Telepathy
Telepathy is a somewhat common magical skill that can be both a learnt or an inherited magic. Though it is possible to learn telepathy without inheriting it, it is a very difficult one to figure out without natural ability, and so most people who are not born with it choose not to pursue its practice. It takes a lot of skill and dedication to learn non-inherited telepathy, and if done wrong can risk side-effects that range from headaches, to memory problems, to strokes.
Like most magics, it follows the passive, active, and triggered magical states; with active being the most common form of its use and triggered being the least common kind.
Telepaths who actively choose to use their powers are, generally, rather obvious in its use. Unless they are very skilled, active state telepaths have to stop most other things they are doing and “tune in” to the person whose mind they wish to read. This gives people the opportunity to call them out on their nosy behaviour or push back mentally and block them from accessing their minds. They cannot control the actions of others or modify thoughts, but they can view the mind as if from a distance and listen in to the current running internal commentary of those they are listening to. Those with more skill may be able to sift through surface-level memories, though it is not common to be able to access deeper parts of the mind without the person whose mind is being read choosing to recall or being reminded of past events.
Passive telepaths are considered the most unlucky kind of telepath, as their magic is always working and they have to actively put effort into quieting their mind when they want peace. They are able to hear the thoughts of people around them like whispers, with the sound becoming a jumbled mess in crowds. The sound of a person’s thoughts overlays with the sounds of their spoken voice and even simple everyday conversations can be an overwhelming experience for passive telepaths. Because of this, passive telepathy is considered a disability in many countries and the use of aids such as noise-cancelling earmuffs is encouraged.
The least common kind of telepath is the triggered state telepath, whose magic is triggered by outside stimuli. Usually, this trigger is touch, and they are able to tap into the minds of those who they are physically touching. Unlike active or passive state telepaths, triggered state telepaths can often have much more powerful abilities and, with some training, are often able to force their way through mental barriers into the hidden parts of people’s minds to access or manipulate old memories.
Some telepaths are also skilled enough that they are able to insert their own thoughts into people’s minds. It is not modifying another’s thoughts as much as it is a form of “speaking” to a person using their minds, and is often said to feel the same as having a regular conversation, only in complete privacy and without the internal filter that usually happens in spoken conversation. This is something passive, active, and triggered telepaths are able to do, though the state of their magic can affect exactly how this skill manifests.
Guilds
Telepathy, being a common magic that is legal to practice with both practical and social uses, has many guilds and schools around for telepaths to join. There are two well-known telepath guilds that have strong international reach throughout the explored territories.
The Inquirers is the best-known guild, though not necessarily for positive reasons. Founded in Coto and best-known for being intrusively nosy, their motto is “There are no well-kept secrets. It all comes out eventually, with a little help.” Originally, they were a tight-knit secret criminal organisation that used telepathy to scam the wealthy. After a terrible event in which the founder was murdered, the rest of the guild used their telepathy to find the guilty party. From here the organisation slowly turned into a guild of for-hire private investigators who use telepathy to solve crimes or uncover marital infidelity.
Inner Eye’s Instinct is the second-best known guild, founded in Leng’sor. Popular with passive-state telepaths, its motto is “While listening to other’s minds, do not forget to listen to your own.” The guild of Inner Eye’s Instinct puts emphasis on the safe use of magic; teaching telepaths to listen to their bodies and their instincts while using their magic so that they don’t overexert or hurt themselves. The guild is often called overcautious and there are rumours being spread that they discourage the use of magic; this is untrue, as they encourage telepaths to use as much magic as they are comfortable with. They also have a meditation program to for passive-state telepaths to provide them with a safe and quiet environment where their powers don’t feel so overwhelming.