Psijics
The Psijic race are a silver-skinned, hairless human subspecies with well-developed psychic abilities, who utilised a collective conciousness to bind themselves to one another, communicate telepathically, and to influence the minds of others. This ability was developed by the alien 'Enlightened Ones' who were able to somehow escape the high tekno purges and saw that their servants could not only achieve similar feats to themselves, but also allowed for an easy means to influence and control their population.
Following the invasion of their homeworld and death of the Enlightened Ones at the hands of the Sirasion Empire, the psijics have become an endangered species, numbering only around 30,000 individuals currently.
Their psychic abilities are still formidable, however, and are in high demand by many organisations and individuals for their unique abilities. Many have taken refuge in isolated settlements in a monk-like lifestyle and have committed to ensuring that their species does not go extinct.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Aside from a slightly different brain composition, hairlessness and silver/gray skin, psijics are anatomically identical to baseline humans.
Genetics and Reproduction
Psijic reporoduction is functionally the same as humans, but with a longer gestation period of around 12 months. For a period of 2 weeks towards the end of the pregnancy, the baby's Psi Gland activates, and the mother can comminicate with the baby. This is a critical time during the pregnancy, as it allowws the psi gland to develop fully by imitating the gland of it's mother. Without this connection, the psi gland can mutate and grow as a tumour, killing the baby. This is why cloning psijics is so difficult.
Similarly, Psijic and human crossbreeds are thought to be impossible. Most babies born this way die if the mother is human, while psijic mothers have trouble comminicating with the baby's psi gland. Some children have been born as half psijic, but none have a functioning psi-gland.
Growth Rate & Stages
Psijics grow at the same rate as humans, but they typically gain two names; their spoken name, and their true name. Their true name is given at birth, but their true name is the neutral signal that their psi gland produces, and is described as a feeling or thought, and is not easily put into words. The psijic typically discovers their true name by age 3, though there are exceptions, and it is not revealed unless to family and to loved ones.
Outsiders and non-psijics describe it as being like a musical note, but without sound or pitch, and typically say that it is hard to explain.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Through the use of a specialised organ at the base of the brain called a Psi Gland, psijics can manipulate small electromagnetic fields to the degree where they can access memories, read minds, and comminicate with one another. Cybernetic enhancememnts allow them to extend this ability to access the minds of other species, and directly interface with technology.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Scientific Name
Homo Sapiens Sensus
Conservation Status
Only around 10,000 psijics were able to escape the invasion and subsequent genocide at the hands of the Sirasion Empire. their numbers have significantly recovered to 30,000 since then, but the majority of these are children. Cloning has been considered to boost their population, but their unique physiology makes cloning difficult.
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