Warlock/Witch's Advocate

Career

Qualifications

Good people skills are a must, but given that most subjects tend to be children, applicants must also have some understanding of child psychology. In fact, the applicant must be a magic user their self, or must have experience with magic, as it's easier for the subject to connect with their advocate.

Career Progression

Most advocates start out as apprentices to a more experienced advocate, and after accompanying them on enough assignments they may soon get the opportunity to strike out on their own.

Payment & Reimbursement

Though there aren't higher job rankings for advocates, there is the possibility of becoming a full time teacher at a mage college, with tenor, if they excel at the job, and colleges will offer other benefits, such as access to exclusive knowledge--especially if their subject is showing a specific magical property beyond the advocates experience.

Other Benefits

As previously mentioned there's the possibility of becoming a teacher at whatever college sponsors the advocate, and other benefits are offered, though these are based more on necessity than anything. Housing for instance is given to advocates so that their subjects might have a secluded place to train their magical abilities.

Perception

Purpose

Advocates are like psychiatrists for magic users, especially for children who are showing the early signs of their powers, and even help the rare few who develop their powers late in life, as the mutations, the ostracism, and the difficulty of living with their abilities is taxing on one's life. This is especially true for children or adults who are the only magic users in their family, and advocates even help the family by advising them in raising or living with someone with magic abilities.

Social Status

Despite how helpful advocates can be, they're only appreciated by those who've benefited from their services, given the bigotry towards mages. Those who haven't seen advocates at work believe them to be corrupting people towards blasphemous ways, and even some parents jump at the opportunity to let an advocate take their child, and raising them at a mage college.

Demographics

Though there are some human advocates, most advocates are members of races with innate magic, such as fomorians, and even some merrow have become advocates, though it is mostly psillacrids, and they usually deal with people with psychic abilities.

History

This profession didn't start until after the first mage colleges were built, when during the late 1700s it became obvious that not every magic user was being sent the colleges to master their abilities. At first advocates were sent as teachers, giving home lessons to those with magical abilities, but other problems soon became apparent. Most teachers and students were had already learned to deal with the struggles of being a mage, or had lived with this their entire lives, but those being home schooled were dealing with something foreign to them, while friends and family started avoiding them like the plague. Children got the worst treatment, as their parents either shunned or abused them, and those in their community saw them as demons, refusing to allow them into public schools or church. Thus it was deemed that advocates should also educate their subjects, not just in the ways if magic, but how to live with it, and if possible to educate those around them about living with a magic user.

Operations

Workplace

Most newbies to the job tend to bring their subjects to their respective college, either deemed appropriate by the ruling body, or because the advocate feels more comfortable working in a familiar environment--or because they have more resources to work with.

Provided Services

Those who've been in the business long can train their subjects in the ways of magic at home instead of taking them to a secluded location or a mage college, as a professional has more confidence to work anywhere, rather than needing to rely on the safety and familiarity of their college. This is good for both the family in the subject, as it's easier to acclimate to their powers when in the safety of somewhere familiar.

Dangers & Hazards

Most communities view mages with hostility, and injury and death are very real threats for an advocate, whether they have magical powers or not.

Alternative Names

Mage Therapist

Type

Consulting

Demand

High, despite how few magicborn exist in Nosirend.

Legality

If they aren't treated with violence, then advocates can be treated with plain disdain, with city officials or private institutions doing all they can to make an advocate feel unwelcome, and will ban them from entering town. In fact in some places the peace keepers of a community will try to arrest an advocate on false charges, going so far as to plant evidence for a crime.