Pain Stitcher Tribe

## Characteristics

### Attitude

The Pain Stitchers are a mostly peaceful, nomadic people. You have little reason to fear them unless youre particularly afraid of needles. If course, they are able to protect themselves if need be. Having knowledge of human anatomy helps with that.

### Quirks

Stitchers are compelled to help any who ask, and this can lead to some sticky situations. While not outright naive, these tribals must help all who are sick or injured.

A collection of medicine men, shamans, and doctors, the Pain Stitcher tribe is well known throughout the islands. The Stitchers are one of the very few amicable tribes residing in the archipelago. They train in medicine and trauma treatment from a young age, and are respectable healers despite their rough appearance. These people often experiment with self-acupuncture and even chems from time to time in order to "naturally" modify their minds and bodies into a more calm state. These doctors have some of the steadiest hands in Hawaii, even if they needs chems and needles to attain them.

The pain Stitchers are led by the twins Soft-Skull and Stone-Mind, who are the direct descendants of a respected pre-war brain surgeon. The tribe always follows the children of this line, a sort of dynasty of healers. The twins preach acceptance and service to all men, but disagree over price. It is said that Stone-Mind wishes to bring knowledge and healing to all, while Soft-Skull sees aid as a commodity. Never the less, the two guide their tribe fairly.

Pain Stitchers are a nomadic people, and tend to spread out in small familial groups all around the islands of Hawaii. You can find a Stitcher house of healing in nearly every major settlement, though the Ohana bar them from New Honolulu. Many mercantile and combatant groups employ members of the tribe as permanent medics to follow them into battle. These tribals are peaceful in nature, but will protect themselves as needed. Traveling the islands is never a safe endeavor.

Members if the tribe are easily identified by their multitude of piercings, and the scabs from hypodermic needles dotting their arms. They often wrap themselves in red and black cloth to represent the blood and the body. Stitchers will often paint themselves in wood ash and blood in pre war medical symbols. Their backs and shoulders are often adorned with red crosses and representations of needles. Most carry pouches of bandages, chems, and lye solution. The lye is more for the dead that they respect quietly, but firmly.

## Origin

The Pain Stitchers are first and foremost, doctors. Many are descendants of pre war physicians, but most were trained pre war. The founder of the tribe was a brain surgeon named Claire Warton, who served as a lethal trauma medic for veterans of the annexation of Canada campaign. In her life she treated hundreds of wounded soldiers and civilians with expert hands. She led a mostly quiet existence outside of work, as she was a deeply spiritual woman despite her medical training. Of course things were different when the bombs dropped.

Warton lived on the island of Maui before the war, and was saved from annihilation or ghoulification at the hands of the bombs. Once she emerged from the rubble, she set out into the wastes to search for survivors. Her gentle ways and medical training gave her a reputation for being a sort of drifting goddess of healing. She saved many survivors in her time, gathering a small following of other doctors and grateful patients in her years of wandering. She trained all who would listen, and treated any who needed help. By the time of her death, well over 100 people followed her. Warton's child and those of her followers stuck together to uphold the Hippocratic oath even in the wasteland.

After generations the story of Claire Warton has been changed, but her followers remain as the Pain Stitchers. These tribals swear on the Hippocratic oath at age twelve, though its been tweaked over the years. "Do no harm" has become "Do much good" to fir the wasteland better. Each child is trained in medicine or trauma aid starting at age seven, and raised with as good morals as you could find in Hawaii. The core beliefs of pre-war doctors live on within these people.

## Services

Pain Stitcher doctors are some of the most well respected people on the islands, and their services are some of the most sought after. Aside from Ohana and Enclave medics, these tribals are the only formally trained medics in the Hawaiian wasteland, and some of the kindest people. When they turn twelve, they swear an oath to help any who need it and will turn no patient down. It doesnt matter who you are, if you find a Pain Stitcher, you will be healed.

These men and women can set a shattered limb with little issue, as well as cure a plethora of illnesses with home brewed medicines. Some are even trained to attach prosthetic limbs or body parts, though these are extremely costly. The only service that Pain Stitchers cannot provide is radiation healing. Radaway can help remedy this, but no amount of doctoring will cure a mutated eye or sterility at the hand of rad poisoning. Nevertheless, the stitchers offer a number of chems and home brew concoctions to ease pain and quiet the mind in times of this strife.