PM to join Unusual Therapy (Saraphina)

[Devi]

Apartments, Maiden District - Winter 26, 514 AV

Devi stood and stretched out the aching muscles along her spine. It had been but a few days since she had been treating Autumn for infection and yet the same symptoms were now showing across her neighbourhood. The doctor had yet to fall ill herself, which was a small blessing, but the work was tiring. As a part of the treatment she disseminated Devi had taken to issuing ruthless standards of cleanliness from the care-taking families of her patients. Surprisingly there had been little resistance to her instructions. Then again, the more she watched family members bustling around her, the more she began to realise that to many of them it was a comfort to be able to do something, even if they didn't really understand how it could help. Devi doubted it would last too long past the panic of illness but it had been a useful lesson nonetheless.

As a result of the increase, her usual rounds lasted all day and dipped well into the evening, before she finally went to bed to sleep like the dead. Today she had finished unusually early, with most of her patients stable and getting some much-needed rest. The voice of logic in her head told her that she should be doing the same, taking advantage of the dip to catch up on some sleep. Still, her brain felt foggy and at the same time restless. Seeing the same symptoms for days on end and issuing the same instructions over and over again was tiring her body but boring her mind.

Devi slowed her pace, allowing people to overtake her as she thought about what to do with her unexpected afternoon. She found herself craving a bit of open air, even if it was colder than Avanthal outside. Loathe though she was to leave the warmth of the apartments, not having a ceiling over her head sounded blissful after so long packed into overcrowded homes and busy inner corridors. At the edge of the Maiden District she shivered at the chill in the air and burrowed her chin deeper into her scarf. She kept close to the side of the street and soon found the spot where the wall edged out a little into the street, carving out a little alcove on which she could sit, somewhat sheltered from the wind.

Knowing she wouldn't have long before the cold stiffened her fingers Devi pulled out her journal and began adding notes from her day. If nothing else she had been learning a lot about treating infection and, bored brain or not, she would make sure she noted everything down. Now and then she stopped to warm her hands and watch the world go by. Fairly soon the enticing open sky offered by the main street was seeming less and less appealing as the cold began settling deeper into her limbs. She thought about visiting Ronan in the warmth of his smithy, before she remembered that he would be at home taking care of his newly pregnant (and unendingly nauseous) wife.

Thinking that she had breathed in quite enough open air and would now happily sacrifice her personal space for a bit of heat, she finished up her notes and began walking again, with a mind that she might find an inn with hot food and a hot hearth to continue her afternoon.

