Mine? I showed little aptitude nor inclination as a youth, so I did not pursue the study beyond the basics.
If we speak of the sorcery of the Empire, it is... useful enough that its lack had altered life in the Empire immensely. And I have met at least one Easterner, a noble, who considered a period of serfdom to one of our lords a satisfactory price for the link to the Orb to permit his use of sorcery.
[ Which, given that the man then left and returned to his own lands and titles (and then plotted a small war with the Empire over border territories) was not how it was supposed to work, but foreigners were in that class of 'either have no honor, or their notion of honor is different enough that it makes no difference' in his head. Certainly, deception for military purposes was... if not honorable, then at least not dishonorable as it was understood by generals as part of the rules of engagement. Anyway, what was mostly long ago politics (especially by Eastern standards -- the man was hundreds of years dead) was a safe topic of conversation. ]
no subject
If we speak of the sorcery of the Empire, it is... useful enough that its lack had altered life in the Empire immensely. And I have met at least one Easterner, a noble, who considered a period of serfdom to one of our lords a satisfactory price for the link to the Orb to permit his use of sorcery.
[ Which, given that the man then left and returned to his own lands and titles (and then plotted a small war with the Empire over border territories) was not how it was supposed to work, but foreigners were in that class of 'either have no honor, or their notion of honor is different enough that it makes no difference' in his head. Certainly, deception for military purposes was... if not honorable, then at least not dishonorable as it was understood by generals as part of the rules of engagement. Anyway, what was mostly long ago politics (especially by Eastern standards -- the man was hundreds of years dead) was a safe topic of conversation. ]