Air cannot be forced. It must be persuaded.
Aeromancers tend to feel an early call to the wind, and work on developing a personal, almost spiritual, relationship with it. Future Aeromancers often run out the door to stand in storms as children, feeling the wind whipping through their hair and charging their spirits with energy. They might fancy they could change the weather by talking to the wind and clouds — and perhaps they even could. They tend to have no fear of heights, and repeatedly climb trees, cliffs, and high ledges that make everyone else around them hold their breath. Many of them spend long hours cloudwatching or birdwatching.
Perhaps as something of a side effect, they also tend to be extremely sensitive to changes of air pressure. Many get migraines when the barometric pressure goes through sudden shifts. They are always the first to notice a change of temperature.
With the reawakening of literomancy, suddenly, these childhood games became reality for most Aeromancers. They spoke to the wind — and the wind talked back. They lifted their arms to fly, and were carried into the air.
Historically, Aeromancers might have found their way to the wind in this intuitive sense, or have received instruction from a master. This experience is something like trying to learn Zen from a Zen Buddhist monk.
If you are at peace in the center of the storm, you have found your focus.
Most Aeromancers experience their relationship with air as a sense of its emotions. Often, it seems to have a spirit of mischief and play, and will tickle an Aeromancer's skin or hair. Sometimes, it is full of chaos and turmoil. One has to work with the existing conditions to direct change, rather than firmly asserting one's will.
Aeromancy also has a relationship with vibration and music. Some Aeromancers accomplish their enchantments through
Filking. Others use windwood instruments or their own voices to invoke particular magical effects.
Most Aeromancers are quick-witted and well-read, as befits the element that is considered the domain of Thought and Memory according to most traditional Western magic systems.
More experienced Aeromancers are very careful in the application of their power. One cannot do Aeromancy without affecting air currents and temperature, and they are keenly aware that the slightest shift of these things can have a "butterfly effect."
Aeromancy is often accompanied by changes of temperature, random breeze shifts that seem to have no source, the scent of ozone or petrichor, sudden weather changes, sky blue, white, or pale yellow light, a burst of physical energy, or a mischievous or angry feeling. Gestures and motion used in Aeromancy are either gentle and flowing, like tai chi, or broad, sweeping and spinning, like the dancing of dervishes and wu shu.
Aeromantic Law
The Law of Aeromancy
Magic is change.
Corollary of Movement
To make change, you must resist stasis.
Corollary of Persuasion "Nova's Corollary"
The wind cannot be forced, it must be persuaded.
Corollary of Belief
You must trust the wind to carry you.
Corollary of the Butterfly Effect
Small changes at the beginning have vast consequences.
Areas and Types
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. |
Aeromancy Sharing Key
Minimum level needed is listed before the ability/spell. Variations are listed below.
shared with Versomancy
Exceptions and shared magic domains are noted.
The Thought
Air is the element of Thought and Memory. Powers associated with The Thought relate to writing, reading, and study.
Speed Reading
The Aeromancer gleans a vast amount of information in a short period of time through reading text. This ability allows them to run their gaze over a page and pick up the essential information as if by osmosis. Reading becomes more a matter of intuitive grasp than careful analysis.
Mnemonics
The Aeromancer can weave an enchantment that creates a trigger word, phrase, or symbol. Upon recalling that chosen shorthand, the entire content of the desired information springs readily to mind.
Inspiration
The Aeromancer becomes a literal Muse, inspiring others to literary greatness through their presence. In a manner of speaking, the breeze simply blows their way and they "find their stride."
The Word
Air is also the element of sound and language. The powers of The Word allow an Aeromancer to take advantage of sound, language, and vibration to induce magical effects.
Messenger
The Aeromancer "persuades" the wind to carry a message to someone over a distance. When it arrives, the message sounds as though it is whispered into the recipient's ear in the voice of the caster.
Paper Airplane Message
Allows a literomancer to write a message on a piece of paper and send it to the recipient remotely through various means. (See spell description - shared with Artisimancy)
SFX
Similar to Messenger, this power allows the Aeromancer to throw sounds, such as redirecting the sound of footsteps down a hallway, filling the air with more birdsong than is actually present, or providing one's own theme music.
