Each member of your small group of Primaris Psykers has their own personal quarters aboard the Black Ship, unlike the cramped cells located in the lower decks. However, the designated area for Psykers only has limited space for communal gatherings, as few of you willingly leave your cabins for the parts of the ship that still resonate with the psychic echoes of millennia of Psykers being transported aboard. Only the communal dining area is protected as much as your individual rooms, making it the only place where you willingly congregate.
"This is amazing." The mushroom is stuffed with meaty bits, with a thick carbohydrate stuffing that reminds you of a well-made carb bar. Your taste buds savor the spices as you bite into the mushroom, releasing all of its flavour. You manage to contain your joy and not make any noise as you enjoy the taste. The plate of food Martha brought you is just as good as any other meal she has made for you.
Martha chuckles. "It was a bit of a challenge making food aboard a Black Ship." With a flourish, she lifts the lid on a cast iron pot, revealing it to contain a dozen small thumb-sized delicacies wrapped in seaweed or strips of meat. She blushes. "I was a bit too excited and made snacks for the other Psykers."
The Psykers seated around the table, Astrid, Hans, and Alfonse, cast subtle glances at their own meals. Silvia is uncaring of the meal, presumably a side-effect of the Soul Binding. The servitor-prepared dishes are a simple fare of mushrooms, algae, and a slab of bland protein. They then shift their gaze to the meal Martha has crafted with her deft hands. Though none of them openly display their envy, it hangs palpable in the air like an unspoken truth. Their eyes betray the longing for a taste of Martha's culinary magic even as they maintain stoic facades over their own lackluster sustenance.
"I noticed the fare was rather sparse for the upper decks" You chuckle and motion for Martha to share with the others. The Ratling beams and takes out the plating tong, giving each of the Primaris Psykers several of the delicacies.
"I've served aboard a few ships. And this one definitely has the worst food. Most of the food is powders, dehydrated meats, and vats with pastes and liquids of dubious edibility. Anything fresher like the mushrooms appears to be freshly grown. I had to get creative to liven it all up." As she speaks, Martha serves the other Psykers, not skipping a beat. "Apparently this ship doesn't even keep fresh livestock for the officers."
That raises an eyebrow. Imperial Navy Ships pride themselves in ensuring that its officers and leaders always have access to fresh high quality food, many even keeping livestock herds on the upper decks.
You catch a glimpse of Alfonse chuckling as he looks at two cards from the Tarot.
Astrid shakes her head. "Too dangerous. Psychic Phenomena often spoils food. Or at least ages it prematurely. Powders, pastes, and rapidly grown mushrooms are less affected by this." She cracks her knuckles and slightly adjusts one of her finger.
Hans laughs boisterously. "Well, bad ingredients or not. This meal is excellent, little one." He pats Martha's head affectionately. "Just how did you acquire such a well trained serf, brother Psyker?"
Martha swats the hand away. "I'm no serf. I am Occam's cook. Not a pet."
"The Pyromancer was one of the Gilded, you'll have to excuse his lack of manners." Alfonse says, folding up his deck. "Only Abhumans he's used to are treasured pets and possessions, Miss…-" He pulls out a fan of three cards and with a flourish pulls forth the rightmost one. "Strong of back…?" He asks hesitantly, smoothing his hair back as he does.
"Sternback." Martha corrects.
Silvia leans forward, the empty eye sockets behind the blindfold somehow gazing right into you. She speaks directly into the heads of those in the room. +I am not interested in chit-chat. Let us speak of something relevant. You are the newest Primaris among us. Soon you'll be a prefect, in charge of teaching Wyrdvanes. Just what sort of teachings do you intend to pass on?+
That gets the interests of everyone in the room.
You describe your plan to select for physically fit Wyrdvanes and train a close combat force. Not wyrdvanes in robes to be herded forward alongside the advance, but a force that can win in its own right.
Occam makes a case for Psychic Shock Troops. A challenging sell. (+0)
Roll target: Fellowship (45) + Difficulty (0) + 10 (A fine meal) = 55
You rolled 73
2 Degrees of Failure.
Astrid nods slowly. "My primary focus lies upon Biomancy. Healing the wounded and keeping the warriors of the Imperium in the fight. Psykers are a rescource. Using Wyrdvanes as combat troops would cut your potential recruits. Casualties could be heavy." She pauses, considering the proposal. "Perhaps my Biomancers could help fortify your Wyrdvane before combat? And heal them of their wounds."
While Astrid sees flaws in your plan, she at least wishes to help mend them, and does see the advantages of it.
Alfonse and Silvia share doubtful looks and whisper to each other as they consider the idea. "It seems like a waste of talented Psykers," Alfonse comments. "But I suppose you won't require Diviners or Telepaths for your plan?"
+None of my telepaths.+ Silvia thinks just loudly enough that it transmits.
You nod in agreement. "No, I only need Telekinetics and Pyromancers for the offensive capabilities. Naturally, I'll seek to hone their other skills."
+I wish you the best of luck convincing the Lord Prefect.+ Silvia transmits, although the look on her face makes it clear she does not agree with the concept.
Hans snorts a puff of smoke. "Physical health and capabilities are a large factor of Psyker stability. If you get all the healthy telekines and pyromancers, then I'd be left with chaff. So what, your Psykers can get shot by stray bullets in combat? The Blunts are the ones meant to catch bullets and fight in the trenches."
