Magic exists. Who can doubt it, when there are rainbows and wildflowers... Anyone who has loved has been touched by magic.— Nora Roberts
By seed and root and stem and bud and leaf and flower and fruit do we invoke Thee.— The Gnostic Mass
When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.— Marcus Aurelius
Vivimancy or "life magic," embraces the inherent magic in the force of life. It includes the magic of healing, growing things, and even
Resurrection. Green witches, druids, and healers or the "party cleric" all make use of Vivimancy, as do more sinister types who manipulate the patterns of life and life energy.
Manifestation
Vivimancers are often born, not made. Typically they feel a calling long before their
Literomancy manifests. They were the children with green thumbs, or the ones who got out the band-aids when their friends skinned their knees on the playground, or maybe they were the family back-rub go-to because they just "did it better." Sometimes this calling manifests in ways that might not seem obvious to those who don't practice Vivimancy. Perhaps they were the child who was always the first one to stand up when another child was being bullied. Or perhaps they spent hours wandering in nature, staring at the way leaves moved in the breeze, or the pattern of sunlight on the water. Or maybe they were the child who kept bringing home frogs, bugs, or stray cats. They are the ones who refuse to step on ants, appreciate the beauty of dandelions, and take spiders outside rather than squish them.
Healing Hands by Pixabay
Often, their earliest manifestations of literomancy are spontaneous, and driven by the desire to help, heal, or nurture. They sing a little rhyme to help the flowers grow, and it works. They learn reiki, and suddenly their subjects are making miraculous recoveries. They feel sympathy for an aggressive stray dog that tries to bite anyone that comes close, and the next thing they know, that dog is rolling over for them like a puppy.
As a result, there is rarely a clear, linear path for the development of Vivimancers. Much of the received material of the past, while ancient, is strongly influenced in its perspective by culture or faith. Some Vivimancers learn these arts from these cultural or religious perspectives. Others pursue their own path.
There is a dark side to Vivimancy as well. Nature can be cruel, and death is a part of life. Sometimes Vivimancers can inflict illness, blight crops, or stop hearts. They are passionate creatures, and they have to be in order to make the connections needed to manifest their powers, for good or ill.
It is perhaps no surprise that Vivimancers are among the most implacable foes against the Undead.
Vivimancy is typically accompanied by radiant pink, white, or golden light, soothing magical sounds, the scent or sound of green growing things, or a sense of peace or of foreboding. Often it requires physical contact, herbs and plants, or organic elements such as antlers, fur, hair, or blood.
Vivimantic Law
The Law of Vivimancy
Life is magic, and magic is life.
Corollary of Hope
All things wish to heal and grow, they just need encouragement.
Vivimancy is supportive. It is the natural condition of all living things to heal and grow. Sometimes they just need a bit of help.
Corollary of Strife
All things die. (Also expressed as "All things must end.")
Everything has a shelf life. Even the universe itself will burn itself out. This is the nature of all things, and when that time comes, no magic will stop it. So enjoy it while it lasts!
Corollary of Sacrifice
All things leave something of themselves behind to nurture those that follow.
Life begets life by giving something of itself. Everything has a cost, magic included.
Corollary of Love
Love is the force that drives this act, upon which all creation depends.
If you don't care about the results of Vivimancy, it won't work. Trust what your heart is telling you.
Corollary of Rebirth
All endings are also beginnings.
It's impossible to create something from nothing, but you can change its form. Plant the seed of your magic and give it soil to grow in. The better the soil, the better it will grow.
Corollary of Transformation
Change is the only constant.
Magic, like life, is dynamic and always shifting. Be willing to adapt to the circumstances at hand.
Mushroom by Pixabay
Areas and Types
It's important to note that Vivimancers don't really see much difference in the methods of application or restriction of life force. However, most Vivimancers have a "focus" that falls under one of these three branches, meaning that their powers tend to lean towards one category more than the others.
Literomancy Levels
Minimum level needed is listed before the ability/spell. Variations are listed below.
| Symbol | Level + Description |
|---|
| | Beginner: Anyone may learn this ability.
Similar to a cantrip or low level spell. |
| | Advanced : Achieved after study and practice.
