Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Jul 17, 2003 5:01:27	Does anyone with a better command of the material than myself know if any explanation was ever given for the emergence and preponderance of psionics on Athas?
#2 star_gazer_02 Jul 17, 2003 8:16:36	Psionics has traditionally been the source of 'power' on Athas. It is inherent in the ecology, just look at monsters like the Gaj or Tembo. Tarandan psionics, OTOH, is a fairly recent development, but someone else is gonna have to pick the ball up on that one, cuz I don't know a whole lot about it.
#3 flip Jul 17, 2003 8:33:31	Originally posted by Star Gazer Tarandan psionics, OTOH, is a fairly recent development, but someone else is gonna have to pick the ball up on that one, cuz I don't know a whole lot about it. About 900 years ago, the psion Tarandas of Raam, began founding schools in all of the city states. Once her tradition (which, among other things, defined the different schools of psionics) was established, she vanished without a trace. Some insist that she trancended the mortal realm, others belive that she disappeared to found the Order.
#4 flip Jul 17, 2003 8:34:40	Originally posted by Afghan Does anyone with a better command of the material than myself know if any explanation was ever given for the emergence and preponderance of psionics on Athas? http://meteu.octoraro.org/sands/timeline.html
#5 zombiegleemax Jul 17, 2003 11:55:43	It always seemed to me that before Tarandan, psionic ability was very raw, barely mastered force. It was always there (though the ancient Rhulisti shunned its abilities and practice, for reasons unknown) since the champions were said to be powerful psions before Rajaat taught them the art of defiling. Hence, after the Clensing Wars, psionic mastery was forgotten (or nullified/dampened as in the Dragon's Crown adventure). A lot of gaps there for a DM to fill in if you ask me
#6 xlorepdarkhelm_dup Jul 17, 2003 12:14:48	As far as classes go, I usually earmark the "Psion" class as someone with Tarandian training, while the "Psychic Warrior" is someone who lacks formal Tarandian training, relying on their self-discovery of psionic powers and using them to augment physical combat.
#7 zombiegleemax Jul 17, 2003 15:20:12	Thanks for the help guys. I was really just checking whether it was plausible to have a character from the Blue Age with some psionic ability, albeit in a rather hidden way. I've already got the timeline saved on my hard disk. I'm trying to work out where I can take my campaign. The idea that I'm toying with is that Badna is a hibernating, immortal nature-bender, the first psion. Various parties are trying to discover his resting place in Raam.
#8 zombiegleemax Jul 17, 2003 22:26:56	Interesting, and to think, all this time everyone thought that Abalach-Re was a quack. Having Badna (in whatever incarnation you choose to make him) come around to find his most devout follower killed would make things in the already turbulent Raam all the more interesting. Having him as 'the first psion' rather sounds a bit like a Rajaat take off, but I like the idea of him as a halfling nature-bender, perhaps so distorted by grafts and parasites that he no longer can be called a halfling, or even a humanoid. Perhaps its the semi-sentient grafts that control the ancient nature-bender instead . . . Anyhow, I don't see psionics as something quite as 'learned' as magic is. The Tarandan School taught how to excell at psionics, perhaps the mechanic equivalent of teaching psionic feats and such, but psionics itself seem to have always been around.
#9 Kamelion Jul 18, 2003 3:38:53	In our campaign, Tarandan psionics are represented by various psionic prestige classes. The base classes are used for anyone who develops psionics (either taught or otherwise). Some prestige classes are general (arch-psion, fex) but the more specialised are only taught through Tarandan schools. We're still ironing out the flavour, but we figured this was a simple and fast way to get the difference between the "old school" and "new school" into the game. The Mind's Eye Collection has a whole host of goodies that can be ruled to be "Tarandan only" in DS games... As for psionics in the Blue Age, doesn't it state somewhere that psionics only appeared during the Rebirth? This was why the rhulisti avoided it: because it was a "new-fangled abomination" that arose out of their meddling and lacked the purity of their lifeshaping powers.
#10 zombiegleemax Jul 18, 2003 13:39:43	Well, 'first psion', as in first known person to use psionics rather than the originator of psionics. To be honest he doesn't need to be a psion. It's just that I want my halfling PC to start getting creepy dreams about something beneath Raam. Psionics seemed to be the simplest way to accomplish this effect. And, no, he can hardly be called a halfling anymore. He's something very powerful and evil. Abalach-Re probably never knew anything about the real Badna. She just used his Green Age cult as a front for her own regime. Some of her templars do though.
#11 jihun-nish Jan 06, 2004 3:12:49	If my memory is not fooling around with my brain, I think I've read something about the WHY is there psionic on Athas. In the adventure accessory book named Black Spire there's the proposal which speculate that psionic on Athas was possible (developped by Athasians) not long after the end of the Githyanki/githzerai war in a mega psionic-killer bomb climax.(and I'm not speaking of the adventure war itself but rather the eons old war between the 2 races) Something similar to that anyway. It as been a while since i've read it.
