Basic Healing with Saidin
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[Lesson One]
[Lesson Two]
[Lesson Three]
[Lesson Four]
[Lesson Five]
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This class is designed to teach Soldiers and Dedicated who wish to know more of the fundamental aspects of Healing, and will cover Delving, simple Healing, revitalisation, and broken bones. It will entitle you to claim up to two Healing Talent points.
The class is currently being taught by Kaihan Asha'man, in a classroom near the Yellow Ajah's infirmary. Although Kaihan is M'Hael, he was a Sitter when this class was started, so I'll be RPing as such in your responses. Please contact me if you have any questions.
If you are a novice or Accepted and want to learn to Heal, there is a separate class for you here.
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Welcome! To join the class please post a reply to this message, giving the usual details: name, rank, Ajah of aspiration if you've decided on one, and email address
1: Delving
Kaihan sat at his desk at the front of the classroom with his arms folded across his chest, watching each student as they walked into the room. All of the young men bowed briefly before taking their seats, and Kaihan frowned momentarily every time they did so. Not because he did not expect the Soldiers and Dedicated to bow, of course, but because in doing so they reminded him of his new status as Sitter. Kaihan was weak in the Power, few of his brothers and sisters standing lower than him. Since his raising, however, almost every Aes Sedai and Asha’man he spoke to or passed would nod their heads in respect. It was something Kaihan was looking forward to getting used to.
The last of the students he had been expecting, a Domani Soldier with a harried expression on his dark features, took his seat. Kaihan stood immediately, and walked around to the front of his desk. He crossed his arms once more, and stood looking at his students.
“Good morning,” he said perfunctorily. The majority of the young men murmured greetings in return. “Now, pay attention. Today will be the first of your lessons on Healing. Some of you will possess the Talent strongly; others may not be able to Heal more than a bruise, if anything at all. Regardless of your potential skills, you will all watch me, and take good note of what I say.” His dark eyes met every student’s face as he made sure they were listening to him. “No weave of the One Power is a matter to be trifled with, but Healing in particular needs to be approached with caution. You are, of course, taking another’s health into your own hands, and in doing so you are placing yourself at risk.
“The lessons I will teach you in this course will focus on the basic uses of Healing, and we will be beginning with the most essential of all; Delving. Except in the most extreme of circumstances you must never attempt to Heal a person without first Delving them. It is vital that you understand exactly what the problem is. It will also make you aware of all of a patient’s issues. The majority of Healers do not have enough skill that they can choose which injuries or complaints to Heal, leaving others as they are. It is, therefore, important that you are aware of everything you are going to Heal.”
Kaihan pointed at one of the students, the slightly distressed looking Soldier who had entered the classroom last. “Come here.” He seized saidin as the boy stood and cautiously walked to his side. Kaihan instructed the boy to face him, both of them side-on to the rest of the students, and then held his hands so that the palms were a hand’s width from the sides of the Soldier’s head. He channeled, weaving a net of pure Spirit that began to unfold immediately as it entered the boy’s head, spreading down through his body, right to the extremities of his limbs. Kaihan was immediately aware that the boy was very healthy, his only complaint a long scratch on one forearm. He retracted the weave, and then addressed the rest of the class.
“As you can see, the weave itself is relatively simple. Many people prefer to be in direct contact with their patients when they Delve them, but each of you will have to find your own way; as you will have noticed, I do not touch a patient’s skin. Now, I will weave again, more slowly. Pay attention.” Kaihan put actions to words, Delving the boy a second time before releasing him.
“Now, I want each of you to come to me in turn and Delve…” the Sitter trailed off, and looked at the Domani Soldier. “Your name?”
“Rajir Saveed,” the boy said, looking particularly unhappy as he realised he was to be the test subject for the entire class.
“You will each Delve Rajir,” Kaihan continued, “and tell me what you find. If you are unsure of what you are to do, ask me for another demonstration. Under no circumstances are you to attempt this unless you are ready. Now, who’s first?”
