APPRENTICE: The key word of the Apprentice Mentalist is COMMUNICATE
The Apprentice Mentalist can receive detailed information from non-sentient life
forms by creating a temporary link to his own mind. During this time, the simple
beings can "speak" telepathically, though communication is limited by the creature's
natural powers of thought. Simple creatures may send telepathic impressions or
memories and understand basic requests or instructions. When the link is broken,
the beings lose some of their understanding, but an impression of the communication
will remain. This impression can be detected by another Mentalist with the Animism talent.
MAGE: The key word of the Mage Mentalist is INFLUENCE
The Mage Mentalist can now extend his sentient intelligence to non-sentient life
forms and retain that link over a distance. As long as he can maintain his
concentration, he can use this link to detect activity near the simple being as
if he were there. The link can be traced by any other Mage Mentalist and sensed
by an Initiate Animist. The Mage can also influence simple life to perform more
complicated actions as long as it's not out of their realm of normal behavior or
conceptual framework. Example: Suggest to a trail of army ants that they change
course and attack a sleeping enemy or that a vine grows to hide a wall.
ADEPT: The key word of the Adept Mentalist is CONTROL
The Adept Mentalist can now grant any simple life forms sentient intelligence
without a constant link to his mind. This awareness remains for as long as the
Adept lives or until it is dispelled by another Adept. Furthermore, he is able
to control the actions of simple beings and make them perform actions that may
be beyond their normal behavior. Example: Making a normally docile animal attack
or a hostile creature allow passage into his territory.
LOST ABILITIES: It is rumoured that the ancient
Wizards had the ability to 'evolve' creatures into beings that were intelligent
and remained that way, as intelligent as any human or elf. These creatures could
breed true, and some such creatures can still be found today in the wildernesses
of Korresh.
Hazards of Animism:
The magic of Animism is dangerous to one who possesses it if they do not have a
strong will; such a mage can get caught up in the bestial urges and emotions that
non-intelligent beings feel, and lose themselves. Legends of people gone insane
who bay at the moon like a dog are invariably ones who awakened the talent of
Animism and could not control it.
Animism affects all non-sentient life: Plants, creatures with "animal" intelligence,
insects, and even mold and bacteria fall into this category. Non-intelligent beings
are not possessed of senses of self such as intelligent creatures are; at least,
not in the same measure. It is thus easier to manipulate (or even control) their
thoughts and emotions than those of sentient beings. However, to do so requires
that the Animist immerse himself into his target's being, and so a strong sense
of self and of self-preservation is required; there is always the danger otherwise
of losing oneself in the creature's mind.
It is important to understand that the life form will be most connected to that
which is important to it. Anything which affects its ability to survive, eat,
rest, or pro-create will be retained in its memory better than things that hold
little value to it. A fungus, for example, will not care what a passing person
was wearing, but a tree might perceive that the person was carrying an axe. The
higher the natural intelligence of the living form, the more likely that detailed
information can be gleaned or complex tasks carried out.
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