Yet Elizabeth was not very adamant to get moving. Elizabeth wanted to see the new students, and what they were all about. She held her cellphone in her hand, yet wasn't too overeager about the whole thing. She would avoid touching the students of her class with her cellphone, unless they requested otherwise, and would go straight to the new students.
Erishum II - the King of Kaldea, aged forty, he has ruled Kaldea for twelve years, and inherited his position from his father. His reign has been peaceful, and he has been moderate in his lifestyle, aside from the unusually large number of concubines he has collected, but he has otherwise been unremarkable. His reign has seen the continuation of promotion of the arts and scientists, as well as the promotion of trade.
Abishum - The heir apparent of Kaldea and the eldest child of Erishum II, aged twenty-three, born from Erishum’s wife. Although acknowledged as the future king, and thus given his proper respect, he is not seen highly by many among the ruling class. He is widely seen as bookish and sickly, and has only recently married, and has taken no concubines.
Iduayanna – The fourth child and second son of Erishum II, born of a concubine, aged twenty. He is well-learned, eloquent, intelligent, and unusually interested in the priesthood. It is expected he will soon enter into the priesthood.
Kakkabu – The tenth child and fifth son of Erishum. Like Iduayanna, he is the son of a concubine. He is austere, cold, and may yet turn out to be cruel. He has already joined the army and has taken a wife at the young age of fifteen.
Naasharu – Chief of the generals among the army, aged thirty-eight. He is of royal blood, being the younger brother of King Erishum II.
Illidu-para Aged fifty-seven, Illidu-para is a polymath who works for the King in the fields of governance and construction. He is both the chief advisor to the King as well as the architect behind a number of temples and tombs.
In previous eras, Kaldea was quite a cosmopolitan civilization, but the aftermath of the Great Upheaval saw the non-Kaldeans either migrate away or succumb to death. So Kaldea is now a homogenous society. Kaldeans are characterized by their tan skin and their dark hair. The weather is hot and dry, although the settlements, which are built near lakes and rivers, are characterized by their lushness.
Both men and women wear their hair long, although men wore long beards, while women obviously do not grow beards at all. Both sexes also wear similar styles of clothing, which are light brown robes made up of light wool that cover the body, along with sandals. The rich and the ruling classes wear far more opulent fashions, although even among the rich robes are the norm. The rich, unlike the poor, also are able to adorn themselves with jewels and gold, and both rich men and women wear cosmetics and earrings.
Religious and spiritual beliefs are quite important. There are over a thousand gods, not to mention the spirits and daemons, but for the Kaldeans there are four of chief importance. These are Elinel, King of all the gods, Ayanna, goddess of love, fertility, and warfare and patron goddess of Kaldea, Armatu, god of the sun, and Enkihil, god of water, crafts, and intelligence. The gods are honored both publicly at the temple in a service overseen by priests as well in the privacy of ones home.
The gods are seen as a very real and literal force in the world. Once they were seen as cosmic higher-ups, to be feared and obeyed, not objects of mysticism. However, although the gods are still to be unquestionably obeyed, developments in philosophy have put worship squarely in the mystic approach. Divination and theurgy are core elements of worship.
Most relevant to society is the battle between order and chaos. The gods brought the world into existence through order, defeat chaos, but chaos could still return. In order to stop this, one must honor their elders, treat people with respect, and do their jobs well.
To the citizens, their occupation was not merely a job, but their contribution to their community and the gods’ efforts to keep peace and harmony in the world. Acts like trickery and deceit are seen as terrible vices.
Although men were seen as superior to women and would inherit property ahead of women, women were given nearly equal rights to men. Women could file for divorce, own their own business, and make contracts in trade. The occupations of brewers and healers were originally almost entirely made of women, although now they occupy nearly half.
It is common for affluent and powerful men to have concubines. They are used for the purposes of gaining prestige, as it is prestigious to have a large number of concubines, to bear children, which is especially important for men whose wives are barren, or simply for sexual pleasure. Only men are allowed to have concubines. Pre-marital relations are not advised but are not prohibited. Homosexuality is a normal practice, and is practiced by both men and women. For women who are unsatisfied with their husband, female lovers are usually the go to choice. Like homosexuality in other cultures, one of the partners is usually the more powerful and older. For poor but attractive youths, entering into a homosexual relationship with a rich lover is not uncommon or looked down upon.
