[pnpgm] Z'leyra's speech to the King

[Alex Koponen]

Upon coming before the King of Marentia Z'leyra will curtsy and say the 
following:

"Honored King Maros Karestian

Your Majesty, you are rightly famed throughout the known lands for your 
deeds and actions.

I am Z'leyra, a highly skilled healer trained in the forests of the 
Kameran and at the Great Library in Ticasi. I believe that you could 
please the gods while enhancing both the legendary reputation that you 
enjoy across the world, and the health of your subjects, thereby 
increasing their productivity on your behalf, by your establishing and 
endowing a School of Healing Arts. A school, that in your name would 
help heal the sick and injured whilst training healers needed throughout 
the land.

This school would be a center where novice healers would learn and 
experienced healers teach and exchange knowledge. Located close to the 
poor part of the city where more people need healing, this would both 
decrease the cost of the school and provide an adequate number of 
patients for the dual purpose of healing those in need and providing 
practice for those studying healing.

To encourage the poor to come for healing the prices would have to be 
low. Teachers would have to be hired, optimally for one day per week 
each so that they could recoup their magic spent in demonstrating 
healing spells, and they would have to be paid. Though as healing 
consists of several mutually helpful arts, some could take part of their 
payment by being taught other healing skills. Perhaps selection of the 
teachers could be by merit. Records kept as to each healer's success 
with each type of injury. Those most successful being acknowledged 
Masters of Healing. It would be helpful if the School of Healing Arts 
was not subject to taxation as it would become a treasured part of the 
city, a reason citizens cite for their praise of the many things you 
have done to earn their admiration and loyalty. It would be your 
decision on how grand or humble the construction of the school would be. 
Grandeur would not be innately needed, however solidity would be useful 
as would a fresh source of water and room for a large herbal garden.

It could take several hundred gold to establish this School of Healing 
Arts. Nor can I promise that it would be directly profitable, indeed it 
might need further funding at a minor level to continue operating. Thus 
it might not appear, at first glance, to be a wise investment. But a 
deeper look by such a wise man as yourself, reveals the true profits it 
would bring. The hundreds of citizens healed each year would be 
productive for many days each that they and their caretakers would 
otherwise have lost. Thus thousands of days of extra production will be 
available to boost the wealth of the city and indirectly increase the 
coffers of the king. Nor is that all. The citizens being healthier will 
be happier and everyone will have added protection against the 
catastrophe of plague. Finally, your armies and the nobles will also 
gain by the increased skill and availability of healers. In your own 
campaigns you have seen that men laid low by wounds or disease are not 
available to fight on the battlefield. Each additional healer will help 
keep many men available to fight. Further, these healers will prevent 
many of your wounded from dying.

You, or your Minister of the Treasury would assign an administrator to 
take care of the financial details. I would hope that eventually the 
School would have a special made building, hopefully stone to reduce 
risk of fire. Preferably in a horseshoe shape around a garden of healing 
herbs.

But, I am too forward. As yet I scarce know this land and your people. 
Perhaps the healing is already well taught and as plentiful as one could 
wish. If this notion of a school offends, please, let it be forgotten.

So with the deepness of your wisdom, when and if you see that the time 
is right for establishment of such a School of Healing Arts I offer to 
assist in the foundation of, and teaching at, the school. If at least 
half a dozen other teachers of the various healing arts could be 
persuaded to join, we could serve you with a center of learning that 
would earn you renown around the Sea of Tears and across the northen 
plains. It would be an honor to help establish such a school in your 
name."