Introduction
Aelfectury is the collective term that describes Arcish purveyors of herbs, crystals, medicines and cures (many of which are ineffective, but some which have powerful medicinal properties). The Aelfecturers have traditionally been looked upon with disapproval by the Aruhvian Church, which has periodically censored, persecuted and banned their practices. Others look upon them as confidence tricksters and frauds (an accusation which is frequently accurate). The wealthy mercantile classes of Arc, however, take a different view, with good reason. Illness in the city affects rich and poor alike, with as many nobles succumbing to the shaking sickness as paupers. Wealthy Arcites can afford the medicines of the best Aelfecturers, leaving the frauds and quacks to serve the poor. For this reason, when the Aruhvian Church has attempted to influence the Protectorate into banning the Aelfecturers, claiming that there is but one source of legitimate knowledge, the Aruhviad (not that it contains any information on how to deal with diseases of the body or mind), the
The Azure Chamber has been first to intervene and prevent their shops from being closed.
History
Aelfectury is a practice that predates the establishment of
Aruhvianism. The essence of Aelfectury is the belief that the mortal body comes not from the thought of the Keeper, but is comprised of the world, so is equal part energies of water, earth and wind (fire is not considered to be part of the mortal body, and when patients 'burn up' with a fever, the Aelfecturers believe this is an example of an all consuming fire 'burning' the individual from within). Aelfecturers draw on Pheffism, pre Aruhvian Philosophy, Golan Aruhvian thought and more modern ideas about medicine from
Harenis. Because there is no central school of college for Aelfecturers, knowledge is fragmented and it is difficult to refine concepts and eliminate old or bad practices. Because of this, the reputation of the Aelfecturers is chequered and many poorer Arcites go to them in the last resort, assuming they have no real idea how the mortal body works. There are codes of ethics shared between some Aelfecturers, preventing them from lying to or actively harming their patients, but these are not shared by all. Aelfecturers have grown in influence in the past three centuries since the Sundering. This is in large part because of the decline of influence of the Aruhvian Church, following the death of the Keeper. This has led to a decline in the doctrinal power of Aruhvianism, meaning that Arcites are more likely to find ideas and answers of their own, especially when it comes to dealing with life and death questions of ill health. Aelfecturers are found in one guise or another across the Arclands and in parts of Aestis such as the
The Mill Lands. In
Del'Marah, the strength of the Pheffist religion, which has the full authority of the Del'Marahi (emperor) and which has a monopoly on ideas relating to the body, means that Aelfectury is unable to take root.
The Aelfecturers and their apprentices
Most Aelfecturers learn as apprentices, in service to a master and are skilled in basic first aid and run errands across the city from the Aelfecturies, which are located around the edges of the
The Trophym and the end of the
Dures Road. Master Aelfecturers prepare poultices, unguents, crystals and powders for the sick of the city to consume, sometimes giving instructions to their apprentices on how to prepare and administer the treatment. Some Aelfecturers rely solely on their apprentices to treat their patients and exist as virtual recluses, simply preparing treatments to illnesses that desperate Arcites describe to them on parchment. There has been a suspicion on the part of the church for a long time that some Aelfecturers use magic, have collected or hoarded magical items, or have acquired knowledge from the darkest recesses of the Library of Harenis on magical or esoteric practices. There is undoubtedly some truth in this, but other Aelfecturers are charlatans and tricksters, using all manner of chicanery and misdirection to convince others that they possess magical powers.
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