All Magisters know arcane knowledge is of no use without experience and knowledge of the world at large. So once Apprentices are deemed sufficiently experienced and trustworthy by their master, they must leave him or the College they are studying at to travel the world for a period of several years, during which time they are forbidden to return to within fifty leagues of their master or their College building. This period of wandering is known as “journeying,” and a Magister’s apprentice in this period is known as a Journeyman Wizard. No apprentice younger than late-twenties early-thirties has ever been released to become a Journeyman in the recorded history of the Colleges.
Only those apprentices who show considerable talent and dedication, both to their studies and to the good name of their Order, are ever permitted to become what amounts to the most common type of Collegiate Magister within the Empire—the Journeyman. Journeyman Wizards are usually given a small amount of money and sometimes the names and addresses of various Magisters and Perpetual Apprentices of the same Order in far flung parts of the Old World and beyond whom they may visit with the intention of learning further petty and lesser magic spells.
During this time of travel, the Journeymen must find a way to earn a living. The Journeyman must carry a letter from his master, stating the Journeyman’s name, the name and address of his master, and what Order the master is affiliated to. It is likely the Journeyman will also bear some mark, tattoo, or item only senior Apprentices and Magisters of his Order can posses. A Journeyman found casting spells, even with his letter and other marks of his position and identity, will probably attract unwanted attention from witch hunters who see it as their duty to cause problems for would-be Magisters. It is important to remember that the Journeyman’s master will still be punished for the transgressions of his protégé. Therefore, very few apprentices are accepted as Journeymen of their Order until their masters are absolutely sure that they are sufficiently responsible and trustworthy.
During their time as Journeymen, some apprentices take to adventuring. While this is character building, many masters generally disapprove of such dangerous and potentially highly visible pursuits. If their protégé wishes to experience excitement, they should do so by requesting a commission in one of the Empire’s army regiments or chapters of knights, as is more befitting of an Imperial Magister. This attitude is particularly true for the Pyromancers of the Bright Order.
Still, there are some Magisters who actually encourage their students to embark upon dangerous journeys and adventures beyond the bounds of Imperial authority, particularly within the Grey, Light, Jade, and Amber Orders. For Journeyman, the good thing about going off into the wilderness looking for wisdom, exploring lost ruins, or hunting bands of dangerous outlaws or Mutants is that, away from civilization, they can practise casting spells without having to worry about Witch Hunters breathing down their necks or bands of frightened peasants trying to lynch them. However, they must still be wary of careless spellcasting, for the terrors of the daemon realm are never far from a magic user. Chaos patiently waits for an opportunity to feast upon the minds and souls of foolish or careless would-be Magisters.
Another important part of the journeying process is that the Journeyman Wizard earns and saves as much money as he can. These savings are necessary because before he will be accepted as a full Magister of his Order, he will probably have to pay for return entry into the College where his final training and full acceptance into his Order takes place. This fee is not cheap, and the Colleges are known to vary the cost depending upon the applicant. Journeyman the College’s senior Magisters feel are not yet ready or worthy to be accepted as full Magisters quite openly have the price of entry hiked astronomically high, forcing the Journeyman to return to his travels. Yet a Journeyman who shows considerable skill, talent, maturity, and wisdom will be allowed to return to his mother College at the cost of whatever he can give, and that means everything he owns, including any rare items he has discovered during his travels. Some senior Magisters may return the more special or personal items taken from such Journeymen after he has been accepted as a full member of his Order; although, there is no requirement for them to do so.
It is unlikely a Journeyman will even consider running away from his Order, as those bearing doubts and uncertainties to their vocation as a Magister are not released as Journeymen, regardless of their skill. Journeymen are, for most intents and purposes, Magisters of their Order and representative of their College. There are few outside of the Orders who will immediately know the difference between a Journeyman and a full Magister. It is likely a Journeyman will be addressed as Magister by those who know enough to be aware of the title of fully sanctioned magic users in the Empire but do not know enough to recognise the relative inexperience of the Journeyman.
Upon the Journeyman’s return from travels, his mentor can choose to send him off repeatedly if he feels his student still has more to learn. Although, it is likely that the Magister is also looking for some sign that the Journeyman has started to be altered by the magic of their Lore; that is the sign of true dedication and mastery. As a result, the period of study as a Journeyman may be for an indefinite period.
Source
- Warhammer Fantasy RPG 2nd ED -- Realms of Sorcery (pg. 77-78).