[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow H er catches had been small, only a few rabbits, but the Alban's were none the less happy for the fresh meat. Getting further and further into the winter season was stretching their resources and the fire haired Kelvic was always a welcomed sight, as she never came to the butcher shop without something to sell to them. Dino Alban smiled happily as Saraphina entered into the warm shop. The air smelled heavily of meat, blood and steel. Bits of fresh red meat hung from hooks and the clunking sound of cleavers was heard further in the back. The owner smiled at her, nodding his head to indicate that she was free to come forward and speak to him. Stepping forward, Saraphina lifted up a bundle of four plump hares. A sudden wince crossed her face and she dropped the weight onto the counter. Dino frowned as he gathered up the long eared rodents and inspected them. After a moment he handed off the carcasses to one of his son's before looking back at the ginger. Saraphina held a hand to her right shoulder, rubbing the joint to try and stop the muscles from twitching. Her old injury had been flaring up lately. Thus far it hadn't affected any of her hunts, but it was starting to get annoying. D ino Alban scratched under his chin before speaking, "Old injury acting up?" Saraphina nodded before waving her hand to brush off the conversation. Old Dino didn't seemed to want to let the subject drop however and plowed on, "Probably the cold seeping into the joint. I've got a few old war wounds that act up in the winter season. Listen Girly....your one of my best clients. You always bring in good meat and I'd hate to see you hurt yourself worst by being stubborn. I've heard of a new Healer down in the Maiden District....Devi I think her name. Might be that you should take a walk down that way and have her look you over. I hear her rates are more than reasonable." Saraphina frowned a bit, but only offered a small shrug in response. The two shook hands after haggling over the price of her game and the Kelvic hunter took her leave. Rolling her right shoulder again, she bit back a wince as a twinge of pain jolted up her arm. Looking up at the sky, she sighed heavily. The elder butcher did have a point, she wouldn't be a good hunter if she allowed an old injury to pester her. She'd never needed to seek help from a healer before, always she'd been able to treat her own wounds. Pride was a strong factor in her life, strength was needed to survive in the wilds and she liked to think she had it in droves. But her body was telling a different story and she was forced to think that perhaps Dino was correct. Maybe she should seek out this Devi and see if she had some tonic or suggestion to help her shoulder. W alking back outside, she untethered Abaccus from the post. The sorrel Bloodbane nudged her happily and she smiled at her mount, "Yes, yes Abaccus...I haven't forgotten." Reaching into the saddlebags, Saraphina pulled out a ripe apple. Holding up the treat for her stallion, she chuckled a bit as he eagerly munched on the crisp fruit. Her stubborn horse might be a pain at times, but he was loyal and steadfast when she needed him to be. After he'd finished his snack, Saraphina led him further into the city. The walls faded from her vision and she felt a little less claustrophobic. Truthfully, she didn't think she would ever feel completely comfortable in the walled city, it was simply to much like a prison for her liking. Passing through the streets, she puffed out a white cloud of breath and rubbed at her shoulder again. The scar tissue from the wound was still pink and fleshy, an indication that it had healed. So she was curious as to why it was acting up now. True, she had phantom pains from time to time, but it was only recently that it had started to bother her. Maybe because she was more active with her hunts now than she had been in Zeltiva. A fter walking for about half a bell, the red haired Kelvic reached the District. Looking around she paused in thought. Now that she was here, she had no idea how to find this so called healer. Someone nearby must have seen her puzzled look and walked over to her, "You looking for someone Miss?" Saraphina shifted a bit uncomfortably and thought about turning around. Really, her shoulder wasn't that bad and she didn't know this healer. Maybe she should just head back to her campsite. But the young man had a rather insistent look on his face, she mumble out quickly, "Someone told me that there was a healer named Devi living here." The strangers face brightened and he nodded happily, "Devi....yes she's here. Been a wonderful help to many folks with the infection that's gone through the area. I think I saw her heading down towards the inn, that would be the best place to look for her. You can't miss her, she's got hair like yours. Red and pretty." Saraphina gave the young man a nod and encouraged her stallion to walk on. Heading down the street, she debated with every step about seeing Devi. How was she to know if the healers methods would help her or cause more harm. Before she could convince herself to turn around, the sharp eyed Kelvic spotted a bouncing mop of coppery hair in front of her. Biting her lip, she almost walked away. It was the hard nudge from her Bloodbane that made her final call out to the female figure, "Devi? Healer Devi? Can...Can I speak to you for a moment?"

[Devi]

Devi turned, hearing her name called in unfamiliar tones. Amongst the smattering of people in the street, a pair of pale golden eyes snagged her own at once. The woman from which they originated was tall and well toned. Long waves of fiery red hair fell from her shoulders and swayed about her in the breeze. It was an understatement to say she stood out; she was a jagged slice of intense colour against the pale, grey backdrop of the street behind her.

After a moment it became clear that the woman was indeed the one who had called her, though she didn't seem inclined to close the distance between them herself. Devi walked towards her, curiosity piqued. Usually strangers who had come to know her name learned it because they had urgent need of her skills. Her name tended to be not so much called but yelled. It was often followed with an abrupt set of demands and directions before she could even draw a breath. This woman, on the other hand, was a great deal more hesitant in her demeanour.

As she got closer she noticed with a start the giant of a horse standing close behind the woman. It was a compliment indeed that the woman's unusual physical features distracted from the creature's presence for so long. The beast looked as likely to eat her hand as to eat any food she offered in it. Then again, considering the sharp-eyed glare of its rider, she was hardly surprised that the two fit together so well. They stood more as companions than master and mindless beast, the woman seeming more at ease in close proximity to the horse than anyone else around them.

Well maybe the horse is peckish... she joked to herself, deciding that if this was indeed the case the creature would have little resistance in fulfilling its desire and that her career would come to a bloody and rather bizarre conclusion.

Up close Devi felt oddly uncomfortable under the scrutiny of those golden eyes. They caught her attention just as firmly in close quarters as they had done from across the street. The doctor's mind eagerly anticipated the unexpected distraction the woman offered and yet her body felt inclined to back away little by little. It was an unusually adverse reaction and one that only made her more intrigued. The woman appeared to be suffering from a little of the same indecision, her posture somewhere between wanting something and wanting to stride off in the other direction.

Devi noticed with amusement what a wide berth people in the street were giving them. She wondered if the woman was even aware of the kind of reactions she was causing in people. It seemed that duality was the flavour of the day - passers by seemed entranced by the exotic pair one moment and intimidated into shuffling past quicker the next.

"You wanted to speak with me?"

