Diego Moriah

Halng Psion (Telepath)

June 6, 2014
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Contents
1 Character Background 3
1.1 Physical Appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2 Personality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3 Personal History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3.1 White Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3.2 The Unbarred Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.3.3 Leaving Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2 Character Development Ideas 7
3 Play Journal 8
2
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1 Character Background
1.1 Physical Appearance
Slight haling build, approximately 32 feet tall, weight some 32 lbs. Tanned
skin, slicked back shoulder length black hair. Well groomed full beard. Very
light blue eyes. Patrician features. 32 years old.
Typically wears a long greatcoat, thigh high boots, breeches, gloves with
long cus, and a vest, all of a supple brown leather, worn over a white linen
shirt and undergarments.
Wears a broad brimmed, Reuleauxtriangular leather hat with a high,
at topped crown (resembles a pilgrim hat). A broad black ribbon surrounds
the crown, joined in the front by a pewter buckle with a dark patina. The
buckle is shaped like an arched gateway with a raised portcullis. The buckle
and hat serve as a badge of oce (see 1.3.2).
1.2 Personality
Diego is above all dedicated to order, discipline, and the laws of his homeland
(see 1.3.1) that he believes ensures the continued survival of psions. This
can manifest as a seemingly unreasonable adherence to the letter of the law
and inexibility in the face of what he sees as a breach of his code. Can
sometimes seem fanatically devoted to the law.
The communal nature of his upbringing has instilled a sense of comfort
around humans, though he is wary of other races. Like all of the psions of
his home, he is cautious and mistrustful of the ungifted.
His natural telepathic (especially empathic) abilities and role as an inter-
rogator (see 1.3.2) have honed his verbal communication, though the fervent
attitude and sometimes unsavory and relentless methods of the Unbarred
Gate lend an intimidating presence.
Generally willing to sacrice (personally or otherwise) to achieve goals
determined by strict adherence to the law.
Never really known close companionship, outside of a few mentors within
his order. His role as a sometimes heavy handed authority gure within his
home community has erected a barrier between him and many of the citizens
he ostensibly protects.
Accompanied by a psicrystal assistant he has named Dopp (doppelganger).
The crystal seems to have been imbued with the more ruthless elements of
Diegos personality and hence proves immensely useful in the investigations
and interrogations that form the bulk of Diegos job.
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1.3 Personal History
Diego is 32 years old, having reached biological adulthood, but considered
young by the standards of the long-lived halings. Named for Diego the
Red, one of the founding fathers of White Hill.
He does not remember his earliest years. His rst strong memories are
of learning to till the elds in White Hill with his work detail. His childhood
was mostly uneventful, until at the age of 11 he began sensing auras (vague
and nebulous empathic notions of mood in those around him). Telepathy
is a relatively rare manifestation in White Hill, and unable to cope with
these newfound sensations, Diego ed into the wilderness surrounding the
city. Found three days later hungry and dehydrated by the Master of the
Unbarred Gate (see 1.3.2) and inducted into the White Hill Auxilliaries.
Young adult life spent training and studying the small collection of
psionic writings extant in the library of The Unbarred Gate. Inducted into
the Unbarred Gate at the age of 30.
1.3.1 White Hill
Community composed mostly of psions of various power level. Most show a
very minor talent in psychokinesis, e.g. levitate a small book a few feet, but
no further ability. Conceptually similar to a real world kibbutzcommunal
living, work, and child rearing. Consequently Diego does not know (or have
a strong desire to know his parents identity).
Named for the low, whitewashed dwellings cropped around a series of
small hills, looks similar to real world Andalusian cities.
Originated when a small, disparate group of outcast psions settled in
the wild, has grown relatively rapidly over the years as it aggregated im-
migrants with psionic potential, mostly human and haling. The citizens
roots as outcasts has fostered a culture of close cooperation and community.
The need to control the (sometimes dangerous) manifesations of so many
psions has encouraged a very rigid adherence to the laws and social norms
of Whitehill. Days and nights are a strictly regimented and scheduled mix
of work, study, and recreation. Citizens (for the most part) believe a strong
sense of discipline will ensure their survival (and perhaps broad acceptance
into society).
The citys population is nearly a thousand strong. Sustains itself pri-
marily on agriculture and very light industry (woodworking, textiles, etc.).
Approximately a hundred years old.
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1.3.2 The Unbarred Gate
The vagaries of policing a group with varying levels of superhuman ability,
as well as protecting the city from external threats (the residents are natu-
rally distrustful of non-psionic nations) necessitated the creation of a special
police force. At a young age, talented psions are earmarked for service in
the Whitehill Auxilliaries.
Those that demonstrate particular aptitude for Telepathy are drafted
into a subset of the Auxilliaries called The Unbarred Gate (the mind is a
fortress with its gates open and unbarred). Their heraldry is an archaged
gateway with raised portcullis. The Unbarred Gate is the investigative arm
of the Auxilliaries. Members act as some superposition of detective, inter-
rogators, and judges. Full members are known as Inquisitors (having taken
the Inquisitorial orders of the Unbarred Gate), while more junior members
are known as adept-minoris.
To the Unbarred Gate, enforcing the laws and more of Whitehill is tan-
tamount to survival for psionically gifted beings. While its members do not
seek out violence or conict for its own sake, neither will they shy from it
in the course of their duty.
1.3.3 Leaving Home
Soon after Diegos 32nd birthday, tragedy struck White Hill. Under cover of
night, an unknown entity forced its way into the barracks of the White Hill
Auxilliaries and into one of the archives of the Unbarred Gate, killing three
members of the city guard at their posts (fatal wounds consistent with wire
garroting), and an Inquisitor reading late in the archive. The Inquisitor,
unlike the guards, appears to have put up a ghtoverturned furniture and
defensive wounds suggest a struggle. None of the wounds would have been
fatal the body appears to have simply crumpled on itself, consistent with
the aftermath of a telepathic attack (disrupted heartbeat or destruction of
the mind).
The intruder took only one thin volume from the archivea dusty leather-
bound tome containing the fevered ramblings of a female clairvoyant from
the early days of White Hill. The writings have never been deciphered, and
have generally been regarded as devoid of any useful information. A lone
gure in a dark cloak, too large for a haling but smaller than the typical
human, was observed eeing the city on horseback soon after the discovery
of the intrustion. Despite the unnerving ease with which the intruder in-
ltrated the barracks and dispatched the guards, the Auxiliaries command
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was unwilling to risk a foray into outside lands to retrieve a tome of the
ravings of a madwoman.
Diego, however, was unwilling to abide the physical and existential breach
of security and requested and received leave from the Master of the Unbarred
Gate to pursue and investigate the mysterious intruder. With that, he set
o after the cloaked gure, following a trail of clues to a faraway land.
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2 Character Development Ideas
Plotwise could integrate the cloaked gure/missing tome into campaign.
Would love to see a conspiracy of psions.
Ive written the character to be well suited so a sometimes shady job,
without really having undergone any real degree of self reection to try and
understand his motivations. Could denitely lead him to a crisis which
forces some introspection.
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3 Play Journal