Secrets of Strixhaven is set to take place on the recurring plane Arcavios, an educational world focused on the study of five distinct colleges of magic. The five Strixhaven colleges of study are: Prismari , Witherbloom , Silverquill , Lorehold , and Quandrix . All five of these color combinations reflect a different style of magic and vastly different teachings.

Most commonly, color combinations in Magic: The Gathering are classified using their Ravnica guild name. Even though these Strixhaven colleges share color combinations of famous guilds, they draw out something different that the colors offer.

Let's get to class and dive into the first college of study.

Prismari

Prismari students prefer casting spells worthy of an audience. Performance is in the heart of every student who learns under the Prismari banner. Elemental spellcasting offers expression of emotion into the spell from the caster. Whether this be a large burst of lightning, or a subtle gust of wind meant to move you, full emotion is felt on the other side of the spell being cast.

Rootha, Mercurial Artist and Sanar, Innovative First-Year both study in this field. These characters help paint a picture of what a Prismari student looks like, both in appearance and action.

Prismari Command also showcases what a full stage front may look like inside a classroom. Galazeth Prismari is the founding dragon of this college and is known for his love of casting spells with X in their mana values.

Magic is a form of artwork. Prismari students believe this in everything they do. Sculpting, performing, painting, sketching, anything that qualifies as art can help cultivate the understanding of spellcasting. Pupils are precise and deadly. To a bystander it could look as though Prismari students are showoffs, but every single movement is heavily calculated to have the best and biggest outcome imaginable.

Witherbloom

Witherbloom students study the properties of all life (and death) surrounding them. Field trips are a must under this banner as getting your hands dirty with various species of plants and animals is required. With these collected specimens, it is right to work on brewing potent potions. These concoctions can be powerful toxins to use against an enemy or be healing agents to cure illnesses that may spread over campus.

Dina, Soul Steeper and Lluwen, Imperfect Naturalist are two legendary creatures printed from this school of learning. You can see the design of this college shine through in these two cards, both from an artistic perspective and from a mechanics angle.

Beledros Witherbloom is the founding dragon of this school of magic. This powerful beast floods the board with pest tokens to use to harvest life force to use to activate his second ability.

Herbalists, doctors, witches, and even pest-catchers are common professions for Witherbloom alumni to end up after graduating. If there is a place offering the discovery of a new type of living organism, you can bet that a Witherbloom student is hot on the case. Hopefully they quickly learn if it is poisonous or not before trying to use it to brew an afternoon tea.

Silverquill

Do you ever get caught up on one line of a song and chuckle on how clever the lyricist is? Well, if you have, you might be a current (or former) student of Silverquill. Silverquill takes the "pen is mightier than the sword" quote to the extreme. Drawing powerful spells through the process of clever writing and witty comebacks is second nature to pupils under this banner.

Killian, Ink Duelist and Abigale, Eloquent First-Year are our legendary examples of Silverquill students. Both of these creatures are low to the ground and dangerous. Killian can attack creatures with kill spells or just as easily boost his own offence with auras. Killian showcases the double-edged sword that Silverquill has access to.

Shadrix Silverquill is the founding dragon of his namesake. I love the design of this flying monstrosity and how it immediately adds a form of politics to a game of Commander. Surely a mindgame that a Silverquill student would love to play.

Inklings are commonly swarming around Silverquill Campus. These magical creatures come to life from the stroke of a brush of a promising Silverquill student. Silverquill holds itself up with high standards and has an "always first" attitude. Trash talking the lower end of the competition is typical behavior for the elites of Silverquill.

If you are looking at studying the power behind words, Silverquill is for you.

Lorehold

Lorehold students love learning from history; living or beyond the grave. Expeditions to dig up ancient civilizations or lost relics of yesteryear are reasons Lorehold students get out of bed in the morning. Why do certain events take place in the world? This is the question each student under this particular banner is trying to solve. Lorehold students are passionate about their work and it can be contagious.

Quintorius, Field Historian and Kirol, Attentive First-Year are the legendary creatures chosen to represent Lorehold. Looking at Quintorius's art can quickly draw you into almost an Indiana Jones type scenario. These treasure hunting and knowledge seeking individuals belong in this college.

Velomachus Lorehold is the dragon that brought up this section of the school. Lorehold's ability to search through the top several cards of your library and cast one is a huge flavor win. Digging through the archives to find the perfect spell for any situation is definitely the thought process I would expect from this dragon.

Summoning ancient spirits to learn from is a common stepping stone for every student in Lorehold. These students are obsessed with most of the "ology" studies. A future in archeology, anthropology, mythology, and theology await most graduates of this field of study.

Quandrix

Quandrix focuses on the study of mathematics in magic. Patterns form in their minds and equally realize into the spells they are casting. Complicated equations quickly multiply any quantity of something around them. Creating spiraling structures or fractal creatures out of thin air is nothing more than blinking for a student of Quandrix.

Zimone, Quandrix Prodigy and Tam, Mindful First-Year are characters that have latched onto this style of learning. Fascinated by the consistencies in the world around them it is no wonder how these mages can expand the landscape or ward off certain types of unwanted magic surrounding them.

Tanazir Quandrix founded this college on Arcavios. You can easily spot him as the head of Quandrix by the absolute symmetry found in his art box and his power and toughness.

Quandrix pupils enjoy having their heads in a good book, grasping every ounce of knowledge they can. These students make for perfect engineers, mathematicians, or professors.

Time for Recess

That wraps up our tour of all five colleges on Arcavios. What school do you belong to? I picture myself more of a Silverquill major since I write articles, but also enjoy a good Lorehold deep dive. I can't wait to see more aspects of the magical world of Arcavios as Secrets of Strixhaven comes out in a few weeks.

See you in class!

-Nigel