You can bleed to death in a dark alley and be picked clean by bums or you can go to Mercy and maybe live but still be picked clean and by the bloody doctors!— Dayne Reed
Prior to
The Queen's Rebuke this building belonged to the College of Magic and acted as a training ground for would-be healers of all kind. Even those that relied on the power of the
gods would come here to further hone their craft. When the Rebuke severed Tairos' connect to magic and the gods, the building quickly shifted purpose. It became a refugee center for many worlds, housing the displaced and downtrodden that arrived on
Ghal Pelor's doorstep each day. When that crisis resolved the city turned it into barracks for their growing army, then into temporary housing for the
Gnomes while Homestead was being constructed. All of this transition took its toll on the building, leaving it an abandoned hovel for decades to come.
It would remain that way until thirty-one years ago. It owes its resurrections to the prosperity of the city's University. Prior to the reopening of the hospital it was the university's medical program that was receiving all of Ghal Pelor's sick or injured and doing so for free. The university's board decided to use the funds from wealthy donors and incoming students to purchase the hospital from the city and restore it to working order. While this project was a massive undertaking and incredibly expensive, it soon opened up a secondary source of income for the university that would yield massive profit.
Today, Mercy Hill is home to an extensive staff of physicians, apothecaries, medical scientists, and a legion of support staff. It's also the destination medical students who've graduated from their university courses to practical application. The hospital has an excellent reputation in the city (something that helps bolster the goodwill given toward the university as well) and abroad. Those looking to learn and those seeking treatment travel from all across Tairos before landing on Mercy's doorstep. And, the hospital is happy to have them... for a premium.
Hospital fees are expensive. For students, the tuition ranged from 600-3000 aurins a year depending on the level of training they seek and that doesn't include their room and board. Many hopeful physicians take on second jobs during their study. For patients seeking treatment, the hospital and the university do offer a number of free or reduced-cost treatments for those of lesser means. However, such generosities are in limited quantity and have a considerable wait list.
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