If the mage is from outside the originating House or group of this magic type, they need to train under a Master of this magic school from the originating House or group. (If the power is shared between Literomantic schools, the Literomancer trains under one of the appropriate House's/Group's Masters for that area.)
In other words, please talk with the House or group that is known for that type of magic. |
| | Master: Achieved after considerable study and practice, usually after tutelage under a Master.
A Master may be a member of another House or group. |
| | Reserved: Epic level aspect, reserved ability.
This is usually reserved for an individual player, House, or group. |
Leaf & Stem (Plants, usually includes Fungi)
Herbal Medicine by Pixabay
Herbal Medicine
draws out and enhances the associated medicinal powers of herbs. Herbs must be prepared in a way that would typically access those healing properties (ie. mullein must be dried and smoked to ease asthma; plantain masticated and applied as a poultice will soothe insect stings, while drying it and drinking it as a tea heals UTIs, etc.) Note that this can be used in a negative as well as a positive way (ie. enhancing the toxicity of a poisonous plant)
Advanced practitioners don't have to prepare the herbs first, they just have to have them in their possession. They can also use the herb for any of its innate healing purposes, even if they have the wrong part of the herb, with no risk of poisoning. The resulting herb must still be applied or ingested, or used however else its healing properties are typically accessed.
A Master can heal supernatural ailments with appropriate healing herbs (such as Princess Rowean's "zombie bite paste,") or enhance the healing properties of other medicinal substances (such as Queen Sable's Enchanted Amethyst.) They may also access supernatural properties that are typically associated with the herb. (ie. garlic really will keep vampires away)
Green Blessing by Pixabay
Green Blessing
causes seeds to sprout and plants to grow at an accelerated rate. Note that this can be applied in a negative as well as a positive way (ie. ergot could be "blessed" to spread out of control and destroy a crop of rye.)
Advanced practitioners can cause this effect even when conditions are poor.
Masters can cause this effect even when conditions are actively hostile (ie. willows in a desert)
Epic casters can cause plants to grow well below or beyond normal size, or in conditions that are aggressively hostile (ie. the deepest depths of the ocean, the vacuum of space, the heart of a volcano)
Spell Vessels by Pixabay
Greenweaving
alters a plant on a genetic level. Possibilities include, but are not limited to, improving heat tolerance, improving disease resistance, causing a plant to produce a toxin that poisons a common crop pest, making it carnivorous, etc.
Masters can blend the traits of genetically unrelated plants (ie. Princess Rowean's Power Plant,) and can even literomantically meld unrelated elements (ie. Princess Rowean's Sun Flowers).
Greenshaping by Pixabay
Greenshaping
reshapes a plant within minutes or seconds to an entirely different form. This has no effect on the innate genetics of the plant, just its structure and appearance. Applies to any once-living material, such as wood. Often used in magical architecture (shared with House Meles)
Masters can apply this to multiple plants over a broad area (such as a whole forest) all at once.
Tree Paths
allows the Vivimancer to "wormhole" through trees and tree roots. A connection to the "root network" must be established before a tree can be used in this way. This is not true teleportation, but by stepping into a connected tree, a Vivimancer may navigate a "short-cut tunnel" through space to another connected tree.
Masters can take other people with them.
Blight
prevents a plant from growing or producing.
Advanced practitioners can blight a whole garden, pasture, or field.
Masters can blight an entire crop.
Weald walker by Pixabay
Summon Wealdwalker
summons a tree elemental, which is something like an ent. The caster must be able to convince the elemental to do their bidding. Requires excellent negotiation skills, patience, and empathy to keep the stubborn elemental from returning to its home. An advanced user may summon a small to medium elemental of average strength. While there are historical records that claim Lapins have been capable of this, no one has done so in recent memory.
A master may summon a more powerful elemental.
For more information, see Elemental Summoning.
