Psion

Psions are a race of telepathic and telekinetic beings who were conquered and enslaved by the Cabal in the hopes of weaponizing their abilities.

History
Ancient Psions practised a form of ancestor worship, with believers seeing sparks of divinity in every living being rather than following a set of deities. It focused on communing with the divine spirits of the dead through prayers involving the Y-Chalice, which would be filled by a variety of offerings towards them. The Y-Chalice likely refers to the shape of the Psion's eye, perhaps as a metaphorical gateway into their minds and by extension their psionic power. Incredibly ritualistic in nature, the religion required its followers to draw out the chalice either mentally or physically in order to pray, and used specific incantations and phrases to invoke the spirits power. The religion was brutally exterminated long before the Cabal even discovered the Psions by a group known as the God-Thoughts. Almost certainly this was due to the fact that the group styled themselves as deities to some degree, and the doctrine of the Y-Chalice does not allow for one set of beings to be more sacred than any other. Minor cults still exist to the present, though they are widely seen as taboo.

At some point they created the OXA Machine, a machine able to perceive the future, but the legendary device was destroyed by the Cabal. Freeborn Otzot, a particularly brilliant Psion, later succeeded in rebuilding the OXA Machine, which the Cabal tried once more to destroy. Instead, Emperor Calus spared Otzot and the machine, welcoming her into his court as his Imperial Dreamer. Ironically, she used this new position to continue the enslavement of her people and keep the significance of her 'Freeborn' title.

Biology
Psions have bald, veined heads, with a single eye surrounded by black trident-shaped creases. These eyes can be either blue or orange, and have distinctive Y-shaped pupils. Their eyes turn opaque grey once they die, and the Y disappears. Their faces have a series of holes above their mouths, possibly functioning similar to spiracles for breathing. Psions serving in the Red Legion have the tops of their heads exposed, even in harsh environments such as Mars, Io, and Nessus without any visible damage. This is likely done to enable them to utilise their psionic abilities more freely, though also implies that their skin is incredibly tough despite its fragile appearance. Psions have five fingers on each hand, though often their armor groups their middle and ring fingers into one. They are significantly smaller than their Cabal superiors on average. However, Kargen, the Technocrat is notable for towering over the Cabal under his command. .

Culture
Psions seem to have a deep reverence for the lives of those around them, as their clairvoyance allows them to sense them in intense and mysterious ways. They feel the imprints of those around them, noting the powerful gleaming aura of Calus to be so blinding that they cannot see past it. They are unnerved by the Hive, because they appear to have empty minds besides their hate and need to survive. It is likely that Psions are naturally very social, as they have some ability to communicate with each other telepathically and will even combine their thoughts together in concerts in times of stress or necessity. This telepathy may not be wholly consensual or their higher level thoughts are broadcast to some degree, as some Psions will think in metaconcert if they want to keep a secret from their peers.

Within the Cabal Empire, Psions are second-class citizens at best and slaves at worst. They serve the Cabal as laborers, engineers, and mechanics. Psions have worked as pilots as well in their time of service. Their integral part in the Cabal military is seen through the extent at which they rely on the Psions. Maintenance passages in most of their ships and structures are often too small for Cabal to move through comfortably, and Interceptors are designed for use by Psions exclusively. Particularly talented Psions are trained to become Psion Flayers, masters of their incredible power and intellect. The full extent of their abilities is unknown, but they are thought to have been able to alter the orbit of Phobos.

Certain Psions are not born into slavery and are regarded with the title of 'Freeborn'. They are exceptionally rare in Cabal society and are of vastly superior social standing to others of their race, potentially being considered equal to other Cabal.

Destiny
The strength of a Psion's attack depends on the type of Psion. An ordinary Psion will only be able to attack at point blank range, a Psion Operant will be able to launch a short-range attack, and a Psion Flayer will be able to send a psychic attack from quite a long distance. These attacks deal Arc (or electrical) damage, signifying their power over mind and (potentially) machine. Certain Psions are known to channel Void and Solar power, though this is restricted to Flayers observed in the Prison of Elders. Psions become much more dangerous during Nightfall Strikes, as they acquire a Void shield.

Destiny 2
A sect of Psions belonging to the Red Legion utilize new Void-based abilities as well as Cabal Headhunters. A minority continue to use Slug Rifles. These Psions have an upgraded version of their old wave attack, now referred to as a "rupture ability," which explodes and launches enemies into the air. They also have jetpacks, which they can use to maneuver and travel at high speeds. Red Legion Psions have the upper parts of their heads exposed.

Some Psions can be seen piloting Interceptors, specifically in the EDZ - near the fortress Firebase Hades.

The Loyalists have a special version of Psions called Councilors, which have special abilities used throughout the Leviathan raid. They float in mid-air and are surrounded by a shield that blocks all projectiles, but can still be punched.

Known Psions

 * Barit, Imprisoned Flayer
 * Curator Arrox
 * Cyronax
 * Feltroc, the Skull-Piercer
 * Freeborn Otzot
 * Kargen, the Technocrat
 * Kolar, Psion Flayer
 * Match, the Shadow Councillor
 * Numoc, Psion Flayer
 * Rudoc, Imprisoned Flayer
 * Sheular, Psion Flayer
 * Tomoc, Psion Flayer
 * Urche, Psion Flayer
 * Vatch, Psion Flayer
 * Vrees, Imprisoned Flayer

Abilities

 * Psionic Blast
 * Psychic Melee
 * Clairvoyance

Technology

 * OXA Machine

Armament

 * Slug Rifle
 * Cabal Headhunter

Types

 * Loyalist Psion
 * Councilor
 * Electron Controller (specialist unit found on The Almighty)
 * Elite Psion (Void Shield)
 * Fleet Psion
 * Psion Burner (specialist unit exclusive to Skyburners)
 * Psion Flayer
 * Psion Operant
 * Blooded Psion
 * Bonded Psion
 * Corrupted Bonded Psion
 * Infiltrator Psion

Trivia

 * The Psion Councilor is the only one of its species to have its face fully revealed.

List of appearances

 * Destiny
 * The Taken King
 * April Update
 * Destiny 2
 * Curse of Osiris
 * Warmind
 * Forsaken
 * Cabal Booklet