A Primer on Healing on Ithia.
Understanding the limitations of medical solutions in Ithia is important. Proper treatment for environments, risk, and time limits is important during triage. Understanding whether the use of magic, alchemical, or more traditional healing techniques is vital for applying the most useful, cost-effective, and safe treatment.
-Magic: Most magic for healing stems from divine sources such as clerics and priests of Talisman, Kaldron, and the True Mother or Daughters of the Phoenix of Siger’Alst. Most of this magic causes the rapid mending of wounds and injuries and generally doesn’t leave scars. Magical healing is considered highly dangerous as most healing magic causes the receiver to feel the full pain and discomfort; they’d have felt if it healed naturally over the course of seconds. Many being healed magically die from shock or suffer emotional trauma from the raw pain, making them wary of future magical healing, like an electrified surface discourages further contact. Magical Healing is generally useful for mortal wounds or those whose wounds would be difficult, if not impossible, to tend to naturally. When time is critical, magical healing is supreme. Some special followers of Talisman have access to take the pain unto themselves, while even fewer Talisman will accept the pain entirely themselves; though her followers are loath to use this gift unless it’s the only option.
-Potions: Potions generally made by apothecaries or stronger potions made by alchemists. Artificial, Natural, or Planar components to boost health, bolster body, mind, or soul, heal, fight disease, and otherwise help the drinker. Potions often have bases of alcohol, clay, or vinegar, and the ingredients usually are strong and unpleasant in scent and taste. Alchemists boost the natural effects of a potion, making simple remedies into magical cures. The effects of a potion will almost never compete with direct magic in speed and strength, but they are easier to deal with, often inducing less overall pain. Master Alchemists can generally restore any wound inflicted with the remedies they enhance, but potions generally only solve more surface wounds. It can be difficult to drink and keep down most potions, and those with weak constitutions will find them hard to use.
-Alchemist Science: The Alchemist Orders dissect, research, and study bodies, learning how to enter the body to repair various wounds. Figured out the existence of microbes, distilled antibiotics, and have figured out safe and sanitary ways of surgery, grow homunculus organs, and create arcane replacement limbs. Alchemist services are expensive, safe, but require a decent amount of recovery time. They are the first line of defense during plagues, marching their forces into plague-riddled areas to contain, combat, and wipe out plagues before they spread.
-Traditional Healers: Traditional healers learn under a previous healer or learn on their own. They rely on what has worked in the past. Each healer has different results, and travelers can risk losing their lives to a healer who has learned poor medical treatments such as the use of mercury and bloodletting. It is far cheaper than alchemist services, but its quality is varied and non-uniform, like magic and alchemist surgery.
Tales of Ithia 
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