STX Flavor

First-years quickly learn how the Vastlands earned its name.

"Changing the equation from incremental to exponential was a stroke of genius on my part."

"I've never seen a student fail quite so spectacularly. There's potential in that." ~ Hostram, professor of arcanochemistry

Final grades are posted on the first day of class.

"Don't just win the game. Win the crowd." ~ Moriana, Mage Tower coach

"Fly the path of nine birds."

Ancient ruins dot the world of Arcavios, most older than Strixhaven itself and many still guarded by soldiers from the Blood Age, centuries after their deaths.

"I've lived too long in my father's shadow. It's time to find my own light." ~ Killian, Silverquill mage-student

"You're too dim to realize it, but you've already lost."

"Before Yovus was cut down at Pranticle Peak, she performed which maneuver? Anyone? From the reading?"

Professors scrambled to push the mage hunters back, leaving the heart of Strixhaven undefended.

Today, she learns the basics. She'll knock out advanced theory later this week.

Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa, World Champion XXVI

Quintorius was a daydreamer, far happier digging through history books than practicing battle tactics. He agreed with the military academy on only one thing: he did not belong in their ranks.

When honormancers work together, their compliments are complementary.

All who hear his inspiring words are filled with hope and pride.

Gentle hands of stone whisk the careless from the crumbling ruins of Pillardrop.

"A language isn't dead until we stop learning from it."

"Do not flinch from studying the horrors of the past. History's most important lessons are cloaked in terror and tragedy." ~ Augusta, Lorehold dean

Strixhaven's five colleges encourage natural rivalries among the students, but some bonds transcend all barriers.

"When I'm done here, they'll name entire buildings after me."

"Hey, my great-great-grandfather had a dog just like that!" ~ Dradiel, Lorehold mage-student

The carved cliffs of Pillardrop thrum with the sounds of ancient spirits rising from the past.

"You might believe that being dead for centuries has made me more lenient. I think you'll find the opposite is true."

"You've been cramming all night. You're taking a nap whether you like it or not."

The class learned little that day.

Some emeritus professors return from their wanderings periodically to share tales of the mystical wonders of Arcavios.

Students who seek river herbs in Doradur quickly find themselves slightly damp and thoroughly surrounded.

There are no weapons allowed in the Biblioplex, but a clever mage is never truly defenseless.

"*Kathorran War Chants, Vol. III*? That doesn't even belong in this wing!"

"Misery. Inadequacy. Failure. The common denominator is you."

The most important skill in a Mage Tower match is keeping one's cool.

Kelpies are drawn to paradoxes, making them ideal companions for Quandrix mages.

Kasmina had encouraged the twins to apply. Strixhaven would test not only their magical potential, but also their character.

"For sun's sake, I just want a crab!"

"Today is hydromancy? I thought it was amplimancy! I studied for amplimancy!"

"Grux, for the last time, you have to do more than simply shout 'Apply!' at the administrators." ~ Pavil, admissions officer

Critics were struck first by the elemental's surprising grace, and then by its fists.

"Math bites." ~ Bim, Lorehold mage-student

"Advanced Elemental Manifestations is canceled until all students have thawed." ~ Prismari dormitory notice

Zimone's brilliance drew attention from many, including the sinister mages known as the Oriq.

One of the first lessons divination students learn is how to recognize the difference between a portent and a simple surface ripple.

"By my calculations, I should be able to achieve true enlightenment before graduation."

Mages seek out the ancient beings known as the Archaics for their boundless knowledge of history and magic, dispensed only in cryptic metaphors.

To exact his vengeance, Extus needed followers. His infiltrators recruited promising mage-students from the very halls he sought to destroy.

"By using the vortex, I can study for at least fifteen extra minutes between every class. I wasn't being reckless, Dean Imbraham. I was being efficient."

Form and function in perfect unity.

After drownings, devourings, and one highly unpleasant algae infestation, unsupervised portal use on campus was banned.

"I would be kinder to my peers, Professor, but I simply don't have any."

Most trudges are covered with decaying plant matter, making them ideal breeding grounds for fungal spores.

"Why, Gideon? Of all people, why save me?"

