The History of the Exile War Universe

What would you do if you could make other people do anything you wanted? I’m sure you’d be totally ethical about it, of course! But can you think of anyone who wouldn’t be? Anyone who might use that power for financial gain? For fame? For lust? Why bother committing burglary, when you can just alter someone’s will and make them want to give you a million dollars. Just put the paparazzi under mind control, and suddenly you’re famous…

In a future Earth genetic engineering came into its own. Every aspect of human existence with any genetic causality could be edited, altered, and improved. One of those improvements was telepathy and telekinesis.

Unfortunately, telepathy included not just the ability to read other people’s minds, but to control them.

The people who were able to get this genetic enhancement just started doing whatever they wanted. Mind controlling whoever they wanted.

Enslaving whoever they wanted.

The people without telepathy — the ordinary humans — did their best to fight it. They had less power, but they had far superior numbers.

The resulting war nearly wiped out humanity.

At last a contrary ideology emerged among some telepaths. The rule of “take whatever you can take” led inexorably to destruction. The stronger would enslave and kill the weaker until only one was left. Humanity would die out unless someone figured out how to tame telepathy.

These new telepaths committed themselves to humility. They committed themselves to not using their power to dominate and destroy. They became, over time, an order called the Gentle Hand.