We agree that art is the truest form of spellcraft, that expressing oneself beautifully is the true purpose of magic. But we disagree on method. Some of us hone our technique over years of practice; others of us scream out a pent-up emotion.— Brodd Scaldbreath, Prismari professor emeritus
The College of Elemental Arts
Prismari, the College of Elemental Arts, is devoted to the study and practice of art intertwined with magic. The mage-students of Prismari wield magic in spectacles of creativity: masterpieces of showy, over-the-top magic. They use elemental magic to express who they are and how they see the world, often combining different types of energy—fire, water, air, earth, lightning, heat, cold—in powerful expressions of conflict and harmony.
Studies and Philosophy
Prismari College is dedicated to the arts. Its scholars view art as the fundamental form of self-expression and magic as a tool, a medium, and an inspiration. Prismari studies focus on visual arts (including architecture, painting, and sculpture) and performing arts (such as dance, music, and theater). The curriculum overlaps with Lorehold in the field of art history and with Silverquill in the literary arts, and some students divide their time between Prismari and one of those other schools to pursue these interdisciplinary fields. Prismari mages use magic to weave the elements into their creations; they might juxtapose fire alongside paint, ceramics, or fabric, or they might choreograph elaborate works that unite a dancer’s movements with gusts and eddies of air.
The art students of Strixhaven, Prismari mages see no difference between magic and art. Their spells are spectacles of raw creativity: masterpieces of showy, over-the-top magic. Each Prismari student uses elemental magic to express who they are and how they see the world, and often use more than one element. Fire, ice, water, wind, earth, stone, lightning, heat, cold, snow, tornadoes, earthquakes, the rumbling pulse of pure energy—any elemental force can be a Prismari muse and medium.
Perfection and Expression
Prismari’s two deans carry the titles Dean of Perfection and Dean of Expression, and they often express the fundamental conflict of their philosophy as perfection versus expression—or, sometimes, as intellect versus emotion. What is the purpose of art? Is it to make people think things or make people feel things? Is it supposed to be carefully thought out or raw and spontaneous? Is mastery of art a matter of honing precise techniques to a point of perfection or of perfectly expressing a raw emotional state? Does art aspire to express universal truths or intensely personal ones?
The perspective of perfection focuses on technique, analysis, theory, aesthetics, and universal principles. It embraces intellect over emotion, strives to be thought-provoking and reflective, and aspires to mastery. Its mages tend to use elemental forces of cold, water, and wind.
The perspective of expression instead emphasizes the portrayal of personal emotional truths. Its mages value improvisation, innovation, and rule-breaking, and they often favor elemental magic using fire, lightning, and earth.
THE DICHOTOMY OF PRISMARI
Blue
The blue side of Prismari deals with artistic training and study, visualization, precise technique, and artistic theory. Many Prismari blue mages, of course, are elementalists—artists who devote themselves to blue-aligned subdisciplines of elemental magic. Cloud conjurers, mistmages, zephyrists, skybrushers, vortex virtuosos, waterbinders, ice sculptors, huesplashers—all of these are mage-students and professors who express their art through air, water, and other elements. Beyond that, aesthemancers and compositionists study abstract principles of beauty. Splendor diviners and vistamancers find truth within beautiful sights or in personal visions. Opusmancers and master creators create huge, over-the-top magical effects. Avant-guardians embrace conceptual, counterintuitive leaps of brilliance.
Red
As with blue, many red-aligned Prismari mages are some flavor of elementalist. Geosculptors, flameshouters, lava mavens, emberbrushes, stonebenders, electrovisionaries, stormpainters—all of these express their emotional truth through fire, earth, and other elements. Beyond that, spectacle mages and wonderworkers hurl wondrous, stormy displays into the sky—often to amuse or distract rather than to cause harm. Heartragers turn their inner creative fire into personal strength, while muse channelers project their own momentary blasts of inspiration into others. Ruleburners and blast innovators use their art to shatter stereotypes and customs (and, quite often, property).
