Clinic (Quantum 7) – Google Docs
Clinic (Quantum 7)
On this timeline, magic exists — but only the whitest of white magic. Faith Healing is a recognized field of study; its practitioners can cure disease, heal the injured, and even reattach limbs. Interestingly, mundane healing is more advanced on this timeline than at the equivalent point on Homeline’s, as well: those Great Powers that were not blessed with a large number of healing mages quickly adopted the innovations proposed by mundane physicians.
Clinic has only slightly diverted from Homeline’s history thus far, possibly because it is in neither Homeline’s nor Centrum’s interest that it do so. Both societies operate clandestine magical clinics in this timeline, and have no interest in rocking the boat. What either — or both — plan to do when Clinic’s Great War presumably kicks off in thirty years is unknown.
Clinic, 1883 AD
Current Affairs
Infinity and Centrum gingerly operate a network of healing clinics while resolutely trying to not officially meddle with the timeline.
Divergence Point
1840: A meteor shower triggers a rise in mana levels and the creation of specialized healing magic
Major Civilizations
Western (Diffuse), Orthodox (empire), Chinese (Empire)
Great Powers
British Empire (oligarchy, CR3), United States of America (democratic republic, CR3), Russian Empire (dictatorship, CR4), German Empire (oligarchy, CR4), Austro-Hungarian Empire (dictatorship, CR3), French Empire (dictatorship, CR3)
Worldline Data
TL: 5 (Medicine is at a late TL6)
Quantum: 7
Mana Level: normal
Centrum Zone: Yellow (recently reclassified from Red)
Infinity Level: R10
The so-called ‘Nights of Shooting Stars’ began in June of 1840 and continued until June of 1843, starting in the Netherlands and continuing in a rough oval that covered Denmark, Belgium, the British Isles, most of France, the northern parts of Portugal and Spain, southern Iceland, Eastern Canada, and the Atlantic Coast down to about Georgia. Scientists at the time thought nothing impossibly unusual about the unnaturally specific distribution of the meteorites, and they certainly had no way at first of monitoring the rise of Clinic’s mana level from no-mana to normal. The first reliable reports of suddenly-potent faith healing started showing up around 1847; formal scientific acceptance of those reports did not occur until at least 1865.
What finally forced the issue was the American Civil War. Faith Healers in battlefield hospital conditions consistently demonstrated their ability to heal horrific wounds, cure diseases, and even reattach severed limbs: the results were dramatic, and replicable. Both the Confederate and Union armies responded by swiftly adopting magical healing, leading to the eventual survival of Stonewall Jackson and JEB Stuart on the one side, and James McPherson on the other. But it was the full recovery of Abraham Lincoln from a bullet in the brain that settled matters: clearly healing magic worked, even if no other form of magic did.
Since then, the world has seen not only the systematic adoption of healing magic, but also the growth of non-magical healing as well: the Prussian (and later German) Empire poured a lot of money and research into conventional healing after its inconclusive wars with Denmark and France (both of which enjoyed considerably more access to Faith Healing). Austria-Hungary did likewise, with more focus on melding magical and regular healing (under the supervision of the idiosyncratic, yet brilliant Count Semmelweis). In France, Louis Pasteur’s accidental discovery of penicillin in 1879 now promises to revolutionize the field. And, of course, the Garfield administration has poured money into the Army Medical Department since the President’s own recovery from an 1881 assassination attempt.
Outworld Involvement
The value of Clinic (to both Homeline and Centrum) lies in the medical facilities that they’ve both set up in order to take advantage of the unique conditions. Worlds where magical healing is common are not unknown, as are worlds with scientific medical technology. Worlds with magical healing AND decent medical tech AND no pesky magical telepaths to endanger the Secret are incredibly rare. They’re so rare, in fact, that Infinity and Interworld have an unprecedentedly formal agreement: neither side interferes with the other side’s clinics, and both sides avoid trying to take over the local governments.
This has worked out remarkably well: it turns out that while Centrum has few scruples, deliberately attacking medical facilities is a bit too far, even for them. This more or less unique cooperation also means that third parties like the Cabal, or the other various parachronic factions, operate very cautiously on Clinic. They maintain their own clandestine clinics, make no waves, and thus avoid official scrutiny. There is also a considerable amount of discreet medical tourism.
Notes
Clinic is a normal mana world where the inhabitants only have access to a limited number of spells from the Healing College of Magic (and must buy Magery with the One-School limitation). Regular mages from other timelines will be able to cast spells normally, but will also attract instant and probably unwelcome attention the moment they cast a non-healing spell. Alchemy and enchantment are both unknown on Clinic.
The specific spells known to mages native to Clinic are (no exceptions):
- Awaken
- Body Reading
- Cure Disease
- Great Healing
- Instant Neutralize Poison
- Instant Regeneration
- Instant Restoration
- Lend Energy
- Lend Vitality
- Major Healing
- Minor Healing
- Neutralize Poison
- Recover Energy
- Regeneration
- Relieve Paralysis
- Relieve Sickness
- Remove Contagion
- Restore Memory
- Restoration
- Share Energy
- Share Vitality
- Stop Bleeding
- Stop Paralysis
The material presented here is my original creation, intended for use with the In Nomine and GURPS systems from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.
In Nomine and GURPS are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games, and the art here is copyrighted by Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by SJ Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJ Games online policy.
- Moe Lane
- http://www.moelane.com