Historical Overview & Organizations

[Syrenrei]

Historical Overview​

Celes and Ceres were identical twins born in the late 1600s to, by all accounts, completely mundane parents. When they presented with inexplicable psionic powers as children, the village was thrown into hysteria and they fled into seclusion. The pair later emerged from isolation as young women ready to explore the world. Celes founded Daughters of Celes (“DOC”) in 1739 with the philosophy that their abilities should be utilized for a greater purpose: she wanted to pursue equal rights for women. Ceres founded the Association of Psions and Allies (“AOPA”) a year later in 1740 with the intention of building a community and helping other psions learn to safely use their powers.

In 1744 the twins began construction of Schloss Sterne (translated to mean “Castle Star”). It was completed decades later and was quickly established as not just their home but also a sanctuary for other psions; a “home base” to retreat to. Over the years a town slowly built around Schloss Sterne as Celes and Ceres created offices for DOC and AOPA in various countries.

The Justicars and Preservers were established by the sisters in 1852 and 1906, respectively. The Justicars, as their name implies, were tasked with seeking out criminal psions and bringing them to justice regardless of whether they were aligned with DOC, AOPA, or had no affiliations whatsoever. The Preservers was, and to this day remains, a volunteer group that helps locate psions out in the wider world that are in danger (or are a danger to themselves or others) and bringing them to Psydrium for safety and training purposes.

The year 1921 was one of catastrophe: Celes announced Ceres had died. After a large funeral attended by many, Ceres was buried and Celes proposed merging DOC and AOPA. Celes wished to unite the organizations under one banner. In 1935 the European branches of DOC and AOPA combined to form Psydrium, which was also the name christened on the thriving city built around Schloss Sterne. The American branch of DOC, however, refused to merge.

In 1951, the Library of Revelations’ Enlightenment (“LORE”) was constructed in Schloss Sterne for psion public use and record keeping. Celes disappeared from the public eye shortly after LORE's establishment and was discovered inexplicably comatose in Arlington, Virginia days later.

In the years since Psydrium has founded, it has flourished. The city and society are governed by a Ruling Council with a representative for one of each of the five (5) schools. The American DOC has become entirely corrupt, doing whatever the wealthy pay them to do, and still exclusively recruit women. The American AOPA is crippled by the presence of such a strong, aggressive, and malevolent group in their country. Psydrium condemns the actions of the only remaining DOC in America, but are not so assertive as to openly attack.

A week ago startling news was relayed to Psydrium: Celes had woken from her self-imposed comatose slumber. DOC had been ‘guarding’ her as an important person, though it was well-known this was partially because of her historical influence and as a figurehead. Rumors have circulated that she attacked the two DOC psions in her hospital room, and escaped. In the last few days there have been visual attacks on DOC, most notably the floors DOC occupied in an office building being wholly incinerated while other floors remained unscathed. If you believe what is whispered excitedly among Psydrium, Celes is an unstoppable force of vengeance and is actively waging war.

 

[Syrenrei]

The Ruling Council
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Psydrium is ruled over by a council of five (5) sages. Each sage is selected by their respective school to represent that segment of the psion population. Elections are held every five years, but there is little to no campaigning. The sages represent the most trusted and wise psions in their respective subsections of the community. The sages and their assistants are responsible for maintaining the public services, gathering taxes from the citizens, announcing new research put out by their respective schools in the development of psionic powers, maintaining relations with outside countries, and the like.

It is very typical for the sages to divide the duties of maintaining and running the government amongst themselves and report major developments. The Aureate Sage, for example, usually is more adept at diplomatic negotiations with foreign countries.

The council meets daily; sages only do not attend if they must travel abroad. For all intents and purposes, their position is regarded as a full time job.​

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Current Council:

• Argent Sage Johannes (South African) - Dreamer Sage
  
• Crimson Sage Valentin Alyoshin (Russian) - Agitator Sage
• Cerulean Sage Eileen Keenan (Irish) - Traveler Sage
• Aureate Sage Kimon Papadakos (Greek) - Author Sage
• Verdant Sage “Genesis” Lechsinska Wieczorek (Polish) - Changer Sage

• Kimon Papadakos
• Valentin Alyoshin
• Johannes
• “Genesis” Lechsinska Wieczorek
• Eileen Keenan

• 
  Kimon Papadakos is known as the most eligible member of the council and has an unofficial fan club. He is the youngest member of the council, being several years shy of Eileen's age, but is the most well-spoken out of all of them. Kimon is the ambassador for Psydrium to other countries and is also frequently the voice of the council that relates their decisions to the greater populace. He is incredibly open and transparent about his life as well as his thoughts on matters both mundane and political, which makes him appeal to members of the other schools. Authors know him to be a trust-worthy sort that shows authors are capable of being more than the 'sneaky secretive spies' they are often made out to be. With his winning smile and pleasant voice, it is widely known he was elected to this position on a platform of charisma.
  
