From the introduction: Academies of High Arcana are often places of danger, both from the novice spellcasters within and from those who would do the young wizards harm. In order to protect their students, some of these schools began to employ squads of specially-trained guards who could contend with threats both mundane and magical, thus leading to the rise of the blademage. The path of the blademage is one of diligent study and intense physical training, as they are charged with the defense of their fellow students and faculty, standing proud in the face of danger with determination and intense focus.