THE ORDER OF AESCLEPIUS

By John Walter Biles (ranma@falcon.cc.ukans.edu) (6 Nov 93)

In Ancient Greece, there was a cult of priests dedicated to the worship of Aesclepius, god of Healing and Medicine. Among this cult, there were some who awakened to the power of Magic. After paganism was banned in the Roman Empire in the late 4th century AD, they organized themselves and went underground to continue the work of healing. Many joined the monastic movement, hoping to motivate it in the direction of works of public charity and the tending of the sick. During the middle ages, they worked to create hospitals and homes for those suffering from leprosy. It was at this time that they came in contact with similar groups of mages in Asia and established ties across Eurasia. The order was shocked by the Black Death. They tried to convince the mages of Europe to unite to fight it, but the Order of Hermes and the Celestial Chorus were already increasingly locked in struggle. They did their best to confine its ravages and successfully prevented it from crossing the Sahara to ravage Africa. With the rise of the Technocracy, the Order went increasingly underground, but have continued to promote the study and practice of medicine, which they regard as the greatest achievement of the modern world. The order claims that Florence Nightingale, Albert Schweitzer, and Jonas Salk were among its ranks. The order has increasingly turned in recent years to the healing of psychological illness also. The order often claims that Jung was among their ranks, but no one can say for sure.

Philosophy: This world cries out for healing and we must answer the call. We shall return life to a world slowly dying. Physical, mental, and spiritual illness are linked and must be healed together. To heal without changing a person's life only insures that the illness or injury will recur. To kill is only necessary to save one's life. Never hold where speech is enough. Never hurt where holding is enough. Never injure where hurting is enough. Never maim where injury is enough. Never kill where maiming is enough. All need healing, not hurting. You must offer your aid to whoever needs it most. All life prospers and suffers together. Your strength can be their strength, and their pain is yours. Together we can make this a better place.

Organization: The Order of Aesclepius is a loose cooperative network of healers world wide. It has no hiearchy, but those of greater magical skill tend to lead the larger scale endeavors. The Red Cross is strongly controlled by them along with many other major charities. All of the Order meet once a year in a given region. Sometimes masters of the order will call meetings of their disciples.

Sphere: Life

Foci:

Acolytes: Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics, Faith Healers, Chiropractors, Psychiatrists and Psychologists, Medical Students, Hypochondriacs

Stereotypes

Akashic Brotherhood: While you focus on yourself, others are suffering. What good is physical perfection while the world is in pain?

Celestial Chorus: They have both helped and hurt us. They understand the world's pain more than many mages and its need for spiritual healing.

Cerebus: Hate is slowly destroying them. They must learn to forgive if they are to truly help the people of this world.

Cult of Ecstasy: Disgusting and Wasteful.

Discordians: How entirely pointless. What good is confusing someone who is in need of real help?

Dreamspeakers: It is sad that they are in decline for this world has often benefited from their assistance. We mourn for them and call them our brothers and sisters. Aid them whenever possible.

Euthanatos: The world has destruction enough without their assistance. What a waste.

Hollow Ones: They are this world screaming for help. We must help them find the purpose and hope they lack.

Necromancers: A blight on the world. Evil consumes them daily. While we hope for their redemption, we suspect that one day they will have to be stopped before they plunge the world into night eternal.

Order of Hermes: They hide in their studies poring through old tomes while the world dies. We fear their time is past. Perhaps they can yet be redeemed.

Rosicrucians: Like their parent order, they do nothing of any real use to the world. There is more to life than ritual, secrecy, and study. Knowledge not applied to aid others is knowledge wasted.

Runecasters: They are consumed by ancient struggles and hatreds. They must learn more than the art of battle before they will truly earn our respect.

Sons of Ether: If we could figure out how to get their machines to work, we would have more dealings with them. They have created many wonders, but only they can use them. That is not enough.

Sons of Jupiter: They have aided us in the past. They have much to learn of healing, but they have not been consumed by their struggle.

Technolibertarians: It is not technology that makes us free. Technology brings false security, not liberty. They must learn to use their machines to aid others before we can respect them.

Verbena: Another blight on the world. They give us all a bad name. Perhaps they are not yet hopeless, but the healing of their souls will be an uphill road.

Virtual Adepts: Fascinating. Perhaps they can build us a better world. For the moment, we shall wait and see.