Most students could barely endure Dean Embrose's scrutiny for a semester or two; Killian lived with it his entire life.

"I'd say it's still a fair fight—now my friend is about the size of your ego."

Oculomancers see the ideal potion ingredient. The bats don't see it that way.

"I assure you, no one fails my course more than once." ~ Embrose, Silverquill dean

The only feeling worse than not knowing the answer is the certainty that you once did.

"The strongest shadow spells come from disdain for someone else, not frustration with yourself." ~ Embrose, Silverquill dean

"Everyone thinks that leeches maintain a strictly sanguivorous diet, but in fact, most freshwater leeches are carnivores. Wait, where are you going?"

One of the Oriq's most powerful tools is the mage hunter, a vile monstrosity created to seek out and snuff out the arcane.

Extus stood before his alma mater for a moment, remembering first his studies, then his vengeance. At his command, the mage hunters unfolded.

When live specimens aren't readily available, Witherbloom mages make creative use of ragged spirits clinging to long-dead bodies.

"The professor said to first extract the venom glands, then the acid sac. Next up, the . . . meeping organ?"

Nothing can quell the Oriq's thirst for the forbidden secrets of the past.

Strixhaven forbade all magic from the Blood Age, so that is where Extus began his research.

Professor Onyx urged the twins to prepare for the dark mage Extus, sounding very much like someone familiar with the rise of tyrants.

"Your technique is sloppy, but there is talent there. Do it again, and keep your right arm in position this time."

Foul specters hunt down those who try to back out of a deal with a daemogoth.

"Ah, another future archmage for my collection."

The sport of Mage Tower was conceived as a playful testing ground for young spellcasters.

"Don't look at me like that. It was either this or being eaten by a groff." ~ Dina, Witherbloom mage-student

"I'll show you original research, you hack!"

"The Founder Dragons weren't even hatched when this scroll was written!"

His troops took the Fortress of Caerdoon centuries ago, yet he fights on.

Will gasped as Rowan drew from the raw power of the Strixhaven Snarl. For a moment, she was luminous, transcendent, terrible.

"If the pen is mightier than the sword, just think what a giant tome could do!"

Rowan and Will were a natural fit in Prismari College, the school of outrageous elemental arts.

Some spirits share ancient wisdom. Others just get mad you touched their stuff.

On rare occasions, a Prismari student will summon an elemental that shows such promise that it's permitted to stay and enroll.

"No unauthorized summoning. No writing in the library books. And absolutely no indoor dueling!"

"While you were wasting time with abstract equations, I mastered ancient Oggyar fire magic. Your move."

Prismari fosters a burning need to create.

"Look at the detail in this stonework! Professor, our assumptions about early Kathorran tool use may not be correct."

The most distinguished Lorehold professors are eligible to receive extended tenure, even beyond the limits of their own mortality.

Far from the trappings of royalty, Rowan and Will found inspiration from the most popular sport on campus, Mage Tower.

When art projects collapse, Prismari students revel in the beauty of destruction. Everyone else runs for cover.

A giant statue of a dwarf is still a giant statue.

"I don't care what they think!" Rootha snapped. "I know I can do better."

A captured elemental makes for a potent, albeit unstable, power source.

Rootha created constantly, passionately, in hopes of impressing her greatest critic: herself.

"Quintorius, would you care to explain why you didn't complete your homework?" ~ Augusta, Lorehold dean

"May your wretched name never grace the annals of history, you ignorant buffoon!"

"Tincture of murkroot and lizard feet? Simple. One that doesn't taste like murkroot and lizard feet? I'm working on it."

"I made that! It's mine! Did you see that?"

"Groffs are great for tracking pests through the muck, but securing the pests before the groff devours them is a dicey endeavor." ~ Lisette, Witherbloom dean

"Quandrix is running out of time. If they're going to capture the Witherbloom mascot, they need something big here." ~ Cremik, Mage Tower commentator

It takes "devouring a book in one sitting" to a frightening extreme.

"What a move! Lorehold gets caught flat-footed, and Witherbloom barrels ahead." ~ Cremik, Mage Tower commentator

For pest keepers, there's no sound more disheartening than breaking glass.

