comfypxl wrote:edit: i have a question actually. when there's not a battle going on, what do the field medics do? i assume they perform basic sailor duties like patrolling and hunting?
Yes, that’s correct!
Field medics are sailors with additional training in battlefield triage and emergency care. Their purpose is to fight alongside their tribemates and, when the battle ends, treat injuries on the field. They essentially act as the first responders, balancing their fighting ability with their medical knowledge. Field medics primarily train in hunting and fighting with a regular mentor. However, once identified, they also receive medical training from the surgeon once a week during their apprenticeship. After becoming fully fledged field medics, they continue to receive monthly training from the surgeon to keep their skills sharp. In battle, they provide immediate care such as stopping bleeding, applying cobwebs, stabilizing fractures, or moving cats who need more advanced help to the surgeon. Their goal is to prevent further injury until the surgeon can step in. While they have knowledge of common herbs and basic treatments, they do not handle complex medical cases or long-term care.
Surgeons, on the other hand, are the dedicated healers of the tribe. They handle long-term medical care, complex treatments, and severe illnesses or injuries that require significant skill. Surgeon apprentices are identified early and train exclusively with the surgeon. They learn advanced herbal knowledge, in-depth anatomy, and techniques for treating both common and rare ailments. Surgeons learn minimal defensive fighting skills, mostly deescalation techniques, and only a couple hunting skills as their focus is solely on healing. Surgeons treat long-term injuries, care for sick cats, perform surgeries (if needed), and manage complex illnesses. They also handle internal injuries, infections, poisoning, and any wounds that a field medic or regular tribe cat cannot treat. They also oversee (and typically push this off onto the surgeon apprentices) the field medics' continued training to ensure their medical knowledge remains up to date. Lastly, they decide which cats need more advanced treatment and how resources should be allocated for long-term care. They may also receive dreams or guidance from the Tribe of Arcadia, giving them a spiritual connection to the tribe’s ancestors. They travel every full moon to the Arcadian waterfall to receive guidance from Arcadia.
—
That explanation ended up longer than expected lol. Hopefully that clarifies their differences.
