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I'm, uh, duh. :)

Re: Who are you? by Quina_deMandrakeQuina_deMandrake, 18 May 2008 06:00

Hi

I'm Harrow! Somehow I already had a wikidot account.
I've had pretty erratic availability since chargen, hopefully that will improve.

Cheers

Re: Who are you? by KarlMKarlM, 15 May 2008 00:30
Re: Who are you?
(account deleted) 13 May 2008 20:53
in discussion Mandrake Matters / All About You » Who are you?

Navarre=Navarre. I went the keeping it simple route. :)

Re: Who are you? by (account deleted), 13 May 2008 20:53

Theophrastus here. Not a propco, but a fairly heavy wikidot user, so my name will probably be all over the site.

Re: Who are you? by ectect, 01 May 2008 21:28

When I was building the hospital, I managed to corner Zakalwe for a fairly in depth chat about the limits of medical science in Amber, and where Mandrake's role is in filling the gap between those limits and what we think of as modern medicine.

The basic rule of thumb is that medicine in Amber is roughly equal to medicine on Earth at about the end of the US Civil War. The basics are understood, but the details are still sort of fuzzy. The importance of sanitation is clear, but the germ theory of disease is just starting to be developed. As such, sanitizers in use are limited to simple chemicals, with alcohol (especially in the form of distilled spirits) and carbolic acid (phenol), which are excellent for sanitizing inanimate objects, but tend to damage living tissue when applied. Antibiotics are specifically nonfunctional in Amber.

Knowledge of advanced medical technology (beyond this level) is covered to an extent by the LIF-MP gift, which is a combination of supernatural healing ability and advanced knowledge of medicine in varying proportions from character to character. Extremely advanced medical technology, such as that available on modern-day Earth, requires the UL-Shadow lore to be familiar with, just like any other advanced technology.

LIF-MP, augmented by the other LIF-** gifts, allows a Mandrake healer to bridge the gap between Amber's technology and the results we expect from modern medicine. However, this does require the direct intervention and participation of the character, which is why the list of services in the hospital is broken down into things that do and do not require Mandrake attendance.

Medical Technology in Amber by ectect, 01 May 2008 21:19

Hi. I'm shadowfey. I'm also Lucretia, the Mandrake propco, and who you need to talk to if you need any help here!

Who are you? by shadowfeyshadowfey, 01 May 2008 04:21

Mandrakes are great healers; this we all know. Obviously it's not the only profession in the family, but it's a major one. And it begs the question :

What is the Mandrake purpose?

Is it to heal? To protect, as with strength of arms?

The family motto is Aegroto, dum anima est, spes esse dicitur - this translates approximately to, 'It is said that for an unwell man, there is hope as long as there is breath'. This is deliberately a bit vague; 'unwell' can mean illness, or it can mean injuries, or it can even mean insanity. Whichever it means, though, the principle of hope remains.

A strong man may defend the weak; a doctor may tend to the ill and the wounded. A priest may tend to those afflicted in spirit and sensibility. The underlying message, however, is one of hope.

Feldane guards the dead; Karm seals against evil; Chantris holds the secrets. What Mandrake holds is hope.

Mandrake, thus, can arguably be said to be the hope of Amber - and this is something which I believe should be a recurring theme of the family.

This is not to suggest that Mandrake are or should be the Pollyannas of Amber. There is considerable darkness in protecting hope, and those who do so often face some of the most daunting challenges. I would like to flesh this out and discuss this more, so I look forward to what others have to say!

The Mandrake Purpose by shadowfeyshadowfey, 01 May 2008 04:17
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