Blood & Bone (Animals and People)
Whisperer by Pixabay
Whisperer
allows the Vivimancer to intuitively understand an animal's needs, and make themself empathically understood to animals. At the beginner level, this usually manifests one of two ways: either the Vivimancer is especially gifted at communing with one particular animal type (ie. "horse whisperer,") or is liked and understood by animals in general. Predatory or aggressive animals will co-exist peacefully with the Vivimancer, frightened animals inclined to bite will seek solace instead, etc. (Shared with Aquamancy (aquatic animals only))
Advanced practitioners can direct the behaviour a small group of animals, such as a single bee colony or wolf pack. They will even act on the Vivimancer's behalf, although they still possess normal survival instincts.
Masters can direct the behaviour of large groups of animals at once (ie. command the creatures of a forest to run away from a fire, command a herd of elephants to charge the Undead battle line. etc.) Individual animals with whom the Master has developed an ongoing, intimate relationship may choose to defend the Vivimancer at the cost of their own life.
Literomantic Nourishment by Canva (SA)
Literomantic Nourishment
food made with love. The food, when eaten or drunk, can speed up the body's healing processes, reduce fatigue, and reduce the symptoms of illness.
Advanced practitioners can heal minor wounds, remove fatigue, and aid the body in fighting illness, thus significantly reducing recovery time.
There are no known Masters of this technique. Historical documents suggest that someone who achieved this level of proficiency would be able to heal significant wounds or cure some illnesses entirely.
Serpent's Kiss
causes the Vivimancer to produce an organic toxin from their hands or skin. This toxin will mimic something in nature, usually a plant or fungus toxin or animal venom.
A Master can produce enough of the toxin to use it with items, or can combine it with Shapeshifting to deliver it through a natural weapon, such as fangs or claws. (Olivette Rivers of House Mollusca has a similar ability, but it is unclear if it is a manifestation of this power, or natural venom.)
Bond of Blood by Pixabay
Bond of Blood
the Vivimancer uses someone's blood or another DNA containing feature, such as hair, fur, fingernails etc., as a focus with which to make a literomantic connection. Uses for this have included sealing an enchantment to attune it to a specific person, reaching out to someone who is not physically present to launch an emergency ward to protect them, attuning to an animal, sealing a message so no one else can open it, blending the powers of two people by mingling their blood together, and creating healing (or harming) poppets. There are many other examples.
Advanced practitioners can continually charge additional literomantic power into the witch bottle even after it has been created.
Witch bottles created by Masters produce a "reflection" effect on diverted magical attacks (ie. they bounce back onto the caster)
Bloodweaving
alters an animal on a genetic level. Abilities are similar to what can be accomplished with Greenweaving. Strangely, there are less examples of this than one might expect in modern times. Rumour has it that House Lapin has been experimenting with bees that may have been left behind by House Apis after Queen DaniAdventures' disappearance, resulting in Lapin Honey.
If anyone has achieved Mastery, no one is aware of it, but something has to explain DarkenedFay's "diamastiff" pet and Prince Jean's menagerie.
There are rumours that some Vivimancers can do this with sapient species too. Or, at least used to be able to. Which may explain a lot.
Shapeshifting
this is a common power for Literomancers in general. Many are Werebeasts who develop a totemic relationship with the spirit of their House early on in their literomantic awakening. Most can only take the form of one specific animal and some can take a "half-animal" form.
More advanced variations allow flexibility, such as "borrowing" the senses or powers of a particular animal without changing form, or partial shapeshifts (such as Queen Sable's ears). This is sometimes known as "Aspecting."
Masters may manifest one of two different effects, but usually not both:
can cause others to shapeshift (ie. Kitoypoy's agimat that caused Queen Sable to change into her rabbit form in 3WW)
are capable of taking multiple different animal forms. Usually, these are still limited by a connection or theme (such as descending from two different Houses, or like Queen Sable's multiple "bunny" variants.)
Life & Love (Life Force)
Blessing of Fertility by Pixabay
Blessing of Fertility/Curse of Sterility
the Vivimancer causes a plant to flower or produce fruit, fungus to spread spores, or an animal to be more likely to conceive. This can even cause single-cell organisms to bud new copies of themselves if they reproduce by mitosis. An affected animal immediately enters the most productive time of their fertility cycle, however that manifests for its species.
Alternatively, this can be reversed. Flowers and fruit wither or simply fail to produce, fungi go dormant, and animals become sterile.
