Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos is a real, live D&D campaign, recorded at the table by Travis and rendered by Threadfall into a chronicle you can read like a book. The chapters, cast, and lore below are drawn entirely from how the game was actually played.
Luna III and Juliana were sorted together by a merged orb and claimed the best room on the fourth floor of Marrowgate Hall by winning a race through the building. The four roommates—Luna III, Juliana, Katureena Fundicuss, and Sivart Nightquill—unpacked together and revealed contraband items, including Juliana's diamond sword, Luna III's lie-detecting cat collar and food dispenser, and Katureena's duplicate supplies, while Sivart's claim of bringing nothing permitted was contradicted by Waffles's reaction. They were summoned to the Hall of Oracles as their first assignment.
# Session Recap
**TL;DR:** Luna III and Juliana Angora arrived at Strixhaven University, were sorted into a dorm room together by enchanted orbs, and won the race to claim the best room on the fourth floor of Marrowgate Hall.
Luna III and Juliana Angora arrived at Strixhaven University, a school founded seven hundred years ago by five enormous dragons who believed magic was too dangerous to leave unstudied. At Strixhaven, magic wasn't merely a subject—it was the tool students used to study everything else. Historians conversed with the dead, artists painted with lightning, and scientists grew plants the size of houses. The campus sprawled across five colleges: Lorehold studied the past with gold-glowing magic; Prismari created art from fire, ice, lightning, and wind; Quandrix explored patterns and numbers hidden in nature; Silverquill mastered words and rhetoric with magic like spilled ink; and Witherbloom delved into life and death from their swamp laboratories. First-year students wore plain black, white, and gray uniforms and would choose their college next year.
In the crowded courtyard, eight hundred first-year students from everywhere and of every kind gathered—owlin with wings, a student made of fire, a twelve-foot-tall creature, even a literal tree wearing a scarf. Juliana approached a shadow fey who had traveled from Menzoberranzan, introducing herself and mentioning she came from Minrothad to practice her magic. Luna III, meanwhile, found a shy first-year student named Derrek from Westhold, who had been sent to Strixhaven after accidentally setting his mother's kitchen table on fire. As they spoke, violet and amber orbs of light appeared before each student's face, hovering patiently. When Juliana walked toward hers, it zipped away; when she tried to walk away, it shocked her with a static snap that made her fur stand on end. Luna III followed her own amber orb without watching where she was going and collided with Juliana, whose violet orb had just zapped her mid-hop. The two students tumbled to the ground in a heap, and when they stood, they discovered their orbs had merged into a single muddy-colored sphere.
The combined orb led Luna III and Juliana to a clear space where two other students waited: Katureena Fundicuss, a tortle in reading glasses carrying an impossible stack of belongings, and Sivart Nightquill, an owlin with a magnificent gold crest who stood as if expecting to be admired. Katureena cheerfully announced she had read the entire handbook twice and the map three times, eager to answer any questions. Sivart introduced himself with pride, noting that his plumage was natural and could be looked at but not touched. Before anyone could ask why the orbs had merged, Professor Mavinda Sharpbeak—an owlin with enormous orange eyes and disheveled robes—appeared at the podium. She explained that she had personally sorted all eight hundred first-year students into roommate groups of four based on their abilities and histories, and that rooms in Marrowgate Hall were first come, first served. With a sharp "Chop chop!" she dismissed them, and the entire courtyard erupted into a stampede.
Luna III immediately decided to race for the top floor, which offered the longest climb but also the quietest quarters, the best views of the Dawnbow and beacon towers, and a balcony. She wove nimbly through the gaps in the crowd, with Juliana following close behind. Sivart, hearing the plan, took off flying toward the building's exterior windows. When they reached the packed staircase inside Marrowgate Hall, Juliana made a split-second decision: she used one of her powerful rabbit leaps to jump the entire staircase in a single bound, sailing over every student ahead of her. She landed at the top, slid down the hallway, and slapped her hand on the doorway of the best room just as Sivart came tumbling through the window. He grudgingly complimented her extraordinary hopping. Katureena arrived much later, breathing hard and still carrying all her belongings, asking if this room was theirs.
The four roommates settled into their new quarters—a freshly mopped room with four beds, empty shelves, two windows, and the lingering smell of soap. As they unpacked, each revealed something they had brought that they weren't supposed to. Luna III brought an enchanted item: a firesteel bracelet connected to a cat collar worn by her familiar, Waffles. The collar could detect lies through a subtle vibration on Luna's wrist, though Waffles hated the sensation and would flee whenever it activated. Juliana brought a magicl food dispenser for her companion, Michu, controlled by twisting a ring on her finger. Katureena admitted she had brought a second set of everything despite the letter specifying only one set, and had been worried about it since the shuttle. Sivart claimed he had brought nothing unpermitted—at which point Waffles immediately yowled and ran under the bed. Before anyone could press Sivart to prove his claim, a bell rang out over the rooftops, followed by doors banging in the corridor. Their acceptance letters had all said the same thing: report to the Hall of Oracles.
Aisla manages the library café. She is perky and sharp-eyed with a perfect memory for faces, but hopelessly disorganized.
A lush park located south of the library beneath its own smaller star arch on the Strixhaven campus. First-year students gather here in fair weather, and clubs hold games and live-action roleplaying events on the grass.
Augusta Tullus serves as Lorehold's Dean of Order and professor of spirit studies. She is renowned as the college's finest pastraiser, capable of conjuring legions of ghosts to reenact battles.
