Astral Tribe

The **Astral** tribe are one of the 13 tribes of Ontaria, they posses incredible psychic powers. Their role in Ontarian society is to manage the priesthood of the Patriarchs.

## Formation

The Astral tribe owe their abilities to their proximity to mineral deposits near the Unpassable Desert. The early Stone age ancestors of the tribe settled near the desert for protection. With the desert at their back they couldn't be surrounded, and the dormant volcanoes where they built their fortresses provided excellent security.

It was in these dormant volcanoes that pre history Astral tribe members lived and worked amongst minerals and crystals that had a unique effect on their brains. Exposure to these elements modified the brain chemistry of these Ontarians and gave them psychic powers.

Eventually the crystals that enhanced their powers grew from their skull further expand their mental prowess.

The Astral Tribe were relatively isolated on the edge of the Unpassable Desert. A strong defensible position meant they were never conquered. Around the mid Ontarian stone age the growing tribe ventured out into the wider world. Conflict with other tribes was virtually non-existent. Astral Tribe members used their powers to remain secret and hidden as they walked among the other tribes. Small colonies of Astrals would form over similar deposits of their favoured crystals and minerals around the world. The largest outside the unpassable desert is beneath Sanctuary City

Amongst the other tribes the Astrals were considered a myth. As their power increased Astrals could stand in a crowd and be ignored and they kept themselves hidden, seeing the wars happening between tribes as good enough reason to stay away. However those Astrals living in communities that would one day form Sanctuary City, inter bred with other tribes. Soon some tribes became resistant to the physic powers of the Astrals. Astral became a pariah group, their secrecy and mind control abilities suspect.

Astrals attempted to counter their negative reputation by fostering peace amongst other tribes. They seeded philosophical and religious beliefs across Ontaria giving for the first time a sense of Ontarian Rights, known as Human Rights to humans. They started the worship of the One Outside or one Beyond, a unifying ideal that Ontarians of different tribes adopted and modified uniquely to their cultures.

However like humanity, worship of the One Beyond was turned to nefarious purposes and used as an excuse for terrible behaviour.

By the arrival of the Patriarchs, Astral tribe members had a mixed reputation. Their attempts to turn tribes to peace and cooperation were seen as suspect, an attack on tradition. For those in Sanctuary City they were a restraint on change. However Astrals were excellent listeners and helpful in guiding individuals forward in their lives.

After the Patriarchal period the tribe solidified their monopoly on all Ontarian religions. They are the Priesthood of One Beyond and the Patriarchs.

## Duty

The Astral's role in Ontarian society is to foster cooperation and peace amongst the tribes as a whole, and individuals.

Their ability to read and understand the minds of others at every level means they can know a person and a crowd intimately. No secret can be hidden, no truth locked away. No one can tell lies in their presence.

The Astrals also preach the teachings the Patriarchs and worship of the One Outside. They hold no political power and are strictly forbidden from doing so. Astrals, unlike human religious figures, do not conduct marriage rites, but do perform some of the religious ceremonies.

Astrals preform a secondary function much like human phycologists and therapists. They are excellent listeners and can discern a persons thoughts and even manipulate them in healthy ways.

## Population

The Astral population on planet Ontaria is unique, in that it is always one percent of one percent of one percent of the total population.

Given Ontaria's current population level of around 500,000,000 Ontarians, only 5,000 Astral tribe members exist on the planet.

At the moment it is unknown why this occurs. It physically impossible for Astral tribe members to go above this population level.

There is a rumour that the Tomb Tribe know why this is. This rumour is fuelled by the fact that whenever an Astral tribe member is witnessed dying, Tomb tribe members are visible at the death, indicating a special relationship between the two tribes that is unknown even to the Astrals themselves.

## Powers

Astral tribe members possess a number of mental abilities.

### Total Mind Control

This is not control of another's mind, this is total control of their own minds. Astral tribe members can at will alter their own minds in a variety of ways and even their bodies since the brain controls the body. With this ability they can, if trained correctly, dampen their own pain response or erase any negative feelings like fear or anger. They can control their hormonal levels and even enhance their own experience of pleasure.

### Mind Reading

Astral tribe members can read the minds of other Ontarians and Humans. Reading however is the wrong word, they actually receive transmissions. The brain works by processes sing electrical signals, which generates a low level electro-magnetic field. Astral Tribe members can detect and interpret the fluctuations of this field and so feel and hear what someone is thinking. Trained Astrals can also cause a subjects brain to release deeper thoughts and so the Astrals can reveal hidden thoughts.

### Memory Manipulation

Astrals are able to supress memories from a subject's mind.

### Limited Manipulation

Astral tribe members can exert control over other Ontarians, but not humans. If a person has a strong will this control can be broken.

### Soul Evoking

Like all Ontarians Astrals can draw upon a well of energy the entire race has access to. However rather than enhancing their powers, Soul Evoking for an Astral instead allows the whole to become far greater than the sum of its parts. It allows Astrals to link together and generate a field that magnifies their powers as a collective.

## Skills

### Ju giitzu

Astrals train in a marital art form that focus their mind reading powers in combat. The mind reading ability is linked to the Astral's instinctual centres of the brain. When an opponent attacks, which first begins in the brain, the Astrals will detect this and respond to the attack before any other sense detects the attack. In combat an Astral master of Ju Giitzu can anticipate all attacks. However the style is fairly basic with a focus on blocks as opposed to strikes. A true master of the art also manipulates the mind of the opponent to lead them into making attacks the Astral is better suited to fight.

### Philosophy

All Astrals are trained philosophers, even understanding human ideas as well, which they study throughout their lives.

### Psychologists

Some Astral specialise in psychology and help Ontarians with their mental well being.

### Priests

Unless they are in Sanctuary City, Astrals are the priesthood of Ontaria and perform all religious duties.