Prismari Faculty
Uvilda Mistcoiler, Dean of Perfection
Uvilda Mistcoiler (genasi Prismari professor of perfection) is the current Dean of Perfection. A master of artistic technique, Uvilda trains with a range of elements whenever she isn’t focused on her teaching. She is known for giving students profoundly insightful feedback, which she tailors to each individual. After a review, she often offers a small piece of advice that alters the student’s point of view and work forever—for the better.
Uvilda believes that good art comes from the head. To her, carefully measured strokes and deliberate object placement make the difference between fully realized art and a total mess. If Dean Nassari interrupts her careful work with bombastic expressions one more time, Uvilda is prepared to enroll in Quandrix to learn how to shrink Nassari.
Nassari, Dean of Expression
Nassari (genasi Prismari professor of expression) is the current Dean of Expression. Nazzari always want to see art that is bigger, more radical in concept, and more emotionally powerful. For their final project as a mage-student, Nassari famously “turned in” an earthquake, which almost destroyed three campus buildings. The piece received a standing ovation from the mage-student body—and a grumpy thumbs down from the campus construction golems.
Nassari believes that true expression comes from the heart. They encourage their students to treat the entire world as a canvas on which to spread emotion and excitement. Nassari takes little heed of Dean Mistcoiler’s quiet masterpieces and often feigns forgetfulness about Dean Mistcoiler’s very existence.
Veyran, Voice of Duality
In addition to being an accomplished elementalist, Veyran (genasi Prismari professor of perfection) serves as a mentor to many Prismari pledgemages. She advocates enthusiastically for the importance of both passion and disciplined technique in any artistic pursuit. If a new student is upset or overwhelmed, she eagerly calls forth playful, beautiful elemental creatures to cheer up the student.
Zaffai, Thunder Conductor
As soon as Zaffai (human Prismari professor of expression) came of age, his parents sent him to Strixhaven, assuring him his budding musical genius deserved the finest instruction in the world. (In truth, though he did possess prodigious talent, they were also growing tired of their house being randomly struck by lightning or engulfed in cyclones whenever he practiced.) Even as he flourished as both mage and musician, he discovered a new aptitude: conducting.
In addition to teaching, he serves as Grand Maestro of Strixhaven’s Orchestra of the Arcane, an elite extracurricular activity for top Prismari students. They practice only outdoors, and their concerts fill the sky with beautiful explosions of elemental magic.
Arkin Minexes, Peppy Instructor
Arkin (human Prismari professor of expression) is a newly hired instructor teaching a few courses in choreography and dance ensembles. He recently graduated from Strixhaven himself, and he bubbles with excitement at the prospect of guiding a new generation of students on the course of study he so greatly enjoyed. He particularly delights in finding new ways to help students work collaboratively to unlock the heights of their creative potential.
LOCATIONS
Prismari Campus
Southwest of the central campus, the Prismari campus is situated in a region of jagged rocks, rugged spires, and intense geothermal activity.
Conjurot Hall
A towering structure with a glassed-in observation area at the top, encircled by constantly changing strands of elemental energy. Artist-mages can see for miles from the Conjurot's main turret, and the view has inspired many artistic creations.
Opus Walk
A winding path through the central campus buildings, along which hundreds of Prismari elemental creations are displayed. Some of the more famous pieces of magical art have been displayed along the Opus Walk for centuries, while other transient bursts of creativity last only a few moments.
Furygale
A notorious region of the Prismari campus where the abandoned creations of thousands of past artist-mages have coalesced over the years. Roped off by wards and warning signs, Furygale is several square blocks of ever-changing magical energies, gales of ice and wind and fire, and elementals gone rogue. It's inherently dangerous but also a source of wild creative inspiration, and despite its dangers, it remains a popular spot for students who want to duel without being interrupted by authority figures.
COLLEGE MASCOT: ELEMENTALS
To the mages of Prismari, elemental creatures are a form of living art. Mages sculpt artistic shells from a fusion of raw elements, then conjure living elemental energy to inhabit the shells. The result is a powerful creature capable of expressing sublime emotions. . .and wreaking wanton destruction. The inner core of a Prismari elemental might be a churning force of fire, wind, ice, water, lava, or solid rock.
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