Witherbloom spells often take on the appearance—and personality—of their components.

"The Founder Dragons brought the Blood Age to an end. It is an honor to serve them."

Most Quandrix students fundamentally disagree with the concept of "enough."

"If a seedling can push through solid stone, there's no limit to what I could do."

"Class is in season."

First in his clan to attend Strixhaven, and now first in his class.

"She showed up to class on a what?" ~ Valentin, Witherbloom Dean

"Do you still believe my work is nothing but dry, boring equations?" ~ Cairu, Quandrix mage-student

"Remember the rules. No spells to the face!"

Tondo lost his very first duel and has spent his entire life trying to get even.

She's brilliant, if a bit overbearing.

"Linear growth? What am I, a first-year?"

Scurrid teeth evolved to crack open nuts, but they work just as well for crushing bones if the nest is threatened.

"The bogs are deeper than you realize. Most of the space beneath the surface is taken up by these enormous karoks. You might think your feet are touching the bottom. They're probably not." ~ Gyome, Witherbloom chef

Cervins feed on the mana-rich plants around the star arches, imbuing their bodies with extraordinary grace and vitality.

"It's like that old saying: what goes up . . . feeds the arboretum." ~ Lisette, Witherbloom dean

"Hold still. I have a theory about what's going to happen to your face."

Pests are typically harvested before they outgrow their enclosures. Blex is far from typical.

"Stand up and fight!"

He offered his light to make sure no others would be dimmed.

"You are so much stronger than you know."

Some Quandrix mages prefer to study at twilight, watching their experimental equations trace glowing trails against the encroaching darkness.

"I will reach infinity."

"So you see, the reckless battle strategy of the Kathorran orcs was effective, but ultimately proved to be a double-edged sword. As did their double-edged swords."

"Dean Valentin warns us not to consume the samples for our safety, but I think he's just being greedy."

A drop of ink is a nuisance. A torrent of inklings is a menace.

Needledeep had promised that his final project would be his biggest one yet.

"In conclusion . . ."

The only thing more delicious than a top grade is Gyome's signature cake.

"Your own frailty is your undoing. I am merely the one to expose it."

Will's quick thinking meshed with Rowan's raw power to bring down the Blood Avatar.

"Of course it offered you power. Demons always do. But trust me—the sweeter the prize, the more ruinous the price." ~ Professor Onyx

"Your pain for my wisdom. You'll get no better deal."

No one ever asked what was in Dina's concoctions, so long as they worked.

"I've heard enough."

"Now I can dedicate myself fully to zoetimancy and void theory!"

The enraptured audience barely noticed their programs were suddenly blank.

Rootha passed with flying, living colors.

"You've made a splash. Now show me a torrent." ~ Uvilda, Prismari dean

"At first, the equations were simply numbers. But in those numbers, I saw a story, and in that story I saw a pattern, and suddenly it all fit together!"

His words poured forth on waves of golden light, scouring all fear from his audience's hearts and minds.

Prismari students dance in the tension between passion and perfection.

"Fractals are just pseudo-dimensional manifestations of asynchronous biosymmetries. It's really quite simple." ~ Kianne, Quandrix dean

"Your defiance is amusing, little mage. It's time you learn how fragile you really are." ~ Extus Narr

"When I look around, I see a world defined by patterns that still manages to defy them." ~ Kianne, Quandrix dean

"As I stepped into the star arch, it all became perfectly clear. Life and death are not opposites, but an endless path, twisting around and back upon itself, never ending and never beginning." ~ Zhaer, professor of biophilosophy

"Aw, what's that? No comeback?"

Dina raised her cup to Killian's lips, and for the first time in his life, he knew compassion.

"Think of an insult so vicious, so vulgar, that you hesitate to speak it aloud. The strongest, most aggressive inklings are born from such scorn." ~ Embrose, Silverquill dean

"When your father is Dean Embrose, second best really isn't an option."

Ancient footfalls echo in her head, their timeless rhythm guiding the present.

"The weight of history can empower you or it can crush you. It's your choice."

She's an inspiration to everyone, even herself.

Those who do learn from history may still choose to repeat it.

