Thanks largely to the demands placed upon military officers, and the emphasis placed on keeping meticulous records for everything in the bureaucracy, Slothjemia enjoys a higher literacy rate than most of it’s neighbors. The further south one travels on the continent, the more likely they are to encounter well-read natives, and conversely, the further north one goes the more likely that written words will be met with cries of witchcraft and heresy. In Slothjemia, however, there are plenty of folks who can at least sound out rudimentary words, and although it may take them forever to sign their names neatly enough to be read by a stranger, they muddle through somehow.

There is no formal education system in the country, although wealthy individuals might hire tutors for themselves or their children in order to learn the basics of reading, writing, mathematics, and more esoteric subjects, such as philosophy and theology. Twice, and by different monarchs, there were attempts to create a royal college dedicated to the education of the masses, but these were derailed by lack of interest. Funnily enough, people are rather fond of their ignorance, and do not take kindly to giving their hard-earned money to somebody in a fancy robe just to hear them say “you’re wrong, you’re doing it wrong, everything about it is just wrong.” Goblinoids would rather keep their money and be blissfully ill-informed.

Sadly for those seeking advancement in government or military careers, ignorance is not a valid option. Officers must be able to read missives sent to them, and on some level be able to put down in writing their own reports. The higher up in rank one goes, the more important this becomes. Same is true in the bureaucracy. Even lowly agents dispatched to inspect a mining installation, or to size up a lumber harvest on royal lands, must be able to keep careful and legible records of their findings. In some ways this can be seen as a disadvantage; energy and time spent on education in these matters takes away from a person’s ability to do other things, or develop skills more to their liking. However, it does pay off handsomely in the end. The ruler of Slothjemia always has a steady and reliable stream of information at their fingertips, and they can bypass anyone they like in order to seek out more details if they feel it necessary. Once the monarch knows who to reach out to, they can dispatch a letter to that person directly, and if nothing else is accomplished, they have probably given some hapless soul a heart attack once they read who the letter is from.