The class structure of Kaldea is strictly organized. There are considered two over-arching social classes, the high class and the low class. The low class are in turn organized into affluent and the poor. Only a very small portion of society is contained within the high class. The bottom of the low class, the poor are organized into several professions. They consists of the farmers, who make up the majority of the Kaldeans, pottermen, fishermen, and weavers. The affluent low class consist of the healers, artisans, diviners, soldiers, traders, and teachers. The high class are the ruling class, and they consist of the scribes, the academics, the priesthood, the officers, and the nobility.
It was nearly impossible for one to escape the profession of one’s family, but it was not quite so strict as to be called a caste system. In addition, the low class, even those among the affluent professions, were subject to classism by the high class. This means there is great tension in society.
The royal family was considered above both classes. The populace believed that they were of divine origin. The full title of King of Kaldea is King of Kaldea, Shepherd of the Kaldeans, Beloved of Ayanna. As the title implies, the King is supposed to be a good shepherd who watches over the people. Because of their supposed divine status, the populace has been hesitant to support would-be usurpers, even in times of tyranny.
Lastly, Kaldea is also an old center of learning. There are many old and long-established schools in Kaldea, and the ruling class is very learned and literate. In these schools are the academics, who learn the knowledge that Kaldea knows and process it, and in exceptional cases making new discovery. There is knowledge about reading and writing, religion, law, medicine, and astrology, and axiomatic logic. Notably, skepticism of certain knowledge is present in Kaldean literature. Admittedly, little of it is new, and until about a century ago the chief aim of academics was to rediscover the knowledge that was lost during the Great Upheaval.
Military Trait: Professional Army – The soldiers are given extensive training in tactics, discipline, and combat, giving them a significant edge over less well-trained armies such as peasant militias and mercenaries.
Civil Trait: Traditional Learning – A long history of knowledge has led to the establishment of an intelligent and highly literate ruling class.
Flaw Trait: Strick Social Stratification – Society is clearly divided into different classes. This has led to the stagnation of society, tensions between classes, and a limitation of talent in society.
Unit Overview Heavy Infantry: The standard infantry unit for the Kaldean army. They are armed with long spears and a round shield, and a short-sword as a sidearm. They typically fight and advance in a phalanx position, and wear a comprehensive set of armor. Archers: Lightly armored, the Kaldean archers are not meant for melee-combat use and use a standard bow, with which they can inflict damage from a long range. Light Infantry: A lightly-armored infantry unit intended for scouting and hit-and-run tactics. Kaldean Vanguard: A small but elite unit made of the best soldiers in the Kaldean army. They serve as shock troopers who serve to break the formations of enemy armies. Palace Guards: An elite unit that does not leave the palace. Their sole purpose is to guard the King, his family, and the capital.
The origins of Kaldea is covered deeply in mythology. According to myth, the goddess Ayanna had a lover, the shepherd Druzid, and he married the goddess and became a great king, ruling for three-thousand years. Six of the descendants of this man ruled the great kingdom of Kaldea, each of them ruling for about six-hundred years.
Although his story is highly embellished, Taridya was the first king for which there is reliable historical record on his life. Taridya is the first non-mythological Kaldean figure, although he claimed to be descendant from Druzid. Taridya and his fifteen descendants are known as the “Kings Who Lived in Tents,” as they were semi-nomadic kings. They ruled for about three-hundred years, until about nine-hundred years ago. Then they were subjugated by the Imkhas Empire for about three-hundred years.
Over time the Imkhas Empire weakened, and nine-hundred years ago a great upheaval occurred within the empire when the emperor died, and a civil war between four of the eldest sons began about nine-hundred years, and did not end until twelve years later. The eldest son, Rimush, won the war but inherited a greatly weakened emperor. The Kaldeans choses this time to revolt.
Under the leadership of Ilutuidu the Great, a descendant of Taridya, the Kaldeans won independence, Rimush himself being killed by Ilutuidu’s army. Kaldea rose to become a great power, rivaling and eventually surpassing Imkhas in military power and prestige, and trading with many other nations across the Riman Sea. The capital was the great Kaldean city of Ashkar, which numbered over one-hundred thousand denizens.
About six-hundred years ago, the bronze age ended for both Kaldea and Imkhas. Its end occurred due to a violent collapse. A bloody war between Kaldea and Imkhas broke out, which was even bloodier than the war than the Imkhas Civil War and the War of Kaldean Independence put together. This was exasperated by natural disasters, volcanoes, drought, and soil failure, which resulted in a general failure of civilization. Imkhas did not surive the upheaval, and Kaldea’s territory was permanently greatly reduced. This event is known as the Great Upheaval.
