User:Fangz/Psychometry

PSYCHOMETRY - Fang

Style

Psychometry is a style dealing with acquiring memories imprinted within objects.

By contact with an object, and an appropiate level of concentration, a skilled psychometrist can access the past history of an object and add it to his own memories, resulting in useful effects. The effect gained depends on the object and its past history. Objects with practical, particular uses (like swords, smithing hammers, pistols...) are the easiest to learn from, and afford the best level of control to the practitioner. Conversely, previously living objects (in particular, objects made of leather and to a lesser extent, wood) are dangerous to learn from, as the psychometrist has difficulty distinguishing the life of the object from the life and death of the being that it is made from.

The most practical technique of psychometry is to gain skill with usable items. What a psychometrist gains from an object depends on the history of the object, and the amount of concentration and time he puts into it. A brief moment of concentration on an used weapon is usually enough to give the practitioner standard proficiency with it. After a day of resting with an object, full mastery as allowed by the object is usually gained. Because the psychometrist only accesses the history of the object, objects that have been used a long time by a skilled user is preferred. With the items of especially skilled individuals, this often translates to some sort of special technique with that class of object. Using such objects, then, would allow the psychometrist to apply the skill of the original user, though only with the physical attributes of the psychometrist himself. The skill of the psychometrist determine how much he can learn in this fashion, how quickly, and how well he can control his new abilities.

The next technique of psychometry is to acquire the knowledge of objects. In its simplest sense, this involves the way that a psychometrist can identify many items by touch, and sense how old they are. More skilled psychometrists can focus on objects, and bring up specific scenarios from the object's past. This can manifest as a vision, or appear later as a dream, or, if something goes wrong, insinuate itself into the practitioner's own memories, something that could lead to insanity. When psychometry goes well, the effects of the ability are lost the instant the practitioner loses skin contact with the object. But if the effects had entangled themselves with the rest of the psychometrist's mind, then no manner of enchantment or surgery can remove them safely.

The final technique of psychometry is the use of the skill for resurrection. This technique is both the core around which the style is built on, and the darkest secret of the style. The idea behind this technique is to take an object that has been with an individual for the entirity of his life, and to draw out all of the memories in the object, overwriting his own mind. In essence, the psychometrist gives up his own being, and becomes the original owner of the object, permanently. Philosophers differ as to whether this is true ressurection, or true suicide, but the 'new' individual to all appearances becomes as the old, gaining all mental (though, obviously, not physical) attributes of the original, including magical ability and personality. Since few would volunteer for the required sacrifice, use of this technique is often compelled by force or magic on victims by certain old mages to ensure their legacy. It is rumoured that modern psychometry originated from a few lucky victims who escaped without completing the appropiate rituals.

The use of the psychometrical techniques usually incur no real cost, if everything goes well. However, to become a psychometrist, an individual must 'make room' in his mind, an action that labours all psychometrists with some form of mental weakness - a strange phobia, an addiction, insomnia, occasional psychotic episodes...

Tradition

Modern psychometry, that is, psychometry as a practical craft, emerged from clusters of folk fortune tellers, religious cultists, and mad mage enclaves around 100 years ago. As a skill, it has gained some reputation and respect, but is still not very formalised, and often is not recognised by common folk. While a few pragmatic rulers have seen the wisdom of employing psychometrists as an instant reserve of skilled soldiers/craftsmen/diplomats etc, most psychometrists operate independently of the state, often hiding their ability. The practice of the style generally differs between rural and urban areas.

In rural regions, psychometrists usually operate as travellers, moving from town to town in search of artifacts to enhance their own abilities. Often disaffected youth tired of the predictability of their lifes, such psychometrists ply their trade as adventurers, replacement workers, and bandits. Most gain their training from other such travellers, trading items stolen from their families for a quick lesson from the newcomer at the inn.

The situation is different in towns. There, psychometrists usually settle down, working in trades where they can acquire commodities - becoming employed as merchants, for example, or becoming thieves. Nobles occassionally acquire psychometry as a secret hobby to get the most out of their assets. Some psychometrists have banded together to share their hoards. Finally, there are some small psychometric cults, devoted to certain figures of antiquity, bent on the acquisition of artifacts that would 'resurrect' their heroes.

Social Status: Undervalued. The public perception of psychometry is that it is a way of stealing other people's hard work. Many rural communities consider psychometrists as threats to their livelihoods, are rife would rumours about the art's association with theft and suicide cults. While most would concede that a psychometrist is at least useful to have around the place, most practitioners find it more convenient to just claim to be 'quick learners', and hide their ability from the all but their companions. While officials have little interest in a crackdown at this point, many in the upper echelons of society fear the social effects should psychometry become widespread.

Traditional Morality: N/A. Apart from the members of various cults, psychometrists see their abilities as purely a means to an end.

Access: The total numbers of psychometrists are normally small. There are only so many artifacts around to fuel their abilities, and whilst the skill is entirely learnt, teachers are rare and often unwilling. (After all, a student can easily best a master by just being good at pickpocketing.) Additionally, few are willing to make the sacrifice neccessary.

School

The Central Museum of [Major Regional Power] is perhaps the most organised and respected grouping of psychometrists. A society devoted to collecting and taking care of antiquities, it owns a large and impressive building and several substantial warehouses in [Major City]. Funded by several wealthy (and anonymous) merchants and nobles, it can afford to be somewhat open about its relation to the style - it isn't official acknowledge, but most people have some idea that the curators and patrons aren't just interested in history.

Monumental: The museum is naturally interested in collecting all the must useful artifacts in one place. However, it does employ a large number of seekers, to investigate rumours of artifacts, and to initiate new talents into the society.

Ancient: The museum was originally the idea of an arrogant king a few centuries ago. The recent upsurge in the style has given it a new lease of life, however, but it still retains the political affiliations of old.

Rich: It is very well funded. The psychometric merchants who pay for it benefit from the application of their magic to their trade, and so have much money to throw around.

Exclusivist: Loyalty is very important to the museum - after all, it's seekers would easily be tempted to keep their findings to themselves. While the museum is generally uninterested as to the social group of it's new recruits, the initiation process is based on very careful screening to keep out the greedy.

The Cult of [Ancient Evil Figure] is responsible for much of psychometry's bad reputation. Believers in the cult hold that an ancient overlord milennia past was the avatar of a dark and holy god, and that by reincarnation him by psychometry, a New Age can be achieved. They would do anything to acquire the neccessary artifacts to allow this to happen, even though it is unclear if [Ancient Evil Figure] has ever existed.

Scattered: Being an evil cult means that you need to keep small.

Efficient: It's rumoured that a few of its leadership were reincarnated themselves. These experienced leaders know what they are doing, and their unity of purpose keeps the squabbling to a low level.

Poor: Since the group is focused on acquiring artifacts that have something to do with [Evil Overlord], this had let to a number of... curious investments.

Inclusivist: Whilst the higher echelons are secretive, such cults easily prey on the insecurities of the maligned of society.