The Healing Hands Sect aka The Healers

The Healers aka The Healing Hands Sect

A quasi-monastic order is spread through out space and seeks to provide medical care for any biological sentient beings, regardless of creed, race or biological origins. They wander the stars and wastelands of planets offering medical aid in the name of the Divine. All seem to have the mystic ability to approach non-intelligent creatures and befriend them. They offer their healing abilities for no cost, though donations of thanks are accepted. 

They are often in possession of both modern and ancient or unique alien medical devices. Excellent herbalists, the more settled Healers such as ones that maintain ships, stations or outpost monasteries dedicated to healing will have gardens of healing herbs from many planets. They are constantly looking for new cures, medicines, medical techniques, treatments, cures and medical technology.

Theologically they refer to themselves as the Healing Hands Sect. They view all acts of healing and comforting those in need of medical care as a humble prayer and act of worship. They believe in the sanctity of life.  They are usually found outside of civilized areas on frontier worlds or worlds rebuilding from the Great Dark Ages. They are normally pacifists believing killing sentient beings is against their beliefs.

Outside of major civilized areas they are very respected by all except the Apocalypsites. Within regulated civilized areas of space their reception is a bit of a mixed bag with some seeing them as religious quacks with unproven medicines and others respecting them for helping poor communities. How large the Healers are is not known, but their Sect has been known to send Healers to medical schools to gain the proper licenses to practice healing in certain areas of space. It is believed they maintain their own schools in the form of monasteries hidden and spread across space. They are known to maintain and operate medical ships and stations which do to their religious aspect are often completely independent from governments.

Symbol: Red upright extremely stylized hand that also resembles a flower on white background. Usually this hand is solid red on white and is often found on ancient and modern human made medical kits. Individual monasteries  sub-sects and sanctuaries often have unique versions of the Red Hand with decorative  elements such as flowers, eyes, geometric designs sometimes employing other colors besides just Red and White, but always the Red is what stands out. The Sect's origin is very much debated though obviously of human origin. 

Notes:

This was inspired by the Healers in Gamma World. However changes were made to the basic concept. The Red Hand is the old Terran Empire symbol equivalent to present day Red Cross or Red Crescent symbols placed on ambulances or first aid kits. This symbol is used or left over from the time period in which the Sect of the Hand was the religion of the Terran Empire per Star Empires timeline.