  Kimon is viewed by authors to be a cunning, yet honest, man who is humble and loyal.
  
  Non-authors view Kimon as a surprisingly open individual who seems very suspiciously perfect in his day-to-day interactions.
  
• 
  Valentin Alyoshin is a serious, factual ex-soldier that came to Psydrium over twenty years ago when he was no longer confident he could hide his abilities from his homeland of Russia. He is a man very preoccupied with fairness and justice. While others favor a more forgiving and merciful approach, he almost always advocates that transgressors are made to pay consequences for their actions. This may make Valentin seem somewhat severe, but he has an infamously bawdy sense of humor that is on display every time he goes drinking and his home is always open to his fellow agitators. He does not follow the stereotype of a tempestuous agitator and is slow to anger- almost certainly something he learned while he was in the service. Valentin is extremely straight-forward and values others who are similarly direct.
  
  Agitators view Valentin as having a commanding presence and yet being a "common man" who does not let power get to his head.
  
  Non-agitators view Valentin as an intimidating figure who, given how many people he probably killed for Russia, should never be given a reason to dislike you.
  
• 
  Johannes is the most enigmatic council member, surpassing even Genesis in the mystery that surrounds him. Johannes hails from South Africa and his last name is unknown despite fervent investigation by the author school in particular. He is fond of giving bizarre riddles that hold wisdom to them if pondered long enough and takes an almost paternal role that compliments the maternal role Genesis takes with others. It has been frequently suggested they would make a "dynamic couple" but they remain only close friends. Johannes has worked hard to unify dreamers and dispel the stereotype of dreamers being 'weirdos' and 'flakes' that have their heads in the clouds. He is grounded, pragmatic, thorough, and speaks in an even, clear tone.
  
  Dreamers view Johannes as level-headed, logical man that is able to convey their thoughts clearly.
  
  Non-dreamers view Johannes as a secretive man who withholds a great deal, regardless of whatever good intentions he may have.
  
• 
  Genesis, born Lechsinska Wieczorek, is the oldest member of the council and one of the oldest psions alive in the world. It is difficult to pinpoint her exact birthday and Genesis is not forthcoming about the details, but common belief is that she is approximately 198 years old despite her eternally youthful appearance. Genesis always dresses in green and frequently changes either her hair, eyes, or both to green to match her attire as well. According to the eldest non-changers in Psydrium, Genesis has looked the same and not otherwise 'improved' her appearance in all the years they have known her. She is famous not only for her age but also for her warmth, patience, and soft-spoken nature. Genesis has been the Verdant Sage on the ruling council for an unprecedented 56 years and it does not appear anyone has an inclination to unseat her; she has run unopposed for the last 9 election cycles.
  
  Changers regard Genesis as a paragon of their community with her kind, nurturing, and motherly approach to members of their school and others.
  
  Non-changers see Genesis as a pleasant, but passive individual that is difficult to understand.
  [/imagefloat]
• 
  Eileen Keenan is a well-respected traveler that has always lived in Psydrium. A proud Irish woman with fiery red hair, many mistakenly assume that she has a temper. While she is known for being very curt and possessing a sharp gaze, she observes etiquette with unrivaled precision and never raises her voice- perhaps because she does not need to. Eileen is passionate about creating a better community for travelers and is always working to incentivize travelers to keep a permanent residence in Psydrium rather than being victims of wanderlust. She is acutely aware travelers that leave Psydrium do their peers a disfavor: they don't help give the school an equal voice since they are absent, and they usually try to live off the generosity of other psions which makes them look irresponsible.
  
  Travelers view Eileen Keenan as a strong, authoritative woman who commands respect and has their best interests in mind.
  
  Non-travelers see Eileen as a difficult and single-minded woman who can sometimes be condescending.
  

 

[Syrenrei]

The Preservers


Founded before Psydrium itself, The Preservers is an organization of psions dedicated to helping locate psions across the world that seek training for their abilities and sanctuary. In many countries, manifestation of psionic powers can not only turn the populace against the psion, it may gather unwanted attention from those that seek to learn how to have such powers themselves. Many tips and leads come from strange magazine articles, news clips, blogs, videos, and rumors from Psydrium residents. As a smaller organization, they have one leader who directs and coordinates volunteers to investigate each lead and retrieve the psion, if necessary, should they be in danger.

Current Leader: Tristan Casper

The Preservers utilize a tree as their symbol. They often have a jacket with this embroidered onto the shoulder or arm to designate themselves as such, though some especially devoted Preservers have tattoos.