[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow S omehow the thought she'd had on how she was going to respond to Devi fled the Kelvic's mind when the green eyed Healer approached her. The greater height she held over the delicate human was a help, it gave her more confidence. Saraphina didn't know what her problem was, why she was suddenly feeling so out of sorts. Normally, she didn't flinch away from new experiences. But then, she'd never needed a Healer before and her naïve, young mind seemed to only be producing images of sharp, jagged blades coated with a layer of rust and wild eyes rolling in delight at seeing pain. The red haired shifter found her tongue glued to the top of her throat and her vocal cords frozen as she struggled to piece together a single word. It was the actions of her Bloodbane, yet again, that finally snapped her from her dazed state. Abaccus slung his head over her right shoulder and, quite deliberately she had no doubt, leaned a good portion of his heavy, long nosed muzzle on the sore joint. T he sudden flash of pain that jolted up her arm and down her spine made her flinch hard. Jerking away from Abaccus's head, she gave the spirted stallion a heated glare over her shoulder. Clearly the sorrel was more inclined to see her treated than she was and was determine to pester her till she was. Sighing in defeat and blostering her courage, Saraphina raised up her hand, rubbing at the joint irritably "My name is Saraphina. I'm...a hunter and...." She paused as she struggled to try and piece together the words. The last thing she wanted to do was appear weak, that was almost unforgivable as far as she was considered. She was Kelvic, a survivre who lived off the land. While she knew full well she was only mortal, she hated the fact that she needed to seek help from anyone over a wound she'd long thought fixed. Hesitanting again, she coutunied in a quite voice, "I've....never really needed any care from a Healer before. I've always treated my own wounds. But....last season....I...My shoulder was injured and...its been....bothering me a bit. I heard you were treating the public in the District and you were recommended. If you're too busy I understand. It a minor thing, nothing that will really affect me. But....if you have some time...." Saraphina's voice trailed off, but pride won't allow her to look away from Devi, even if her self confidence wasn't particulary high. It wasn't that she was afraid of the auburn haired Docter, Saraphina was quite confindent in her own ablitiy to defend herself. But, a Healer's methods of treatment were completely unknown to her. And in was the utter mystery that she was skittish about. D evi was correct in her assumption that the ginger wasn't aware of the attention she was drawing on the street. She rarely was when she walked in public places. Usually, Saraphina had a place to go when she visited the city and cared little for what else was going on around her. Sometimes, people would point out that she caused a stir. Mostly, the Kelvic was ignorant of it, more interested in concluding her business that caring what other people thought of her. But looking over the pale skinned human and carefully scenting the air, she found an aura of unease from the Healer. Mildly confused as to why Devi would be uncomfortable, as Saraphina thought she had that page pocketed, the Kelvic tilted her head in curiosity. Drawing back on her Mother's teachings, she glanced around the street and cleared her throat so her voice would sound more polite, "This might not be the best place to talk. Is there someplace warmer maybe? An Inn or building you're more comfortable in?" While Saraphina was oblivious to the fact that it was her own animalistic inheritance that was making Devi uneasy, she knew from her experiences with humans that offering a neutral ground tended to help make them more friendly. And truthfully, the coppery haired girls discomfort made Saraphina feel a bit better. At least she wasn't keeping company alone in her discontentment.

[Devi]

At the mention of a medical problem Devi’s attention focused and she felt herself begin to calm. If her obsessions with medicine did nothing else for her in social situations it could at least settle her nerves in an instant. It had been useful in the past, particularly when apprenticing with Versin. A situation could turn from regular to brink-of-death much quicker than most people dared believe. Her old mentor had a reputation for being cold-hearted (and one that she sometimes feared she had inherited) but the man could practice surgery whilst a full blown war raged around him.

Devi thought for a moment about where would be best to take her newest patient and the woman’s clearly persistent mount. If it was an old injury still bothering her then it was likely to be some combination of pain and stiffness, either a wound that had healed badly or one that may simply always cause her bother. The cold had a way of irritating such injuries, particularly where they centred on muscles and joints. If the woman was a hunter then she likely spent a lot of time outside of the city. Considering the independent aura radiating from her it wouldn’t surprise the doctor to learn that she lived out in the nearby forests.

They would need room for the young woman to move around, preferably without the entire city watching with avid interest. The prospects weren’t incredible; the city was packed together closely enough as it was but in Winter everyone seemed to huddle that much closer to each other. It made Devi uncomfortable and if she had to guess, she would assume that Saraphina felt the same. It was more surprising for the young doctor, being a native to the city. Most who grew up in the Syliran tight confines got used to the lack of personal space and the endless gossip that filtered through close-knit neighbourhoods. Many of the apartments around where she lived kept open doorways so that the various occupants could chat together more easily. Children played out in the hallways and the corridors were filled with low-key merchants and entertainers, any of those not quite accomplished enough to try their luck in the markets and theatre. Devi’s door was always closed. She protected it fiercely as her own small piece of freedom and space in a city where that concept had become largely lost.

