Navis Nobilite

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Navis Nobilite are a body of the Imperium of Man. It is composed of the powerful Navigator families. The Navigators themselves are mutants, created through genetic engineering in the distant past in order to allow effective warp travel. They are able to sense the currents of the warp through their characteristic "third eye" or "warp eye". While this obvious mutation might normally be cause for extreme persecution, they actually constitute a privileged nobility within the Imperium, exempt from many Imperial laws. The Nobilite is a powerful and essential part of the Imperium, as they possess a sort of innate monopoly within the Imperium - only the Navigators have the ability to guide ships through the otherwise unnavigable chaos of the warp.