Kaihan took a step back as the first of the students moved forward, and channeled as he did so. He wove a net of the Power around Rajir, the student about to attempt the weave, and himself, so that the rest of the students would not be able to hear the conclusion this first one came to after he had Delved Rajir.
2: Basic Healing
By the second day of the class any students who had not previously known Kaihan had quickly learnt of his strict accounting for timing and respect, and the majority of the Soldiers and Dedicated had entered his classroom well before they were due. The Yellow was not surprised to see that Soldier Rajir Saveed was the first to enter. After each of them had taken his seat Kaihan moved to take the same position in front of his desk that he had assumed the day before, and addressed the class in an authoritative tone.
“I am pleased with the efforts you all made yesterday,” he began, staring from one student to the next, “but I expect an equal if not greater level of attention and concentration in today’s class. In this lesson I will show you what many Yellows call simple Healing; that of small cuts, bruises, and the like. This type of Healing is, as I am sure you have all gathered, the most basic, and therefore should be the easiest for you to pick up. Even if you don’t have any particular aptitude for the Talent, the majority of you should be able to perform this to at least a minor degree.”
Kaihan’s glanced settled on Rajir, and the Domani boy immediately paled. “Come here, child,” the Sitter said, and the Soldier hopped to obey him despite his clear lack of willingness to do so. Kaihan stood in front of Rajir, holding his hands above the boy’s head just as he had done the day before. He seized the Source and channeled flows of Spirit, Delving Rajir. The scratch on the boy’s arm was still present.
“You will each take a partner, and the first thing you will do is Delve him,” he said as he turned to face the students, maintaining his hold on saidin. “Once you have discovered any complaints, you will Heal them; even those of you who believe you have nothing wrong with you will probably have a small graze somewhere, or a skin blemish, or something similarly minor. Such problems will suffice to test your abilities for now. If you really cannot find anything wrong with your partner, let me know. This is how to perform the weave.”
Kaihan turned back to Rajir, and spoke as he channeled. “The weave involves three Powers; Air, Water, and Spirit, woven as you see me doing now. Some people theorise that each Power has a certain role in Healing, but I am not so sure. Weave in the way I am showing you, directing the threads through your patient’s body to the source of the complaint, and it will be Healed.”
Kaihan finished Healing Rajir, and waited for the boy to recover from the chills that invariably accompanied the process. He then channeled again, this time more slowly, duplicating the weaves; they did nothing, of course, for the boy had already been Healed, but Kaihan wanted the other students to have another demonstration of the weave. Once he had finished he gestured for Rajir to stand to one side so he could use the other students’ efforts as demonstrations.
“Find a partner now,” he said, “and once you have done so queue up in your pairs. You are not to channel without my supervision. Remember that before you attempt to Heal you must Delve your partner. Do not attempt to Heal him unless you are confident of what you are doing.”
OOC: It will be much easier and less time-consuming if you NPC partners, so you can get everything done in a single reply – unless, of course, your character has problems and needs Kaihan’s help.
3: Revitalization
Kaihan had been waiting for Rajir to enter today, and although the Soldier attempted to hide himself behind a fellow student as he crept into the classroom he shortly found himself standing at the Yellow Asha’man’s side, waiting with Kaihan for the rest of the class to assemble. Many of the boys looked only half awake today; the class was taking place in the first time slot of the day, and dawn was barely breaking over the mountains.
Weaving Fire and Air to amplify his voice, Kaihan addressed the students. “Good morning.” Some of the young men jumped in their seats, staring at him in surprise. Kaihan smiled briefly, pleased that they were all now concentrating. He released the Source.
“I am sure that most of you would prefer to be in bed than in this classroom, but unfortunately you have no choice in the matter. So pay attention and work hard; the early hour changes none of my expectations. Understood? Good.”
