Silverquill College

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 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.  

Silverquill Scholars

Scholar	Principle
Bantermage, using incisive observation to pierce rivals' confidence	Shadow
Duskmage, conjuring inky voids of shadow magic	Shadow
Inkcaster, summoning living inklings to service	Shadow
Lumimancer, bringing light to bear on shameful situations and holding corrupt institutions to account	Radiance
Shadewing, forming weapons from darkness to slice and stab at foes	Shadow
Silvertongue, bathing others in the light of inspiring words	Radiance
Vainglory, wielding the power of a perfectly crafted complement to enhance a person's best qualities	Radiance
Warsinger, stirring hearts through poetic performance and song	Radiance

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 Hall, a vast space with shafts of light streaking in from the enchanted windowpanes far above. Grandloft teems with balconies, loges, booths, daises, and other spaces where orators can perform their craft. Inklings, the college's mascots, flit around the high ceiling, and enchanted spotlights automatically focus on any mage who uses powerful magic. 

The Rose Stage

The Rose Stage is a rotating circular platform on the Silverquill campus. It has a backdrop of roses made of magical ink (tributes left by spectators of past performances), which creates excellent acoustics  Mage-students meet at the Rose Stage to practice performances, spar, or engage in honor duels. Faculty members often observe performances at the Rose Stage, coaching the students in their magical and rhetorical displays. 

The Dramarium

The Dramarium is a facility where Silverquill students train in fitness, dance, martial arts, and other acts of physical performance. Students can avail themselves of the preparation space called the Gray Room, which has hair and makeup salons, voice rehearsal booths, mirrored 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. 

Shadrix Silverquill

Shadrix Silverquill

Centuries ago, the dragon Shadrix Silverquill mastered the magic of light and shadow, and he focused that magic through communication. Shadrix's words thrummed with power, inspiring his allies and demoralizing his enemies. 
He established Silverquill College on the principles of eloquence and leadership, seeking to produce leaders who would for forth to guide others.

Silverquill Faculty

This section describes noteworthy members of the Silverquill faculty. 

Shaile Talonrook, Dean of Radiance

Dean Shaile Talonrook (Owlin) 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. 

Embrose Lu, Dean of Shadow

Dean Embrose Lu (Human) is a master poet whose ink magic is merciless. Scant with prise and quick with a cutting remark, Dean Lu has seen many mage-students scrub out of Strixhaven University and has nothing good to say about those who can't hack it. 

Breena, The Demagogue

Breena (Owlin) 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 hand 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. 

Nils, Discipline Enforcer

Nils (Human) 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) 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 (Goblin). 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.