Massage Skill Write Up

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Massage Skill Write Up

Postby Amirah on October 5th, 2009, 4:30 am

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Massage


Massage is an ancient study and skills of various forms of which help to heal, relax, and realign the physical body in ways that some modern medicine is incapable of doing. It uses the techniques requiring advance training from the practitioner of anatomy and physiology as they use manipulation, movement and the body’s natural systems to affect structures of the body. Originating from the skilled physicians of the Eyktol, massage has spread across the land, and their effects are widely felt from the weary and pained Syliras Knights to the hedonistic and pleasure loving Eypharians.

Prerequisites Needed: Lore of race specific anatomy.
Examples Lore of Human Anatomy, Eypharian Anatomy, Jamoura Anatomy, ect.
Notes: If one is preforming on a person out side of the racial lore they contain they operate automatically one level lower than they actually have.


Novice (1-25)
A novice practitioner understands the basics of massage. They are knowledgeable of a specific humanoid anatomy, and are thus capable of giving “good” massages. At the moment while they have the knowledge of anatomy they are only beginning to grasp the theory and practice of how to manipulate muscular layers and the general idea of where pressure points are, their hands are untried and clumsy.
In this stage they focus more upon the basics of massage and the relaxation of their clients by causing the muscles to relax by applying pressure to them against deeper muscles and bones, and rubbing in the same direction as the flow of blood returning to the heart.


Competent (26-50)
A competent practitioner has become more comfortable with the humanoid anatomy, and has developed a greater understanding in its flow and manipulation with practice their touch has become fluid and sure. They can now comfortably manipulate several pressure points, mapping out nearly a full quarter of the body, which make their massages and sessions all the more effective. If another who is studying massage is present, the practitioner has the option and knowledge to give a four-handed massage, which involves massaging both the left and right sides in mimicked motion to give a balanced experience. (Or if they have multiple limbs)

At this level they have begun to successfully learn and practice pain relief techniques such as easing headaches, muscle spasms and cramping.

Expert (51-75)
The expert Masseuse has come a long way from their unsure touches, and it shows greatly in their work. There are few pauses in their motion, and the pressure points of the body are nearly second nature to them; half of the body's points are well known and often touched upon in a session to maximize effect. Through experience, and intense study of the muscular system, they are capable of giving deep tissue massages, which affect the sub layer of the musculature and fascia. As a deep tissue massage helps with chronic muscular pain and injury rehabilitation and reduces inflammation-related pain caused by arthritis and tendinitis, an expert practitioner of massage is highly valued in bath houses or hospitals to treat people with painful, crippling injuries.

Master (76-100)
A master of massage is well known and sought after by many. They have no pause in their sessions; their movement of touch, of pressure and manipulation are as smooth as the flowing water in a river. Simple ailments such as a headache or a hot, tight, cramped muscle are no challenge to them, and can be cured often with a simple touch. Their advanced knowledge of the body allow them to give incredible deep tissue massages that leave one feeling rejuvenated at the end of a session, many claiming to feel as though they were born again. The master Masseur is capable of pinpointing the root of any ache or pain without fail, and is quick and efficient in treating it. . They possess complete and intimate knowledge of the humanoid anatomy, and every pressure point, important and stray, are known to the master. They know where to touch to promote circulation of the blood, relieve headaches, eye strain, sinus, neck, and back problems and a slew of more. In Massage, local symptoms are considered an expression of the condition of the body as a whole. A tension headache, for instance, may be rooted in the shoulder and neck area. Thus, a practitioner focuses on relieving pain and discomfort, as well as responding to tension, before it develops into a disease—before the constrictions and imbalances can do further damage, yet a Master, can do this in simple touches.

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Re: Massage Skill Write Up

Postby Gossamer on October 8th, 2009, 5:59 pm

Amirah-

Okay... sorry this has sat for so long. I commented on its early stages when you talked about having it Body Works which encompassed about three different things. I like how you've peeled out just massage and posted it up. Now... for a few comments.