The first thing a Quandrix mage learns is the laws of metaphysics. The second thing is how to break them.

Necroluminescence is common among the undead creatures of Sedgemoor, giving the midnight swamp an eerie glow. It's comforting—from a distance.

"Death is my life's work."

As they learn to fly, young drakes have a tendency to accidentally impale trees, cliffs, and unsuspecting students.

"May Ganathog bless us with bloody visions of glory restored!"

"Aim higher next time."

"Step 1: Put the pests in mud.n"Step 2: Wait." ~ *Gyome's Guide to Pest Breeding*

The twins each researched spells to defeat Extus in their own way. Will hit the library. Rowan hit everything else.

"No one ever created great art by playing it safe!"

Many have the talent to create, but few have the courage to share their creations.

"The secrets of our world will be mine."

In the gardens spread across the Quandrix campus, fern turns to forest before class is even over.

"The first step toward transcending physical limitations is discarding assumptions about what is possible."

"Every life has a story to tell. I won't let them be forgotten."

When it comes to transporting priceless, delicate artifacts, safety is more important than speed.

Lorehold spirit statues are not forbidden from raising statues of their own.

Torn from history. Torn from memory. Torn from reality.

With one lethal strike, Extus took control of the Oriq and took his first step towards vengeance.

"Art is never finished. Merely abandoned."

Witherbloom students learn to see death not as tragedy, but as opportunity.

"Would you prefer I destroy you using prose or verse?"

She had spoken the words a hundred times, but under the spotlight, in front of everyone, something new emerged. And the crowd went wild.

"I avoid violence. It is the last resort of the witless. But if you insist, I'll make an exception for you."

"I am very much in the mood to start handing out expulsions."

"It would be a crime to withhold my light from the world."

"Books are fantastic, but if you're really curious about the distant past, why not ask someone who was there?" ~ Augusta, Lorehold dean

"Don't you know first-years pay a toll to walk through here?"

Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is think inside the box.

Quintorius beamed, his mind eager to absorb every historical fact the spirit wanted to divulge.

"Learning to imitate a master is the first step in becoming one." ~ Uvilda, Prismari dean

"I've got a special treat for you today."

"This must be the lost city of Zantafar, where my people lived before becoming nomads. Think of the history we'll learn here!" ~ Quintorius, Lorehold mage-student

"Whoever summoned that thing had better confess right this moment, or the whole class will be cleaning the ink receptacles for a month!"

"All we are—every feeling, every actio ~ powered by a single, delicate little organ. Life is so terrifyingly, beautifully fragile."

"Death is just a transfer of energy. Those pests I harvested have the honor of becoming pure magic. What could be more beautiful?"

"What are they complaining about? It's not like axiomatic leyline paratrigonometrics is hard."

"I appreciate the help, and honestly, it's very entertaining." ~ Isabough of the Biblioplex

"There's nowhere in Strixhaven I can't find. Where do you need to go?"

"It's the largest library in the Multiverse. Of course it has the largest librarians." ~ Kasmina

"Don't be fooled by the quiet. These old stones are trying to talk to you." ~ Augusta, Lorehold dean

The letter unfolded, inviting the twins to Strixhaven. Will saw a chance for arcane study. Rowan saw a chance for power.

"We don't cut through Sedgemoor anymore. Can't get five steps without a groff trying to fight its own reflection."

Choosing a college based on Mage Tower results is discouraged, but not unheard of.

Oriq agents stick to the dark corners of Arcavios, unseen yet ever-present.

A smoldering storm of chilling fire.

A seething locus of reverent rage.

Mage-students obsessed with the secrets of the past choose Lorehold, the college of archaeomancy.

A hungry lair of flourishing rot.

Mage-students who see spellcraft as the highest form of expression choose Prismari, the college of elemental arts.

Mage-students who see beauty in patterns and equations choose Quandrix, the college of numeromancy.

A flickering beacon of righteous corruption.

Mage-students drawn to the power of language choose Silverquill, the college of eloquence.

A verdant paradox of primal logic.

Mage-students fascinated by the energies of life and death choose Witherbloom, the college of essence studies.