Auromancy

Auromancy is the creation, control, and manipulation of magical fields, or 'auras'. Its practitioners are called Auromancers. At least some degree of auromancy is considered a requirement for any healer.

A particularly-skilled auromancer can even produce an Anti-Magic Aura, an aura capable of absorbing any form of magical energy. This ability was highly sought-after during the Mage Wars.

Mechanics

Auramancers operate being seeing and modifying auras. In basic auramancy(such as is used by healers) the auramancer can see the general colors and intensities. A healer will have learned what a "healthy" aura looks like and know how to modify it accordingly.

More advanced mages, those who can formally be called Auramancers, are able to separate the various components of the auras into halos. A a novice auramancer can detect all 13 "primacy" auras. A master can identify as many as 800 distinct halos. The actual number could be in the tens of thousands.

The corollary to Halos are called Bands. A Halo confers specific aural traits, the Band determines how intense the trait is. Opposing Bands not only hinder the intensity of a specific halo but also limit the ability to pass the halo on.

Inheritance

Halos can be inherited like genetic traits, but do not necessarily diminish between generations. A son can inherit a specific halo from his father at full intensity so long as his mother does not possess the opposing band. Given the number of distinct halos, opposing halos are relatively rare, so a specific halo can persist through a bloodline indefinitely.

Magical Ability

The ability to perform magic at all is believed to be passed partially or wholly through the aura as opposed to genetically.