Mizahar's medicinal level is not such that we'd probably have terms like tendinitis or sinus. I would remove these terms. Also... I'd tweek just a few things. I'd add a section on tools of massage. The table, towels, oils etc... how long training takes.. common places to get training... where to find masseuses... etc. Then I'd tweak the skill table a bit.

level 1 - I'd place the level 2 stuff... sore muscles, aches, cramping... here. It seems the simplest really.

level 2 - I'd add in the use of oils and herbs (mainly practitioners use peppermint, spearmint) and replace sore muscles, aches, and cramping with restoration of circulation, easement of chronic pain, or incredibly bad headaches. I'd also add in easing fatigue.

level 3 - Almost magical ability to get old wounds like badly healed breaks loosened up and moving again, fixing locked up scar tissue - I forget what its called when muscles become rigid and the little bundles in them lock up.. but massage can totally fix that over time - but I think a level 3 could probably work it out to do so in one or two sessions.

level 4 - speed healing of all sorts, be they breaks, etc. I think you should have something 'epic' a level 4 massage person can do... but I'm not sure what that would be. I dunno.. make the infertile fertile... the impotent regain the use of their... *cough*... clear the lungs in a chronic smoker... all sorts of things?

Perhaps Tarot would have some ideas....
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Re: Massage Skill Write Up

Postby Tarot on October 11th, 2009, 7:34 pm

My apologies if this comment is lackluster... but I really know nothing about massages. I do think this writeup could be fleshed out a little more before the skill tree, especially with major tools and concepts. Some exposition could be taken away from the skill tree to balance it out.

About technical terms, it's sort of blurry as wiki articles are not meant to be read by people in-character. My personal policy is to use whichever words make the concept easier for the human player to understand. If you need to use a modern term, then it may be a good idea to note that Mizaharians would refer to it in some other way.

At level 4, I guess your knowledge of pressure points would be so intimate that it'd help you enhance the Flux. Other than that, I think Goss' suggestions include most of what is humanly possible to achieve with massage.
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Re: Massage Skill Write Up

Postby Kadarus on October 19th, 2009, 10:02 pm

Here's an edeited version of the write up, per your suggestions. I didn't put any code in it because...uh...banana creme pie.

Massage


Massage is an ancient study and skills of various forms of which help to heal, relax, and realign the physical body in ways that some modern medicine is incapable of doing. It uses the techniques requiring advance training from the practitioner of anatomy and physiology as they use manipulation, movement and the body’s natural systems to affect structures of the body. Originating from the skilled physicians of the Eyktol, massage has spread across the land, and their effects are widely felt from the weary and pained Syliras Knights to the hedonistic and pleasure loving Eypharians.

The tools of the trade are just as important to the practice as are the hands. The most common and highly recognized is the massage table, upon which the recipient of the massage stretches out upon to give full access to the body. Less observed are the oils, heated stones, towels, and body rollers which are commonly utilized through a massage. Massage is a widely underestimated skill; many believe they can simply place their hands upon another and reap the same benefits as a seasoned practitioner, but the studies of the body takes upwards of a full year to understand the rudimentary skills. The practice is most common in Eyktol, particularly Ahnatep, where the many armed Eypharians are inarguably the masters of the skill.


Prerequisites Needed: Lore of race specific anatomy.
Examples Lore of Human Anatomy, Eypharian Anatomy, Jamoura Anatomy, ect.
Notes: If one is preforming on a person out side of the racial lore they contain they operate automatically one level lower than they actually have.



Novice (1-25)
A novice practitioner understands the basics of massage. They are knowledgeable of a specific humanoid anatomy, and are thus capable of giving “good” massages. At the moment while they have the knowledge of anatomy they are only beginning to grasp the theory and practice of how to manipulate muscular layers and the general idea of where pressure points are, their hands are untried and clumsy.

In this stage they focus more upon the basics of massage and the relaxation of their clients by causing the muscles to relax by applying pressure to them against deeper muscles and bones, and rubbing in the same direction as the flow of blood returning to the heart.