Freedom in Syliras was subjective. Most people were content with that because acceptance bought them safety. In Devi’s mind however, freedom by its very definition couldn’t be subjective. That’s not to say that she wanted to live in a lawless society, she knew and respected the stable environment that life under the knighthood meant. Still, to place so many conditions and limitations upon a state and still label it ‘free’ was hypocritical in the least. Syliras may be a gilded cage but it was a cage nonetheless; it should be openly labelled as such.

Mentally shaking her head, she brought herself back to the problem at hand.

What I wouldn’t give for my own infirmary…

“I have just the place. Follow me.”

Devi led them to the inn she had been ambling towards before. The common room was busy with locals seeking an afternoon meal or shelter from the cold. Whilst her companion was stabling her horse, Devi sought out the innkeeper and explained her request. He wasn’t especially enthusiastic.

“I just need the space for the afternoon, somewhere out of the way where we won’t bother people. You won’t even notice we’re there.”

The portly man remained convinced that this signalled the beginning of a horde of sick people taking residence in his basement but Devi knew the right buttons to push. She reminded him that she had treated his eldest child and delivered his youngest and asked him if he had any reason to doubt her word. He blustered for a few moments more but then begrudgingly agreed, waving her off and replacing the smile on his face for his much less bothersome, paying customers.

She caught Saraphina’s gaze when she entered and the pair made their way downstairs to the large cellar. Half the room was stacked with dusty barrels and half-filled crates. She dragged a few pieces of debris out of the open space and lit all the torches she could spot before turning back to her patient. A babble of voices trickled down from the floor above them but was muted enough that it was easy to ignore.

“Apologies for the unusual location but we needed some space which, you may well know, is somewhat of a luxury around here.”

She took off her coat, scarf and gloves as she spoke, depositing them on a nearby barrel.

“Now, you mentioned it was an old injury in your shoulder that was bothering you – could you tell me what happened to it and how you went about healing it?”

It would be her first question of many, a process by which she could paint a mental picture of the type of pain and what was causing it. She would need to know everything Saraphina did in her day to day that might exacerbate the problem and would ask for demonstrations. She occasionally treated knights for similar injuries. They, as protectors of the city, had their medical bills taken care of and so would often make use of the more expensive treatments, like Chadast Oil, where injuries caused them problems. For the most part however Devi’s patients were those who banded together to scrape up enough to pay her for the most basic of treatments. She had learned to adapt her approach as a result; the body had a wonderful capability of taking care of itself if only one spends the time to flex it in the right way.

[Saraphina Skyglow]

Saraphina Skyglow T he auburn haired girl seemed to shift suddenly at the mention of Saraphina's problem. Her forest colored eyes focused with laser like intensity, which did nothing to ease the Kelvic sensation of discomfort she was feeling. But pride and the need to not appear frightened and weak made her stand her ground. Devi seemed to agree with her thoughts on moving to a more private location, which helped to dissipate some of Saraphina's uneasiness. It wasn't that she was afraid of Devi, far from it. After all, the slim girl didn't look like she would pose much of a threat. It was more that she was unsure of what methods the healer might suggest or try to perform to help her injury. Would it really help or was it going to make things worst? Saraphina didn't know of the code of healers, the promise they took when administering medicine to do all they could to help and take no sides. N odding in agreement, Saraphina followed Devi silently through the crowded streets. People seemed to pay less attention to the pair, now that it was apparent that the fire haired girl was dealing with a know resident of Traveller's Row. The Inn looked quite cozy with reddish brickwork and a grey roof. A hitching post was positioned to the left of the door and Saraphina took a few minutes to take her gear off Abaccus and sling it over the post. She had a feeling this examination was going to take a bit, so her mount might as well be comfortable. Making sure to take her money and valuables out of the saddlebags, she followed Devi inside. The warmth of the room took the chill out of Saraphina's skin and her shoulder almost instantly started to feel better. Maybe the Alban had been right, maybe it was just the cold. Still, she was here, might as well see what Devi had to say. D evi had gone to a rounded human and spoken a few words before waving to the ginger. Tilting her head in curiosity, Saraphina followed her to a back room. The healer removed her winter gear, questioning the Kelvic on how she was injured and the means she used to heal it. Shrugging out of her cloak and pulling off her gloves, she also placed the items on a nearby barrel. Rolling her right shoulder, she was relived to feel that the stiffness seemed to be fading. "It's an old hunting injury I received last season. Early fall, maybe on the third or fourth day. I was in my animal form and was tracking a large buck. I brought the deer down, but it impaled one of its antler points into my shoulder." Saraphina pulled down the collar of her shirt to show Devi the patch of skin above the joint. A rounded and slightly puckered looking section of scar tissue was seen, roughly the diameter of a small plum decorated the skin. It was completely healed, but was still rather pink and fleshy to the touch. "It was a fairly deep wound, but my friend at the time said it didn't strike anything vital. As for what I did to heal it....I didn't really do anything, it healed well enough in about a week. My shoulder actually feels better already, just from getting out of the cold I suppose." Enthere had offered to use some of her herbs and medicine to speed up the process, but Saraphina had waved her off. The injury had healed well enough on its own, and this was the first time it had bothered her in weeks.

