Cartographer

The Cartographer will be responsible for navigation and creating maps of the area to be used by future tourists. Maps are incredibly valuable as they indicate geographical features like mountain ranges, forests, rivers, deserts and so on while also being capable of indicating dangerous areas inhabited by creatures, fae or spirits to avoid. They can also be used to keep track of where certain spirits may have died, or where certain useful resources may be found again later on.

Perception

Purpose

The purpose of the cartographer is to create maps to help remember where you've been, how to get there, what useful resources may be there, creatures that may need to be avoided there, and geographical features. Knowing where things are and how to get to them is an incredible asset to the organization as a whole for these reasons.
Future tourists will likely be using the cartographer's maps for some time so accuracy is essential, and knowing what to avoid or some great spots for sightseeing will be beneficial as well.

Social Status

Cartographers are usually unknown in most environments. Unless a particularly noteworthy discovery is made the maker of the map will likely be completely unknown and looked over in favor of the leader of the expedition.
That being said, they are still incredibly valuable in governments and scientific settings such as the Spirit World expedition.

Operations

Tools

A cartographer's set of tools consists of a quill, ink, parchment, a pair of compasses, calipers and a ruler. They also carry map cases to protect their work on the road.

Provided Services

When thinking of a cartographer most think of a map maker, and that's true in that their primary purpose is to create maps for future reference of the expedition and their organization as a whole. However, cartographers are also capable of reading maps and finding hidden secrets in maps. They also have a deeper understanding of the surrounding environment with regards to geographical features. In addition to this, a skilled cartographer could help with finding paths to civilization based on their surroundings and knowledge of maps which can help prevent a group from being lost.

Crafting Maps

As the group travels, the cartographer will be assumed to be making maps of the area during downtime and travel time. These maps will be represented by the world map being filled in and new information being revealed about areas over time. Additionally, these maps can be sold to Cartography Guild members and other merchants.

Reading Maps

A skilled cartographer is capable of reading a map, finding any hidden secrets that may be present, determining changes to the environment that may have happened since its creation, and even finding maps in unlikely places. This feature is also useful for determining the accuracy of a drawn map based on what the cartographer has seen so far.
Additionally, some cartographers may be able to find hidden maps in unlikely places. Some maps may be hidden in nature, left behind in the environment by some ancient people, or hidden within the land itself if someone would just listen or look correctly. This will be represented mechanically with some form of Investigation, Survival, or, depending on the hidden map in question, may require the use of a spell slot to communicate with the land...or perhaps some time to sober up if intoxicated.

Finding Civilization

Cartographers are capable of using a combination of their knowledge of maps they've seen before and the environment around them to determine what direction civilization is likely to be. This can be particularly difficult in the Spirit World as some civilizations may be hidden in some way, but for the most part it can be a useful skill to prevent a group from being lost.
This can also be combined with the ability to find hidden maps or secrets on maps. If a cartographer knows how to combine their abilities creatively they may find some incredible secrets that have been lost to the world.

Type

Research / Scientific

Famous in the Field

• Agave