[Doom Chinchilla]

What it says on the tin...

We know vals can study at Orthobbae for free, but, what about member of subhouses like Sar'nel? Do they have to pay?

[Dalvyserran]

I've always assumed that Orthor was a space free of overt clan dealings, so everyone has to pay for schooling, everyone has to learn how to live on their own means, etc...

[Doom Chinchilla]

I thought it was free for vals (and the ruling families of minor clans) to study there. I think An'jalhi Tei'kailath didn't have to pay to study there, did she?

[Smokehammer]

Actually, I thought she did -either that or Khaless just decided she liked her and signed her up -which might qualify as some sort of "scholarship" for them.

I'd lean on where Dalvy is going though. Without Val support, since it was rare for Non-Val to go, the tuition of the upper class commoners(possibly sub-house members, Guildies) shouldnt have been enough to keep the school going. Thus either the Sharen were paying for everyone to go, besides the people who bought their way in, or pretty much everyone paid. Unless... the teachers just took positions for altruistic reasons (the rest of the staff being slaves or students) and the kids "allowances" let them buy food etc?

[Shgon Dunstan]

... It's a school for the kids of every major clan.

"Pay for one kid to go there" is irrelevant. The real question is how much or the major clans expected to pay... Just because. Whatever they're paying for that single kid, it sure as hell ain't free.

Hell, it's also run by members of said clans, regardless of whether or not they are "expected" to the their loyalty at the door.


Or in other words, it's a government institution payed for, naturally, by the government... Otherwise known as the clans... Otherwise known as taxes... Otherwise known as those commoners who have not a chance in hell of getting into it.

[Smokehammer]

But that's untrue. One of Ariel's own classmates was from a lesser Clan. And Tralyn, her history teacher was Clanles.. It was a primarily Sharen institution, but they let commoners and lesser nobles in.

[Junglefowl26]

If I remember correctly, Mel and Kel went to Ortho even before the Sarghress became a minor clan, much less a major one.

It is far from public education, but it does seem to be more a case of if you can afford to go, and evidently even Quain was willing and able to pay for it while running a mercenary company.

(Though admittedly from what we have seen, Vals bully non-Vals pretty hard, or even Vals who aren't vals enough like Ariel and Kiel)

Speaking of the Sarghress, it is noted in the first Vealia sidestory that Nomina Norifu Sarghress went to Ortho, so it seems that subhouses attending is common enough that a minor member of a subhouse of a cash strapped clan can go.