Scholar's Seal

Academy Expeditioner

Expeditions into the sands, be they for research, relic hunting, or cartography, inevitably encounter danger. To safeguard the absentminded explorers, eager prospectors, and wandering scholars who venture into the shifting dunes and buried ruins, the Grand Academy assigns them specially trained sorcerers.

These arcanists are more than mere scholars. They are battle-hardened escorts, trained in both combat and desert survival. Their task is to ensure the safe passage of their charges through environments teeming with peril. The ancient ruins they explore often bristle with vicious monstrosities, territorial guardians, brood-beasts, or worse; predators drawn by blood, scent, or the glimmer of stolen light.

Whether it’s the hollow-eyed gaze of a sand-dervish, the gnashing fangs of a nesting beast, or the sheer madness of an overconfident mage under the desert sun, these escorts have seen it all.

"I’ve seen serkets as big as a camel, Sutekhi ruins as old as time… but nothing beats a hallucinating sun-struck wizard."

 

Shieldbearer

Most Shieldbearers hail from the cities of Silver Bay, where they have long served as caravan guards along the trade routes linking the coast to the Asharan cities. The northern desert is a treacherous expanse, prowled by raiders and far darker dangers. Ancient stretches of the old Highway disappear beneath shifting dunes, creating countless ambush points where travelers are at their most vulnerable.

The immense shields from which these warriors take their name, serve as exceptional protection from common foe.

Yet the desert conceals threats greater than mere bandits. Wyverns, monstrous beasts, and other horrors stalk the wastes, demanding weapons equal to the task. For this reason, Shieldbearers often carry massive, unconventional arms alongside their shields, powerful enough to sever a wyvern's head with a single, well-placed strike.

Djinnborn Marzban

A Djinnborn is the offspring of a union between a mortal and a djinn. Revered in scholarly circles for their mastery of elemental arcanum and profound understanding of the astral realm, djinn are enigmatic beings that dwell within the Void. They rarely enter the material world of their own accord, making Djinnborn an exceedingly rare, and often controversial, sight.

Though they do not inherit the full measure of a djinn's arcane might, Djinnborn possess an innate affinity for astral magic. They can harness the powers of the Void, command the elements, and even reshape their own forms to a limited degree.

These gifts make Djinnborn among the most formidable arcanists in the Sand Kingdoms and ideal candidates for the demanding office of Marzaban.

Bestowed by the Grand Academy, the title of Marzaban is reserved for battle mages of exceptional skill. A Marzaban is granted broad autonomy and entrusted with defending the border provinces of the Sand Kingdoms. Their duties range from leading expeditions deep into the desert to clear astral rifts and purging ancient ruins overrun by creatures of the Void, reclaiming these lost places in the Academy's name.