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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
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The leader, and most powerful, of all the [[Navigator]]s. The Paternova lives in the [[Palace of the Navigators]], in the centre of the [[Navigator's Quarter]] on holy [[Terra]]. From the moment he is installed, the Paternova never leaves this palace. The staff, soldiery and other retainers of the palace are all drawn from the Paternova's own House, and are replaced with each new Paternova. The chief amongst his servants is the [[Paternoval Envoy]], who often becomes one of the [[High Lords of Terra]] and sits on the [[Senatorum Imperialis]]. If anybody were to know the secret's of the Navigators origins, it would be the Paternova.
The chief role of the Paternova is his ability to somehow control, or amplify, the ‘warp sense’ of the other Navigators. This is a direct result of the extream mutations they suffer during their ascention from one As such, the Paternova is sometimes described as the guiding father whose powers transcend the Warp itself. The importance of this link is demonstrated during the rare interludes between the reign of one of the [[Heirs Apparent]]. Paternova and another. During these times, all Navigators other than the [[Heirs Apparent]] suffer a considerable reduction in their ability to navigate the [[Warp]]. Where this state of affairs to continue for long, much of the [[Imperium]] would collapse into anarchy, as ships are unable to quickly traverse the warp, with many being lost completely.
The Paternova can often live for a thousand years. When he does die, his successor is chosen from amongst the waiting [[Heirs Apparent]], the most powerful Navigators of the Great Families. From the moment of his death, all the existing Heirs Apparent undergo dramatic change. They grow larger and stronger, and the mutations that characterise all Navigators become even more pronounced. They gain the ability to survive underwater, in poisonous environments and even in the hard vacuum of space. Their natural aggression is increased, and they are drawn into combat with each other. As each Heir Apparent is killed, those who survive change even more, until only one remains alive. It is this vastly changed and extremely powerful individual who becomes the new Paternova.
