Thresholder / Psychomancer

Thresholders are rare individuals marked from birth with an otherworldly gift (or curse) known as Farsense. This ability allows them to perceive the unseen tides of thought, emotion, and intention that flow through all sentient beings. To some, they are saviors, guiding others through their deepest despair. To others, they are invasive wretches who pierce the sanctity of the mind. In truth, they are both, depending on how the gift is wielded.
Thresholders are born only a handful of times in a generation, and their arrival is considered both a blessing and a portent of great upheaval. Their emergence is often heralded by strange omens: stillbirths among livestock, red moons staining the sky, or whispers of disembodied voices in the wind. The gift of Farsense is not something learned or granted by arcane rituals; it manifests naturally, often during early childhood, when a Thresholder first feels the rush of another's emotions or the echo of their thoughts. Their powers begin as raw and chaotic, often overwhelming the young Thresholders with the cacophony of others’ minds. Without guidance or discipline, many fall into madness, unable to distinguish between their own thoughts and those of others.
Thresholders possess several unique capabilities, though their strength and precision vary:
Mood and Emotion Perception: They can sense the ambient emotions of those around them, such as fear, anger, or love, even when these feelings are concealed. Those whose skill doesn't exceed beyond this stage are known as empaths.
Surface Thought Reading: With focus, Thresholders can glean the immediate thoughts of another, though deeper, hidden thoughts are harder to reach and may require physical proximity or eye contact. Those who reach this stage are kown as seers.
Emotional Influence: Some powerful Thresholders can nudge emotions, subtly altering a person’s mood—stoking rage, calming fear, or planting seeds of doubt. Those who develop this level of skill and beyond are known as psychomancers.
Memory Echoes: In rare cases, Thresholders can briefly perceive fragments of memory tied to strong emotional experiences, though this requires significant effort and comes with risks of mental backlash or having been detected prying into the mind of another.
Psychic Sensory Overload: A major limitation, Thresholders are vulnerable to crowded spaces and intense emotional environments, where the torrent of incoming emotions can incapacitate them.
Thresholders can be hailed as blessed of the divine conduits, feared as witches, or exploited as weapons.

AI art by Midjourney

It is rumored that Reeve Desmond Drebek of Wretinridge employs a Psychomancer in his retinue, disguised as a servant, in order to glean thoughts or sort fact from fiction amongst those seeking an audience.