Healing

Magical healing has been practised as long as the people of Aether have been sentient. So much so that traditional medicine and science have not developed beyond alchemical solutions. However, despite its many uses and applications it is not a cure-all and has its limitations. Magical healing can fall into two schools, creation and regenerative.

Individuals wanting to have healing magic as one of their magical elements must pick one of these schools. A character cannot be both a Regenerative Healer and a Creation Healer.

***Note: Magical Healing, from either school, has no effect on Lycanthropes, Vampires or Dhampirs. This is because both have a virus that is the cause of their affliction. With Creation Healing, the Virus will attack the body part being manifested as a foreign body. The same applies to Regenerative Healing, however, this is because the body is creating new tissue faster than the virus can infect.***

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### **Creation Healing**

Creation Healing involves the magic wielder, re-creating parts of the body to heal an individual.

Those who can command the energies of the other planes can manifest fire, ice, lightning etc. on a whim. In contrast, creating living tissue and cells is a much more intense and complex undertaking for a mage.

Firstly the healer has to understand the physiology of those they are healing. Given the numerous races of Aether, this is a large undertaking. Luckily most races are humanoid, so physiology is similar among the races, with a few exceptions and nuances.

With the right knowledge, a magical healer can manifest body parts, this includes blood, skin, muscles, bones, nerves, blood vessels, and organs. These parts can be either inside or outside an individual's body. But creating these parts is not an easy feat. For a Creation Healer to create a body part inside an individual, they must maintain contact while channelling.

Manifesting cells in the right configuration and order takes time. This is further elongated by the perils that interacting with the plane of Vessix and Sillia can bring with it. Too much channelling can attract the attention of the Arod on the other plane. Therefore creation healers must take regular breaks or risk death.

***Note: Although a Creation Healer can create body parts unless they are created inside a living individual or transplanted these parts are not alive.***

The time it takes is dependent on two factors, firstly the complexity of the piece being created and how much needs creating. The table below gives the timings for 1g of tissue.

Replacing a limb requires several techniques and cannot be done in one go. As a limb is composed of bones, blood vessels, nerves, muscle and skin each step must be taken in turn. Building up the limb. Limb Table can be found below.

 Forearm
 Total Arm
 Hand
 Thigh
 Leg
 Total Leg
 Foot

Given the time required to create parts of the body, Creation Healers are often sought to fix long term illnesses and disfigurements. They can be useful in emergency situations but often require a Regenerative Healer to keep the individual alive whilst they work.

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### **Regenerative Healing**

Regenerative healing utilises the body's natural healing and simply enhances it, they are not creating anything new inside the body. Therefore compared to Creation Healing this is simpler. Regenerative Healing requires less knowledge of physiology for the user to heal and less concentration.

With Regenerative Healing the body heals itself only at a much faster rate. This is because the Healer speeds up the individual's metabolism, this, in turn, speeds up the body's natural process and as a result wounds heal much quicker.

However, the downsides of such healing are apparent. Wounds heal naturally therefore scaring and bones healing incorrectly are common places. Broken bones would need to be reset before Regenerative Healing takes place. Also speeding up an individual's metabolism would make them hungry. Therefore those receiving treatment must have eaten at least an hour before, or they risk reduced weight and strength as the body uses fat reserves.

Lastly, a side effect of Regenerative Healing is ageing. Because of an increased metabolic rate, areas receiving treatment will age quicker. As a result for those who utilise these services irregularly,  a hand or an arm could be 1 - 2 weeks older than the rest of the body. However, with extensive use, an individual could acquire parts of their body that are years older than they are.

Regenerative Healers require constant contact with an individual whilst channelling. The time required for the Healer to channel is dependent on the kind of wound they are healing and also the amount of energy available in the individual. The table below defines some common injuries, timing and calories required.

 Major Wounds
 Internal Wounds

Regenerative Healers cannot create body parts, so if an individual is missing a limb or an organ needs replacing then there is not much they can do. They would need a Creation Healer to aid them with this.