Locations
Welcome back, Loreseekers! School is back in session, and your history assignment is due. Thankfully, I've got the CliffsNotes for everything you need to know about Strixhaven before Strixhaven: Omens of Chaos and Secrets of Strixhaven come out next month. Let's dive in.
The History of Arcavios
Eager First-Year by Cristi Balanescu
Millennia ago, in the Dawning Age of Arcavios, the world was formed from an imperfect merger of two other planes. This strange overlap cause the snarls, chaotic knots of mana where opposing colors of magic meet. From these snarls were birthed the elder dragons of Arcavios. Then came the other peoples of the plane, and with them conflict and bloody war.
The Blood Age ravaged the plane for centuries, until finally the elder dragons had enough. Seven centuries ago, they put an end to the conflicts by founding Strixhaven University, whose students learned powerful magic, overseen by the Founder Dragons themselves, in the pursuit of peace. With the backing of the Founders, Strixhaven became the most important sociopolitical entity on the plane overnight.
Strixhaven University
Archway Commons by Piotr Dura
Today, the conflicts of the Blood Age are a long-forgotten memory, its secrets to be teased out by Strixhaven's own students. The Founder Dragons have stepped back from the day-to-day operation of the university, leaving that to Strixhaven's director and the deans of the colleges.
Strixhaven is a sprawling central campus with the Biblioplex, counted among the finest libraries in the multiverse, as its crown jewel. Five satellite campuses, one for each of the colleges, radiate out from the center like points on a star. Each college pursues its own field of study, from which every second-year student must choose a track.
Following the snarls and the nature of the contrasting mana in the Founders themselves, each college embraces their founder's duality.
Silverquill - The College of Eloquence
Founder - Shadrix Silverquill
Deans - Shaile, Dean of Radiance (Deceased), Embrose, Dean of Shadow
Example Fields of Study - Political Science, Language Arts, Creative Writing
Led by Deans of Radiance and Shadow, all students of Silverquill learn the power of words, but they differ in whether to use that power to cut down their enemies or protect and inspire their allies. Silverquill students are stylish and eloquent, and can be found practicing their oration, summing inklings to assist them, and dueling other students in a battle of words (and magic).
Prismari - The College of Elemental Arts
Founder - Galazeth Prismari
Deans - Uvilda, Dean of Perfection, Nassari, Dean of Expression
Example Fields of Study - Illustration, Dance, Music Composition
Led by Deans of Perfection and Expression, the young artists of Prismari learn to channel the fire inside into literal fire outside. And water, wind, and any other elemental power. Prismari students are bold and creative, sculpting the elements to express an idea using music, dance, performance and other mediums.
Witherbloom - The College of Essence Studies
Founder - Beledros Witherbloom
Deans - Valentin, Dean of the Vein, Lisette, Dean of the Root
Example Fields of Study - Anatomy and Physiology, Botany, Medicine
Led by Deans of Root and Vein, the students of Witherbloom explore the very link between life and death itself. Witherbloom students can be found out collecting ingredients for a potion, studying anatomy for use in healing and necromancy, caring for pests whose life force is used to power their spells, and finding their place in the natural world - whether it be to protect or circumvent it.
Lorehold - The College of Archeomancy
Founder - Velomachus Lorehold
Deans - Augusta, Dean of Order, Plargg, Dean of Chaos
Example Fields of Study - History, Archaeology
Led by Deans of Order and Chaos, Lorehold's student body is often found outside the classroom, studying history in real time among the many ancient battlefields and relics of the Blood Age. They gather primary sources from spirits bound to statues, and strike out to uncover a forgotten city. How they use this knowledge varies, either they harness it to avoid the next battle, or ensure they win it.
Quandrix - The College of Numeromancy
Founder - Tanazir Quandrix
Deans - Kianne, Dean of Substance (Deceased), Imbraham, Dean of Theory
Example Fields of Study - Math, Physics, Engineering
Led by Deans of Substance and Theory, the final college of Strixhaven is the most theoretical. Quandrix students can be found pondering the underlying structure of reality. They study time, the metaphysics of reality, and use mathematical formulae to manipulate it, often turning theory into reality.
Strixhaven - The Story So Far
Mentor's Guidance by Brian Velza
Strixhaven: School of Mages (61 Mending Era)
- STX | Episode 1: Class Is In Session
- STX | Episode 2: Lessons
- STX | Episode 3: Extracurriculars
- STX | Episode 4: Put to the Test
- STX | Episode 5: Final Exam
Liliana Vess has taken up a position on Strixhaven as Professor Onyx following her involvement in War of the Spark. Meanwhile, Kasmina, Enigma Sage recruits Rowan, Scholar of Sparks and Will, Scholar of Frost to come study at Strixhaven. Rowan turns to the party lifestyle to Will's increasing frustration, forming the first cracks in the twins' bond.
When a plot by the Oriq threatens the campus, Will and Rowan get help from Liliana, but end up needing to fight the Blood Avatar alone at the Culmination of Studies. Rowan shows her dark potential when she learns to Crackle with Power and Will loses a leg. At the end, Liliana decides to stop hiding and goes by her real name.
