Medica

A medica is a trained healer, medic, or doctor. While some medica will use healing magic and, thus, be a trained arcanist, not all will. Mundane healing techniques are crucial to a properly healed wound or disease, even in a world with divine blessings magical wonders.
The medica is sworn to an oath in a ritual performed by priests of Lelan, the demiurge of the healing arts.

I vow upon the sacred orchids of Lelan, by Laetha as my witness, and to the holy gods of life and death, to pledge myself to this oath:
I will devote my spirit and body to the hallowed duty of service towards all sentients.
I will live a life of sound mind, clean soul, and vital body.
I will give my fellow medica the respect, dignity, and gratitude their station deserves.
I will practice the healing arts with grace, dignity, and solemnity.
The health and well-being of my patient will be my first priority.
I will honor the privacy and sacred soul of my patient, even after the soul returns to the cycle.
I will act in humility under the eyes of the gods. My knowledge is a gift upon the world and does not make me greater than them.
My colleagues will be my family.
I will not allow political allegiance, race, creed, or nature of my patient color my duty towards them.
I will never use my knowledge against the order of life.
I tend to a person, not to a symptom. I will never forget the burden this vow puts upon me when I hold a life in my power.
It may be in my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced in each aspect with humility and awareness of my own limitations. If no other course exists to save a life, then with the greatest burden may I strike.
I make this vow freely and of my honor.

Career

Qualifications

A medica needs to be trained professionally in the healing arts, sentient anatomy, and basic alchemical techniques. Most medica receive training in the Universitate, but some have achieved well with a personal apprenticeship.
For a player character, the healer feat is required to earn the title of a journeyman medica.

Career Progression

Apprentice

Most medica apprentices start as assistants and are known as medics, where they learn the day-to-day responsibilities and duties needed to not only tend to wounds, but also manage the business and logistics of medical care. When they complete their apprenticeships and receive the sponsorship of a more senior medica (usually after about two to four years), they become a journeyman medica.

Journeyman

A journeyman medica, also known as a healer, is allowed to work partially independently under a more senior medica's practice. Many journeyman will still assist a senior medica with difficult procedures, but they can spend much of their careers creating poultices and tending to minor cases. When a journeyman has produced enough evidence to show mastery over their craft (usually by performing a difficult cirurgie, creating a potent cure, or exhibiting powerful healing magic), they are granted the title of master medica (usually after 5-10 years of being a journeyman).

Master

A master medica, also known as a doctor, can legally run their own practice. The master medica is a well-respective and well-renouned role tempered by the burden of their craft. Master medica will tend to the most grevious of wounds, virulent diseases, and foul curses that they can find, which can put them in danger. If a master medica exhibits singularly exceptional craft, they can be promoted to a rank of grandmster medica.

Grandmaster

A grandmaster medica, known by their rank, is the pinnacle of the medica career path. They are able to handle virtually any health emergency they come across and often have access to some of the greatest healing magics or tonics available (on the scale of regeneration, greater restoration, and the like).

Payment & Reimbursement

The four tiers of a medica can expect to earn different amounts with their practice of the healing arts. An apprentice can expect a monthly salary of about 30-40 gold pieces. A journeyman can expect a monthly salary of about 60-70 gold pieces. A master can expect a monthly salary of about 120-180 gold pieces. A grandmaster can expect a monthly salary of about 300-400 gold pieces.

Other Benefits

Earning the title of medica allows a professional to enter many restricted areas in emergencies. Medicas are given identifying badges of red brass they often wear around their neck that flags them as an emergency responder.

Perception

Purpose

The medica tends to a population's health needs. A low-ranking medica can make simple tinctures, tonics, and poultices for simple wounds and ailments. A high-ranking medica can tend to powerful political and economic figures.
Even in a world of healing magic, medica are utilized. Healing magic does not scale well to a large population (unlike a medica's labor) and many magically healed wounds still require the convalescent aid of a trained medica.

Social Status

The medica is widely respected. In battle, a properly marked medica can expect soldiers from any side of the conflict to ignore them. Medica are then expected to tend to any wounded person in their place.

History

It is rumored that the modern medica arts were pioneered by Aziz. The first medica in history were devotees of Lelan and Laetha.

Operations

Tools

A medica is bestowed with a professional healer's kit, which includes bandages, sharp blades, thread and needle, and cleansing tonic. Many medica also have laboratories or stations for creating balms, poultices, and medicines. Many medica use silver tools and silver salt-based medicines.
When in a conflict zone, a medica will wear a white tabard emblazoned with a crimson orchid on the sleeves, chest, and back. This marks them as a non-combatant in violent situations and guarantees a level of cultural protection.
The red brass badges, embossed with the sacred orchid of Lelan, marks someone as a trained medica. Different etchings denote different ranks.

Workplace

Medica often work in a hospice environment lead by a master medica. These environments are fastidiously cleaned by apprentices and feature rooms for diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and long-term care.

Alternative Names

Healer, Medic, Doctor, Grandmaster Medica

Type

Medical

Demand

Medica are always in demand.

Legality

In the United Halla Alliance, a medica is only allowed to work as long as it has its red brass badge. This badge is earned through a rigorous training regiment, which in turn prevents a layman from taking other people's lives into their untrained hands.
If a medica was proven to violate the oath or have gross incompetence, then their badge can be revoked and all privileges of their office and title removed.