ToME: the Tales of Maj'Eyal

I'm not quite sure what happened here. I was playing an Archmage with a lot of Aegis tree and entering battle and wounded, so doing Arcane Reconstruction both to heal and to put up a beefy shield.

And this is what occurred:
Archmagus Ye casts Arcane Reconstruction.
Archmagus Ye's spell attains critical power!
A shield forms around Archmagus Ye.
Archmagus Ye hits Archmagus Ye for 20 healing, 1029 healing (0 total damage) [1049 healing].

Expected: I have some 500-1000ish tier shield pop up from Arcane Shield sustain.
What happened: I had a 19 point shield turn up from Arcane Shield sustain.

I can see it decided to use that first bit of healing, but I'm not sure why it was split up, and how come a single action at least wasn't combined for effect regardless? Both of those I'm not sure where it came from. I...oh, I seem to have some <1 % all damages affinity from something right now? Can't tell from what, since pretty much nothing gives that little all damage affinity and 20 is more around 2% but maybe that's it? Well, that's my best guess: A damage affinity triggered on the heal and was put in front of the effect, and arcane shielding took the first Heal received, blocking the more powerful and intended heal from activating the shield.

Seems to only be taking effect on critical healing. Not sure where that All Damage affinity is coming from. Unequipped everything and removed all my sustains and it was still there.

Definitely destroys one of my shield effects, since I could end up with a 1000+ point shield or a 20 point shield on use of arcane reconstruction, depending on whether I crit or not :\

It's caused by the first talent in Vile Life.

Delay that Vile Life bonus until end of tick!

Huh. Still don't know why I have a 0% all affinity, but you're almost certainly right on the small healing.

I do have 1 level in Vile Life / Blood Splash I got on my way to Elemental Discord. That says 10 hp on a crit, which apparently includes healing crits. Dunno how 10 hp * 215 % healing mod = 20, but that fits cleanly otherwise with what's going on.

I'm guessing the healing value is a little bit less than 10 and it rounded up for the talent description.