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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Edena_of_Neith" data-source="post: 3604507" data-attributes="member: 2020">Let me try and clarify on the telepathic powers of the theoretical Franks:  It works very much like normal communication.  If you are close to someone, they can telepathically 'whisper' to you.  If you are far from someone, they must 'shout'.  If you're too far away for normal verbal shouting, you're too far away for 'telepathic shouting.'  You can 'concentrate' on one person, to the exclusion of others, and thus talk to that person even in the midst of a telepathic 'uproar.'  Just as we do this verbally all the time, so you can do it telepathically.  The person you are focusing on, can return the concentration and communicate back telepathically.  You can talk to one person at a time easily.  But talking to multiple people at once, is like trying to verbally talk to multiple people at once:  difficult and annoying.  If multiple people try to telepathically 'talk' to you at once, it is (obviously) most annoying.  Perhaps you can listen to two or more people at once, but if you can't do it with verbal communication, you can't do it with telepathy.  What blocks sound does *not* block telepathy.  Thus, being in a solid building is no protection from the telepathic 'uproar' going on in the marketplace outside.  Being outside the tavern is no protection from the telepathic 'uproar' going on inside the tavern (especially a barroom brawl ...)  You can telepathically 'put your fingers in your ears'   This lessens the noise, but it requires effort.  After a time, it becomes annoying (just as holding your fingers in your ears would be annoying.)  You can 'practice' at it, though, and thus lessen the annoyance, although doing it all day is still somewhat tiring.  'Putting your fingers in your ears' makes it difficult to talk to anyone, of course.  All telepathic sound is dimmed, including that of the person you're trying to 'talk' to.  You can choose not to 'broadcast' thoughts.  Or you can broadcast non-verbal 'noise' such as hissing, shouting, crying, yelling, and other things of this sort.  You can even telepathically 'sing' but to 'sing' well you must be proficient in singing.  You can choose to talk verbally, normally.  If you do that, and simultaneously try to hold a telepathic conversation, then the result might be confusing as you are carrying on two conversations at once.  *If* verbal conversation, music, or other noise is occurring *and* telepathic conversation, singing, or other noise is occurring, the effects stack and it is harder yet to shut the racket out, or talk over it.  Thus, in a crowded tavern, where everyone is trying to - say - carry on two conversations at once, one verbal and one telepathic, while the waitress is telepathically asking for your order, while someone else at the table won't shut up and is loudly conversing verbally, it might be difficult for you to place that order.  When you shout or telepathically 'shout' to get over the din, you add to it ... and the uproar in the tavern gets louder yet (and louder and louder ...)  To telepathically talk with the waitress, you must be practiced at telepathically concentrating.  If you want to verbally talk, you must be able to concentrate as normal people do to talk in crowded places.  If you 'put your fingers in your ears' it makes it harder to telepathically communicate with the waitress.  If you don't, the background noise is much louder (sort of a no-win situation ...)  You can broadcast images.  These images will be as clear or vague as your mental picture of them.  You cannot do this *and* telepathically 'talk' simultaneously.  Or, at least, not very well ... the double concentration required is going to lead to a confused, blurry picture and blurry telepathic 'speech.'  You can receive telepathic images, or 'put your hands over your eyes' to block them out.  'Putting your hands over your eyes' requires effort, on top of any other effort, but it does shut the images out.  If you choose to receive the 'image', and you are talking or sending images yourself, it is likely you won't remember the image since you weren't paying attention to it.  On the other hand, if you are paying attention and not talking or sending pictures or verbally talking, then you are likely to remember the image very well.  If you are being forced to 'put your hands over your ears' to block out images, 'put your fingers in your ears' to block out telepathic sound, trying to hold a telepathic conversation in spite of this, and trying also to listen to verbal communications and respond in turn, you are probably going to end up irritated, agitated, angry, and finally quite exhausted.</blockquote>

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