of that.

And now we come full circle - the daemon that possessed Katarina altered her brain to take that potential that every human has to be a psychic entity, and turned it up.  I have, however, had a thought about this which I'll put in at the end of this post, see if you prefer that.

Quote from: MarcoSkoll on May 22, 2010, 11:03:46 PM
QuoteAlso, I'd just like to cite Daemonifuge again.  I'm fairly certain Stern had some fairly impressive psychic potential, was possessed, then exorcised, and after all that was allowed to rejoin the Sororitas after a review of her purity.
That doesn't really work for me. The Ecclesiarchy preaches psychic power as a form of heresy - being a psyker automatically makes one impure.

While there is the possibility of screwing up the testing, I can only see a psychic sister being "disposed of" unless they have a particularly powerful patron to save them from such judgement - in which case, they would still get kicked out.

I'm just going on what I remember from Daemonifuge.  Besides, I'm fairly certain that the Ecclesiarchy preaches witchcraft as a form of heresy, not psychic powers themselves - they may not trust psykers, but they are well aware that the Imperium needs Astropaths, Navigators, the Choir and even just loyal psychic soldiers to fight the enemies of mankind.

Quote from: MarcoSkoll on May 22, 2010, 11:03:46 PM
QuoteHeh, with all the worlds they travel to, and all the different cultures they meet, I'd imagine that even fairly novice Inquisitors would be able to find someone like Katarina soon enough.
Yeah, but there is a bit of a difference between finding just any low level psyker and finding one who's been inducted into an organisation that goes to some lengths to weed out psykers.

In the end, it is your character, so do what you like, but psychic powers should always be treated seriously.

I totally agree.

OK, my new thought - having read through Alyster Wick's "Spirit Guide" post again, what if, instead of her power ever being boosted, she was left with a "shard" of the daemon inside her soul - something she's only barely aware of, but that feeds on her to make things "happen" around her?  I'm seeing it working like this;

Katarina's base Willpower is 63.  Whenever Katarina has to take a Nerve Test, she automatically passes whatever the test is meant to make her do (what with her whole "death wish" and all) but she still takes it - if she fails, her next action must be to subconsciously summon her daemon shard.  After this, she may cast Telekinesis or Psychic Impel and nullify as a psyker (using the daemon's Wp of 100).  If the daemon suffers a psychic overload, it's Wp is unaffected, but Katarina takes D6 points of damage to her Injury total per full 10% the psychic test is failed by.  If any 6 is rolled, Katarina is stunned for one turn, and the daemon is sent back to the shard until it is summoned again.  This also happens if Katarina is stunned by any other means, or the Daemon is "banished" - due to their souls being entwined, the daemon cannot be permanently banished from Katarina by any means found on the battlefield.

While Katarina is unaware that she is directly casting the powers, the daemon uses her senses and can only use it's powers on things that she is aware of.
Proud devotee to Mork.  Or the Emperor.  Whichever one doesn't get me killed.

MarcoSkoll

Quote from: Chipperz on May 24, 2010, 11:11:52 PMThe whole reason Pariahs are so loathed is because humans can't "read" their warp signature, which would suggest that every human must have at least that amount of ability.
There's a difference between the ability to vaguely sense the warp, and the ability to manipulate it. Take my sight - no matter how far you ramp up my ability to detect light, I will never gain a power to manipulate, bend, stop, create or destroy light.

The ability to sense the warp, and the ability to manipulate it are not necessarily mutually inclusive. A good psyker obviously needs to be able to do both, but you will get those unfortunates who have a lot of power but who are half-blind to the warp. Said people probably don't last very long.

QuoteBesides, I'm fairly certain that the Ecclesiarchy preaches witchcraft as a form of heresy, not psychic powers themselves
And "witchcraft" is basically defined as "using psychic powers or sorcery". Yes, a complete abstinence from a psyker using their powers would mean they didn't strictly count as a witch - although given the Imperium's persecution, they'd probably get thought of that way anyway.

QuoteThey are well aware that the Imperium needs Astropaths, Navigators, the Choir and even just loyal psychic soldiers to fight the enemies of mankind.
Yes, but are said psykers humans working for the good of mankind, or are they a resource to be used for the good of mankind?
Psykers are only normally tolerated as a necessity - if a psyker is unlucky enough to be unneeded, then they'll probably get a bullet in the brain pan.

QuoteOK, my new thought - what if, instead of her power ever being boosted, she was left with a "shard" of the daemon inside her soul - something she's only barely aware of, but that feeds on her to make things "happen" around her?
Hmm - that would likely lead to a slow and nasty corruption.

You don't necessarily need to change it - although the idea of "someone who didn't know they were a psyker/wasn't a psyker meets a daemon, and becomes psychic" is a bit of a cliché, there's no rule against it.
S.Sgt Silva Birgen: "Good evening, we're here from the Adeptus Defenestratus."
Captain L. Rollin: "Nonsense. Never heard of it."
Birgen: "Pick a window. I'll demonstrate".

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