Strixhaven Side Stories (61 ME)
Each of the side stories debuted one of five students from the STX class of Strixhaven: Dina, Soul Steeper is a survivor of a terrible plague that killed her grove, and must make peace with those deaths. Along the way she saves her new friend, Killian, Ink Duelist. In his father's shadow, Killian Lu struggled to embrace White mana, until he learned the true cost of losing empathy and denied the Oriq. Quintorius, Field Historian had failed at everything he'd tried, and was even kicked out of his military academy. With the help of an unlikely mentor, he discovers the lost city of his people and finally learns what he's good at.
Rootha, Mercurial Artist must learn to step out of her famous perfectionist mother's shadow and learn to let her work stand on its own. Zimone, Quandrix Prodigy believes in her grandmother when everyone else had given up on her. It leads her into the clutches of the Oriq, who are after her grandmother's work. Only her quick wits lets her solve the equation and escape their clutches.
March of the Machines (62 ME)
Liliana dispatches the STX students to sneak into the Biblioplex to activate the Invocation of the Founders and save the school. The spell goes awry and Quintorius, Loremaster is forced to Complete the Circuit, taking on far too much of the magical power and igniting his planeswalker spark. The spell is cast, and the campus saved.
Lost Caverns of Ixalan (63 ME)
- The Lost Caverns of Ixalan | Episode 1
- The Lost Caverns of Ixalan | Episode 2
- The Lost Caverns of Ixalan | Episode 3
- The Lost Caverns of Ixalan | Episode 4
- The Lost Caverns of Ixalan | Episode 5
- The Lost Caverns of Ixalan | Episode 6
Quintorius Kand comes to Ixalan to aid Huatli, Poet of Unity on her expedition to the plane's core. In the core, he discovers that the plane has connections to a vast, ancient empire he's dubbed "The Coin Empire" but the fans know by another name: The Fomori. Accidentally awakening a hibernating Fomori in one of their ruins, Quint planeswalks away.
Strixhaven: Omens of Chaos (63 ME)
In the aftermath of the Phyrexian Invasion, Strixhaven welcomes its first class of students from other worlds through the Omenpaths. Eula Blue, Segante, Alandra, Sky Dreamer, as well as Kequia Akosa (granddaughter of Teferi) and Jamira (daughter of Angrath) quickly find themselves targets and have to fight for their place on Strixhaven.
Duskmourn: House of Horror (64 ME)
- Duskmourn: House of Horror | Episode 1: Don't Go Past the Old Dark House?
- Duskmourn: House of Horror | Episode 2: Don't Split the Party
- Duskmourn: House of Horror | Episode 3: Don't Look Back
- Duskmourn: House of Horror | Episode 4: Don't Give Up
- Duskmourn: House of Horror | Episode 5: Don't Give In
- Duskmourn: House of Horror | Episode 6: Don't Die
Zimone, All-Questioning is working on her graduate thesis while studying abroad on Ravnica, when she becomes embroiled with the investigation into Duskmourn. As her area of expertise is theoretical extraplanar spaces, and the door to the house seems to violate everything they know. Zimone barely escapes Duskmourn with her life.
Lorwyn Eclipsed (64 ME)
Secrets of Strixhaven Key Art by Jodie Muir
- Lorwyn Eclipsed | Episode 1: Out of this Wood
- Lorwyn Eclipsed | Episode 2: Shake Off Slumber
- Lorwyn Eclisped | Episode 3: Aweary of this Moon
- Lorwyn Eclipsed | Episode 4: Fetch Me That Flower
- Lorwyn Eclipsed | Episode 5: If We Shadows
- Lorwyn Eclipsed | Episode 6: Full of Hateful Fantasies
- Lorwyn Eclipsed | Episode 7: The Chasm Dissolves Apace
A new class of first-years, including Abigale, Eloquent First-Year, Kirol, Attentive First-Year, Sanar, Innovative First-Year, and off-plane student Tam, Mindful First-Year are part of a class with Teaching Assistant Dina. The students are lured by Oko, Lorwyn Liege through an omenpath to Lorwyn-Shadwomoor in order to wreak havoc and help unseat Maralen, Fae Ascendant. Along the way they meet Lluwen, Imperfect Naturalist, who does not feel at home among his people. Oko's schemes end when he realizes Maralen is more his sister than his creator reborn.
Ajani, Outland Chaperone heads to Strixhaven to give Liliana Vess the news about Jace's death in the Meditation Realm when Dina arrives to inform them that her students are missing. Ajani offers to go rescue them, and brings them, plus new student Lluwen, home through the omenpaths.
Secrets of Strixhaven (65 ME)
And that catches you up for Secrets of Strixhaven. The key art for Secrets of Strixhaven (SOS) has already made it clear that the Lorwyn Eclipsed crew will be returning, and I want to re-iterate that the novel Strixhaven: Omens of Chaos is not connected to the plot of SOS, which will be a web fiction story. I'll be back with flavor gems for the new set once previews are over.
