The Enlightenment

A classic conspiratorial organization whose members all belong to the highest level of international high society, the Enlightenment desires nothing short of global domination. They use global forums such as the WTO, World Bank, and WEF as covers to host their private meetings. In fact, the world at large is completely unaware of the Enlightenment’s existence. One thing that sets the Enlightenment apart from other global cartels is its belief in psionic abilities. The organization hires psychics from around the globe and builds complex strategies based on the use of the powers of the mind.

The Enlightenment’s ultimate goal is to create an industrious but content world population with a strong work ethic, who leave the elite to make the decisions (and reap the rewards). To the Enlightenment, money and power are the ultimate measure of a person’s worth and can never reach a level of excess.

As an organization, the Enlightenment takes great pains to stay on the right side of international law. The last thing they want to do is draw attention to themselves, especially from self-styled heroes. However, individual members of the Enlightenment engage in their own bids for money and power—and some of them are less careful about their business. Heroes, particularly ones with connections to psychic and psionic resources, may find themselves facing off against members of this elite organization.

The Enlightenment is not an organization that heroes should join, although psionic heroes may often receive invitations and offers for employment. The Enlightenment sets policies more often than it takes any direct action (it is similar to OPEC in that it regulates what members do, but does not actually perform any functions itself). However, since members of the organization are supremely rich, anyone doing work for the Enlightenment can count on a +7 or better bonus to level checks for requisitioning equipment.

Calling Cards

Business cards are a part of nearly everyone’s professional life, but members of the Enlightenment have cards unlike any others. These cards are psychically attuned to the person whose name is printed on the front, and allow anyone who holds the card to make a “psychic phone call” to that person twice per day. The cards work as the lesser mindlink psionic power. However, the person whose name appears on the card has the option of refusing to acknowledge any attempted communication.

Enlightenment members generally give calling cards only to trusted allies. They have mundane business cards that they hand out more freely.

Type: Wondrous item (psionic); Caster Level: 1st; Purchase DC: 27 (per 100); Weight: —.