Temple of Healing
The Temple of Healing is one of the largest building complexes in Albion, and the centre of healing magic among the magical community.
(See Healing magic and Healer for more details.)
The complex holds:
- The Temple itself, a large space used by people of many faiths, with smaller shrines along the edges of the space. It is topped by a large belltower.
- Ritual baths below the temple, both a public bath and smaller ritual baths devoted to particular deities and purposes. These include a properly constructived mikvah.
- Large gardens, growing a mix of medicinal and soothing plants, with small shrines around the edges.
- Seven large wards for patients, with a few smaller wards tucked into other spaces.
- South of the wards is a long horizontal hallway that connects to storehouses, kitchens, apothecary labs, and spaces to feed and house the healing staff.
- Two administrative buildings are tucked next to the Temple building at the north, with other offices throughout the complex.
Gardens
Every year, the Temple hosts a series of highly anticipated garden parties, largely as a fundraising effort. It is one of the places to see and be seen. Flowers mentioned in the gardens include Four O'Clocks and lotuses.Baths:
Beginning in early 1902, Rhoe Belisama is working as one of the Healers focused on the baths, and by Carry On in 1915, she has become the person in charge of them. Elen describes the baths (Carry On, chapter 15) Read the description of the baths
At the core, she knew, was the ancient healing well. She’d been told the stories, during her apprenticeship, of how you would put a pebble in, and read the bubbles to determine how the healing would go. It was an art she didn’t know, and she didn’t think it was much done in the current Temple. The well itself had its own shrine, protecting it in a blanket of quiet reverence.
In the middle, lit by charms, was the great bathing pool, far more public. She’d been there only a few times, shy of being around so many people, and not knowing who was who. When people had clothes on, it was much easier to figure out how to talk to them. There were cues to tell whether she ought to talk to them like a healer or a fellow nurse or a patient, or someone from the city itself.
The office, staffed by those devoted to healing waters in particular, was just outside the entrance to the main baths, with stained glass separating it from the more public spaces. Elen could see figures through the opaque glass, just enough to guess male from female by height and the amount of curve, and she found the movements rather distracting. The healer on duty cleared her throat.
