Witherbloom College

At Witherbloom, the College of Essence Studies, mages draw power from the opposing forces of life and death. These mages brew their spells from natural components and the essence of living creatures, using that power to heal of harm the living or to raise or entreat the dead. They can cause entire forests to blossom out of nowhere or call down old curses that scourge the flesh from bone. Some Witherbloom mages defend ecosystems from pollution, while others revel in the power of corruption. They're at home riding zombie crocodiles down a languid river, picking herbs for a potion to treat a disease, brooding over chorus swamp frogs, or summoning fearsome avatars of nature.
The curriculum of Witherbloom College focuses on various sciences, revolving around the life sciences. Biology, ecology, botany, chemistry, and related sciences combined with the study and manipulation of the magical energy of the Positive Plane and the Negative Plane, the primal forces of life and death. Witherbloom's curriculum shares some overlap with Quandrix's analysis of the mathematical patterns in nature.

Principles
The two deans of Witherbloom are traditionally called the Dean of the Root and the Dean of the Vein. These titles are a somewhat abstract way of framing the core division in the college's philosophy: is growth or decay the driving force of nature?

The philosophy of the root (growth) focuses on life and its irrepressible drive to thrive. This view celebrates the diversity and daptability of lifeforms, from the tiniest of cells to the most complex networks of living things. The growth philosophy asserts that the urge to survive and reproduce is the most essential principle in the cosmos. Mages who adopt this view wield positive energy and practice healing magic.

The philosophy of the vein (decay) focuses on the inevitability of death and decay. Its traditional name comes from the prominence of vampires within the college, whose conceptions of draining life through the vein have long proven an important counterweight to the growth philosophy of Witherbloom. The decay philosophy sees life energy as a resource to be consumed, rather than a good to be nourished for its own sake. Mages who adopt this view wield negative energy and practice necromancy.

Witherbloom Students
Witherbloom is the natural sciences college of Strixhaven. Their magic centers on life gain. They draw power from the essence of living beings, whether that means enhancing nature or exploiting it. Witherbloom mages are most at home riding zombie crocs, picking herbs for potions, and hanging out in their swamp making grim jokes.

The Witherbloom college has its students draw power from opposing and rival forces, with the best example being life and death - their conflict is based on whether existence is driven by the propagation of the species or escaping the clutch of death. These spells are crafted using natural components like the essence of living creatures or herbs. While many students use their powers for the greater good - like defending the ecosystem from pollution and/or harmful forces - the college motto of "Get Your Hands Dirty" certainly applies to students who use their abilities for death and corruption.

Witherbloom Majors
Agriculture
Alchemy/Arcanochemistry
Anatomy
Botany
Biology
Biophilosophy
Chemistry
Ecology
Entomology
Food Science
Geology/Mineralogy
Genetics
Herbology
Life Sciences
Medicine
Meteorology
Necromantic Arts
Paleontology
Zoology