Chirurgeons
Brief History of the Independant Guild of Chirurgeons
In the days of change following the Lystran Revolution when Truniss was ousted from the Imperial house by Farron Lystra and his followers, the Independent Guilds of Technology and of Chirurgeons were formed in order to prevent such potentially powerful information from tearing apart the equilibrium of the empire, keeping such matters away from the hand of any one house.
The Independent Guild of Technology was merely reshuffled internally from the existing Technological Explorers and Decoders Organisation, and those of high rank and knowledge within the Guild gave up their House affiliations and ties in order gain this independence. They did not, however, take on the investigation of the Preservation Technology which had caused the initial unrest.
This, and in the centuries to come, the developing arts of healing, were given to the newly formed Independent Guild of Chirurgeons, who specialised in the workings of the complex and life giving Preservation Technology. Like the IGT, new initiates could still be House affiliated but any who wished to move on to more important workings within the guild would formally give up their association to their House in order to maintain the Guild’s independence. Many were originally trained by the Technologists, and so it is today, as the basics of Legacy technology are the same in all devices found so far.
All IGC members must swear an oath to use the technology for the benefit of the Empire and must renounce all other personal loyalties. Other medical technology possessed, used and studied by the Chirurgeons include Sealing devices, Parts Generators and Health capsules. The more open minded Chirurgeons even practice some of the more consistently proven ‘new remedies’ which those on certain planets practice, involving herbs and insects, but these are by no means universally accepted within the Guild.
Many Chirurgeons work in and for Houses if they are of low enough rank to maintain House loyalities. Others may chose to operate the Preservation technology onboard City Ships, or staff hospitals, which are based on the major planets of Noble Houses, but run by the Guild. There are also research posts, both on City Ships and Exploration sites for those who wish to develop and further explore the technologies currently available.
Ranks
Similarly to the Technologists, the Chirurgeons have a strict hierarchy linking rank to influence. No one may take a ranks of Master or above without first renouncing their loyality to and name of their House, in order to maintain the guild's impartiality. (In system terms, to obtain rank as detailed below you must buy Influnce at that level i.e. Influence 1 = Acolyte etc. )
The ranks are:
0. Conversi
1. Acolyte
2. Sister
3. Master
4. Grand Master
Currently there are 9 Grand Masters, any of whom may act as special advisors on the Emperor's Council and through whom all major research proposals concerning Preservation technology must be passed. More minor research undertaken may be cleared by Masters, though this system is more red tape than necessity and Masters frequently do not in fact read proposals, letting Brothers and Sister stamp approvals in their stead.
Current technologies
Preservation Technology
This comes in two parts: one is a shimmering archway through which users must pass initially and the other is a small, coffin like box in which users will re-grow if they die from unnatural causes (natural causes include old age and other physical defects). It is believed that the archway is a memory holding device, which remembers what you look like and what you are made of. This then tells the coffin box what to do to re-grow you should you be killed unnaturally.
The memory of the ressurected party does not tend to be whole for at least a day before the event which caused the death, and the body they regain will be in the same physical state they were at the point where their memories cease. As the technology is situated on moving City Ships, it is entirely possible that the ship someone is first registered on (by passing through the archway) will not be the ship on which they are resurrected. Rather this will take place on the ship they are closest to when they die.
Most Nobles are taken to pass through the archway shortly after birth, but the majority of the populous will not be given the opportunity unless they prove themselves to the Emperor and he deems it their right. The registration process is negatable by passing through the archway in reverse, as is done in duels to the death. The regeneration process is a very expensive one, in both power and resources used and this is paid for by the House or Guild the resurrected belongs to. In a very few cases, the technology has not worked, but this is rare and the cause has not yet been determined.
Sealing devices
Small hand-held devices which produce a foamy substance to cauterise wounds, preventing cuts from going bad and speeding up healing.
Parts Generators
These devices create limbs to replace those lost to ill humour or to battle. These limbs, however, are exceedingly resource hungry, though not more so than the Preservation Regenerators per measure of body mass reproduced, and so only the privileged may benefit from their grown Parts.
Health Capsule Dispensers
These devices create pills, although the effects of said pills vary according to the Dispenser's settings. Early experiments proved to be detrimental rather than life giving; extensive (and indeed rather dangerous) research has lead to the discovery of a setting that produces capsules which are universally agreeable and beneficial.