This article is a stub and may be expanded at a later date!
Alterationism is the medical art of extreme body modifications for both pure aesthetics and genuine need. To be an alterationist is a bit of a taboo profession in many cultures due to the extremity of body modifications that are performed. Many alterationists need a strong stomach and years of training to perform procedures.
Modifications
Common
Aesthetic modifications include minor alterations such as permanent tattoos with traditional ink, or ones that glow with body heat that are infused with
Glow-Jelly. Scarification is another popular yet controversial practise where designs are cut deeply out of the skin allowing scar tissue to permanently show a design, but the process is very bloody and very painful. Branding is sometimes used among gangs
(though it's rare that they'll bother to use a professional alterationist to carry it out), an alterationist can work with a
Wright to create a custom designed brand which will be heated in the heart of a fire before being pressed firmly into the skin. The process can be dangerous if not done correctly or in the presence of a healer. The other common destructive modifications are piercings in all shapes, sizes, and locations.
Constructive modifications relate to the crafting of prosthetics for missing limbs.
Uncommon
Uncommon procedures are more complicated and involve extreme things like voluntary amputation, horn grafting, horn sculpting and carving, horn, teeth, and tusk straightening, permanent hair removal, tongue splitting, and the most popular of all - rune embedding (where an enchanted rune is buried beneath the skin of a
Magic caster, allowing them permanent direct contact to it).
Oo, what an interesting profession. Do alterationists often have body modification themselves? :D