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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
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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 among his servants is the [[Paternoval Envoy]], who often becomes one of the [[High Lords of Terra]], representing the [[Navis Nobilite]] on the ''Senatorum Imperialis''. If anybody were to know the secrets 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 extreme mutations they suffer during their ascension from one of the the [[Heirs Apparent]]. For this reason 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 a Paternova and his replacement. During these times, all Navigators other than the Heirs Apparent suffer a considerable reduction in their ability to navigate the Warp. Were this state of affairs continue for long, much of the [[Imperium]] would collapse into anarchy, as ships would be 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 among 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.