Masters can affect large numbers of plants (such as a whole crop) or animals (such as a herd of cows.) They can also affect sapient species at this level. A sapient being must be willing to receive this blessing.
Game Master Note: Do NOT use this power on another player character without their express permission.
Heartweave
the Vivimancer has an empathic connection with another person which allows them to be aware of that person's general health status and emotional state. This power often just "happens by accident." (Shared with Versomancy )
Advanced practitioners are immediately aware if this person is in danger.
Masters have such a powerful connection that they feel wounds and emotions from that person as if they were experiencing them directly. Occasionally they might even get telepathic flashes.
Healing Hands by Canva (SA)
Healing Hands
the Vivimancer can heal by laying on hands. This ability may affect any living thing. Beginners may direct Literomantic Power to accelerate the natural healing process. The Lapin Princesses typically refer to this as "passive healing."
Advanced practitioners can instantly heal minor wounds and ailments. Some level of support to emotional healing also comes through at this level.
Masters can instantly heal significant injuries or serious ailments. Some Masters might even have self-healing effects that are triggered by specific stimuli (ie. Queen Sable heals when someone displays affection towards her, usually by a physical gesture such as a hug).
Some rare Vivimancers can manifest epic feats of healing like out of many folk tales. People on crutches cease to limp, life threatening wounds heal without a scar, and limbs can even be reattached, although the limb must be physically present in order to accomplish this. Lost limbs are not restored, and old scars do not disappear, although they may fade. Some diseases or curses may also be instantly cured — Queen Sable is known to have cured a Zombie bite on at least one occasion. These rare Vivimancers may not even require physical contact to manifest healing as long as a close connection already exists (ie. a lover or family member).
Healing Hands is a difficult power to manifest and requires the Vivimancer's own literomantic energy, although other sources may be used to enhance the effects. Risk of Magic Drain is high.
It is a known factor that Healers have an easier time establishing connection with someone they care about. Love appears to be the driving force behind it.
Since the reawakening of literomancy, this power was almost unknown outside of House Lapin. However, in recent months, a number of literomancers from outside the House have also begun displaying or discovering this ability. For some, it seems to be connected to proximity to an event that happened at the Battle of Penwall . Others have begun learning directly from the Bunny Queen.
Lifeweaving
imbues clothing, blankets, etc. with healing properties. Prince Jean is widely known for his "healing blankets," which he gives to people after injury or illness to aid recovery. The more one imbues literomantic power in the process of the making, the greater the effects of the final result, and therefore, the more of the process the Vivimancer does themself, the more effective the magic is. At the beginner level, such an item effectively halves the normal recovery time.
Advanced practitioners can create items that quarter expected recovery time, as well as imbue protective Wards into the fabrics.
The work of Masters will bring about recovery from almost any injury or ailment that has been successfully treated (ie. not currently at a crisis level) after a single night's sleep.
Spark of Life
some Vivimancers show a marked resistance to the effects of Undeath. While this does not save them from becoming Undead, some Vivimancers who are known for their devotion to a cause or a person seem to maintain a degree of their personal will, even while Undead. This also does not prevent them from obeying the commands of the Night Monarch, but they maintain enough of their own self-determination to resist it for a limited time, and regret it if they cannot. (Captain James Woodwright apologizing repeatedly to Dame Flubb for attacking her during The Fourth Word War is probably the best known example.)
Pulse Ward
Queen Sable has invented a Ward that resists the Undead. Variants of this ward are also used by House Meles and House Chiroptera. For more information, see Ward.
Turn Undead by Canva (SA)
Turn Undead
the Vivimancer repels Undead creatures with a blaze of raw life force. For the most part, this has been used defensively to cover a retreat or other tactical maneuver. It causes the sensation of burning, but leaves no marks or injuries on the Undead creature. This is usually manifested as a directed sunlight ray.
On one memorable occasion in the Third Word War, the Mother of Bunnies manifested an enormous blast of magical energy that not only repelled Undead within a large radius, it destroyed non-literomantic zombies and healed people in its range as well. The magic drain of this effect, which seems to have been entirely involuntary, almost killed her. Whether or not she could ever do such a thing again is unknown.
