Editing Maesters (section)

===Subjects of knowledge and tasks===
[[File:Kerry Barnett Linked Advisor.JPG|thumb|350px|A maester advises his lord, by Kerry Barnett © Fantasy Flight Games]]

The order of maesters are sometimes called the knights of the mind.{{Ref|AGOT|53}} Numerous subjects are taught at the Citadel. They include history, healing, herblore, the speech of ravens, the building of castles, navigating by the stars, the measurement of days and the marking of seasons.{{Ref|AGOT|53}} Maesters have performed autopsies for centuries to better understand the workings of the human body.{{Ref|AGOT|61}}{{Ref|AFFC|7}} They have observed that highborn girls get their first period at a younger age than lower born girls, and that very young mothers tend to have a significantly higher rate of death in childbirth.{{Ref|SSM|1050}} They make star maps,{{Ref|AGOT|66}} monitor temperature variations and the march of the seasons, so they can advise on what to plant and when to expect a harvest,{{Ref|SSM|1173}} and measure the length of the days, as to determine the change of the seasons.{{Ref|ACOK|0}} When the Conclave has decreed that the seasons have indeed changed, the Citadel sends out [[white raven]]s to the lords of Westeros, to herald the changing of the seasons.{{Ref|ACOK|0}}

Maesters advise their lords on the operation of their households and lands.{{Ref|AGOT|6}}{{Ref|ASOS|64}} Some lords trust their maesters to open and read letters, and to convey their contents to them. Others prefer to do so for themselves.{{Ref|ADWD|3}} Maesters can be tasked with writing letters for their lords as well, and might be trusted to read and write the letters of those lords who are illiterate.{{Ref|ADWD|37}} They are in charge of the [[raven]]s used as messengers. Although most ravens can only be trained to fly to one castle, a few can be trained to distinguish between two, and rarely even more.{{Ref|TWoW||[[Theon I (The Winds of Winter)|Theon I]]}} Maesters assist in childbirth,{{Ref|AGOT|6}} treat [[illness]]es,{{Ref|ASOS|36}} and teach children arithmetic, geometry, language, and history.{{Ref|AGOT|53}}{{Ref|ACOK|66}}{{Ref|ASOS|40}}{{Ref|ADWD|14}}

Even among the maesters who have earned a Valyrian link, representing the higher mysteries,{{Ref|ACOK|28}} there are those who believe that, though magic might have once been a mighty force in the world, it no longer is. They describe Valyria as the "last ember" of magic, which went out with the [[Doom of Valyria|Doom]].{{Ref|ACOK|28}} Most [[archmaesters]] do not care much for ideas concerning occult matters.{{Ref|ASoS|44}} The rare archmaester who does (e.g., [[Marwyn]]){{Ref|AFfC|0}} can expect it to impact his reputation. It is said that all those who study the higher mysteries try their own hands at sorcery eventually, but always fail.{{Ref|ACOK|28}}

Some subjects are forbidden in the Citadel, including cutting open living people,{{Ref|AFFC|7}} or practicing necromancy.{{Ref|ACOK|64}}