Kaihan folded his arms across his chest, and frowned down at the students. “How many of you have ever watched the Warders practicing their weapons? Most of you, I imagine. I am sure that you have seen them being treated by Aes Sedai and Asha’man on more than one occasion, and not just for bruises; you have probably seen them collapsed from exhaustion one moment, and fresh as daisies the next, after they have been relieved of their weariness. Perhaps some of you have had this treatment yourselves.
“You might think that revitalisation is a simple matter, but it is, of course, a form of Healing. Taking the tiredness out of a person’s body is not necessarily an easy feat, and is in fact quite deceptive, a mere illusion; the patient may feel refreshed for a time, but will shortly grow even more tired than he was before being treated, unless he has had the opportunity to rest well.
“As you all appear to be half asleep…” Kaihan trailed off for a moment, allowing his words to sink in. A pair of Soldiers who had been dozing at the back of the classroom blinked at him for a moment, not expecting the silence, before sitting straight with looks of worry and embarrassment on their faces. “…today will be a good opportunity for you to practice the weaves of revitalisation. Rajir.”
The Domani stepped closer, and Kaihan seized saidin. The flows he wove were primarily Spirit, with smaller quantities of Air and Water. The weaves were not far removed from those of simple Healing, a fact which Kaihan pointed out to his students. “Make sure not to confuse them,” he emphasised, “as the results could be problematic at best.”
The Yellow repeated the demonstration and stepped away from Rajir, the Soldier looking considerably more alert than he had previously. “Work in the same pairs as yesterday, and come to me when you are ready. Do not weave without my supervision. I hope to see you all somewhat more awake by the end of this lesson,” he added somewhat drily.
4: Broken Bones
Rajir approached Kaihan as soon as he entered the classroom, but the Yellow waved the Soldier away, and the boy made his way to a seat with a look of relieved surprise on his face. Kaihan would not be using a live model for today’s lesson; none of them would. None of the students would qualify, and it would be too awkward to bring a patient from the infirmary. He waited for everyone to take their seats before assuming his customary position and stance in front of the desk.
“Yet another fine morning,” he started lightly, glancing out of the classroom’s glass-paned window. It was still dark outside, a blur of lighter blue the only visible indication of the coming morning. A couple of the students muttered under their breath, but Kaihan pretended not to hear them.
“There will be no live demonstrations or attempts today, I am afraid, because what I am going to teach you is more advanced than anything you have learnt so far. I am going to show you how to Heal broken bones. Now, this is something that a number of you probably will not be able to do. However, it is still important to show you how; you might surprise yourselves.”
Kaihan stared around the class, making sure every student’s eyes were on him. “And even those of you who succeed in duplicating my weaves are not to go around attempting them on real patients unless you are supervised by an Asha’man who has experience with them, preferably a Yellow.” He paused. “And that applies to everything you have learnt so far, except Delving. Only when you have had sufficient practise in the infirmary will you be allowed to Heal without being watched.”
Kaihan walked around his desk, the piece now between him and the students, and gestured to the item lying on it. He had brought in a straw dummy, taken from the Warders’ practise yards. It was to be used purely as a visual aid; it would not affect his weaves at all, of course, but it was often easier for beginners to attempt Healing if they could picture their flows on at least an imitation of a real person.
“This will be today’s test subject. Watch.” Kaihan seized saidin and channeled. “To Heal broken bones you are to use the same Powers as you use in simple Healing; Air, Water, and Spirit. In time some of you may incorporate Fire and Earth into your weaves – into all types of Healing weaves – but only the stronger Healers are likely to do so, and those usually find themselves in the Yellow Ajah.
“This particular weave is, as you can see, more refined than that of simple Healing. As opposed to the latter, which although directed towards particular complaints tends to be swept through the entire body, these flows are to be concentrated specifically on the bones in question. The chances are you will still Heal any other problems, but to be successful with the skeleton you need to concentrate your efforts on the relevant locations. Like so.”
