Rithind (RIH-thin-d)
Warriors in White...
Unlike the metalworkers of Peirolyth or llaudaind of Raaezen, these humble women practice a different sort of craft, specializing in promoting convalescence and administering comfort to the ailing housed within the Traedeskaton. Healthcare is more than a job or occupation, it is a higher calling. In order to give patients the best chance for recovery from anything ranging from a hairline fracture to a debilitating sickness, against foes that cannot be fought with swords or polearms, they provide their charges with every weapon available in the Arena of Mending. Commonly referred to as medics, the proper Thangien term for the dedicated staff-members of the Traedeskaton is Rithind: Knights of Ritho.
Career
Qualifications
While not necessarily restricted to, the vast majority of Rithind are female with either an innate interest in medical care and knowledge or in need of a less physically-demanding profession. Medics must also be able to handle high-stress situations such as wartime casualties or pandemics. Rudimentary knowledge of medicinal plants such as the prolific Richtho Leaf and first aid is appreciated but not explicitly required and on-site training is provided as necessary.
Ages from 10+ cycles (20+years Earth-time) are permitted. A willingness to live on-site or in dormitories nearby is also required in order to have the facility fully-staffed at all times. With the recent addition of Pegasi, basic riding skill is considered a bonus for medics making house calls for the infirm or patient pickup.
Ryo walked through the halls of the Traedeskaton’s lower floor supporting a sickened woman until a pair of medics arrived to take custody of her. He turned to head back out, but paused when he passed by one of the infirmary rooms. Several medics had gathered around a bed, and some of them wept profusely. One of the senior medics pulled a sheet of linen over the prone form lying on the bed, and as she did so, Ryo caught a glimpse of silver strands of hair. The distraught medics tried to comfort each other as they exited the room.Following Vthia's disastrous expedition, Vthia herself and some of her surviving daughters entered into the profession as penance for their ruthlessness. Everlasting Mother Chi Chi Lina, Yainae is a former Rithind, forced into early retirement when tragic circumstances left her the last member of the House of St'lur. Cu Cu Lurn, Tornath, a Blade Brother of the House of St'lur, studied at the Traedeskaton but did not commit to the position of a Rithind since he preferred to ply his craft on the battlefield. While viewed as a higher calling, it is not necessarily a life-long commitment.
Rithind (Standard Uniform) by Mardrena
“Hey ladies, did you see a woman come this way? She was about yay tall, brown hair, blue hood, white robes…kinda funny eyes now that I think about it…said something about ‘mourning her mother’ or something?” The medics gasped and began whispering amongst themselves before running away down the hall, chatting hysterically. Kento blinked. “…Was it something I said?”
Career Progression
There are no known levels but medics are distinguished through years of service via patterned ribbons on their uniforms. Newer staff-members will tutor under senior Rithind before being assigned to specific floors and departments. All staff-members answer to the Master Physician and the Morning Mother above him.
Payment & Reimbursement
Food and housing are provided in the facility itself or in the dormitories, and since the Traedeskaton falls under the domain of Ritho the Morning Mother, medics generally live humble lives. In order to remain at peak operation, the Traedeskaton receives a hefty amount of tithes from all corners of the city such as food from the Lonesteads and fabrics from the Pavilion. Medics may have their pick of any finery for any off-shift recreation if they choose.
Other Benefits
Aside from the gratitude of the populace for their dedicated service and a fair share of regular tithes to the facility, medics are blessed by the presence of Ritho, Goddess of the Home and Hearth, who can frequently be sighted wandering the patient wards.
Perception
Purpose
Because of the lack of scattered smaller hospitals or clinics, all medical care is confined to the Traedeskaton complex. Rithind are trained and prepared to administer care both in the facility and at home during house calls.
Social Status
Rithind do not venture out and about in their uniforms outside of their shifts, so unless their faces are recognized specifically by passersby, they are not often distinguished from the populace. Because their gentle faces are the first thing recovering patients see upon waking, patients are very appreciative of their presence.
Demographics
Medics are considered one of the most critical but smallest occupations in the city, an estimated 5% of females participate in the field at any given time.
History
The City Strife (Fall of the Traedeskaton)
The burgeoning staff of the newly completed complex had barely begun measuring drapes when Yapign and his sons began their wicked campaign. Unable to exert her full power in retaliation but unwilling to see the fledgling healers fall prey to the tyrants' unsavoury desires, the goddess Ritho evacuated the ladies and physicians to the southwestern quadrant where they took shelter in Mazzan. It was there alongside the Morning Mother that they first came to be known as Rithind: Knights of Ritho, earning their reputation for endurance while tending to patients in the cramped complex. Only after the Bloody Bricks were they able to return to the Traedeskaton safely to begin the long process of cleanup and rebuilding.