[Devi]

Animal form?

It wasn't exactly what she had planned on for her afternoon but Saraphina certainly had the effect of chasing the last echoes of boredom and tiredness from her mind. Devi hadn't treated any Kelvics before but she'd seen them around. They always had a different air about them, odd habits and physical features that you wouldn't notice if you didn't make a point of doing so. Whenever she and Ronan were out and about together as children they would point out unusual looking passers-by and hazard a guess as to what animal they would be, whether the recipient was Kelvic or not. Considering the young woman in front of her Devi would assume that they hadn't successfully identified many actual shifters in their youth. Had they spotted such a woman they likely would have followed her around for days. As it was they did manage to find an owl shifter once but she flew away quite soon after they found her.

Devi's eyes caught on the pink skin stretched across the old wound on Saraphina's shoulder. She peered closer at it as the details of the shifter's story filtered into her mind. On the surface the scar looked as it should, though it looked like the mark would linger for a good number of years.

"It's not surprising you feel better in the warm. Judging from all the supplies you had bundled on your horse I'd guess you're not a city-dweller so the constant cold is likely to get you feeling much stiffer than usual. Injuries like these can be pretty fickle. It might just be bothering you now because the trauma's relatively fresh but then it might continue to bother you for the rest of your life. Bodies are fairly good at patching any holes we poke in them but it's a fairly simple response to danger. If there's a hole then it's patched, if there's a break then it's fixed. That doesn't necessarily mean it's fixed in the right way though. Think of it like..." She grasped around for a metaphor that would make sense to a hunter.

"Think of it like trying to make an animal trap under pressure, without all of the ideal materials. The end result won't work perfectly but it'll still catch you something. Muscles can be stretched out and trained though. There are medicines that can help but they end up pretty pricey if you're going to be using them long-term. The best solution would be to come up with some kind of regular exercise that'll warm you up and stretch out the muscles in the right way."

Devi thought about the few exercises she knew that would work the area around the shoulder. Most of the patients she had with similar complaints were much older and so were satisfied with the slow, repetitive actions she showed them. She wasn't sure the same approach would work here though. She found herself wishing that she knew what kind of animal Saraphina could shift to - it might help her to think of an alternative that would hold her interest. Devi wasn't sure if it was a rude question to ask.

"If possible it would be useful to see you shift and move around a little in your ...animal form."

Then an idea occurred to her. Some of the knights must have the same kind of issues whenever they were injured. She'd seen some of them wandering out of the training grounds, nursing one aching limb or another.

"You mentioned you were a hunter right? I don't mean to make assumptions but you look like you can take care of yourself. Do you ever spar with people? Fight without weapons, in your human form? If so then show me some - I can point out which movements will help with your shoulder. That way we can work out a routine that'll bring you some more regular relief and you won't be bored to death whilst doing it."

[Sayana]

Devi Skills: Skill EXP Endurance +1 Writing +1 Observation +3 Socialization +3 Rhetoric +1 Persuasion +1 Medicine +2 Teaching +1 Lores: Medicine: Diagnosing the aches of an old injury Saraphina: Kelvic patient with old shoulder injury Medicine: Exercises to rehabilitate an arm after injury Comments : It’s too bad this thread didn’t go farther. Even still, I thought Devi’s diagnosis was a sufficient demonstration of her medical skills to award you experience in that. One other note. When referring to taverns, it might be a good idea to specify which one it is. The taverns in Syliras have names and also NPCs who go along with the locations. For example, there’s the Rearing Stallion, and perhaps Devi was one of the doctors present when Ser Kevith, the owner, had his arm amputated. Saraphina Comments : If you come back to Mizahar, PM me and I’ll award you your grades. Don't forget to edit/delete your grade request in the grade request thread. However, make sure to keep the link so that the DS can review graded threads with ease. If you have any questions or concerns about your grade please feel free to send me a message. Enjoy.