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Character Creation Note

Player characters are allowed to be Preservers. The only requirement to join is a desire to help other psions... although if you show aggression or mental instability, you may be asked to leave!

 

[Syrenrei]

The Justicars
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When it became clear there were psion criminals that would be more difficult for ordinary law enforcement to catch, Celes and Ceres created The Justicars. With a ‘home base’ in Psydrium, they are responsible for finding, apprehending, and punishing psions who have committed heinous crimes (murder, participation in genocide, mass fraud, etc.) Like Council positions, Justicars are nominated by their school for this solemn duty; it is a lifetime appointment unless the Justicar willingly resigns or the Council discovers they have acted inappropriately.

While some citizens of Psydrium worry that perhaps Justicars have too much power as judge and jury, they do provide full reports on each case and are required to submit to telepathic review should there be discrepancies. The Justicars are led by three individuals who each have equal weight and say in policy and procedure. They rule by majority.

Because Justicars often face much scrutiny and are subject to retaliation by those they prosecute, it is exceedingly common for them to take on pseudonyms once they accept the position of Justicar.​

Justicar Leaders:

• Orion
  
• Volans
  
• Andromeda

Character Creation Note

Player characters can not be Justicars at this time; however, they are welcome to pursue a dream of becoming a Justicar through this role-play. Depending on the dedication of the player and character, it is an achievable goal!

 

[Syrenrei]

Nobility
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The castle, Schloss Sterne, is owned in its entirety by Celes and Ceres- not Psydrium. Ownership of the castle only turns over to Psydrium in the event both sisters are deceased and there are no heirs. Before it is a sanctuary and founding building for Psydrium, it is a home for the twin founders. Several sections of the castle have been closed since the death of Ceres and the absence of Celes, but much more of it remains open. It is inhabited by five (5) families that were appointed by Celes and Ceres to personally act as guardians of their castle. So long as one of the sisters remain alive, The Ruling Council must request and gain approval from the guardian families to use the facilities.

The castle is home to much of Psydrium's research into the scope, potential, and limitations of psion powers, philosophical discourse on the origins of psion powers as well as their use, and how to practically apply their abilities to various situations. Many wings of the castle are open to either the public or Psydrium-funded research into psionics.


Noble Families/ Guardians of Schloss Sterne:

• St. Clair (1781)- French Authors
  
• Saito (1801)- Japanese Changers
• Frei (1820)- German Travelers
• Arafa (1840)- Egyptian Dreamers
• Williams (1885)- American Agitators

The above-referenced dates are the years in which Celes and Ceres formally named the family in question as guardians of Schloss Sterne. There is only one family appointed for each psion school. These appointments were made based upon personal close relationships Celes and Ceres had with living family members at that time.

Character Creation Note

Player characters can be members of the noble families so long as (1) they are the nationality of the family and (2) they are not the current head or ruling member of the family. Please see the character template for more details

Current Nobility Family Heads:

Williams Family

John Williams (56) - John formally became the head of the Williams family after his mother’s death and his father showed signs of dementia two years ago. He is a man who respects wit and etiquette more than most and has cultivated strong relationships with Psydrium residents who are not put off by his abrasive, caustic, and condescending attitude towards the ignorant. By no means easy to get along with, John is one of the most powerful agitators known and he attributes this to his composure.

Saito Family

Tatsuya Saito (88) - Tatsuya is a widower, his husband having passed away nearly a decade ago. He appears to be in his fifties at best and is not aging, but has already named his nephew Hoshi as heir to the Saito family in the event of his death. Quiet, reclusive, and stern, Tatsuya embodies most of the lost sense of honor the ancient samurai once embodied with one notable exception- he sees women as complete equals to men in every way that matters.

St. Clair Family

Agathe St. Clair (62) - A prim, proper, yet mischievous older lady, Agathe is known to both playfully tease those she adores and strike at her enemies with precisely worded daggers. Age has not diminished Agathe at all beyond the physical. She often negotiates with Psydrium and/or the council on behalf of the nobility.

Frei Family

Jens Frei (49) - The youngest of all the family heads, Theo only became as much when tragedy struck and his parents were killed abroad in a traffic incident that was investigated many times over at his behest. Theo is often absent from the castle, leaving his sister Sigrid in control. Sigrid is extremely humble and somewhat ‘nerdy’- she is often at the Psydrium library or delving in the castle vaults conducting research. Both Jens and Sigrid are very ‘live and let live’ sorts that are neither restrictive with their family’s rules nor the parts of the castle they control.

Arafa Family

Rahi Arafa (79) - Despite their ethnicity putting favor on men, the Arafa lineage only appoints female heirs. Rahi uses precognition to aggressively warn her family from indulging in vices or making poor decisions that might mar their good name. As of late Rahi’s dreams of the future have made her physically ill, but she has not named an heir among her daughters.