There is little anger in his words, but the look in his eyes is one of deep introspection. He is right in that you will both want to draw recruits from the same pool, and if your type of training requires physical fitness, then he'd get the less physically able.
"I can make it work." You say. "That is the purpose of our Wyrdvanes, is it not? We train our apprentices how we see best."
"Yes, but your idea is stupid." Hans says, shaking his head.
Astrid is hesitant on the feasibility of your plan, but she's willing to support you and make it work.
Unlocks: Combat-Biomancy feasibility studies.
Silvia and Alfonse are not convinced, but they are not opposed.
Upon your training bearing results, Silvia and Alfonse will be open to cooperating with you.
Hans thinks your plan is a foolish waste of Psykers that he could train instead. He will attempt to ensure that the best candidates are assigned to him instead of you.
Unlocks: Request Telekine recruit priority
—
The first thing you do upon stepping out of your transit cage, is to find the nearest window and look out upon Hadal. Singularities have always fascinated you, and the fact you are in a system with one that also has an accretion disk, only entices you further. The utter darkness you see takes your breath away with the sheer beauty of it, and you sit down to meditate upon it. It will take some time for the ship to arrive in orbit of Odium, and you feel a perfect opportunity for some studying.
Heading for a meditation sphere at the outskirts of the hull, far enough away from the Psi-Dampening so any Psykers onboard can work their craft if need be, you begin to meditate upon your powers. First, you go through the Three Meditations to prepare yourself.
The Meditation of Silence, to tune out distractions. 'I turn my ears, O God-Emperor, towards the sound of your silence. That I may recognise your voice when it speaks.' You shut out all outside noise.
The Meditation of Self, to prepare yourself. 'I turn my eyes, O God-Emperor, towards the sight of your servant, that I may see my failings and judge myself true.' You focus upon your own body, mentally exerting the slightest bit of muscle control across your body.
The Meditation of the God-Emperor's Grace, to pray for His protection. 'I turn my soul, O God-Emperor, towards the light of your grace, that I may surrender before it and burn just as brightly.' You begin
You reach out with your mind and feel for the space around you, telekinetic fingertips moving across the objects around you, the surface of the walls, the floor, the composition of the materials. You do not look into the warp, and instead just the space around you. As your mind projects from your body, you feel the gravitational exertion upon the ship. Flexing, straining, the way the ship's size almost generates its own gravitional pull.
You have experience with manipulating gravity. It is merely challenging.(0)
Target Difficulty(Psy-rating * 10) + Difficulty = 50
Occam rolled 4
5 degrees of success.
A realization hits you.
A handful of metal orbs float up from sockets in the wall, a simple method to practice telekinesis. You take them in a telekinetic grip and move the in a circle with focus. You stare intently at the orbs, pondering them. As you focus your meditation, you begin feeling the gravitational waves coming from Hadal.
You keep staring at the orbs. You feel the slight disruption caused by the effects of the Black Hole. It is an understood phenomena that proximity to such an object can slightly disrupt telekinesis.
However, you've learned as a child that one should never take things for granted. Just why does heavy gravity affect telekinetic grabs?
Telekinesis is the manipulation of matter. Moving it through wrapping it in one's telekinetic grip… but what is that grip? Why do you manipulate objects by wrapping them in telekine force and moving and shifting those, when doing so is just a poor substitute of the raw elemental forces of the universe?
Or…
What if that is what you're doing? If pyromancy is the creation of heat... then are you creating gravity by manipulating objects?
As this realization fully sinks in, your psychic grip changes. You are not holding the orbs in telekinetic fields, you are holding the orbs themselves. In an instant, as your understanding of your power and what they mean become a part of your worldview, your powers change to accommodate.
You have learned to Manifest gravity.
Manifest Gravity: Occam can forego wrapping objects in telekinetic fields, and instead directly manifest gravitic forces. By focussing upon a point in space, Occam can generate an omnidirectional gravitic pull towards it.
A tribal shaman can conjure forth a mighty storm while a Psyker a hundred times stronger who has never seen natural weather can not even make a cloud rain. A biomancer who does not understand the inherent biology of the body can not manipulate the functioning of blood or organs.
As you learn the deeper philosphical, aetheric, or physics involved in your psychic powers, your ability to manifest or control these things improves. Or whole new sub-schools might open up.
For example: Cryomancy is a sub-school of Pyromancy, with the principles reversed. But to understand it, one requires either a spiritual understanding of winter, or a scientific understanding of heat and the electromagnetic spectrum.
Note: No Psyker learns the same way, and what triggers a development for you, might do nothing for another. Learning psychic powers is an intensely personal experience.
Advanced Psychic powers are generally not a set system of spells and abilities, and instead are a deeply personal experience that results in one learning new abilities.
While the basics of one of the five major Psykana Schools can be taught by teachers and tomes, more advanced than basic manipulation of the forces at their command, requires trials meant to bring out the ability.
Two examples of these sorts of trials are:
A Pyromancer getting locked into a burning room to teach them to dampen flames.
A Biomancer sealed into a drowning chamber so they grow gills.
If you can think of a scenario meant to trigger the awakening or understanding of a psychic ability, please feel free to post the suggestions.
