Mind Transference Therapy

History of the Therapy

Mind Transference Therapy (or MTT) was founded by a magical healer, named Tolman Redcap, living in Coppergate, a successful mining town located in the Yari Hills in the southern part of The Nation of Churiss.
Although fairly lucrative, mining work is as mentally stressful as it is physically demanding. The hours are long meaning a lot of time away from family. Additionally, many miners fear the risk of accidents - many have lost friends to fatal accidents or watch them live out a life in pain and disability following a severe accident.
Tolman was a retired adventurer and alchemist, with not inconsiderable magical Tuning abilities. He was also a student of the mind - always inquisitive in how peoples' minds work. He believed that he could combine his Tuning abilities with his (self-taught) knowledge of the mind to get deep inside someone's thoughts and help them overcome fears, releasing them to live better lives and remove any self-imposed mental restrictions on reaching their fullest potential.
His basic technique was to hypnotize his client using conventional means and then when under that influence use his tuning ability to transfer his mind into theirs. From there, he could take them to the source of their fear or anxiety. It was similar to sharing someone's nightmares/dreams and coaching them to recognize and then deal with their fears. Tolman called this melding of two minds the Joining.
There was a ready supply of willing clients in Coppergate and other surrounding mining towns and his initial work began with some success. A high proportion of his clients reported a much-improved perspective on life and felt happier in themselves. Some were less or non-responsive but that was to be expected.
Tolman's reputation spread and it wasn't long before his services were in demand in the capital city. He employed and trained some assistants to deal with more routine cases. Again, at first, his practice thrived and Tolman was not only much wealthier but also happy that he was having a positive impact on many peoples' lives.

The Madness

His success, and his practice, came to an abrupt end. Tolman had been working on a very interesting, but difficult case. A particularly troubled young woman, Larissa, had presented with severe anxiety. The source appeared to be family pressures - she was the daughter of the then Leader of the Council of Churiss, the Nation's governing body.
Tolman was not making any inroads and Larissa's anxiety was getting worse. She, herself, could not explain her feelings of constant fear but also growing anger, at times even rage. She had begun to see things, horrible acts of violence in her mind. Tolman, not able to explain this deterioration in her well-being, continued his efforts, delving deeper and deeper into her mind. He found dark images that concerned him greatly - images of many dark faces contorted with hate. Through her sub-conscious, he witnessed acts of killing and torture of innocents, including the young. How could such an innocent have these feelings inside of her?
On what was to be their final session Tolman delved too deep. He swept past and through the images he had witnessed during previous sessions. Then too late he realized his mistake. As all previously seen images melted behind his own consciousness, he found the answer to Larissa's problems. There stood before him was a hideous apparition - a shadowed spirit that had possessed Larissa. It sneered at him with a malevolence that had developed over centuries of existence. Using Tolman's own Tuning ability against him, the twisted spirit flooded his mind with every instance of its foul deeds. Tolman experienced every pain, every emotion of every victim.
The pain and emotion tore Tolman's mind apart as the spirit finally released him from the Joining.

The Killings

The mentor of Larissa attended all sessions and recalls Tolman suddenly shrieking in obvious agonizing pain and running from Larissa's room in an indescribable rage. Tolman killed anyone in his path, using magic of such power that his victims were blown apart, their remains scattered in a bloody mess.
After killing fifty people in and around the home of Larissa, Tolman was finally downed by The Reservists , who had been teleported in when the carnage was finally reported to them.

Never Again

A committee of the Council convened to discuss the terrible events. Many experts in magic and psychology gave advice, and although the severity of the actual events could not be specifically explained, they found it clear that the use of Mind Transference Therapy was the heart of the cause. They also took evidence from previous clients, many of whom were now reporting a recurrence of their previous problems, and in some cases now worse.
The therapy was immediately banned in all forms with a new law enacted setting out severe penalties should anyone be found practicing this now classified 'dangerous art'.
No cases have been heard of since.

Map of Churiss

Coppergate is located in the Yari Hills in the southern region of Churiss

Churiss

Open full size

Having secured its independence one hundred years ago, it flourishes as a center of trade and culture.

Larissa

Larissa was found in her room with no ill effects. She had no recollection of the events during that final session. At least that was a blessing.

Concerns

The details of the event could not be kept quiet.
However, the Council of Churiss did order all records of the procedure destroyed, and those trained in it sworn to secrecy and compensated accordingly.
They have been secretly relocated under new identities to ensure their knowledge does not fall into the wrong hands.
News of events did travel far and wide, however, and there are concerning reports that some nefarious groups and nations are attempting to replicate MTT.

Cover art by: Gerd Altmann https://pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301/
Map produced using: Dungeonfog https://www.dungeonfog.com/
Portrait produced using: Artbreeder https://artbreeder.com/