Kaihan put the final touches to the weave, then repeated the entire thing before letting his flows dissipate and taking a few steps backwards. “Queue up in single file, and weave the flows of Healing on this dummy as if it had a broken finger bone. Do not seize the Source until you are ready to channel, under my supervision. Do not over-exert yourself; if you find it too difficult, the chances are you simply do not have the skill with Healing necessary for it. And even if you do have the potential, you quite possibly won’t get the weaves right on your first attempts.”
5: In the Citadel
Kaihan had instructed his students to gather in the channeling yards today rather than in the classroom, and as the majority of the group stood waiting for the rest of the boys to appear some of them whispered to each other excitedly, wondering what they were going to have to do. Kaihan chose not to leave them in suspense; seconds after the last Dedicated had joined them he spoke, initially weaving Fire and Air to amplify his voice and gain their full attention.
“Today is the last part of the class, and in a sense comes at an opportune moment. I am sure some if not all of you will be aware of the recent attacks on the Citadel, the Tower’s Borderland outpost.” He paused for a moment, watching as the students glanced at each other with wide eyes. “I say opportune because, although the Tower’s initiates posted at and residing in the Citadel fought bravely, some of them for the last time, the attack has supplied us with the chance to test your skills.
“We will be Traveling to the Citadel, where you will join the Healers working to cure those injured in the attack. Many fell, and it is likely that there will be plenty of guards left for you to Heal; as I understand it, few Yellows were at the Citadel at the time of yesterday’s attack. Accompanying us will be Faisel Asha’man and Ruraid Asha’man.” Kaihan nodded at the two young Yellows who had just joined them. Both Faisel and Ruraid were stronger in the Power than Kaihan, but his newly attained status as Sitter afforded him the authority to bring them with him on this mission. They both returned respectful nods.
“Now, before we go, some words of warning. This is not an adventure, it is not a game. People’s lives are at stake here; none of you will even approach those in danger of dying, but even so, you are not to take any chances. You are to be focused and alert at all times, and will follow the instructions of any Aes Sedai or Asha’man at the Citadel without question. Any of you who disobey me in this will wish for a thousand lashes of Rolnar Asha’man’s birch by the time I am finished with you. Do you understand me?”
Kaihan made sure every student answered him, greeting each of them with a stony stare, before continuing. “Now, be ready.”
He turned and, channeling through an angreal he had been granted by the Indigo Ajah, a simple-appearing coat pin in the shape of an oak leaf, he opened a Gateway into the Citadel. He walked through it into a stone-walled room, Faisel and Ruraid herding the students through before they joined Kaihan, who then released the Gateway. He led the group through the fortress until they reached the infirmary.
The large hall appeared crowded, predominantly by men who occupied every bed and every available space on the floor. The scene made the battle appear worse than the reality of it; very few men had died, the Healers having been quick to insure the safety of those most gravely injured. Once everyone was inside, Kaihan turned and addressed the students in a quiet but firm voice.
“Each of you is to select a patient whose injuries you feel you are capable of dealing with. You will ask either me, Faisel Asha’man, or Ruraid Asha’man to come and supervise you as you work. Do not try to exceed your abilities: some of you may be able to Heal even the worst injured, as no one here will have more than broken bones or deep cuts. Others of you may not be able to do more than Delve a man and tell another Healer – in this case one of us three – what ails him. And that is fine; it is vital that you do not attempt more than you are capable of. The purpose behind bringing you here was to assess whatever you have learnt from me, however limited you feel that may be.
“One final warning, in case I have not yet driven it into you: do not attempt to Heal someone without first Delving him, even with an Asha’man in attendance. Now, you three, go and find a patient.” Kaihan pointed at the three students standing nearest to him, each of whom ventured into the crowded infirmary.
OOC: Feel free to RP me, Faisel, or Ruraid following your character to the patient you choose. I would like you to RP this through fully – find your patient, take one of the Asha’man to him(/her), describe the patient’s appearance, and finally what you do with him.
Please include your email address in your post, so I can email you with a certificate when I’m satisfied that you’ve passed. Don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
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