Fae Forager
It ain't much, but it's honest work.Trying to make an invisibility potion and ran out of glimmerdusk pollen? Did your last Giggleroot wand finally break on you? Tired of dealing with marketplace bargains and long shipment times? That's where the art of the Fae Foragers comes in handy! Equipped with knowledge of that wild Fey Court and a keen ability to sneak in their harmlessly, they get all the magical items you need without causing
Career
Qualifications
Fae Foragers have to undergo a period of training, usually a direct apprenticeship, before being able to strike out on their own. Technically they can go out on their own once they've mastered the Veilstep technique, but lacking training in the dangers of the Fey Court is just asking for death. An apprenticeship will last at least a year, and sometimes last an entire career until the master dies or retires.
Career Progression
Starting from a training apprenticeship, it takes time and education to become a full fledged Fae Forager. There are some branching paths to go from there, but not really a specific hierarchy or anything. Seniority is the deciding factor in respect and leadership, as the old and the wise are the ones who know how to survive the Fey Court best.
Payment & Reimbursement
Fae Foragers mainly work off of commission, taking specific foraging jobs for clients. Sometimes they do batch hunts for clients who need basically any material, and often keep a surplus on hand for cases such as magic users or enchanters. But, for the most part, it is one under-the-table job after another, and they charge pretty heavily for it too. Life threatening jobs often do.
Other Benefits
On top of making lots of money, it's a chance to learn a lot about the Fey Court, the flora and fauna of that strange plane, and find your way around a lot of magical nonsense. Often times wizards-to-be who struggle to make ends meet will take on jobs like these for those selfsame benefits, especially if their area of expertise already involved the Fey or other planes.
Perception
Purpose
The purpose of Fae Foragers is to get into that chaotic space known as the Fey Court (and it's mirror, the Unseelie Court) and scavenge for various materials. Sometimes these are specific pieces of flora such as mushrooms, flowers, pieces of trees, etcetra. Sometimes these are pieces of and/or whole animals found within that plane, such as Warp Wolves or Lumendeer, which often comes down to specific Fae Hunters. Sometimes this is just putting some piece of magic within the plane or taking out a little bit of that natural fae essence.
Social Status
Fae Foragers aren't fully criminalized, but they are certainly unfavored in the grand scheme of things. Technically, they do no proven harm to either the primary plane or the Fey Court, but if they aren't careful they can earn the ire of either side. Of course, their trademark skill of Veilstepping makes them hard to catch even if any kind of law enforcement did try to go after them, and they already operate under the table meaning criminalizing them would change almost nothing.
Demographics
Fae Foragers are mostly younger folk with arcane inclinations. The profession skews male, but not enough for any gendered bias outside of cultural norms While many of the famed are older, they make up a rare few of the field.
History
The profession and skill of Fae Foraging has existed for centuries, as long as the Fey Court has been traversable. The specific art of Veilstepping, which is the ability to spot thin areas in the planar veil and slip between them whereas things usually pass right through, wasn't a codified art in the distant past before the turn of the Eras. Like with many magical skills, it was just sort of a talent one either had the knack for or didn't. After magic itself underwent many changes following the Shattered Era, the Eternal Era saw the skill being trainable and many willing hands picked it up.
As it's own unique title, the recognized profession stretches back to around 522 EE when enough people learned the skill of Veilstepping to facilitate not only larger recognition, but larger restriction as well. Before it was unthinkable that mere mortals would reach the Fey Court in enough numbers to cause any environmental harm, and even more unthinkable that they'd survive the attempt. But, times were changing, and so the rules did as well.
There the profession existed in a sort of homeostasis. The laws prevented potential Foragers from going too far, save for the most extreme cases, but the Foragers were still crafty and sly enough to get the materials in demand despite the watchful eye they had gained. It wasn't until 954, during the advent of the border wars, that the job saw it's golden days since not only did the Fae flee from the material plane due to the violence, but the scores of battling mages made their reagents very valuable.
Once the Border Wars ended, there was a second resurgence for the craft, as it took some time for the Fey Court to enter the world again on their own terms on top of having plenty of adventerous sorts who needed an outlet for their training and behaviors. While that craze has burned out a bit in the 30 years hence, it's still a popular profession with new trainees all the time, even though various governments have started cracking down on them harder, especially the Hippolytans.
Operations
Tools
Weapons and charms made of iron are key defenses in the Fey Court, same with other processed alloys. As far as literal defenses go, leather is preferred since having too much anti-fairy materials turns one into an inverse beacon. Other then that, enchanted jars and pouches are common enough, although usually only used by those out of an apprenticeship.
Provided Services
Fae Foragers main clients are magic practitioners of all kinds, and their most common task is harvesting some manner of plant life or magical specimen from the Fae Court. Some Foragers focus more on hunting enhanced creatures or actual fairy's, while some provide escorts or open the way for those who aren't afraid of getting their own hands dirty.
Dangers & Hazards
One can never be too cautious in the Fey Court. The land and its creatures is just as mercurial as its inhabitants. Solid footing can turn into rolling bramble in seconds, and a peaceful flower can start to spew strange spores at a thought. This isn't even mentioning the threat of the Unseelie, as the maliciously capricious cousins frequently transgress into the Fey Court, and there's no rule against harming unwanted pests.
Alternative Names
Fairy Runners
Type
Raw Materials Gathering
Demand
Niche, but In Demand
Legality
While not actively criminalized, with Foragers being quite slippery if they even tried, a lot of the actions that make up the job are illegal, such as unauthorized plant harvesting and disturbance of the Fey. This is especially true in Hippolyta, where most Fae Foragers do their work.
Ranks & Titles
Related Technologies
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