Dearest Mother-
    This place continues to bewilder and beguile me. I miss the warmth of our sun and the sound of the waves, the night here is unquiet.
    These people...so many different people here, and all at odds. The Thuleans smell of mead and sweat, and the Desert folk barely speak at all. The Savages....rutting treecreepers....drumming all night and all day, jumping out from the shadows, whispering to their blessed animals.
    We were wrong, Mother. The Shedim do roam here. I do not know how they have entered this place, this Mesa, but I will endeavor to discover their source. I have seen several types, and enclosed such notes as I have.
    The power of this place is equaled only by our most powerful conduits...I've been trying to record what I find, but it has been difficult to take proper measurements in these...reduced circumstances.

I do not belong here, Mother, but I will stay until I am called.

Your little piece of Driftwood,

Doriana, Daughter of Acacia, Daughter of Cerialis, Daughter of Irenaeus, Daughter of Nasica, Daughter of Theadora of Naxos.

The Heroes of Khaldea

Khaldean culture has developed under the threat of annihilation by a powerful, magic-using enemy. Khaldeans have had to adapt, work as a unified whole, and stretch their minds greatly in unraveling the secrets of magic.  As a need for survival, Khaldean children are encouraged to develop problem solving and logical thought. All Khaldeans are educated, including exposure to magical theory, literature, and the fine arts. Not every Khaldean is a cultured, well-spoken, tactical genius, but in Khaldea those have been the great heroes; saving lives and rising in fame.

Khaldea the nation is a string of islands in the southern sea. Its people live in monumental city-fortresses called Citadels, which rise high in the sky and look out over the land and sea. 

Magus

The Magus, upon enduring rigorous training and examinations, serves the Citadel with their creativity, their brilliance, and in concert with others; with every power they can bring to bear. Few have the capacity to become great Magi, even among the Khaldeans, and it no mark of shame to be passed over for selection. There is some risk to the preparation of becoming a Magus as the strain upon the mind is significant. The training process changes the person, even if they survive the ordeal with their minds mostly intact. Magi develop their intellect and will to the exclusion of almost all else and serve the defense of the Citadel as a problem solver and center of the offensive effort, or perhaps sustaining the defense. Magical defenses around settlements are also their work.

 

Citadel Guard

Each Guard knows his companions, his citadel, and the needs of his people. His concentration and discipline is unmatched. Acting in concert, the Citadel Guards have kept the people of Khaldea safe for millennia. When the citadel is threatened, the enemy will face a thousand blades and a thousand agile minds, all working as one fierce opponent to bring him down.

Citadel Guard may have any occupation, serving their House or their family, with their own desires and plans. They may come from anywhere, from wealth or poverty, from fame or anonymity. When the call comes for their squad however, the armament comes on and the civilian vanishes.

Citadel Guard are conditioned to be defensive fighters, to stand and fight for long periods of time in concert with others against likewise enduring threats. Like any Khaldean, they rely greatly on their intelligence.   

Supplicant 

Any who comes to the barred gates of a Citadel requesting refuge may be granted the status of Supplicant. It allows the person a chance to serve a Citadel community with the hopes of earning the full privileges of a proven and trusted member. These refuge-seekers may be outlanders, they may be criminals expelled from other lands, they could be anything. They likewise might possess any number of skills, and are often survive by dint of incredible ingenuity. Some Supplicants remain in the slums and camps in order to support others less fortunate, even when the themselves have been given the right to move higher within the Citadel. Supplicants have a variety of skills and are talented in craft and survival, although they are of humble means.