Okay here's the deal. Somewhere in a conversation one of my characters had in my Faerun game I must have mentioned a scion of some sort, but between the player's rememberance of the last session of conversation and a botch on his ability to recall the details of the discussion he's now convinced that the answer to his problems lies in locating a certain psion.
Now I'm pretty much a 3.0 Forgotten Realms guy, don't know a terrible lot about the AD&D version of it, but as I recall psionicists were falling out of trees back then and I'm sure they must have made their way into some dark corner of Faerun somehow. Does anyone know the role they played/play in the Forgotten Realms game? Nations? Factions? Secret organizations?
Thanks guys!
Now I'm pretty much a 3.0 Forgotten Realms guy, don't know a terrible lot about the AD&D version of it, but as I recall psionicists were falling out of trees back then and I'm sure they must have made their way into some dark corner of Faerun somehow. Does anyone know the role they played/play in the Forgotten Realms game? Nations? Factions? Secret organizations?
Ok, I'll try to kick-start my memory again...and sorry for the essay, it’s a big question spanning decades of D&D ;) but the short answer to your question is: Until a year ago, with the book Lost Empires of Faerun psionics played a very small role, almost non-existent role in the Forgotten Realms, and even with that book it is still a pretty minor role
And now the essay...
Psionics have been in the Realms from the original "Gray Box" in AD&D 1st Ed. but psionics in 1st Ed. were a pretty weak, optional ability that you could add to your character (and didn’t affect XP advancement)...there were no “psionists”, no true character class of psionist in 1st Ed. and psionic abilities resembled more like spell-like abilities...but in AD&D 1st Ed. about every devil, demon, god and many monsters had psionic abilities and many Realms NPC’s had Psionic abilities, including Elminister, a couple of the Silver Sisters and some of the Knights of Myth Drannor. And of course there were the “psi” monsters, like the illithid, intellect devourer and druegar 
When AD&D 2nd Ed. came along TSR scrapped psionics totally, there were no psionics in the game anymore, the revised NPCs and monsters either lost all their abilities or their psionic abilities were converted to a magical, innate abilities (like the illithid, referred to later as the “magical mind flayer”. In the Realms, to switch from AD&D 1st Ed. to AD&D 2nd Ed. they decided to have the dogma of the game reflect the rules changes and thus “The Time of Troubles / Avatar Crisis”.
During the ToT the Weave went crazy (which is the source of power of magic and psionics, if you use the common rule of magic/psionics interact) and when the ToT ended the rules of magic were different (reflecting the new 2nd Ed. rules for magic, like the damage cap on fireball or the missile limit on magic missile) and psionics were no more (but the “psi” monsters were now “magical” monsters with spell-like abilities resembling their past psionic abilities). These changes (and others) are discussed in the 2nd Ed. Forgotten Realms Adventures Hardcover (which was the unofficial conversion book, from 1st. to 2nd. AD&D in the Realms)
A few years later TSR decides that they need a new campaign world and decide on the Dark Sun game, and to make it even more alien then what it was they decided to bring back psionics to AD&D 2nd Ed and thus the AD&D 2nd Ed Complete Guide to Psionics. This book totally strengthened psionics to the point where they were equal (or arguably even more powerful than magical spells, that’s why it almost became the only 2nd Ed. munchkin class) and invented the true “Psionist Class”. In the guide there were also comments about campaign adaptations plus conversions to “remake” psionic monsters again, like the illithids, druegar and yellow mold plus there were the first appearances of the 2nd Ed. intellect devourer, thought eater, brain mole, etc. that were missing from 2nd Ed.
For the Realms (in AD&D 2nd Ed) the Complete Guide to Psionics states something like: after the ToT, for the next 10 years some people in the Realms that had lost their 1st Ed. psionic abilities researched why and somehow unlocked a truer, purer psionic power within themselves and became the first Psionists in the Realms. It became dogma (from a few other 2nd Realms products stating) that the common masses really don’t see much difference between spells and psionics and that they view a psionist as a variant spellcaster. But true psionists in post-ToT (in the dogma) are still pretty rare (personally, I’d guess 200-500 psions in the whole Realms in the first 10 years after the ToT).
I can only remember one true psion in the dogma of the first ¾ of the period of books being published for AD&D 2nd Forgotten Realms, the bar owner/potion peddler in Skullport (can’t remember her name). When the 2nd. Ed product Drizzt’s Guide to the Underdark was published (at the end of the 2nd Ed. run) it described in much more detail the druegar and how they developed their psionic powers (Clan Druegar from High Shanatar [sp??] anyone?) and it introduced the capital gray dwarf city (Underspires? I can’t remember its name, but it is the first druegar city in the Realms) and the gray dwarf goddess Deep Druea (sp?), daughter of the Ladguadar (sp?). This is a big step for psionics in the Realms as she is the first Power in the Realms that has anything to do with psionics (not counting the illithid gods).
