Silverquill College

We agree that language is civilization's most powerful weapon. We argue over whether to use it to inspire our allies or shatter our enemies.

— Rinald, Silverquill inkmancer

The College of Eloquence

Silverquill is the College of Eloquence, and its mages—stylish, intimidating, and driven—are masters of the magic of words. They create spells from spoken-word battle poetry or magical manifestations of the written word, scribing patterns of runic ink in the air. These mages make for natural leaders, fiercely competitive, with a piercing wit and a never-second-place attitude.

Studies and Philosophy

The curriculum of Silverquill College revolves around words, encompassing literature (including fiction, essays, drama, and poetry), languages, linguistics, oratory, rhetoric, and dramatic performance. Students from other colleges often take Silverquill courses to improve their communication skills, learning to speak and write more effectively about their primary field of study. Silverquill and Prismari see overlap in the area of performing arts, with Silverquill emphasizing verbal performance and Prismari focusing more on dance and other forms of movement.

Radiance and Shadow

The two deans of Silverquill are called the Dean of Radiance and the Dean of Shadow, highlighting the college’s use of metaphor in describing its philosophical differences. The metaphor of radiance and shadow takes concrete form in Silverquill magic, as students learn to manifest brilliant light or inky darkness with their spells. The fundamental argument among Silverquill’s scholars centers on the purpose of communication. Is it to help others or further a personal agenda? Does literature selflessly better society or selfishly advance one’s own goals?
The college’s perspective of radiance envisions language as sunlight emanating from the speaker or writer to illuminate others and make the world a brighter place. Mages who embrace this view use their language skills—and their magic—to uplift and empower others, to shine light on the evils of society, and to inspire the best in those around them.
The college’s perspective of shadow focuses on the power of language to stab, to expose stinging truths, and to obfuscate secrets. The magic of shadow mages often manifests as bolts or blades of darkness or blotches of flowing ink, and its effects range from a sting of shame to an assault on the target’s life energy.

THE DICHOTOMY OF SILVERQUILL

This section explores the opposing beliefs and magics that make up Silverquill. For any college, a mage can also embody both colors of magic, combining aspects and spells into a unique identity.

White

The white side of Silverquill is about using the power of language to uplift and inspire their allies and shine light on the evils of society. Inkwrights, glyphweavers, and uillmancers conjure energizing verses that manifest as living ink. Warsingers, silvertongues, and battle poets use the power of their vocal performance to stir hearts and energize the air around them. Vainglories and honormancers wield the power of a perfectly crafted compliment (often directed at themselves) to enhance a person's most splendid attribute. Scornmages and lumimancers bring light to bear on shameful situations and hold corrupt institutions to account.

Black

The black side of Silverquill is about the power of language to point out stinging truths and attack their rivals. Bantermages, shadelocks, witstingers, and daunters use their incisive observations to pierce the confidence of their rivals. Inkcasters, duskmages, and shadewings can conjure inky voids of shadow magic, sometimes crafting them into living flying creatures called inklings or weapons made of pure darkness.

Silverquill Faculty

Shaile Talonrook, Dean of Radiance

Dean Shaile Talonrook (owlin Silverquill professor of radiance) is a perennially optimistic orator. A master of literature, she often quotes obscure passages from famous texts. Her soul-filling advice and educated references have been known to make people literally glow.
Shaile believes that all people have the potential for good and wishes to teach her students how to make the world a better place. She and Dean Lu often clash over Silverquill’s curriculum, but the balance found between them is far more eloquent than even their words can describe.

Embrose Lu, Dean of Shadow

Dean Embrose Lu (human Silverquill professor of shadow) is a master poet whose ink magic is merciless. Scant with praise and quick with a cutting remark, Dean Lu has seen many mage-students scrub out of Strixhaven and has nothing good to say about those who can’t hack it.
A cynic, Embrose believes that most people are in it for themselves. He demands his students learn how to use language-based magic to “get what they deserve.” While he often argues with Dean Talonrook, he holds a deep (if begrudging) respect for the owlin.

Breena, the Demagogue

Breena (owlin Silverquill professor of shadow) has a talent for getting her way. If she wants you to do something, you won’t just do it—you’ll be sure it was your idea all along. Her students and colleagues alike hang on her every word, and in front of a crowd, she’s a powerhouse of charisma, enhancing her speeches with elegant swirls of ink magic. Though she’s an elite mage who can easily hold her own in a fight, Breena prefers to defeat her foes with words alone.
An Oriq agent once trapped and attempted to recruit her, threatening her students’ lives if she didn’t comply. Within an hour, she convinced him to free her, abandon his wicked ways, and seek wisdom from the archaics.

Nils, Discipline Enforcer

Nils (human Silverquill professor of radiance) is an optimist, as he believes in every student’s potential for greatness. However, this outlook also means he’s constantly disappointed by their suboptimal choices, and he is well known for his strictness and abrupt scoldings.

Brenneth Blackstone, Scriptology Star

Brenneth Blackstone (dhampir Silverquill professor of shadow) is a rising star in the study of magical writing and symbols. With a dynamic lecturing style, this dhampir—a partial vampire—attracts students from across Strixhaven purely for his lessons’ value as performance art.

Fain, the Broker

Lost an important textbook? Craving some rare delicacy from home? Need something inconveniently forbidden? Enter Fain (human Silverquill professor of shadow). He has an extensive network of connections on and off campus, and he can procure just about anything—so long as you can afford his price.

LOCATIONS

Silverquill Campus

The Silverquill campus is located due north of the central Strixhaven campus and looks much like an extension of it. Silverquill is the most urban of the five colleges, with a campus that features buildings of stately elegance.

Grandloft Hall

The main Silverquill building is Grandloft, a vast train-station-like space with shafts of light streaking in from the enchanted windowpanes far above. Grandloft is filled with balconies, loges, booths, daises, and other spaces where orators can perform their craft. Inklings flit around the high windowed ceiling, and enchanted spotlights automatically focus on any mage who's using powerful magic.

The Rose Stage

The Rose Stage is a rotating circular platform on the Silverquill campus with a backdrop of roses made of magical ink (tributes left by spectators of past performances) that create excellent acoustics. Mage-students meet at the Rose Stage to practice performances, spar, or engage in honor duels. Professors and faculty often observe performances at the Rose Stage, watching and coaching the students' magical displays from the sidelines.

The Dramarium

A facility where Silverquill students train in physical fitness, dance, martial arts, and other acts of physical performance. Students can avail themselves of the preparation space called the Gray Room (actually a chain of rooms), which has hair and makeup salons, voice rehearsal booths, mirrored oration rehearsal spaces, and spa facilities. The back of the Dramarium has a special sensory deprivation chamber for mage-students who want complete silence in which to meditate and center themselves.

COLLEGE MASCOT: INKLINGS

Black-aligned mages in Silverquill sometimes craft shadow magic into flying creatures called inklings. These living, inky voids can serve as helpers and pets, but their physical attacks can also be devastating, tearing at an opponent's life force. Their fluid, changeable forms alter to reflect their creator's thoughts and intentions.

Type

Education, Magic