Healing

Wherever humanity thrives, there’s a need for healing. Since the dawn of civilization, healers sprung up out of empathy and community need. Long before science knew what germ theory was, healers learned how to serve their people from tradition, communing with spirits, trial and error, and a host of other ways. Now, even when science can prevent and cure horrifying dis­ eases, many remain without access to such techniques. In medical deserts and communities who have historically been wronged by the medical establishment, there’s still need. People still desperately seek healers. They may not fully believe in magic or miracles, but between the choice of assured agony and a sliver of hope, many take the chance.

Hedge magic can achieve miraculous results. A master healer can cure cancers and speed up the heal­ ing of grievous injury beyond what should be possible, but they don’t advertise this. Even when so many are ignored and failed by the medical establishment, it’s illegal to practice medicine without a license. Beyond that, fame can be a heavy burden to carry. Many eager and empathetic hedge magicians begin learning the path of Healing, but few master it — they often burn out early from the cold and thankless world, switching to other Arts if they continue practicing magic at all.

Though not always required by their Practice, many hedge magician Healers do learn some form of medicine. Those who don’t rely on extraordinary science often learn forms of healing not based on modern medicine. At the very least, in instances they do learn the basics of modern medical science, their approach to treatment can be wildly different in philosophy and technique.

A healer might heal mild to moderate congenital illnesses or deformities, but more extreme examples such as regenerating limbs or raising the recently dead are the realm of legend.