Limited or Special Professions

[Reaver]

There are very few specific or limited professions. There are special professions for each of the factions listed in the Regions information topic, but very few need an explanation beyond the faction details. Any of the limited professions are available to you, but Empire professions are by request only. The professions are as follows: (to be expanded on in following posts)

The High Orders
--Disciple
--Mage (Magess)
--Magus (Maguss)
--Archmage (Archmagess)
--Adept

Darkwatch
--Inquisitor Paladin
--Avenger Paladin
--Champion Paladin
--Wraith
--Knight of Mareur

Empire
--Arbiter
--Executioner
--Child of Arius
--Imperial Necromancer
--Imperial Guard

[Reaver]

The High Orders:
Disciple: When first beginning studies at a college of magic, any mage is called an acolyte or disciple. It\'s the point where you can use magic but poorly, and need more study and training. At this point, you wear normal civilian clothes or plain white cotton robes. Disciples can use basic spells like casting light and starting little fires, and learn more as they go. However, even a basic disciple can cast a powerful spell if they find the right scroll or spell tome. Whether or not the disciple has the mentality to control the flow of magic or not is another matter, and the spell could backfire, collapse, or wreak greater havoc. A few disciples have been ripped apart by the very spells they cast as the magic raged on uncontrolled.
Mage (Magess): When they finally get through their first year of schooling, or free study, a proven mage is granted his robes of element or order. Mages can cast many spells, but need lots of focus. The longer someone practices magic the stronger they become. A mage that leaves a college of magic can be accepted back in for further study. A mage that has not learned from a college (but has proven themselves above disciple level) must prove their ethics and loyalty before being granted their robes of order.
Magus/Master (Maguss): Eventually a mage will be granted his first staff, wand, or other enchanted weapon or relic (could be within a few years depending on talent, but it takes some as many as a decade to achieve this status). At this point, they can leave the college of magic. Magus can learn no more from a college and have to find another to learn from. They have to apprentice to a more skilled mage or archmage. Magus\' can stay in the academies and in Helfen, and can even find a stronger mage there to apprentice to, but it becomes their master\'s choice about where they stay or go for the next ten years. After those ten years, they either have to find a new master, or they are granted the rank of Archmage.
Archmage (Archmagess): The next step up from a master, or magus. These mages have proven themselves above and beyond, mastering spells others can only dream of. Most of the time, archmage\'s prove their skill by creating their own spells rather than learning old ones. Archmages are given the necessary stones and scrolls for enchanting their own staffs and relics, and can exchange their robes of order for whatever color they desire. They also get a gold wrought ring with a diamond altered to the color of their order. Archmages of each order of magic elect one of their own to represent their order in the Archmage\'s Council.
Adept: A \'retired\' Archmage. Someone who has made it to the highest orders and then moved on from the High Orders or institutes to go about their own lives. Adepts continue to learn, even if they do not realize it or use their magic. Most mages, if they retire from their positions in the Orders, do so before attaining their high status, so few Adepts have ever walked the land. Adepts are bound to no order and so wear whatever colors they wish to, although they usually keep the ring given to them from when they attained Archmage status. Adepts are both greatly feared and respected.

[Reaver]

