Sorcery Bloodline Research
Inner Research
Sir, I'm questioning what your ancestors were into.
Sorcery always has been something that is hard to pin down due to its genetic nature. With so many bloodlines existing with countless origins, trying to categorise it all is difficult.
In the past decades, researchers have found a way to sort and treat Sorcerers accordingly. With medical treatment and proper training, it allows one to feel better inside their body.
The study of Sorcery
What is Sorcery?
Sorcery, in its purest form, is magic directly linked to one's own genetics and blood. Unlike the divinity of clerics and the spellbooks of wizards, sorcery comes straight from the heart.
Every Sorcerer is unique in how their bloodline manifests, whether it be from its roots to the abilities one gets. While there are overlapping traits, it does make categorisation difficult at times. Especially with how many look so similar for the naked eye.
Most of them are harmless, but for some the symptoms can bring problems to daily life. Physical and mental effects make integrating with society difficult, if not impossible for some. In worst cases, said abilities can be hostile for both the person and those around them.
The Research of Sorcery
Throughout the centuries, scholars have attempted to document and treat bloodlines. However, due to questionable practises and biased research, it wasn't ideal. Records lacked sources, treatments were harsh for patients and some downright lied about symptoms. Trying to understand what a Sorcerer was was anyone's guess.
That changed in the past century. Scholars came together and collected all info about Sorcerers. Old documents got crosschecked with new ones, primary sources asked and new tests done. Decades of papers were looked through, finding correlations and patterns. And in the end, all of it got categorised into a single proper document.
What came out of the decades of research were the first standardised tests. A proper list of recorded bloodlines, symptoms and treatments, leading to the modern age of Sorcery research.
Check for symptoms
The test determines the bloodline by using a standardised list of symptoms. Everything from physical mutations, spells cast, supernatural abilities to even one's personal history. Anything that might help track down the bloodline is noted down by either the doctor or the patient.
The progress can take anywhere from a few hours to weeks. Results end up 80-90% of the time diagnosing the correct bloodline, if its effects already show. For pre-emptive testing on those not showing major symptoms, that number drops down to almost 50%.
Treatment
Take this medicine I prescribed you and visit my colleague at the other side of town. Understand that this treatment is not going to cure you, but helps you control your abilities. We help Sorcerers learn how to live with their bloodline, not cure it.
Once testing is complete, treatment can begin. With a bloodline understood, doctors can recommend the proper ways to deal with it. Due to each Sorcerer being unique, methods vary wildly between one another, even if they share the same bloodline.
Severity of the symptoms also takes a major role. While most can follow basic training to get a grip on their powers, some might need personalised help. Extreme cases might even need additional support to function in daily life. One can either spend a few years learning to manage their powers, or a lifetime on medication to control it.
Progress takes time, and not every Sorcerer might succeed at controlling their powers. Hence why there are facilities and schools designed to help Sorcerers get used to their skills. A few even grow up to teach others with similar heritages ways to handle it like they did.
The benefits
Thanks to these measures, Sorcerers are able to live normal lives without worrying about their abilities. Confusion about bloodlines decreased over the years, as did accidents related to it.
It also opened up opportunities for people with a gifted bloodline to find ideal jobs to work in. Things like healing touches for nurses or even an elemental resistance for exploration. Some fields even prefer certain Sorcerers, which does lead to an unfair advantage in the market.
Even for non-spellcasters the greater understanding of Sorcery has helped many. Doctors give people the proper advice to help their loved ones with Sorcerer bloodlines. For some this is to ensure the safety of their friend, for others it is to protect themselves.
Magic Items & You
With the growing support for Sorcerers also come the creation of tools to help with any of their symptoms. Through decades of studies, medical magic items exist to regulate one's magical abilities. Due to the nature of bloodlines, each one is unique, designed with the patient in mind.
Granted, not everyone can afford to have magic items designed for them. Low-income homes resort to magic items with only a specific bloodline in mind. A few families even inherit equipment of their parents with the same condition. It does not help completely, but it does control most symptoms.
Alternative Medicine
The problem with professional medical treatment is that not everyone accepts it as fact. Even before proper research, people tried to heal bloodlines with alternative methods. From herbs to salves to even bloodletting and supernatural methods. While some can help, most only act as placebos for any patient.
It gets worse when people begin to trust dangerous misinformation. Certain treatments can worsen symptoms of a bloodline, if not cause new ones to emerge. Ignorance of the bloodline can be deadly, whether it be for the patient or those around them. Even misunderstanding its origins or symptoms is a recipe to disaster.
Remember: Don't self-diagnose.
Not going to lie, but I feel this touches on something that's missing from the sorceror class (I'm assuming this touches on pathfinder, right?) There really isnt much set up in how sorceror learn of their heritage and just how their bloodline works. This is something I'd love to use in my games. It makes sense for their to be fields of study into it. Well done.