Urik (WatW)

King Hamanu of Urik has issued standing orders to place any commoner or slave child who shows psionic promise to Destiny's Kingdom for training in the King's Academy. No other psionic schools are permitted to exist within Urik. The brutal regimen of indoctrination and physical hardship proves to be too much for many of the students. Those who fail are returned to their families, but some never fully recover.

The children of templars, nobles, or merchants are exempt from templar conscription and may be trained by private tutors in their own homes. However, all practicing psionicists must register with the templars of the Bureau of Security. In the city of Urik, they are required to shave their skulls and mark their level of achievement with forehead tattoos.

Although King's Academy graduates aren't required to serve the state, a number enlist as templars or part of the city's army. Psionicists are awarded officer rank in both organizations and may be assigned as special agents or aides to important commanders. For example, the High Templar of Games has up to 10 psionicists working for him at any given time.

Foreign psionicists entering Urik must register with the templars of the gates and display a special ceramic token on their clothing at all times. Violating this law can bring a quick and severe punishment. Psionic crimes are dealt with very harshly in Urik; the perpetrators are mindwiped and then exiled.

Despite this, some psionicists still choose to practice their arts in secret. The largest group of these lawbreakers is the Potters' School in the city's Craftsman Quarter. In Urik, pottery making is a valued art; events such as weddings, funerals, and festivals are recorded by the casting and painting of clay urns.

The Potters' School is what it claims to be, and more. In addition to instruction in artwork and claywork, several young psionic masters meet covertly to practice their art and instruct children in ways to hide their talents from Urik's templars. So far, Urik's templars do not suspect.

The Potters' School is supervised by an aging woman named Temhia, one of the greatest clayworkers Urik has ever known. Her masterpieces sell for hundreds of silver pieces each. Temhia is not a psionicist and leaves instruction in the Way to a young man named Erriok, one of her more talented former students. He teaches a small circle of about eight children who demonstrate psionic promise.

Erriok is also associated with the city's Veiled Alliance. He works constantly to foil Hamanu's templars and advance the cause of freedom. He understands the value of a good cover and avoids activities that would expose him to the templars.

Turen Taekad[]

Half-elf Male Psionicist/Templar

11th Level/11th Level

Neutral Evil

Str 12 Int 16

Dex 10 Wis 19

Con 15 Cha 14

Hit Points: 47 THAC0: 15

Armor Class: 4 (bracers of defense AC 4)

No. of Attacks: 1

Damage/Attack: 1d6+3 (staff of striking)

Psionics: Telepath Template (see page 52)

PSPs: 169

Spells: 7 1st, 5 2nd, 4 3rd, 4 4th, 1 5th (Wisdom adjustments included)

Turen is the son of a minor human, merchant and an elf concubine. He was removed from his home at an early age and forced to attend the King's Academy. This hardened him into a cruel young man with a driving hunger for power.

Upon leaving the Academy, Turen joined the templars. He has risen to hold the post of Special Aide to the High Templar of Security. He monitors all psionic activity in Urik and leads any investigations of psionic crimes. Turen has concentrated his mental powers in arts of combat and domination and has bested many mindbenders in his time. He is still young and quite ambitious and has made many enemies inside and outside the templar priesthood.

Turen knows that someone is concealing gifted children from him. but his investigations have led to dead ends so far. He suspects the Veiled Alliance is somehow involved.