Naval Mages

Naval Mages (航祝, gang-tjoh) are a branch of the Themiclesian Navy. Their official duties include watching for signs, taking oracles, ritual purification, casting spells and enchantments, conducting sacrifices, and nullifying curses. Together with the Sailors, Ancillaries, and Cashiers, the Mages are one of the four original components of the Navy that date to at least its founding in 762.

Name

In Shinasthana, the name gang-tjoh (航祝) can be divided into two component words. The first word gang means "fleet", indicating its affiliation with the Navy, and the second means "priest, sorcerer", denoting the branch's function. Due to the unimportance of the branch in the modern period, the Tyrannian translation "Naval Mages" did not appear until the mid-19th century, and even then it first appeared in a fantasy book's footnotes.

History

The Naval Mages are possibly the oldest component of the Themiclesian Navy other than the sailing crew. Earthenware recovered from sailors' tombs have been inscribed with "Mage", dating to the early 5th century. Though the connection with the later, official Mage branch is contended, a number of studies have pointed out that chemical traces of the wares' contents are consistent with potions that the Mages have used in later periods. When the Navy was annexed to the government in 762, the Naval Mages, along with most of the established institutions of the merchant marine, were retained.

Recruitment

Naval Mages are trained from a young age in the arcane arts, and according to limited records, many may have begun performing magical duties on ships from the age of six. Original selection criteria, if any, are yet unclear.

Duties

Sacrifices

The Themiclesian Navy was, at one time, infamous for its practice of human sacrifice. The royal court condemned the practice and executed several officers responsible, but it persisted and was easily explained to outsiders as disease or accident. It is not clear when it began, though historians suspect it could have accompanied the navy since its origins in the 4th century. The custom may also be related to the culture of Brjiang-niang County (平寧), the navy's early base of operations; the County was originally non-Themiclesian territory and gradually settled. During the 4th century, the cultural influence of the Ser-pek-njung (lit. "northwest barbarians") was still prominent, and the Ser-pek-njung were known to practice human sacrifice. These practices were evidently incorporated into the early navy and were used at sea as desperate measures against unfavourable winds and currents. Since the Ser-pek-njung sometimes raided Brjiang-niang County, some historians also believe captured raiders were used preferentially as sacrifices. Regardless of its effectiveness, the custom was observed as late as the 1300s, though having peaked in the 8th and 9th century.

Early sacrifices may have been Ser-pek-njung raiders and conducted before the fleet set sail, both as religious practice and as intimidation or retaliation against the Ser-pek-njung. In later periods, the victims were selected according to a more established procedure. Slaves and prisoners of war were used as victims preferentially. All sailors (航人) were exempt from sacrifice, with respect to their indispensible role in navigation. Ancillary physicians (醫冗人), for their medical service, were likewise never sacrificed. However, every other kind of ancillary, including any naval infantry (舫冗人), commercial prospectors, and apprenticing sailors were used in at least one recorded occasion. The Themiclesian Marines seemed to be a frequent source for victims, since they are the largest population of naval ancillaries on any ship. To address this problem, they often purchased slaves at friendly ports or kept prisoners after battle to satiate the capricious need for victims. However, slaves or prisoners surviving the journey would be freed and offered a chance to join them instead.