Eyes and Ears
In order to understand as much as they can about the effects of the Constellations,
The Astronomers need people out in the field documenting and, where possible, witnessing these effects. They achieve this through the use of specially selected teams of scouts and researchers.
Requirements
There are no formal qualifications required, but there are certain skills and specialities that The Astronomers look for in candidates. While individuals are not expected to have all of these skills, those selected usually have a combination of them, or are highly skilled in one area. These skills include:
Knowledge of The Constellations, their movements and major effects.
Some sort of scientific or research background, especially in optics, botany, animal biology and behaviour, or astronomy.
Well travelled with knowledge of the surrounding regions.
Survival skills.
Combat skills.
Purpose
The Scout's job is twofold: to study and document known and existing phenomena associated with the Constellations, to disover and document any new phenomena for further study. They are generally sent out in groups of three to five, ensuring that there is a good balance of skills in each team to ensure they can operate effectively. Depending on the specific task of each mission, teams can be expected to be out in the field for anywhere from a few weeks to several months at a time.
Hazards
Scouts face a variety of dangers when they are out on missions. Constellation light has been known to have some very detrimental effects upon people, not only that, it can have unpredictable effects on local wildlife making them much more dangerous than they would normally be, including the plants. There is also the usual run of the mill dangerous wildlife to be aware of, as well as the other dangers associated with travelling through oftimes unknown territory. If this wasn't enough, they also have to be careful not be spotted and / or captured by the BGC, as this is a very real threat, especially in areas under their control.
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