Strixhaven

Strixhaven
Information
Plane	Orrithia, Arcavios

For the set, see Strixhaven: School of Mages.

Strixhaven is a school of magic located on the Orrithia continent of the plane Arcavios.

Description

Archway Commons with the Dawnbow

The University

At the birth of the plane, as the mana of two planes overlapped in conflicting ways, many forms of life adapted to the new structure, and many new forms of life were spawned. Five particularly powerful vortices of overlapping mana became luminous spheres, from which were hatched five dragons. These dragons have become emblems of the magic of the plane, living symbols of the clashing forces of the five dichotomies.

The Founder Dragons were the first to master the magic of the five enemy color combinations. When the humanoid races arose, at first the dragons were angered that mortals would try to harness the wild forces of magic, but they came to realize that only through disciplined study would magic be in safe hands. So, centuries ago, the dragons founded an institution devoted to the study of the five mana dichotomies, and that institution is what we now know as Strixhaven. The five colleges were based around the magic mastered by each of those dragons. To this day, the Founder Dragons roam the plane, the five deadly sages of the skies. They no longer associate directly with Strixhaven, preferring to let the deans of the college speak in their stead. The dragons' wisdom is vast, but their tempers can be short. Mages seek them out only to learn the most elusive of secrets.

Founded some 700 years ago by five spellcasting dragons, Strixhaven University is Arcavios's premier institution of magical learning, drawing promising young mages from all around the plane to study in its halls. Strixhaven is divided into five colleges, each with its own campus, faculty, and magical specialties. The mission of Strixhaven University is to discover and preserve magical knowledge, disseminate that knowledge from one generation to the next, promote the free and open study of magic in all its forms, and enhance the lives of people throughout the plane through the use of magic.

The Colleges

The school is the most elite university in the Multiverse. Because of this, there are several planeswalkers who secretly have enrolled as students. Strixhaven features five Colleges, which battle it out with their own takes on magic. Each college is named after an elder dragon who founded it and is associated with two enemy colors. The Five Colleges are:

• Lorehold () - Passionate scholars and explorers who dedicate their studies to adventure and discovery. Their motto is "Leave no stone unturned."
• Prismari () - Mages who focus on the artistic side, using the elements to express themselves and their emotions. Their motto is "Express yourself with the elements."
• Quandrix () - They are mathematician wizards, seeing math and magic as one and the same. Their motto is "Math is magic."
• Silverquill () - They specialize in verbal magic, ranging from empowering poetry to biting arcane insults. Their motto is "Sharp style. Sharper wit."
• Witherbloom () - They are nature mages, on both sides of the spectrum, either empowering nature or exploiting it. Their motto is "Get your hands dirty."

Each College features its own faculty, campus, magical specialties, identity, logo, and mascots.

Scholarships are available to eligible students as well as the option to pay off any remaining tuition fees by working with research teams. Students pick their preferred College in their second year.

Students and Faculty

Mage-Students

The attendees of Strixhaven are known generally as mage-students. New students are called first-years until they choose one of Strixhaven's five colleges of study. All first-years wear a standardized university uniform that is distinct from the look of any of the colleges. Generally, after a student's first year of basic curriculum (hence the name), they choose one of the five mystic colleges. Thereafter, they dress in accordance with their chosen college.

Two Mentors

Once a mage has chosen a college, they are assigned two counselors, one from each of the two mana colors of the college. The two counselors often give conflicting advice about the student's best path through the university. Eventually, the mage chooses their concentration (represented by their color identity). The mage's concentration is usually one of their college's two mana colors, but sometimes, it's a blend of both.

Professors

Professors of Strixhaven are mages advanced in their chosen magical field who have devoted their lives to teaching other mages. There are several ranks of professors according to seniority, the distinction of magical research, and knowledge of spells.

Instructor – A mage who teaches classes and their own curriculum but who has not yet passed a provisionary period of observation and evaluation to become a full professor.

Professor – An established, accredited educator devoted to a field of magical study. Most of the educators at Strixhaven have the professor rank.

Esteemed Professor – A professor who has distinguished themselves in their career, usually through published and peer-reviewed magical research or other specialized studies. Most esteemed professors have taught at Strixhaven for over twenty years.

Dean – Each college has two deans who each head up one half of that college. Each dean is a powerful mage and distinguished professor who's aligned with one of the two mana colors of that college. The ten deans are like contradictory advisors to the entirety of their college; they have deep professional rivalries with each other and always disagree with the other about the best path for studying magic.

Mage Emeritus – A professor who no longer holds a position at Strixhaven is often called a mage emeritus. Mages emeritus are frequently held in high esteem as guest lecturers and speakers.

Mage Tower

Strixhaven Stadium.

There is an intense rivalry between the Colleges and they battle that out in magical duels. It is part of Strixhaven's special sport called Mage Tower. The rules are simple: two opposing teams meet in the school's large stadium alongside their mascots. There are three phases of play. Each mascot sits on a tower and the goal is to steal the opposing team's mascot and transport it over to their own side. The use of all magic is legal, except that which would physically harm opponents, mascots, or somebody in the stands, or damage the stadium. Each phase lasts twenty minutes, and then a winner is declared.

After Strixhaven

Graduates from Strixhaven travel many different paths after leaving the university. Many simply return to their communities, using their magic to help at home. Some mages travel the plane in search of ever-greater magic, engaging in mage duels when they encounter others along their path. Some find a new home with a loved one or with their own mystical pastimes. Some create sanctums or laboratories to continue their study, perhaps even hoping to one day return to Strixhaven as professors themselves. A select few join the Dragonsguard, an elite force of mages who work with the honored Founder Dragons.

