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If you want a roof over your character's head and food in their belly, they need a job (even if it's an illegal one like "thief"). Choose from the list below[^This list is not complete! If you think of an occupation that should be on here, please add it and save the page as a draft for review!^], but please be realistic and consider the setting.
If your character has a job, you can claim an OOC reward for it at the Employment Centre[^There is no actual job centre in Elysia?, or welfare, as there is no such thing as social services. Citizens are responsible for finding their own income, and are left to starve if they can't.^]!
Employment in Elysia
Guild System
For merchants and craftsmen, the guild[^Guilds are comparable to modern labor unions.^] is a crucial part of life. By being accepted into a guild (particularly as a master), a craftsman earns higher social status, which can lead to better opportunities. The guild also provides support to its members' families in times of need -- especially handy if a craftsman is injured and unable to work, or a merchant is killed on the road leaving his family destitute.
Education & Training
"Years" here can mean either actual years (for the shorter-lived races) or decades (for the longer-lived). Refer to the age chart for more information about equivalences.
- Apprentice
- Apprentices study under a Master for 5-9 years, starting in their early teens. They don't earn any wages, but apprenticeships are usually live-in with room and board offered for free.
- Journeyman
- Journeymen earn wages but still serve the same master. They no longer live in and are responsible for their own work, though are still considered students in a way. When they're ready, a journeyman will prepare a “masterpiece”, which serves as evidence that the Journeyman is skilled enough in the trade to go out on their own. If this masterpiece is judged well by the Guild, the Journeyman becomes a Master.
- Master
- Only Masters are allowed to own their own shops and train Apprentices. It is difficult to reach this status as it requires as much charisma as skill in order to earn the acceptance of the other Masters. For this reason, many Masters are well past their prime before they earn the title, and spend most of their adult lives working in someone else's shop.
Cultural Influences
- Gender
- Unless specifically stated that an occupation is one or the other, either gender can usually take up a profession. The same won't be true in Zanarya?, however, as Zanaryans have a patriarchal society where women are homebodies and only permitted to work if their husband or father allows it.
- Family
- In Elysia, most crafts and trades are passed down from generation to generation with informal training (that is, a carpenter will inherit his father's store when he's proven himself a master in his own right). This is the easiest and most common way to learn a craft or trade, since the apprentice will have grown up watching his family at work anyway, and because there are very few opportunites to learn another profession when you live out in the wildlands or the forest. :+ However, things operate differently in the cities because there are many more opportunities. If you can find a master there, and if you can prove that you're willing to learn and have some proficiency for that trade, you can ditch whatever profession has been the family tradition in favour of what suits you best.
Credit
Parts of this guide and some of the occupations listed are from Heatherbee's Occupations in Medieval Times, available at the RPG-Directory. Other occupations are taken from various sources regarding occupations in a medieval and fantasy setting.
List of Occupations
Animal Training & Care
- Beastmaster -- trains various working animals.
- Breeder -- breeds animals to be trained by beastmasters.
- Hunter
- Ostler -- manages animals that require stabling (from horses to anka).
- Ranger
Agriculture
- Baker
- Brewer
- Butcher
- Farmer
- Fisherman
Crafts & Trades
- Blacksmith
- Bookbinder
- Boywer -- crafts bows.
- Carpenter
- Chandler -- candle-maker, soemtimes also makes soap.
- Cobbler -- makes shoes.
- Cooper -- makes barrels.
- Glazier -- glass-worker (including windows).
- Locksmith
- Miner
- Paper maker
- Potter
- Quarrier -- digs for stone.
- Seamstress
- Tailor
- Tanner
- Weaver
Engineering & Architecture
- Architect
- Carpenter
- Crystal Singers -- tunes crystals; no actual singing talent required.
- Gardener
- Mason
- Plumber
- Purifier -- see Purifier's Guild?
- Roofer
Arts & Entertainment
- Actor (rare)
- Bard -- compose and recite epic poems.
- Cartographer -- map-maker.
- Dancer
- Fire-Dancer -- requires Elemental Manipulation?
- Florist
- Illuminator -- decorates books.
- Jeweller
- Musician
- Painter
- Sculptor
- Singer
- Shadow Puppeteer -- requires Shadow Form?
Criminals
- Assassin
- Bandit
- Pickpocket
- Pirate
- Slaver
- Spy
- Thief
- Trapper
Law Enforcement
- Guard or Varangis -- see Town Guard? or Anyeli Ranks
- Dikasi -- Advocate or judge of the Anyeli Empire.
- Headhunter -- hunts criminals.
- Magistrate -- judge and jury.
Medicine, Science & Academia
- Alchemist -- chemist
- Apothecary -- sells herbal remedies, poisons and ingredients for such.
- Archivist -- curates the archive sections of Elysia's libraries.
- Healer or Polemis -- requires Heal?
- Herbalist -- heals using herbal remedies.
- Historian -- collates facts, figures and legends for publication.
- Librarian (rare)
- Mathematician
- Philosopher
- Poletheris -- Combat medics for the Anyeli Empire.
- Scribe -- transcribes books.
- Wildcrafter -- harvests plants for herbal remedies and poisons.
Military & Combat
- Archer
- Asteris -- Anyeli special forces (includes assassins, strike teams, etc).
- Bodyguard -- personal guard (usually hired by wealthy merchants or citizens).
- Dimachis -- Anyeli aerial cavalry; requires pegasus.
- Engineer -- design and build war machines.
- Headhunter -- see Law Enforcement
- Hunter -- see Animals
- Mariner -- crew aboard a war ship.
- Mercenary -- protection detail for merchant caravans.
- Peltachis -- Anyeli aerial infantry.
- Scout
- Ship's Gunner -- uses Elemental Manipulation? to defend/attack from a ship.
- Guard or Varangis -- see Law Enforcement
Miscellaneous
- Banker -- lends money at reasonable, regulated rates. Bankers do not store money or possessions for safe-keeping.
- Chapman -- travelling peddler.
- Draper -- cloth merchant.
- Fishmonger
- Grocer
- Innkeeper
- Mercer -- textile merchant.
- Merchant
- Porter -- carries baggage.
- Tavern Master
- Usurer or Loan Shark -- lends money at extortionate rates and then maims or kills (or both) non-payers.
Political
- Ambassador or Eremos -- diplomat who takes up residence in the town or country they're negotiating with.
- Diplomat or Eremos
- Spy -- see Criminals
Religious Occupations
- Death Scribe -- performs and records death rites.
- Novice -- a priest(ess) in training
- Priest
- Xanth's Acolyte -- hand-picked by the goddess to maintain Her shrines.
- Xanth's Aide -- see Xanth's Aides?
Transportation & Travel
- Anka Pilot -- uses ankas to carry passengers and cargo; requires anka.
- Courier -- a messenger who passes messages and packages within a town's borders.
- Dashiri Driver -- steers dashiri teams and their barges up and downstream; requires two dashiri
- Dragonrider -- uses dragons to ferry passengers to and from Nirim?; requires dragon.
- Driver -- drives equine-pulled carts and carriages for passengers and cargo.
- Messenger -- a courier who passes messages and packages across regions and realms.
- Ship's Crew
- Boatswain -- supervises maintenance and supply stores.
- Captain
- Carpenter -- maintains and repairs the ship's hull, masts and yards.
- Gunner -- see Military & Combat
- Healer -- see Medicine, Science & Academia
- Navigator
- Rigger -- look-out; runs the rigging and furls or releases the sails as needed.
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