Distorted Whispers
The Aeromancer can obscure sounds through manipulation of air movement and sound waves. Uses for this might include obscuring the details of a conversation, such that people can hear that someone is talking but not make out what is being said, or disguising or muting sounds made while moving in stealth. Note that this ability affects an area, not a person, so an Aeromancer may obscure sounds anywhere in their immediate proximity, regardless of whom or what has caused them.
Advanced practitioners may not only mute or obscure sounds, they may distort them to the point where a listener will think they are something totally different (ie. will pick up false details from a conversation, or will think a twig snapping is a bird call.)
Masters may cloak an area in perfect silence.
"Air Quotes"
A special aid for the neurodiverse. This power allows the Aeromancer to "tag" conversation with visible emotional context marks, providing cues when emotional nuance might be missed. (Shared with Versomancy )
Closed Captioning
The Aeromancer captions spoken words as floating illusionary text for a short period of time.
Speed Writing
The Aeromancer dramatically improves their writing speed for short periods of time, allowing them to generate more Werds than they would otherwise be able to manage.
Harmonics
By using music, voice, or vibration, an Aeromancer can "attune" magical effects. Examples include directing altitude of flight, the force of an attack, or shifting the height and placement of the air platforms on The Treehouse.
The Breeze
The movement of wind can be subtle and gentle. Powers of the The Breeze allow Aeromancers to make use of slight changes of air currents and temperature shifts to manifest significant effects.
Feather Fall
Named for the iconic RPG spell, this power allows the Aeromancer to encourage the wind to slow someone's descent if they fall. The subject can then land on the ground with little to no injury.
Deflection
The Aeromancer can raise a sudden breeze to shift the trajectory of incoming weaponry.
Beginners can deflect arrows or foils.
Advanced practioners can deflect knives and broadswords.
Masters can deflect spears, tridents, or bullets.
It is, in theory, possible to deflect clubs, maces, or possibly brick walls.
Ally of the Wind
A wind may be summoned that will attack the Aeromancer's foes.
Beginners may summon a distracting breeze that will tickle an enemy at inconvenient moments, throw dust in their face, or scatter their papers.
Advanced practitioners can "slap" their foes with the wind, causing distracting or slightly painful blows, temporary blindness due to flying dust, or knocking them prone if used to trip at just the right moment.
Masters can use the wind as a weapon. It will act as the wind acts, but the wind is strong. It might be able to blow a shield aside, whip the enemy with a convenient tree branch, or push an enemy back a few inches and delay their attack.
It is said that some Aeromancers have been able to literally attack with a storm.
Wings
The Aeromancer can fly. Or perhaps, as an Aeromancer would say, the wind can be convinced to carry them. Despite the name of the power, wings are not actually required, although they may help a beginner to learn how to maneuver.
Beginners can hover or levitate for short periods.
Advanced practitioners can glide with ease for longer distances.
It requires Mastery to achieve true flight.
Obfuscation
The Aeromancer bends the air around them to obscure their features. While this cannot make them truly invisible, it does make it difficult for one's eye to focus on them, and it makes them difficult to identify.
Arrow's Flight
An Aeromancer can direct a projectile to fly straight and true, directly to its target. This effect costs Werds to invoke, and the supply is not unlimited.
The Tempest
Wind also brings storms. The powers of The Tempest harness that raw, natural power.
Rainmaker by Canva (SA)
Rainmaker
The Aeromancer calls together the moisture in the air and nearby environment to make precipitation. Depending on the ambient temperature and the method, this might summon rain, mist, snow, sleet, hail, frost, etc. (Shared with Aquamancy)
Advanced users can shift the ambient temperature to create unseasonably hot or cold weather. Alternatively, they can "dry out" an environment, dissipating rain into dampness, snow into frost, etc.
Masters can summon weather that is vastly out of season, such as a snowstorm in July in the Northern Hemisphere.
Stormcaller Hurricane by Canva (SA)
Stormcalling
The Aeromancer stirs up the ambient weather forces to create or call a storm. (Shared with Aquamancy.)
Advanced practitioners can not only summon a storm of greater power, but they can direct the storm to head in the direction they choose. This storm must fit both climate and season of the location they are in.