#12 Grummore Jan 06, 2004 9:41:51	Originally posted by Jihun-Nish If my memory is not fooling around with my brain, I think I've read something about the WHY is there psionic on Athas. In the adventure accessory book named Black Spire there's the proposal which speculate that psionic on Athas was possible (developped by Athasians) not long after the end of the Githyanki/githzerai war in a mega psionic-killer bomb climax.(and I'm not speaking of the adventure war itself but rather the eons old war between the 2 races) Something similar to that anyway. It as been a while since i've read it. Check the timeline, it as nothing to do with the psionic emergence. The Githzerai launched this psionic bomb and transformed the Githyanki brain in vegetables. So it's why the gith are so barbaric and nomadic.
#13 dawnstealer Jan 06, 2004 12:53:33	Want a little twist in there? Make him a zik-chil. In my opinion, the zik-chil (and, hence, the kreen) were the original nature-benders, halflings that changed themselves beyond recognition.
#14 Grummore Jan 06, 2004 14:54:24	Originally posted by Dawnstealer Want a little twist in there? Make him a zik-chil. In my opinion, the zik-chil (and, hence, the kreen) were the original nature-benders, halflings that changed themselves beyond recognition. That might be an explanation to the thri-kreen for their liking of the humanoid flesh. All green age races are originally from the halfling so, the TK might have a biological (genetic) memory about a battle where they might have eaten their nature-masters foes. That could explain that the peoples are generally uncertain when dealing or encountering a TK, the nature-bender essence within them is expressing by a certain fear of the TK... Halfling and green age races = mutated nature-masters thri-kreen and kreen races = mutated nature-benders I wonder much hehehe, but it's fun, FLUFF for Mach!
#15 zombiegleemax Jan 15, 2004 12:05:38	Halfling and green age races = mutated nature-masters thri-kreen and kreen races = mutated nature-benders I wonder much hehehe, but it's fun, FLUFF for Mach! Scary gotta love the Fluff
#16 xlorepdarkhelm_dup Jan 15, 2004 12:23:07	Originally posted by Grummore That might be an explanation to the thri-kreen for their liking of the humanoid flesh. All green age races are originally from the halfling so, the TK might have a biological (genetic) memory about a battle where they might have eaten their nature-masters foes. That could explain that the peoples are generally uncertain when dealing or encountering a TK, the nature-bender essence within them is expressing by a certain fear of the TK... Halfling and green age races = mutated nature-masters thri-kreen and kreen races = mutated nature-benders I wonder much hehehe, but it's fun, FLUFF for Mach! Actually, the Thri-Kreen were around in the Blue Age, but the Zik-Chil aren't mentioned. In TKoA it mentions that the Zik-Chil are a smaller, more waif-like, pale green Kreen-like species with unique upper hands that are very dexterous with long fingers. I'd say (like Dawnstealer did) that the Zik-Chil are mutated halfling nature-benders, the Thri-Kreen are their pets, which they were grooming as warriors to take back the Tablelands.
#17 Grummore Jan 15, 2004 19:27:08	Well when I mentionned the TK, I was thinking to the Zik-Chil, just to clarify.
#18 Kamelion Jan 16, 2004 2:30:28	Does anyone know if the zik-chil were featured in DS before the xik-chil appeared in Spelljammer? I was wondering who stole whose idea first... ;)
#19 zombiegleemax Jan 16, 2004 3:43:04	Newton Ewell is credited with the Xixchill in the second Spelljammer MC in '91, while we don't hear any mention of zik-chil until the Thri-kreen of Athas book released in '95 by Tim Beach. Jon Pickens is listed as Original Concept Desinger for the SJ MC as well as Editor for TKoA book, so if there's a link between the two, there it is. How's that for ya? (just happened to have both books at my feet).
#20 Kamelion Jan 16, 2004 4:51:47	How's that for ya? (just happened to have both books at my feet). Heh - swift and sharp, Mach. Nice one (The books are about a dozen feet away from me at the moment. I should feel some amount of shame for this, I know, but... )
#21 zombiegleemax Jan 16, 2004 14:52:17	Grummore, you silly frog, Jihun-Nish is absolutely right. In the Black Spine supplement the text says that the bomb wiped out the Githyanki brain (as both of youy agrees on) but continues to speculate that this bomb may be cause of the emergence of psionocs on Athas. But it merely speculates...
#22 jihun-nish Jan 16, 2004 23:40:03	Originally posted by kdh Grummore, you silly frog, Jihun-Nish is absolutely right. In the Black Spine supplement the text says that the bomb wiped out the Githyanki brain (as both of youy agrees on) but continues to speculate that this bomb may be cause of the emergence of psionocs on Athas. But it merely speculates... I rest my case . That's what i was looking for.(the emergence of psionic on athas)