The Cranium Conference

The familiar trippy rush of psychic projection quickly dissipates as you find yourself gently falling a few feet through the air, landing upright on soft grass.

Looking around, overhead a pink sun rises over a lush green meadow, dotted with glades of trees and, more remarkably, buildings of fantastic architecture lying implausibly dotted across the land. In the distance, fields give way to larger, more urban structures superficially resembling houses. And beyond that… is that a flickering dark shadow?

Your eyes are torn away though, as the others arrive. Popping into existence, people of varying shapes and sizes, of various bearings and aesthetics. The previously silent Headspace is filled with conversation and laughter. You smile, the shadow forgotten as you go to meet them.

Welcome to the Annual Cranium Conference (organised by PSYCHE and sponsored by the Cranium Shopping Mall). Every year Museford celebrates its status as a centre for psychic activity by running a conference for psychics, taking place inside the head of a Sensitive so that people can project to it from almost anywhere in Museford. The Conference runs once a week for 3 hours, from 7 until 10pm, for 7 weeks, finishing with a massive party. Its personality is usually defined by the Sensitive chosen to host it, as their Headspace comprises the scenery and aesthetics that it manifests for the psychics to enjoy. But it usually follows a similar pattern, and the psychics attending usually leave their own mark on things, within reason.

This year's conference has chosen Cassidy (they/them), an excitable 21 year old Sensitive who adores everything to do with psychics. During the conference, all attendees connect to Cassidy and appear in their Headspace, where they can talk, organise and enjoy what Cassidy has constructed. Whilst this is going on, Cassidy receives correspondence from people with opportunities for psychics or new offers and ideas, and passes them along for psychics to view. Other psychics appear to introduce people to their clubs or gatherings, and use the opportunity as a recruitment drive. It also traditionally has an element of political organisation, though the tone of the conference is generally kept more light-hearted, out of respect for potentially filling Cassidy with negative emotion.

By agreeing to host the conference, Cassidy is happy to have their Headspace explored, but recommends that people keep to their Plane of Consciousness or close to it during Conference time itself, and if they do venture out, they let them know, and bring friends. Even Cassidy isn't aware of everything that lurks in their subconscious.

Cassidy (they/them): A young person who has volunteered their Headspace as the location for this year's Cranium Conference.

Amanda Lee (She/Her): The head of PSYCHE, she took the job from the last person who was fired after creating the acronym. Famously studious and fascinated with psychic powers, she is rarely seen outside the office. She'll be overseeing the Cranium Conference.