Life Ward, also known as "El-Ahrairah's Gift"
in El-Ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inle, an important part of modern Lapin mythos, the trickster-hero El-Ahrairah goes to make a bargain with Death, called The Black Rabbit of Inle — his life in exchange for the lives of his people. The Black Rabbit does not accept the bargain, but after much suffering and many trials and tribulations, he agrees to save El-Ahrairah's people, and sends him home. According to Lapin legend, El-Ahrairah now grants Vivimancers the power to do what he could not: give their lives in exchange for the life of someone else. When a Vivimancer invokes this power, the circumstances of their death provide a means by which the person or people they are protecting is spared, which may seem coincidential. There are numerous examples among the Owsla, and indeed, this may be a secret taught to their members, or perhaps just a particular magic they gain upon joining. It was also used by Duochanfan to protect Princess Sunny in the Battle of the Tunnels.
(This power can have no effect on the Wheel of Misfortune. However, it may be used as a story element to explain why the Wheel chose one Tome Knight over another, or may be said to be invoked by Bodyguards when they make their sacrifice for their charge.)
The Resurrection of Lord Galakrond by Sable Aradia
Resurrection
the Vivimancer may bring a once-living creature back to life. This is a common power of The Iron Tome which is typically evoked by the House Leader in possession of the Tome at the end of a Tome War, but it has been used on a few occasions by the Bunny Queen directly.
A lesser "mass effect" version was evoked by King RPGDinosaurBob at the end of the Third Word War through Filking in an attempt to avoid the negative effects of writing in the Iron Tome.
This ability works on both the dead and the Undead, although whether or not it can affect a non-sapient creature remains to be seen.
It requires the direct use of personal literomantic power, unless accomplished through the Iron Tome, and the risk of magic drain is extremely high.
El-Ahrairah's Luck (also called "Trickster's Luck")
this isn't really a power so much as a side effect. Many Vivimancers report that when things are about to go horribly wrong for them, often, something miraculously saves them from total disaster at the last moment. Examples might include:
being completely out of food and unemployed, and then stepping on a tattered $20 bill on the sidewalk
the family car getting totalled in an accident, and the car is needed to keep a job, but then a neighbour just happens to have a clunker he's selling for a steal
deciding to walk a different way to work and later discovering the bridge they typically take collapsed that day.
The Vivimancer cannot consciously control this power, and it never benefits them in a way that is objectively beneficial, like winning the lottery; it always manifests as "disaster aversion." Some have credited "Sable Bright-Eyes" with this power as an explanation for her repeated knack for survival.
(Please discuss this with the Game Master if you intend to use this power. This can have no effect on the Wheel of Misfortune.)
The above is only a sampling of Vivimancy's possiblities. New discoveries from Vivimancers and research from the
Lapin Secret Library will be added as they are discovered.
Known Variants in Other Houses
While other Houses do not tend to have the same natural affinity with Vivimancy as House Lapin, many of the associated powers are used throughout the other Houses as well.
Leaf & Stem
Herbal Medicine
Literomancers with a background in Neopaganism and related traditions manifest this power infrequently. Prince Galakrond makes use of it in mushroom and Void fungus projects. It is likely that Olivette Rivers and Denver Grant, WRS of House Chiroptera also make use of it, but this is unconfirmed.
Spell Vessel
this technique has been used by Olivette Rivers and Denver Grant, WRS.
Greenshaping
House Meles has developed a number of techniques in Magical Architecture that shape earth and stone the way greenshapers shape living or once-living creatures. The two Houses often work together on construction projects. Novamoonlight of House Ailurus was also partially responsible for the creation of the Power Plant.
Blight
This power has been used by Night Monarchs in the past. Sometimes it appears to be almost a side effect of the energy that animates them.
Blood & Bone
Whisperer
It is common for literomancers who Shapeshift to at least have some limited empathic abilities with the type of animal they transform into.
Literomantic Nourishment
House Ailurus uses magical baking extensively, and it is likely that at least some of them can heal with food. Lee O'Hawk of House Sauropoda has an old family recipe for healing cookies that he has used to the benefit of multiple Houses on several occasions.