Masters can summon the sort of storm that is remembered for years, such as a massive prairie thunderstorm, a big tropical storm, or a weekend-long blizzard. Alternatively, they can summon a completely out-of-season or out-of-climate storm (a rainstorm in the Sahara, but not a monsoon in the Sahara).
Some powerful Aquamancers and Aeromancers are said to be able to summon legendary storms, like tornadoes and hurricanes. Some are also said to be able to summon epic storms that are completely contrary to season and climate, or completely unnatural weather (like Glitter Storms, or frogs falling from the sky).
Storm Tamer
The Aeromancer can take some of the power out of a storm as well. Some would describe this as soothing it, others as redirecting some of its innate energy and grounding it out. Beginners can calm a thunderstorm into a heavy rainstorm or a blizzard into a heavy snow.
Advanced practitioners can turn a gale into a windstorm.
Masters can downgrade hurricanes into tropical storms.
It is said that some Aeromancers can soothe even hurricanes into a good breeze.
Tesla Bolt
The Aeromancer may concentrate and amplify ambient static electricity, and other forms of power, into high-voltage bolts of energy. This is the Hollywood-esque power of shooting lightning from one's hands or calling it down from the sky. Magical Backlash from the use of this power can be disastrous for the practitioner, so a good system of grounding in case of something going wrong is strongly advised. (Shared with Technomancy).
Summon Air Elemental
The specified type of elemental is summoned, but the caster must be able to convince the elemental to do their bidding. Requires excellent negotiation skills, patience, and determination to keep the stubborn elemental from returning to its home. See also Elemental Summoning Spell.
An Advanced user may summon a small to medium elemental of average strength.
A Master may summon a more powerful one.
Wind Wall
The Aeromancer can solidify the air in front of them to create a barrier like a force field. The barrier prevents projectiles from passing through it, and heavier objects (or beings) that try to force their way past experience this like trying to push through pressurized water or a gale-force wind.
The above is only a sampling of Aeromancy's possiblities. New discoveries from Aeromancers and research from the
Great Library will be added as they are discovered.
Known Variants in Other Houses
Filkers
A lot of the powers of sound overlap with what filkers do. It is not uncommon for filking magic to be accompanied by background music, despite there being no instruments present.
Aquamancers
Weather is made through a combination of air currents, temperature changes, and humidity. As a result, both Aquamancers and Aeromancers tend to have some abilities that control weather.
Inspiration
Others may also have displayed inspirational powers. Filkers and bards, and possibly most Versomancers, seem to have some related abilities, even if those powers don't seem to be quite as strong.
Obfuscation
There are other literomancers who appear to have abilities to make themselves unidentifiable or unnoticed, but they seem to be accomplished through different magical mechanisms.
Flight
Other literomancers, with no known Aeromancy powers otherwise, can fly. It can be assumed that most literomancers with winged forms can either fly or are learning how to.
Tesla Bolt
Technomancers share this power and likely gave it its name.
History
The desire to control weather is as ancient in
Human history as agriculture; therefore, so is Aeromancy. "Weather witching" has been part of almost every known culture, for good or ill. Sometimes, Aeromancers have been blamed for droughts, floods, and other natural disasters, while at others, they have been appealed to for assistance in fighting these issues.
It seems likely, however, based on some tantilizing hints from the Sauropodan Archives, that Aeromancy is as old as House Avis itself. Indeed, the discovery of Aeromancy, and thus learning the power of flight, may in fact have been the catalyst that caused the ancient division of the two Houses.
Significant mythological figures are often attributed with powers that echo the powers of Aeromancy, especially storm deities and their agents (such as Hugin and Munin of Norse mythology.)
In the modern Literomantic Age,
Cryssalia, former
House Leader of House Avis, is usually credited with Aeromancy's rediscovery... although
Dreoilin Eiliagh could also be a contender for that claim.
Princess Cathryn Dalton and
Feral Novamoonlight have also made significant discoveries that have brought Aeromancy to the forefront of the public consciousness.
It is almost certain that much more detailed records existed in the Avisan Records, and should they ever be recovered, there would no doubt be a plethora of valuable knowledge to be gained.
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