Notable locations

The campus stretches across the horizon, an intricate tangle of gleaming towers and flattened rooftops.

• The Dawnbow, A massive arch of jagged stones that float over the campus of Strixhaven. The ends of each stone point toward the ground smooth and flat.
  • Archway Commons
• The Biblioplex, the vast library that is said to hold the knowledge of the Multiverse. An enormous domed building that rises above the rest of the campus.
  • Torches of Enlightenment, five lines of beacon-towers radiate out from the center of Strixhaven like enormous spokes, stretching more than a hundred miles out into the surrounding countryside. These Torches of Enlightenment burn eternally with magical flame, symbolizing the path toward learning and an escape from ignorance. The five lines converge at the Biblioplex.
  • The Mystical Archive, the forbidden section of the Biblioplex which holds the most powerful spells.
  • The Hall of Oracles
    • The Strixhaven Snarl, an overlapping tangle of power hidden away below the school in the Hall of Oracles.
• Lorehold Campus
  • Kollema Hall, lecture hall for the Lorehold mages. It is a grand, multi-tiered gallery where Lorehold mages gather for large lectures and demonstrations.
  • Effigy Row, The main campus area of Lorehold. Its pathways are lined with monuments of famous historical figures, including past professors and prominent mage-students as well as war heroes and heads of state from ages past.
  • Pillardrop, a series of historical buildings excavated directly out of sheer, perpendicular cliffs, now used for research, classwork, and housing.
• Prismari Campus
  • Conjurot Hall, a towering structure with a glassed-in observation area at the top, encircled by constantly changing strands of elemental energy. The apartments and workshops of Uvilda and Nassari are on the top level.
  • The Opus Walk, a garden walk lined with art created by Prismari graduates.
  • Furygale, an area outside the inhabitable section of Prismari campus, used as a "graveyard" of abandoned projects and half-cast spells.
• Quandrix Campus
  • Torus Hall, the central hall of Quandrix campus lies at the end of a geometric series of walkways, ending in the ascending ramps to the towering building.
  • The Arithmodrome, an infinite-seeming theory-space, hidden away within a water structure, where the rules of reality are suspended. Mages use this space to explore theoretical numerical possibilities.
  • The Cultivarium, an eye-popping, sun-drenched garden of spiraling, cyclical plants, and fractalized animals.
• Silverquill Campus
  • Grandloft Hall, the main Silverquill building is a vast train-station-like space with shafts of light streaking in from the enchanted windowpanes far above.
  • The Dramarium, a facility where Silverquill students train in physical fitness, dance, martial arts, and other acts of physical performance.
  • The Rose Stage, a rotating circular platform on the Silverquill campus with a backdrop of roses made of magical ink that creates excellent acoustics.
• Witherbloom Campus
  • Widdershins Hall, the center of the Witherbloom campus is Widdershins Hall, a kind of bog mansion that looks like it was grown out of Sedgemoor itself.
  • Sedgemoor, the swampy marshlands on the Witherbloom campus.
  • Detention Bog, the place where Witherbloom students who misbehave in class are sent.
  • Witch's Clinic, Witherbloom’s medical facilities.
• The Mage Tower Stadium
• The Firejolt Cafe
• The Bow's End, a pub

Campus community

Founder dragons

• Galazeth Prismari
• Beledros Witherbloom
• Shadrix Silverquill
• Tanazir Quandrix
• Velomachus Lorehold

Staff

• The Dragonsguard
• Cremik, Mage Tower commentator
• Diriga, demon bursar
• Gyome, Witherbloom Chef
• Isabough, Biblioplex Librarian
• Mavinda Sharpbeak, Students' Advocate
• Moriana, Mage Tower coach
• Taiva, University Director

Faculty

Deans

• Augusta
• Embrose Lu
• Imbraham
• Kianne
• Lisette
• Nassari
• Plargg
• Shaile
• Uvilda
• Valentin

Professors

• Adrix and Nev
• Breena
• Deekah
• Gladefell
• Hostram
• Kasmina
• Keevan
• Onyx
• Osgir
• Ruxa
• Tivash
• Willowdusk
• Yold
• Zaffai
• Zhaer

Students

• Auvernine
• Bim
• Cairu
• Dina
• Dinsley
• Dradiel
• Felisa Fang
• Killian Lu
• Needledeep
• Plink
• Quintorius Kand
• Rootha Squallheart
• Rowan Kenrith
• Wickel
• Will Kenrith
• Zimone Wola

In-game references

Associated cards:

• Strixhaven Stadium
• The Biblioplex

Depicted in:

• Eager First-Year
• First Day of Class

Referred to:

• Ageless Guardian
• Brainstorm (Mystical Archive)
• Bury in Books
• Campus Guide
• Charge Through
• Crackle with Power
• Defend the Campus
• Frost Trickster
• Honor Troll
• Letter of Acceptance
• Mascot Exhibition
• Mascot Interception
• Mentor's Guidance
• Plumb the Forbidden
• Secret Rendezvous
• Team Pennant
• Thrill of Possibility (Mystical Archive)
• Umbral Juke
• Veinwitch Coven

Trivia

• The name Strixhaven is a combination of "Strix" and "haven".
  • Strixes are magical birds from the mythology of classical antiquity, closely associated with witches. Strix is also a genus of owls. The association is reinforced by Strixhaven's own symbol, an owl, and the Aven race of Arcavios, the owlin.
  • Havens are a kind of harbor or port. The metaphorical usage here is as a place of safety or peace.