As you know when D&D 3.0 came out once again psionics were not a core rule but an optional rule and were tack onto the game with the Psionics Handbook 3.0 (and then revised 3.5) which basically powered down psionics to spell level of power, renamed the psionist the psion and added a few new psionic core classes. And like in 2nd Ed. psionics 3rd Ed. psionics are usually tacked onto to campaign worlds as an extra and don’t receive that much support (like how long it took to make the new Complete Psions Book)
Now here (for the Realms) things get interesting: with the advent of 3.0/3.5 nothing really changes in the Realms, the number of psions (in the products) does not increase and there is no real change in dogma until Lost Empires of Faerun. That book introduced a big concept into the dogma. Go back to 2nd Ed.’s Sea of Fallen Stars source book (made for the “Threat from the Sea” novels and brought underwater campaigns to the Realms) where it describes in more detail (first mentioned in the 2nd Ed. Empires of the Shining Sea box set) that, before Netheril, there was once a great kingdom (named Jannath? Can’t remember) that was a rival, enemy and finally ally of ancient Calimshan that existed NE of Calimshan until the ancient elves tired of their threats and expansion and cast a great High Magic spell that created a huge tsunami that literally washed the empire away, creating the Vilhon Reach.
NOW move ahead a few years to the 3.5 Ed. Lost Empires of Faerun hardcover and it reveals that Jannath was actually the first “psicracy” ruled by psions and psychic warriors and that psionics were as common as magic is in Halruaa. And they grew too militant and expansionist and that’s why the elves wiped them away. They also had their own god, a human god of psionics that is now a pseudo “dead god” that only needs worshippers to revive.
The other 3.5 psionics dogma source in the Realms is the Players Guide to the Realms (the unofficial 3.0-3.5 conversion book that incorporates the Book of Exalted Deeds, Book of Vile Darkness and the Psionics Handbook) where it says that the bar owner/potion peddler in Skullport now has a secret school for psions and there is even a prestige class associated with her (psion spies). Any other reference to psionics in the Realms is usually a “hook” or “sidebar” mention.
Soooo...
Role? Not really any role, psions are usually mistaken for mages in the Realms, except when discussing illithid nations or the druegar
Nations? There is a lost nation of psionists around the time of Netheril
Secret Organizations? There is a spy school under Waterdeep, the druegar secret police and clergy of Deep Druea and of course the grasping tendrils of the Illithid cities
Ideas for psionics? The return of the lost God of Psionics, the refounding of Jannath, and if you will play a game right after ToT (circa 1359-1365) the originators of the psion art
Hope that helps! Though unless you created that psion in a past campaign I have no idea what psion your player s looking for, except maybe for that bar owner/potion peddler/master psion in Skullport.
Oh, and one more thing, if you can, buy as much AD&D 1st and 2nd Forgotten Realms products as you can, the 3.0-3.5 FR stuff is completely a continuation of the dogma created with the 2nd Ed. stuff with only a few glitches in dogma (stupid Thayan Wallmarts, sheesh)...the original “gray box” started in 1356 and with all those books there is almost 20 years of Realms dogma to work with, so if you want to adjust the dogma for your campaign you can plan the repercussions throughout the whole Realms for Decades to come 
Kalin
That sounds great. Perfect really. The whole skullport locale will make a neat stop for the character (a surly Archmage who really didn't honestly believe in psionics anyway). The idea that there's a secret school creating psionic spies just adds meat to the pot. Thanks a ton, by the way, that was loads more than I could have hope for.
Oh and I will never call a D&D psionicist a psion--mostly because I am such a fan of the White Wolf game Trinity and the name is a total swipe. Someone finally comes up with a clever original name for something and everyone else has to start shoplifting! Grumble.
But seriously thanks for the help. That's great stuff.
As far as continuing the presense of psionics in the Realms, there is a character in the Erevis Cale books that is a psion, or as most of the people in the series call him, a "mind mage."
Psionics in the Realms are also referred to as the "Invisible Art" as opposed to arcane magic being "the Art" and divine magic being referred to as "the Power."
Another big source for psionics in the Realms are the yuan-ti. Lisa Smedmen's recent trilogy expands on this, and the Serpent Kingdoms accessory details a lot of hidden strongholds of yuan-ti.
Additionally, if you assume yuan-ti know about psionics, then you can also assume that races like the Extaminaar, introduced in the Champions of Ruin book, would have a chance to know about psionics.
Vhondryl is the name of the psion in Skullport.
