Editing Age of Dragons: Scholar-Sage (section)

=Overview=
===An Academic Point===

''The Scholar-Sage '''Words-Remembered''' was fascinated by the insect that had alighted on the tip of his fore-talon, and as was his affectation, he began talking - almost to himself - about whatever piece of academia had fluttered into his mind just as the butterfly had fluttered onto his outstretched claw.

''"...it is a butterfly, of the order Lepidotera, though specifically it is Hesperia argentia, or silver moth, as we can see from the silvering on his pectinate antennae. It is easily mistaken for the grey iron moth, though we can see from its horn-shaped genitalia that it is indeed argentia and-"''

''The Scholar-Sage didn't get any further, as the Argent Warmaster stood in front of him impatiently interrupted him.''

''"Yes, yes, I'm sure the sexual organs of insects are most fascinating, but I believe I summoned you here about more pressing matters, vis a vis arcane solutions to our current situation..."''

''This situation, to which the warmaster was referring, was that a vast orcish army was marching into the Argent domains. '''Words-Remembered''' had been provided as an "incisive mind" and a "solver of problems", but the Argent was beginning to have his doubts.'' 

''An entire barony had crumbled under the surprise appearance of the orcish legion, that had seemingly managed to march across a vast expanse of Kalarni desert undetected, and was now pillaging the domain at the edge of the Arrantian City-States. The invasionary force formed a beach-head, and that beach-head could have a profound impact on the greater war.''

''"It is an academic point I admit," continued '''Words-Remembered''', "but an important one at that."''

''"I fail to see..." started the warmaster, but it was the scholars turn to interrupt.''

''"Indeed, you fail to see. Which is why you need my help. You imagine that I can summon some arcane force to decimate the enemy army... and indeed I could."''

''"Then do so."''

''"But what then would you do about the remaining nine-tenths of the invasionary force? No... I can help you far more with thought than with magic. Consider this... the silver moth is not usually found in this area. Its normal ecological pattern is to boom in population every three centuries or so some seventeen leagues north of here, then for populations to follow the tricentennial storm front as it sweeps along the edge of the Kestrel Hills. If they are here at this time, then the storm front has been changed, and I can only surmise that the weather has been magically manipulated somewhere in the region to the north here..."''

''The war-master was listening silently now, so the scholar continued.''

''"If we look at the map of this region, we can see that overt attempts to create rainclouds over the Kalarni desert to the north-east would have been noticed from a great distance, especially from the Citadel of the Mother's Sword. So we must presume that instead additional rain must have been created here, along the so-called 'scorpion path'. Water here would have eliminated the titular scorpions, who are of course not animals but guardian demons of an earlier age. Thus, a route not usually available..."''

''"..is where we will find the orcish supply line," finished the warmaster, smiling.''

'' '''Words-remembered''' smiled and nodded. Attention to detail, a little knowledge and observing a butterfly could change the course of a war. Sometimes, the academic point was the important one.''
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===The Scholar-Sage Lifepath===

Knowledge is power. In the case of draconic scholar-sages, this is often literally true as study leads to the mastery of powerful sorceries. It is unsurprising that many outside this Lifepath regard this as the Scholar-Sage's true calling: to master magic.

However, a true Scholar-Sage knows that the mastery of magics is a mere side effect of diverse learning and represents only a fraction of useful knowledge. A draconic mind is capable of incredible feats of applied thought, deep philosophy and academic mastery. While a mortal has only mere decades to study, the dragon has centuries, and is has the advantage of far greater intelligence as well.

To the Scholar-Sage, to waste this gift of superior sophia is an insult to to their own potential and a rude denial to the world of the gifts of thought that might be formed through a millennium of study.


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