Psionics & Technology

Psionics The galaxy is filled with psychic powers, from the naturally telepathic cyn, the naufragi's ability to manipulate their own biology or the penjaga pyromancers to the bizarre ability of bilocation that Fragments possess. The list of psychic powers continues to grow each century as new abilities are researched or discovered. But these psionic powers are not naturally to all races, and even those who do possess innate psionic talents, such as the cyn, their abilities are usually very weak if not enhanced through some means.

There are generally four common methods one may possess and develop psionic powers and potency beyond any natural racial ability.

• Innate: These individuals are rare and only ever result from unions of parents who have never received psychic augmentation (though use of artifacts do not seem to inhibit their birth). Innates are said to possess Nirish blood, as it is generally accepted that the old Nirish Empire had mingled their blood with other races in the distant past.
• Preborn: The individual received psychic augmentation treatment procedures while in the womb. They develop psychic powers easily in a similar manner to innate psychics, but are required to receive follow up treatments once every few months. Missing these treatments will not cause their power to diminish, but it will block them from being able to further develop their potential or learn new abilities. These treatments are extremely expensive and only the wealthy and powerful are able to provide this opportunity to their children.
• Augmentor: These individuals must inject themselves with a neurological stim supplement on a daily basis in order to maintain their psychic potency. Loss of these daily treatments will first result in diminished potency and eventually loss of all psychic ability entirely until they receive treatment again, which will result in a slow build up back to their normal potential. The daily treatments are not cheap, but generally affordable to lower middle class incomes and higher, though most corporation employees, government agencies and military receive their treatments for free. The lower class typically cannot afford treatments, which inherently cuts them off from many job opportunities that require psychic ability. It is ironic that due to the lack of treatment available to the lower class, the majority of Innate's are born from this income bracket.
• Artifacts: These individuals augment through the use of ancient artifacts from the long fallen Nir Empire. Most of the artifacts either provide specific psionic abilities (and can be used by those who otherwise have no psionic capabilities), augment existing abilities, boost existing abilities or the much sought after artifacts that emulate augmentation, allowing the bearer to develop and grow psychic talents so long as it is in their possession. Artifact trade is a lucrative business and those willing to risk delving into Nirish ruins, psychic ghosts and the other dangers of space can make a tidy profit if they survive. Artifacts come in all shapes and sizes with a variety of potency and ability. While none come cheap, the price varies greatly depending on what they do.

The Ado When discussing psionics, one must note the strange ado race. The ado are incapable of wielding psionics, even through the use of artifacts. The ado are not only immune to psionic energies (though not the resulting effects of such), but they possess the ability to somehow sense psychic energies and are able to unravel psychic abilities when they are manifested. This counter-psionic ability has made them both feared and desired amongst both the Coalition and the Covenant. The ado, having lost their home world to the Nox, often make a living by lending use of these powers to others for payment.

Technology

• Transportation:
• Medical:
• Information:

Resources

• Nickel: Nickel is what powers the Solar Conduit Gateways and is thus highly valuable as a trade commodity with the Atea.

Narcotics

• Chum:
• Brandy Red:
• Topik:
• God-Dream:

Artifacts First one must make note the serious dangers of delving into Nirish ruins. No one is entirely sure what happened to the Nir. They had built colonies all over what is now called Tova-Ky and Alarch. They had fought with the Varhovnik Empire and were instrumental in the creation of the Coalition. The Nir took grievous losses during the ancient Ymwelwyr Invasion, but they had survived it. If not for their part in the war, the Ymwelwyr would surely have won. Then suddenly, centuries later, they vanished. There are reports of people having been interacting with them when suddenly they just ceased to be, as if having been unmade where they stood. But they left something terrible in their absence; psychic ghosts and temporal shift phenomenon.

• Psychic Ghosts: These are mobile psychic resonances left behind by the Nir when they had vanished. They are not actual ghosts, but dreams or memories empowered with potent psychic energy and a base sentience given a longing to remember, which it can only do by possessing a living mind. So these "ghosts" seek out the living and possess them, trapping them forever in a dream or a memory, until they body dies from neglect or they are rescued and their minds freed by destroying the resonance that has attached itself. Even then, this often leaves their faculties permanently damaged.

• Temporal Shift Phenomenon (TSP): Nir artifacts emit a field that causes time to go out of phase slightly. With most smaller artifacts, such as those found on the market, it is so minor as to be unnoticeable. More powerful artifacts can cause time to distort slightly around them; such as the Hildar Ring on the world of Sobourn. Those who walk upon the Ring will see the people and world around them moving as if sped up, which those beyond the Ring watch the walker moving in slow motion. TSP is given a rank to determine the potency of the temporal distortion being generated. Each "shift" that is detected, using specialized equipment capable of detecting the temporal energies, multiplies with itself to determine the real time to shift time ratio. Thus, if you have a TSP Rank 2 and have passed the first shift, an hour spent in the field would be two real time. Passing into the second shift would result in four real hours passing for every one in the shift. Passing into the third shift, would result in sixteen hours passing for every one in the shift, and so on. The most powerful TSP known is that of the Nir home world of Talas Nir, which has a TSP Rank of 10 in the first shift of the planet surface. Researchers and treasure hunters dream and speculate as to what wonders lie within the ruins that would generate such a powerful effect, but none who have entered the lower depths of the cities have ever returned. It's not known if they are still alive, and will emerge victorious having spent only days below, but emerging centuries in the future, or if they feel to the psychic assaults of the many ghosts that haunt Talas Nir.