Magical Navigator

When the once inhabitants of Earth came to whichever world they now reside in, they noticed that some among their number had developed certain... abilities others did not. Once, many societies would have marked them as blasphemous, or evil, but in their new worlds, most realized that they would need to take advantage of anything and everything. And so, various cultures and peoples, independently of each other, nurtured their first wizards, witches, magicians and mages. One roll that would gain prominence was that of the Navigator.

Overview

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The magical navigator's role is to allow for the smooth transition of vessels from the planetary oceans to the Warp, and back again. While in the Warp, they ensure the vessel's safety, from natural storms and magical beasts alike. It is safe to say that without them, inter-planetary trade and commerce would be utterly impossible, and with it, the very existence of the United Commonwealth itself.

Training and education

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That is why most nations have at least one Academy or University dedicated to training particularly skilled individuals in the art of Navigation. The United Commonwealth has a common set of regulations detailing how to train students, which are followed both within the UC and, due to its economic influence, outside it. The syllabus takes a minimum of 5 years to complete, and since a navigator's skill is the difference between life and death, those not up to par can be held back indefinitely.

Career

Qualifications

Certificates are handed out by a number of institutions dotted around the 12 Worlds, which also offer general navigation and sea skills, and are required to attain permits from governments or bodies like the U.C.

Career Progression

After a few years of good service, most Navigators may be able to ask their captains or employers for a letter of recommendation, which can be presented to their alma mater. This may allow them to gain a promotion in rank, first to Senior Navigator, with other ranks diverging from there depending on the specific institution and nation.

Payment & Reimbursement

Navigators are paid by their employing organisation through many means, including monthly salaries, more common in navies, or for every voyage undertaken. Pay grade can increase drastically when one Navigator is required to assist more than one ship, or when the Warp's conditions become more hazardous than usual.

Other Benefits

Since Navigators utilise magic in their duties, they are considered members of the 'Magical communities' within the United Commonwealth, which means they have access to certain organisations, such as clubs or guilds, which are closed to non-users of magic. This is in addition to the general aura they gain from being both magic users and sailors.

Operations

Tools

Many Navigators have taken to wearing strips of cloth around their heads and covering their eyes, which, when soaked in certain liquids, have been known to ease the migraines many face in the job. Aside from that, and other minor aids, a Navigator often only needs themselves and facilities on the ship.

Workplace

Ships which frequently traverse through the Warp have dedicated chambers for their navigators, containing the necessary instruments, such as a Warp dial, which helps Navigators figure out which layer of the Warp they are on, as well as various crystals which provide them with the magic they require to guide the ship without exhausting their body's own reserves.    For the protection of the Navigators from the Ruinous powers, ships will also stock up on various spell books and talismans to keep away any demonic spirits attempting to thrall the navigator and hence doom the crew

Provided Services

On the job, Navigators are provided with specially enhanced meals, to replenish both the fluids and magic they expend in their work. Due to their importance for a ship, they are well treated, on the generally rare occasions they venture out of their chambers. When on shore, most Navigators will be part of some guild or other, which often keep special facilities at various ports and harbours for their members. Here, members can rest in hotel grade rooms, or dine and drink at restaurants before hitting the various clubs or places of even poorer repute.

Dangers & Hazards

On the waves of the Warp, Navigators are often the only line of defence a vessel will have against everything from massive hurricane-like storms to sea monsters the size of most islands. Often, this defence involves trying to get out of Dodge fast, which requires either a very fast ship or a Navigator capable of switching between the faster and more dangerous 'deep' layers of he Warp, and its safer but slower 'shallow' layers.   In the midst of all this, every second a Navigator spends in the Warp, their mind will be under an attack by the demons that lurk within it, desperate to find a target to corrupt, then enslave for themselves. Fortunately, in this day and age, new and effective methods of blocking the whispers of such beings have been developed, but the threat is still ever present.

Type

Transportation

Legality

The profession of the Navigator is more or less universally legal, except in the cases where it is used towards ends that are themselves illegal or otherwise dangerous. With the latter in mind, various authorities have created a vast and only moderately standardised system of regulation, requiring Navigators to attend monthly checks on everything from their accounts to their actual skill. It is not difficult for authorities to void any of the various permits and passes those in the job need if they fell the individual in question cannot be trusted.