Schools of Magic: Vitamancy
Vitamancy is, in short, the magic which affects life energy, or vitae. To elaborate further, Vitamancy manipulates the natural energies and processes of living things, the most well-known being healing magic, but it also includes spells which enhance or diminish the abilities of creatures, those which induce states such as sleep or paralysis, and rarely, directly drain the very life of its target.
Healing magic works, in most cases, by accelerating the body’s natural healing processes. For minor wounds this is an easy process: simply apply the salve or cast the spell, and (usually after some discomfort), the target will be restored. For more serious injuries, traditional methods must also be applied. Broken bones must be set, gaping wounds sutured, and missing pieces put in their proper places. The energy for the more intensive processes must come from another source, lest the patient be drained of months worth of vitae. The faithful are most efficient at this process, as they receive energy directly from the boundless well of divinity. Alchemists and practitioners of the Craft typically put some of their own energy or that of an external source into their curatives, as a relatively small amount is required for these balms. In desperate circumstances, the vitae of the caster or surrounding organisms may be used, but this is a very dangerous practice, and can result in more harm then what it heals.
The ability to actually drain the life of other beings is typically very difficult, as the vessel is resistant to losing its vital energy. Of course, this practice is frowned upon in many cultures, especially when performed on other people. This darker aspect of Vitamancy is often confused with Necromancy, and indeed any effective necromancer should learn at least the fundamentals of Vitamancy, but it is essentially the same practice as healing, only in reverse.
Vitamancy is one of the most widely-used and appreciated schools of magic, but by no means should it be taken lightly, nor does its use, like any magic, have any inherent morality associated with it. Just as a flame can warm or burn, a Vitamancer can bring a person back from death’s door just as they can stop the breathing of another.