Serpent's Kiss
As mentioned above, Olivette Rivers may have this power, or one that is similar.
Bond of Blood
Using blood as a form of magical connection has been used by various members of House Meles to enhance wards and Archon The Bard with Many Names of House Ailurus for protection spells.
Witch Bottle
used by Denver Grant during The Sixth Word War.
Bloodweaving
Barbarossa the Wayfinder of House Ailurus is to blame for the diamastiff puppy known as Fluffy. He has thus far declined to comment.
Shapeshifting
Almost everybody shapeshifts. Changelings can regularly shapeshift superficial features, including gender and whether or not they might have horns or fuzzy ears, as a natural process. Multiple forms are becoming more common, such as Princess ShyRedFox's ability to transform into a badger as well as a fox. Mixed forms are also becoming more common (such as Sir Clockwocket's ability to transform into a humanoid form with macaw wings and bat ears. Queen TaraFaeBelle is known for being so good at shapeshifting that she routinely combines multiple form elements without even thinking about it.
Life & Love
Blessing of Fertility
The Lapins have taught this power to Prince Galakrond to help him with his mushroom experiments.
Healing Hands
Tome Knights from other Houses with Healing Hands include Princess ShyRedFox (Meles,) Nekomata/Tabby (Ailurus,) and Olivette Rivers (Mollusca.) There may be others.
Pulse Ward
Houses Meles and Chiroptera use variations of this ward.
History
Vivimancy is likely one of the most ancient known magics. For obvious reasons, healing and growing things have concerned people for at least as long as recorded history. In Stone Age cultures, Vivimancers were almost universally shamans or medicine people. In the Bronze Age, they were priests, doctors, and druids. In the Golden Age of Literomancy, they were often traveling spiritual healers or the village witches who were consulted for fertility issues. When literomancy disappeared, they might have been surgeons with a spectacular patient recovery rate, volunteers at animal rescues, or the crazy cat lady down the street.
Much of the history of Vivimancy is intrinsically bound to "holy" callings or professions, but this is more a matter of culture and tradition than any true link with faith. The deities a Vivimancer may worship — or lack thereof — appear to have no bearing on their ability to use Vivimantic powers. It seems likely that religious professions provided a cultural framework for Vivimancers to pursue their calling with little obstruction.
House Lapin cannot claim to have invented this domain, unlike Meles with
Geomancy. However, it has long been associated with the House, and in particular, the royal family. Lapin has
stories about those in their history with some of these powers. It is perhaps best said that they seem to have a natural affinity for it.
Vivimantic powers are strongly associated with hares and rabbits in Asian cultures, and it is believed that this may have something to do with the Asian branch of the family, whose fate is lost to history.
It is likely that the medieval Owsla discovered the secret of Life Ward sometime during the early Middle Ages, and made use of it until there were no more Owsla left to share it.
Captain James Woodwright is usually credited with its rediscovery, although he has not claimed this.
The term "Vivimancy" was first used by
Beata Lapin in some of the many journals she left behind. In a process which tends to remind modern day Neopagans of a Book of Shadows, Lady Beata documented her work with the domain, and the abilities already being used by members of her House, and gave them classification. It was she who coined the terms for the three "branches" of the art.
During the time of the Inquisition and the subsequent ages of witch hunts, Vivimancy went underground, since its associated powers were often linked to witches in the eyes of the Church. Aside from the notes of Beata Lapin, preserved in the
Lapin Secret Library, much of the wisdom Lapin had obtained over centuries was lost.
Since the reawakening of literomancy, a number of Lapins (and other
Literomancers as well) have spontaneously manifested Vivimantic powers. Some of the most famous have been Queen Sable's healing abilities and Princess Rowean's green magic. Until recently, the Bunny Queen believed that some of these powers were associated with her attunement to the layer of
The Void known as
The Firmament.
But having discovered Beata Lapin's notes, the Mother of Bunnies is beginning to think that this might be more a result of the Lapin family line and totemic ties. Further research is needed.
Since the
Order of Royal Librarians have begun a project to classify and name various "domains" of magic, Queen Sable has coined the "Laws of Vivimancy," inspired by her ancestor's writings and her own background in Neopaganism.
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