Square Enix and PlayOnline have released some new information regarding the Scholar class that's coming in the Wings of the Goddess expansion of Final Fantasy XI. It's not exactly what you'd normally expect though, as instead of giving off stats and information, it tells the story behind the development of scholars in the history of Vana'Diel.

As the story goes, Military scholars were essentially tacticians with a knack for using the forces around them to surprising advantage in military skirmishes against the Beastmen.

Of the different schools of scholarly though, the Schultz school was the most prominent, as they had secured victory in the Second Battle of Konschtat.  As the lore states, "their philosophy that action and knowledge were one and the same prepared them with the capability to respond immediately to any situation with which they were presented."

Of the different things in the Scholar's arsenal, it was the Grimoire that was placed above all. The grimoire is a book that lists different strategies in battle and, among the Schultz School of Martial Theory, the copying, refinement, and improvement of the book's information was paramount, though it was only when Gunther Schultz II improved upon the grimoire that scholars were greatly improved.

One of the main advancements that made the scholar what he is today, however, was the empowerment of individual grimoires with astral properties by Gunther Schultz II, allowing scholars to become master tacticians with a high degree of mobility, as they didn't have to carry a giant book of strategies around. As you can probably guess, this would become important in the Crystal War, which you will now have a chance to be a part of.

This excerpt of the scholar's life, recorded for posterity's sake, is one of many things floating around in the history of Vana'Diel. It will be up to you, however, if you want to take on the scholar's cap and tabard when Wings of the Goddess comes out. The question is, will you?