There are organizations in Sembia, Tethyr, and Evereska for psionic characters, per the Player's Guide to Faerun, though these organizations are largely newer inventions, but still part of current Realmslore.
Now I'm pretty much a 3.0 Forgotten Realms guy, don't know a terrible lot about the AD&D version of it, but as I recall psionicists were falling out of trees back then and I'm sure they must have made their way into some dark corner of Faerun somehow. Does anyone know the role they played/play in the Forgotten Realms game? Nations? Factions? Secret organizations?
Ok, I'll try to kick-start my memory again...and sorry for the essay, it’s a big question spanning decades of D&D ;) but the short answer to your question is: Until a year ago, with the book Lost Empires of Faerun psionics played a very small role, almost non-existent role in the Forgotten Realms, and even with that book it is still a pretty minor role
And now the essay...
Psionics have been in the Realms from the original "Gray Box" in AD&D 1st Ed. but psionics in 1st Ed. were a pretty weak, optional ability that you could add to your character (and didn’t affect XP advancement)...there were no “psionists”, no true character class of psionist in 1st Ed. and psionic abilities resembled more like spell-like abilities...but in AD&D 1st Ed. about every devil, demon, god and many monsters had psionic abilities and many Realms NPC’s had Psionic abilities, including Elminister, a couple of the Silver Sisters and some of the Knights of Myth Drannor. And of course there were the “psi” monsters, like the illithid, intellect devourer and druegar 
When AD&D 2nd Ed. came along TSR scrapped psionics totally, there were no psionics in the game anymore, the revised NPCs and monsters either lost all their abilities or their psionic abilities were converted to a magical, innate abilities (like the illithid, referred to later as the “magical mind flayer”. In the Realms, to switch from AD&D 1st Ed. to AD&D 2nd Ed. they decided to have the dogma of the game reflect the rules changes and thus “The Time of Troubles / Avatar Crisis”.
During the ToT the Weave went crazy (which is the source of power of magic and...
(Makes repeated bowing motion) I'm not worthy. Was all that just off the top of your head? Wow.
I'm not worthy.
Thanks ghettowedge!
I started role playing a couple of years before the official Forgotten Realms Campaign began (which was in a box set now lovingly referred to as the “gray box”) and FR became the campaign of choice with myself and my friends, over Greyhawk and the other campaigns (though we did do Dark Sun and Ravenloft a bit).
I'v been able to buy or trade for 98% of all the FR sourcebooks and adventures, so that helps alot too!
So I have been DMing in the FR for over 20 years now and fortunately (or unfortunately) have a large encyclopedia of Realms books and novels in my head that sometimes surpasses real world history and geography
Kalin
As far as continuing the presense of psionics in the Realms, there is a character in the Erevis Cale books that is a psion, or as most of the people in the series call him, a "mind mage."
Psionics in the Realms are also referred to as the "Invisible Art" as opposed to arcane magic being "the Art" and divine magic being referred to as "the Power."
Another big source for psionics in the Realms are the yuan-ti. Lisa Smedmen's recent trilogy expands on this, and the Serpent Kingdoms accessory details a lot of hidden strongholds of yuan-ti.
Additionally, if you assume yuan-ti know about psionics, then you can also assume that races like the Extaminaar, introduced in the Champions of Ruin book, would have a chance to know about psionics.
Vhondryl is the name of the psion in Skullport.
There are organizations in Sembia, Tethyr, and Evereska for psionic characters, per the Player's Guide to Faerun, though these organizations are largely newer inventions, but still part of current Realmslore.
Thanks too KnightErrantJR for filling up all the holes! I always liked the Dark Sun term "The Will and the Way" to refer to psionics myself
But I have never understood why yuan-ti were given psionics, maybe the "mesmerizing" gaze of a serpent? I think they were a weak race that needed an edge to survive playability
I haven't decided if I like the new Player's Guide to Faerun psionic organizations, I'm not sure (need to reread them over again) they are a natural evolution of psionics in the Realms (which is realistic and logical) or have they been around post-Time of Troubles (which goes against the dogma). Even if the PGtF didn't write them up it wouldn't be a stretch to think cities, governments and organizations would be developing "Invisible Art" departments or branches to defend/exploit the growing use of psionics.
I did forget that the Ancient Empires: Netheril Box Set briefly refers to psionics as existing but not prevalent (which goes with my Jannath theory)
and that Drow Noble House in Menzoberranzan (introduced in the Menzoberranzan box set) with the "Invisible Art", if I remember right in the "War of the Spider Queen" series it refers to the fact that the family had lost their psionics in the ToT, then regained them even stronger, then made a bid for power in Lolth's Silence but were wiped out afterward
Kalin
"that Drow House" = > House Oblodra (not sure of the spelling)
Fairly effectively eliminated, too.