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Indoor Garden Overlook
by
Mardrena
Made in BlackInk
Events of Foes From Another World
Rithind are first seen in Chapter 21 "Plague of Thanged" as they grapple with a city-wide outbreak of Weeping Death. Sehkmet, Warrior of Venom, is seen in the company of a handful of medics while in the process of donating several gallons of venom from his Snake Fang Swords for the staff to experiment with. An absent-minded Kento has an unexpected encounter with the Morning Mother herself and casually relates the meeting to some nearby medics, who are excited about the appearance of their patroness. Medics tend to both Yulie and Sage while they are convalescing in the recovery wards. Ryo spots several Rithind mourning the passing of the previous Silver-Haired Maiden. Rithind assist Master Physician Kin Kin Aega, Coval in his office at the highest level.
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Healing Venom (Scene from Foes From Another World Ch. 21)
by
Mardrena
Made with Inkscape and BlackInk
The Warrior of Venom had drawn one of his swords and inserted the tip into a large glass container. A handful of medics stood by and waited patiently for the container to fill as bright reddish liquid dripped from the edge. A couple more filled containers sat on adjacent tables. Satisfied with the amount, Sehkmet drew his sword out and a medic sealed the container. “Slian yador, Sahat Venomrider,” the medic nodded gratefully and she and her partners left the room carrying the sealed containers. Cye scooted to the side and waited for them to pass before entering the room as Sehkmet sheathed his sword.
Events of Fight Alone
Shannon's father, Charles O'Connor, gets his first look at Thanged's super-hospital and the ladies who work there. Upon equipping translator buds, Dr. O'Connor overhears some medics teasing him about his "drab-looking combat uniform".Events of Spacequake
In Chapter 11 "Challenge of Roth", Rithind can be seen alongside many patients observing three of the Queens (Witheren, Eyurodin, and Ritho) alongside newly arrived gods Janxilo, Tanjanira, Maetalena, Taezura, and Baeron. Their wonder is tragically cut short when the Rithind find themselves unwitting witnesses to murder as Baeron betrays his mother Taezura and rebels against the Four Queens. With Tanjanira taking upon the mantle of Goddess of Medicine, it is implied Ritho will cede oversight of the medics to her, but more than likely the title will remain since Ritho is a major goddess and Tanjanira occupies a minor role.Operations
Tools
In addition to access to surgical equipment and herbal or compounded remedies, medics are primarily identified by their white combat uniforms which loosely resemble a Oldworlder habit. At a distance they look indistinguishable, but outfits have subtle differences that give each staff-member unique looks. This can range from variations in pleats, stitching, and tassels.
Materials
Rithind carry very little on their person while on duty but have ready access to the many storerooms and apothecariums interspersed along each of the Traedeskaton's floors. Additional protective wear such as gloves or masks are often provided as needed in individual patient rooms or in the operating theatres below ground level.
Workplace
The Traedeskaton is a curious union of industry and nature with the hustle and bustle of a busy ER ward along the outer walls and the tranquil beauty of the great central garden bathed in sunlight. Any Rithind in need of a quick break can loiter along the rail overlook or sit on one of the many benches.
Provided Services
Rithind are capable of just about any medical-oriented task aside from the more delicate and strenuous surgeries for which only the Physicians can undertake.
Dangers & Hazards
There are various safety protocols in place at the Traedeskaton itself, but on occasion very real peril is encountered during large-scale conflicts or city-wide pandemics. During the City Strife, Ritho was forced to evacuate the medics-in-training to Mazzan in order to escape the clutches of Yapign's lascivious elder sons and their forces. When the Genesis Plague swept through the streets, Rithind were forced to stay within the confines of the complex, unable to return home or visit their families lest they run afoul of Afflicted.
In the midst of a re-emergence of Weeping Death, the Rithind found their endurance taxed to their limits, being forced to stay awake and work long contiguous shifts without sleep in order to deal with the staggering patient load. As accustomed to tending to the dead and comforting the dying, they shoulder a great deal of stress when it comes to prominent figures such as the loss of the previous Silver-Haired Maiden or the newly-arrived Geod Taezura.
Healing Venom (Scene from Foes From Another World Ch. 21) by Mardrena
Alternative Names
Medic, Nurse, Warriors in White
Type
Medical
Demand
High
Legality
There are no licenses required aside from the bare minimum training provided. Those who train in the field are not required to work solely at the discretion of the Master Physician.
Related Locations
Ritho, Goddess of the Home, Hearth, and Family by Mardrena
Medics stood at attention in each cubicle, either speaking to incoming patients, each other, or performing other tasks. Danae greeted one medic in her language, a word Charles heard as “Thelektukak”, but after the greeting he couldn’t make sense of the rest, yet the two women spoke fluidly. The medic nodded and indicated a place on a map hanging from the wall behind her. Her arm moved as she wrote something on the desktop behind the counter then she reached over and held something out to Charles. He blinked uncertainly, but the medic nudged it towards him and he accepted what looked like a strip of cloth hanging from a pin.
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