However, Kaldea would eventually recover. About four-hundred years ago, under the rule of Kaldea’s greatest ever King, Killiuabi the Magnificent, a Kaldean renaissance and golden age began. Over the next few centuries, Kaldea would build and rebuild a highly sophisticated and advanced culture. Large-scale trading once again renewed. Kaldean knowledge in astronomy, mathematics, and thought were transferred to different continents, and in return Kaldea absorb advances in thought from other cultures. Some say the Kaldean golden age ended about a century ago, while others argue it continues to this day.
Juna, like many of the rest of the traveling mummers, had sat down to enjoy herself. She held her goblet up to her mouth, gulping down a mouthful of mead, and then made an audible sound that showed her enjoyment of it, and how refreshing it seemed to her. The place seemed to be in a good at the moment, and Juna was feeling the same, and reveled in it. Between her and Annara’s performances and the play, they had put on a good show today, and now that their work was over for the day the revelries could begin.
Times like these, for what they were worth, were quite enjoyable. You would take a seat, and have a nice drink with some of your fellows, while an entertaining yet absolutely unremarkable conversation would go on.
For now, though, that could wait. Alan had made a comment on how Annara ought to have less frown, more crown, to borrow a certain unnecessary phrase. Annara gave an acerbic reply, which was fitting for her. Juna had her usual mischievous smile the whole time, and she took another sip from her goblet. She didn’t butt into their conversation, and let the kids have their fun. Juna instead allowed herself to be surrounded by men, who she might just lead on enough to keep them interested, and to keep them fun, but probably not more.
Of course, the mood couldn’t stay flowery forever. At their heart they weren’t just traveling entertainers, but a warband. Every one of them knew it, and no matter how much they fretted about the paticulars, they knew it to be true, and they’d accepted it. If they hadn’t, they’d have left already. Still, Juna didn’t want to see those two, Annara and Alan, with blood on their hands. Herself as a murderer was enough already. In the background was Lothren being gloomy again. Juna eventually headed on out there, over to him. Her arrogance wasn’t so great that she thought she would be able to make him smile and join closer with the others. However, what she did know was that she had known him for a long time, and he wouldn’t be rid of her so easily.
“Being broody again?” Juna said as she knelt down beside him. She had a feeling that, even to her, he would be less than welcoming.
"Were you already so friendly, Lady Violetta?" Elizabeth said. "But still, it is good to be back. Nonetheless, there is no reason to get emotional. And you will have to introduce me to all the others, Lady Violetta."
"Come on, both of you," Elizabeth said. "We have a welcoming party to look forward to?"
"And myself as well?" Uriel said.
"Yes," Elizabeth said. "When was the last time you left this room? It has been a while."
So Elizabeth with both her arcane hound and her dragon, which grew bigger every year, headed downstairs. When she opened the door, she saw the familiar landscape of the Academy. It seemed she truly had returned to her home, and this place, her abode for some two years, was more home than any of the places she had ever none before.
Elizabeth headed down from the elevator, which sent her downstairs. There, Elizabeth headed towards Lady Violetta once again. There she was again, with that mirthless expression on her face. She had called her down here, and Elizabeth had come. Elizabeth approached her, her dragon Uriel flying up in the air and coiling around Elizabeth's arm, and her arcane hound walking beside her.
"Hello once again, Lady Violetta," Elizabeth said. "The years go by so fast, don't they. Now, I hear you have once new students. I'm sure I'll be meeting them."
Elizabeth had surprisingly awoken from her bed. She was back in her room, away from everything from before. She had been sent away from the regular parts of the academy, and had spent a night in a room, closed off from everything and everyone else. When she awoke, and she left, she was a mysterious place, a place that was outdoors, and her long journey had brought her to gain, of all things, a pink elephant. Now she was back where she ought to be, or at least where she was quite often. Beside her on her bed was a book, titled Elephantas Minor. She put it aside for now, and would perhaps read it if it was necessary.
"You're back," Hesiod, that was her pet arcane hound, said to Elizabeth telepathically.
"Yes," Elizabeth said. "I will tell you about...later. For now, I'm sure that there's something else I need to attend to."
"There are new students here," Uriel, that was Elizabeth's dragon, said telepathically.
"Already?" Elizabeth said. "Well, it doesn't matter...much. I'll go downstairs, and see what there is to do. But before that, I need to feed you two, don't I?"