At this level they have begun to successfully learn and practice pain relief techniques such as easing headaches, muscle spasms and cramping.


Competent (26-50)
A competent practitioner has become more comfortable with the humanoid anatomy, and has developed a greater understanding in its flow and manipulation; with practice, their touch has become fluid and sure. They can now comfortably manipulate several pressure points, mapping out nearly a full quarter of the body, which make their massages and sessions all the more effective. If another who is studying massage is present, the practitioner has the option and knowledge to give a four-handed massage, which involves massaging both the left and right sides in mimicked motion to give a balanced experience (or, if they possess multiple limbs). Their studies have also advanced to a point that they are capable of perfoming hot stone massages, in which heated, smoothed stones are placed on certain points on the body to warm and loosen tight muscles, and balance energy centers in the body. For those who prefer a lighter massage, hot stones are ideal for easing muscle tension. A competent practiotioner has become experienced with herbs and oils, and has begun to utilize them in their sessions. Certain scents, such as peppermint and spearmint, induces a calming, relaxed state, which aids in the massage.

At this level, they are capable of restoring circulation to numb or pained limbs, and are capable of easing chronic pain, splitting headaches, and fatigue.

Expert (51-75)
The expert Masseuse has come a long way from their unsure touches, and it shows greatly in their work. There are few pauses in their motion, and the pressure points of the body are nearly second nature to them; half of the body's points are well known and often touched upon in a session to maximize effect. Through experience, and intense study of the muscular system, they are capable of giving deep tissue massages, which affect the sub layer of the musculature and fascia. As a deep tissue massage helps with chronic muscular pain and injury rehabilitation and reduces inflammation-related pain, an expert practitioner of massage is highly valued in bath houses or hospitals to treat people with painful, crippling injuries.

At this level, the skills of the masseuse seem almost supernatural, on par with the Opal Order; they can free movement in limbs that are partalyzed with hard, knotty scar tissue, and loosen old wounds such as badly healed breaks to allow new, previously unexperienced movement. Patients whose mucles have atrophied will find themselves almost fully cured after a mere two to three sessions on an expert masseuse's table.

Master (76-100)
A master of massage is well known and sought after by many. They have no pause in their sessions; their movement of touch, of pressure and manipulation are as smooth as the flowing water in a river. Simple ailments such as a headache or a hot, tight, cramped muscle are no challenge to them, and can be cured often with a simple touch. Their advanced knowledge of the body allow them to give incredible deep tissue massages that leave one feeling rejuvenated at the end of a session, many claiming to feel as though they were born again. The master Masseur is capable of pinpointing the root of any ache or pain without fail, and is quick and efficient in treating it. . They possess complete and intimate knowledge of the humanoid anatomy, and every pressure point, important and stray, are known to the master. The location of pressure points have become such basic knowledge to the masseuse that they are able to enhance the flow of djed in another and thus enhance the abilities of a user of Flux. They know where to touch to promote circulation of the blood, relieve headaches, eye strain, sinus, neck, and back problems and a slew of more. People struggling to heal from wounds will find their recovery sped quickly along from a session, no matter the injury. In Massage, local symptoms are considered an expression of the condition of the body as a whole. A tension headache, for instance, may be rooted in the shoulder and neck area. Thus, a practitioner focuses on relieving pain and discomfort, as well as responding to tension, before it develops into a disease—before the constrictions and imbalances can do further damage, yet a Master can do this in simple touches. Those who have gone under the hands of an expert masseus have claimed "miracles"; massage has helped the infertile become fertile, the impotent to become potent, and smokers have found their lungs cleared of the brutal toxins which plagued them.
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Re: Massage Skill Write Up

Postby Gossamer on October 25th, 2009, 6:07 pm

This new improved version looks good to me. I have really nothing to add and think it can be added into the wiki as is, minus the frame code, and with the skill template used (see Dummy_Skill in the wiki, edit it, and cut and paste this in).

Great job!
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