I'm trying to come up with some sort of organization that brings wilders together to learn to control their surges, and develop their powers.
I tend to think that wilders are normally only losely associated folks, who develop their abilities untrained. They would most likely be dangerous (if if they didn't mean to be) people when they first start to develop their abilities, and distrusted or even persecuted by normal folks.
What kind of ideas do you lovely fellas have about something like this?
Do you have any suggestions about ideals, or their role in society, or their methods of finding and recruiting other wilders?
-Nasty-
Ideals: Very, very focused on freedom of expression. They might even have an artistic society as a front for their organization, and members will include non psionic artists who have no idea about the organizations real purpose.
Role in Society: Sponsors of the arts in a free and open society, secretly fighting against the tyranny in a more closed one. Wilders always seemed to me to be the greatest expressers of individuality and passion to me, and their role will be shaped depending on how permissive the governement is.
Find and Recruiting others: The way I always see it, when a Wilder discovers his or her powers, everyone else around them know they found it. Generally, they are easy to track down after that, and the organization will probably promise these novice wilders a means to control their powers, which they generally aren't able to do.
As an alternative, the government might actually openly sponser or even run this group, and wilders would be required by law to join. In this environment, the individuality would be beaten out of the wilders and they would be turned into the tools of the government.
QuoteIdeals: Very, very focused on freedom of expression. They might even have an artistic society as a front for their organization, and members will include non psionic artists who have no idea about the organizations real purpose.
The artistic bent is a wonderful idea, but I do not want them to be secretive. The objective is to prove to society that wilders can be and
are perfectly capable of interacting peacefully with society. They are trying to change the perception that wilders are dangerous, unpredictable outlaws.
QuoteRole in Society: Sponsors of the arts in a free and open society, secretly fighting against the tyranny in a more closed one. Wilders always seemed to me to be the greatest expressers of individuality and passion to me, and their role will be shaped depending on how permissive the governement is.
I want this organization to have chapters throughout the nations of Sulos, and thus they would probably vary a bit from place to place. I do however want some universal underlying philosophies and ideals that carry over from place to place. I can see the artistic idea working very well in L'Landra, but not everywhere.
QuoteFind and Recruiting others: The way I always see it, when a Wilder discovers his or her powers, everyone else around them know they found it. Generally, they are easy to track down after that, and the organization will probably promise these novice wilders a means to control their powers, which they generally aren't able to do.
Do you think they'd travel around like missionaries looking for people with psionic talent
before they are discovered by the public?
QuoteAs an alternative, the government might actually openly sponser or even run this group, and wilders would be required by law to join. In this environment, the individuality would be beaten out of the wilders and they would be turned into the tools of the government.
While this is a very cool idea, it's too similar to the arcane academy of Hazra'Ghalduur. They would operate with governmental concent in most places, but they bridge nations rather than having direct poilitical sovereignty to any particular one.
Thanks for the very well thought-out responses.
-Nasty-
Ok, a more open thing for them. I'm glad you like the artistic bent, and I think that would work most places - Wilders seem like they would be big on the arts. I could see them, as an open organization, sponsoring the arts and holding showings, plays, displays of psionic ability as a way of raising funds.
As far as giving them universal underlying philosophies, I think they should be vaguely defined, and very loose. Wilders don't strike me as the type to adhere to strict codes, though very capable of following guidelines. I can see them having a protector mentality, especially since many of them probably first manifested their powers in such a way to injure or at least put others in danger.
QuoteDo you think they'd travel around like missionaries looking for people with psionic talent before they are discovered by the public?
I think they'd try, but I think that finding a wilder before their powers manifest is rare thing: more likely, searches like that will turn up actual psions. I guess, as I always viewed it, a wilder's first manifestation of their powers would be a surge, just like their class can do, and would never be a subtle event. That's just my view on the matter, though.
QuoteI think they'd try, but I think that finding a wilder before their powers manifest is rare thing: more likely, searches like that will turn up actual psions. I guess, as I always viewed it, a wilder's first manifestation of their powers would be a surge, just like their class can do, and would never be a subtle event. That's just my view on the matter, though.
I'm concerned that if the organization isn't near by or able to react quickly, that most wilders would be killed by angry mobs. Otherwise my view is the same as yours is in this matter.
-Nasty-
I wouldn't be suprized if they had a way of getting to the scene quickly and detecting it, but they would still have to be reactive, not proactive. Otherwise, angry mobs would do alot of killing, but if you just saw someone blow up everything within twenty feet of himself, how quick are you going to be to get in a tightly packed group and attack him? Still, I do agree that they would develop a rapid response time - for everyone's sake.
I must say that this sounds like the Xavier institute for gifted youngsters. I like the artistic bent. Maybe the Wilders are going to fight for their rights, making them a military organization attempting to give themselves power. Another idea would be a group seeking to make a wilder nation, where everyone could be left unjudged. Just my thoughts...
QuoteI must say that this sounds like the Xavier institute for gifted youngsters. I like the artistic bent. Maybe the Wilders are going to fight for their rights, making them a military organization attempting to give themselves power. Another idea would be a group seeking to make a wilder nation, where everyone could be left unjudged. Just my thoughts...
I don't want them to
have to fight for their rights. The psionic institute is approved of, or at least tolerated, by the various governments of the world. It's gone well beyond a school for gifted youngsters; now its a world-spanning organization of thousands, supported by the rest of world, and entrusted with the right to regulate and teach psionics across Sulos.
I want psionics to be common in my setting, but tied to an institute, that can go in a sidebar, that has no pivitol connection to any particular part of the world. That way if somebody wants to run a game in Sulos without psionics, they have the option to just ignore the sidebar, but if they do want psionics, there is a pre-designated role and purpose for the XPH already.
