Scamming Nobles Etc., Tuesday, Fifth Period

[tellmehowstuffworks]

Yennefer swanned into the classroom a fashionable five minutes late, which should have given everyone ample time to assemble. "In my universe," she began, "men who have power and wealth are known as 'nobles,' meaning they inherited it from their fathers, who inherited it from their fathers, and so on and so forth until you get to someone, some centuries ago, who presumably did something the universe found worth rewarding other than being born to the right parents. In this universe, I am told you call these men 'businessmen.' 'Entrepreneurs.' 'Self-made men,' it being gauche to point out that such a man didn't do anything." Because anybody could pull themselves up by their boot straps with a small five million dollar no-interest loan from Daddy! "And they are usually men, although there is the occasional woman; more power to her. So. They have all the money and power. Fabulous houses, vast tracts of land and peasants to work it." Or Amazon fulfillment centers, same difference.

"I served for several decades in the court of the king of Aedirn, and what did I get for it? Nothing. He usually didn't even listen to me. Working inside the system is..." she flicked her fingers dismissively. "Forget it. So what's a girl to do? What are you to do, for that matter? You are here because, presumably, you want to lead a comfortable life or achieve some goal that would come much easier with money and/or power. So let's hear about it. What do you want? We'll start with you," she said, pointing to someone at random.