Crafts and learning

Nearly everyone in Arginet receives at least a basic education. The average peasant picks up reading, writing, and arithmetic through a local church school or an apprenticeship, while richer youths might attend a private school or have a tutor. There are also colleges in some of the cities where young people from noble and mercantile families can gain a thorough education in such subjects as history, mathematics, grammar, administration, medicine, and magic.

The kingdom is a fairly civilised place for the most part and its people enjoy a number of modern conveniences. Wind- and watermills, printing presses, mechanical clocks, and eyeglasses are reasonably common; towns often have paved streets and some of the larger ones even have sewer systems. The prevalence of magical healing - even a small village is likely to have a witch or channeller - also means that deaths from accidents and injuries are uncommon.

Because of the lack of fighting at home for the last few hundred years, the military equipment available consists of a small amount of well-crafted arms and armour (swords and chain or plate armour being favoured, with bows and crossbows for ranged support) and a lot of whatever can easily be requisitioned or improvised. Siege weapons are few and far between.

Arginet has never had much of an equestrian culture, and although horses are known they remain the preserve of the rich. As a result the Royal Armies mostly fight as infantry, and transport is mainly on foot or by ox-cart - it’s possible to travel faster by horse but expensive, and urgent messages are usually sent by magic. Travel by boat was traditionally common around the coast but is now avoided by most people due to the prevalence of sea monsters.