-Nasty-
Understood, I was just giving my :twocents:
I know d20, I wasn't trying to shoot your ideas down for no reason. I didn't want people to run wild with the X-Men theme; as popular as they are, I can easily imagine people expanding upon that idea. I want to steer things back towards the direction I had origonally intended.
In summation here's what I think thus far (I'll use organization as the default name for now).
1. Throughout Sulos the organization has agents and contacts, who keep a watchful eye out for potential psionic activity. They recruit at a young age if at all possible, so they can mold impressionable wilders before they have been persecuted or threatened by the public. Older rogue wilders are often bitter, independent, and set in their own ways...while they are not turned away by the organization, it's much harder to teach and old new tricks.
2. Thier objective is to protect both wilders and non-wilders from the potential dangers of untrained psionic novices, and to regulate the powers of the mind so that they aren't abused.
3. They are based out of L'Landra, and have their largest following there, but they have chapters in most major cities, in almost every nation.
4. The organization has an artistic and passionate bent. They fund their operations through the arts, music, and private donations. They refuse government support, and wish not to be tied to any particular political movement. They are neutral when it comes to such things.
5. Often members of the organization become adventurers, psionic craftsmen, or mercenaries for hire. They are careful to keep their image untarnished, and the leaders of the organization watch the activities of their own very carefully.
6. The public views the organization favorably, but they still see rogue wilders as dangerous criminals. The organization themselves often spread propoganda about the dangers of uncontrolled wild psionic users, and common folks are quick to rat out anyone they suspect of unlicensed psionic activity. The organization is not completely benevolent...they wish to dominate the psionic niche of the world, and they will hunt down and destroy rogues who refuse to join with them.
Does anything seem like it's missing, or out of place?
-Nasty-
Sounds good to me. I might have to borrow it... It looks like all you really need is a name right now...
No particular name has jumped out at me yet. If anyone has a good one, I'm all ears.
-Nasty-
I'll see if I can come up with some options later, but Math class is creeping up on me now...
Here's what I've come up with. I'm going to stick it in the psionics section of my Sulos thread, and write a little sidebar for L'Landra too.
The Society
Throughout the lands of Sulos the power of psionics is almost synonymous with the institution known simple as The Society. Founded 115 years ago in Lâ,¬,,¢Landra by a wilder known simply as the elder, the Society began as little more than a small private school for children who showed a particular aptitude for psychic ability. Today the school has grown into an international institute with chapters throughout the nations of the world.
The Society operates with an unspoken, but clearly understood public sanction by the peoples and governments of the world. They police the use of psionics, and attempt to prevent abusive applications of the mental arts within the various vulnerable aspects of their community, such as market places, governing bodies, and institutes of law enforcement. Before the intervention of the Society, there was no force in the world capable of monitoring these potentially dangerous activities. They are seen as a necessity and a respected part of all civilized communities.
Recruits for the society come from all walks of life, but most are taken on at an early age. Children or young adults who experience their first wild surge are often frightened, and unable to control their latent psionic abilities. The public menaces their abilities represent are not only dangerous for their community, but for the novice wilder as well. In the not so distant past, angry mobs would often chase them out of town, or even string them up to prevent any further threat to the community. Today they are simply reported to the Society, who teach them how to control their powers, unlock their potential, and contribute to the community as any respectable citizen should.
The Society maintains a façade of benevolent neutrality better than any other organization on Sulos. They are welcome almost everywhere, and even in places where they might otherwise be mistrusted, a subtle application of psionic ability will ensure they are at least tolerated and allowed to pursue their own agenda in peace. Ironically the source of most of the propaganda pertaining to the danger of an uncontrolled psionic mind, comes from within the Society itself. They have assured that any wilder who elects to avoid joining their institute is persecuted and distrusted wherever he goes. They have monopolized the industry so to speak, and their greatest foes are those who seek to pursue the study of the mind outside of their realm of control. House Alâ,¬,,¢Arach, the divine kings of Kesh, and the crimson nomads of Ilsen are among their greatest enemies, though the Society would never admit to their opposition of these groups.
The Society is run by a council of elders who have controlled the institute for 33 years, since the assassination of their founder the elder. There are those within the Society who who believe that it was the council themselves who assassinated their founder, though this group is in the minority, and viewed by the bulk of the organization as trouble makers and instigators. The council of elders is based out of the city of Deuschra within the nation of Lâ,¬,,¢Landra. From there their reach extends across the nations of Sulos in a complex network of chapter houses, contacts, and spies, who diligently monitor and regulate psionic power throughout the known world.
Most members of the Society are upstanding citizens of the nations of Sulos who wear their simple gold signet rings with the emblem of the institute (a red inverted triangle) with pride. Many are adventurers, artists, explorers, or sages within their respective communities. A handful of members however known as the Agents of the Hidden Mind, operate in secrecy however. These select few members of the Society are unknown to even those within the organization itself, and report directly to the council of elders. Their purpose is unknown precisely, but they seem to have a very important mission, of the utmost secrecy and security.
The extensive network of the Society is very expensive to maintain, and without the collection of monthly dues from their members, or their dominance over the art trade (which infuriates the Syndicate to no end), the Society would be unable to sustain themselves. Even with these contributions, the Society often comes up short, and on occasion they hire out their members to perform certain tasks, like exploration, archeology, mercenary work, or as body guards, to supplement their coffers. As a result, there is no shortage of adventuring types within the membership of the Society.
-Nasty-
Sounds good. Yay psionics!
Quote from: TúrinSounds good. Yay psionics!
:buds: here, here!
-Nasty-
This sounds very interesting... Do you mind If I run a game in Sulos? My group is getting antsy for some play now that I've finally got them together.
Go for it dude. I wouldn't have bothered posting it, if I didn't want people to be able to use Sulos.
-Nasty-