Darkwatch:
Inquisitor Paladin: The backbone of the religious orders. Inquisitors seek out anyone and anything they think may be unholy or dangerous, and bring them in for questioning. They might also question a target on scene, if retrieval proves difficult. Some healing magic is available to Inquisitors, as they must sometimes "rough-up" their victims to get answers. Inquisitors are trained to use several weapons, rarely exotic though. Inquisitor paladins are taught enough about magic to at least use specific scrolls and spell books effectively to help track, detain, or execute their targets.
Avenger: The enforcers of the religious orders, Avengers are considered the vanguard of Darkwatch. Inquisitors ask questions first, Avengers prefer to just kill and let the gods sort things out. May sometimes use magic, but prefer to just use the enchanted weaponry and armors supplied to them to fulfill their roles. What magic Avengers can use is combat specific. They\'re taught to use spells or scrolls that\'ll slow, cripple, or outright kill their targets. Fire is a favored element of Avenger paladins and is often what enchants their weaponry.
Champion: The commanders of the religious orders, Champions are called out when an Avenger fails to finish something, or when someone takes a stand against the paladins. Champions are trained to use their weapons with greater skill than their very breathing, and often channel magic into their attacks as well. Champions are taught enduring and defensive spells, and typically reserve all offensive magic for channeling into their weapons. Where Inquisitors rely on stealth and information, Avengers rely on brute strength and determination, Champions rely on efficiency and fortitude.
Wraith: A vampire who has declared themselves ready to face the trials. The trials test whether the vampire is really ready to walk in the light and forsake drinking blood yet, and failure means death. Once a wraith faces the trials, they\'re either killed by failure, killed by failure to serve, or knighted into the Order of Mareur to serve as one of the most controversial of Darkwatch\'s circle of agents. Only high officials in Darkwatch, and members of the Order itself know of it.
Knight of Mareur: A vampire who no longer drinks blood, and can walk freely in the light. Serves as an agent for Darkwatch. Combines all the qualities of a death squad, guard, and soldier. Darkwatch keeps a close eye on any of these knights, and they never retire. They either die in battle, or in their sleep. Darkwatch sees to that. A few of these knights have gone rogue, and every time they\'re hunted down, typically by other Knights of Mareur. Only one has ever failed to be turned back in, at least, no body was recovered. Knights of Mareur are given enchanted weapons and armors to help them serve efficiently, but typically, they have to earn more powerful relics. The Order is led by a group of generals called Captain-Seconds, who all serve one First Captain.

[Reaver]

Empire:
Arbiter: A judge of sorts, an Arbiter is a knight trained to exact punishment wherever it\'s needed, or to judge the cases of soldiers or nobles in the Empire (which usually only goes as far as choosing how to execute them). There are only six arbiters in the entire Empire...each with a small contingent of soldiers under their command. There are several who are considered arbiters but are not officially, these are typically high nobles in the Empire or skilled agents who are chosen to live as shadows. In the event that an Arbiter dies, one of these shadows will step in to replace them. Arbiters not only serve as the judges of the Empire, but also as the lead generals in military command. They are the most influential subjects in the Empire.
Executioner: Part of a death squad for the Empire, commanded by the Marshal himself. The marshal is one of the three most powerful men in the Empire, below only the Emperor himself, and the Anointed Arbiter (the chief arbiter, who actually serves as the first general to the Emperor) So the death squad is a very important force. When brute force and the arbiters fail to exact punishment or solve issues, the Death Squad step in. They\'re also, and actually most responsible for, the elimination of foreign leaders to expand Empire control. Executions are taught to act alone, and in the event of a Marshal\'s death, they can still carry out missions for the Empire based on their judgment alone. Although Arbiters have more political power, Executioners are much more dangerous because even fellow soldiers of the Empire are unaware of their existence.
Child of Arius: Soldiers who have pledged loyalty to the Empire now that their former nations have been claimed by the Empire. Children of Arius are rarely allowed to act on their own, and are usually grouped within undead legions. Children of Arius are dedicated fighters. The Empire can kill their families in a moment\'s notice, so the Children of Arius (actually of all ages, but the name is to belittle them and make them serve with obedience in mind) fight for the Empire vehemently.
Imperial Necromancer: Raises up legions of the undead to serve as fodder in the Empire forces. Each Imperial Necromancer must give up his own life before being given the robes of rank and his or her spell components, and once they do, they also gain the favor of the dark gods and goddesses. These undead serve more as clerics than as actual mages, and most of the spells come directly from power granted to them from the gods. Each Imperial Necromancer depends heavily on their spell books, so typically have a ring or artifact to summon a couple skeletal guards to protect them while they prepare for more difficult spells. If a battle is going poorly and the necromancers lose their god\'s favor, they then rely on spell tomes to cast basic elemental magic.
Imperial Guard: A unit of dracconian knights that protect the emperor. Though naturally armored and winged, these dracconian have been gifted with armor forged in the very pits of the under realm, and blessed by clerics of only the highest orders. The armor they wear is black, like the scales of these northern ebon dracconians, and enchanted to weigh no more than a silk shirt. The long swords they wield are similarly made, and are enchanted to cleave through the thickest and toughest of stones.