Psyker

A psyker, in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, is an individual with psychic powers, capable of accessing the Warp. This is both a blessing and a curse; though psykers are often able to achieve spectacular feats with their abilities, the Warp is a perilous place, and whenever a psyker uses their abilities there is a chance that they will be subject to the Perils of the Warp. Death is one of the milder results of this; extremely unlucky psykers might actually become possessed by Daemons and used as a gateway from the Warp into the physical world.

The different races of the setting perceive psykers in different ways.

• The Imperium of Man regards most psykers as extremely dangerous because of the threat of Chaos possession, and thus the Inquisition hunts them down so they can either be sacrificed to the Empra or sanctioned and made to serve the Imperium (under an inquisitor's watchful eye). Such Psykers appear as a unit in the Dawn of War games and like to scream incomprehensible one-liners so mind-numbingly loud that they may very well actually make your head explode. Just as planned.

• The Eldar are a strongly psychically-attuned race, and their most powerful psykers become Farseers and leaders of their people. Though every Eldar is psychic, none reach the heights a Human Psyker can. Yes, the Eldar found a way to outnumber something. Honestly, we're as surprised as you.

• The Dark Eldar however, do not use Psychic powers due to their whole "I own your soul" gig with Slaanesh.

• The Tau have almost no presence in the Warp and thus their race has no psykers whatsoever, although some of their vassal races have psychic abilities.

• The Necrons are anathema to psykers, since they are extremely vulnerable to the powers of the Warp they can't manipulate it and have no presence in it while their Pariah units actually have a negative warp presence, and they plan to close the Eye of Terror and shut off the Warp from the physical world entirely, so that they might begin their conquest of the galaxy unopposed once more.

• The Orks have their own "psykik" energy in the power of the WAAAAAAGH, which they tap via Wyrdboys. Unlike other races, the Orks draw psychic energy from each-other and themselves, not from the Warp, which makes them virtually immune to chaotic influences.

• The Tyranids have psykers, but rather than using warp energy, they instead tap into the Hive Mind. How the Hive Mind can turn it's will into bolts of searing energy that destroy heavily armoured battle tanks is not yet known.

Gallery

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  You should never invite psykers to your poker night.
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  Culexus assassins are psykers' worst nightmare, though they are very friendly.
• Approach with extreme caution
  Approach with extreme caution