Aurora Luna Wynterstarr is a Half-Elf student at Strixhaven University. She is a member of the Strixhaven Show Band Association, with proficiency in Sleight of Hand and Performance. She arrived at Strixhaven with her roommate Juliana Angora, having been paired by Professor Mavinda Sharpbeak's orb system. Luna and Juliana claimed a fourth-floor room in Marrowgate Hall after Luna made a spectacular leap up the staircase, vaulting over every person blocking their path to reach the room first. Luna has extraordinary agility and is capable of hopping, with at least two hops available to her daily. She owns a cat named Waffles and brought a collar for the cat that connects to a bracelet on her wrist; the collar vibrates to alert her when someone lies, though Waffles dislikes the device and runs away when it activates. Her four roommates are Juliana Angora, Katureena Fundicuss, and Sivart Nightquill. Luna made the strategic decision to pursue the fourth floor of Marrowgate Hall for its quiet rooms, excellent views of the Dawnbow and all five beacon towers, and balcony access.
A device that can be activated remotely via a ring that vibrates; allows the user to feed a creature on command from a distance.
One of five ancient dragons who founded Strixhaven and established the Witherbloom college. Still alive but rarely comes to campus.
Bhedum "Rampart" Sooviij is a Loxodon, non-binary student at Strixhaven. They are a member of the Dragonchess Club (associated with Deception and Investigation) and the Dragonsguard Historical Society (associated with Arcana and History).
Bow's End Tavern is an older-students' haunt featuring live music and greasy food. The tavern is run by Tulk Tusktooth. Duels are settled in the lot out back.
Cadoras is an elf and a member of both the Distinguished Society of Fine Artists and the Live-Action Roleplaying Guild.
Central Campus serves as the hub of Strixhaven and contains the great library, first-year residence halls, dining halls, stadium, and cafés. It is located a half-hour's walk or a quarter-hour by shuttle from the five colleges. The campus functions as the heart of Strixhaven, housing first-year residence halls, dining halls, administration, general classrooms, and gathering grounds. First-year students live in dorms on the central campus. The Biblioplex is a giant library in the middle of everything, so large that some rooms have their own weather inside them and some hallways are flooded, requiring boats to traverse. At the heart of the Biblioplex is the Hall of Oracles, full of statues, with a snarl—a knot in magic itself that glows like a tiny sun—hanging in the middle of the air. Curving over the whole library is the Dawnbow, a huge arch made of floating pieces of stone that nobody built and nobody can explain. Firejolt is a café on the other side of campus.
Conjurot Hall is the central tower of Prismari College, wrapped in shifting strands of elemental energy. The tower features an observation turret that has inspired significant art.
The Cultivarium is a sun-drenched garden located at Quandrix College, distinguished by its spiraling plants and fractalized animals. The ground itself has been saturated with growth magic over centuries of instruction, amplifying any growth magic cast within its bounds.
The largest local star arch curves across the sky above the library, marking it as a place of learning. A huge arch made of floating pieces of stone that nobody else built and nobody can explain, curving over the whole library. The Dawnbow comprises five lines of beacon towers. People say that sometimes an arch like that appears when you do something important, or something important is about to happen in your life. From the fourth floor of Marrowgate Hall, the Dawnbow and all five beacon towers are visible from the windows, along with the lights of the three other campuses.
Dead Languages Society (Athletics, History): Drazhomir Yarnask (Minotaur), Quentillius A. Melentor III (Human)
A first-year student from Westhold who accidentally set his mother's kitchen table on fire and was sent to Strixhaven by his father via teleportation; knows little about magic. He has a brother named Eric, and people often confuse the two of them. Derrek was sitting by a fountain in the courtyard when he met Luna III, and he found their later collision with Juliana amusing, laughing and asking if they were all right after they collapsed in a heap on the ground. His father arranged for a local wizard to teleport him to Strixhaven after the kitchen table incident.
A heavy sword packed by one character's mother; not a toy but a literal blade, though the character does not know how to use it. Juliana's mother packed it thinking there would be armor fighting at Strixhaven, though armor fighting probably won't occur. It was brought to Strixhaven despite not being permitted.
A student organization at Strixhaven focused on Performance and Sleight of Hand.
Bhedum "Rampart" Sooviij (Loxodon, non-binary) and Tilana Kapule (Human) are members. The club focuses on Deception and Investigation.
Bhedum "Rampart" Sooviij (Loxodon, non-binary) is a member.
Drazhomir Yarnask is a Minotaur member of the Dead Languages Society at Strixhaven University.
A dagger that is not carried so much as recalled. Threads of shadow gather in the hand and settle into a blade of solidified gloom — edgeless to the eye, cold to hold, and silent in a way that makes people nearby lower their voices without knowing why. It was pressed into Juliana's hands at the door on the morning she left, wrapped in cloth, by someone who did not explain where it came from and did not stay long enough to be asked. The instruction given was short: it will come when you call it, and it will go when you don't need it. Don't lose the habit of calling. She has not lost the habit.
Effigy Row is a soaring bridge that spans the Pillardrop chasm. The bridge is lined with monuments commemorating historic figures, old professors, war heroes, and heads of state.
A thick, faintly sweet-smelling salve refined from Sedgemoor water. When applied to objects, it originally provided protection against fire, acid, or damage. Batches of eldritch balm have recently been produced darker than usual, as noted by Witherbloom laboratory technician Odwin Pell. The balm is refined from the acidic water of Sedgemoor, a sprawling bayou located approximately four miles from Strixhaven, and is used to treat equipment and properties at the university, including theatrical equipment stored at the Rose Stage on Silverquill campus.
Ellina Tanglewood is an elf mage who serves as head barista at Firejolt Café. She can produce nearly any coffee or tea, and specializes in brewing firejolt lattes using her own fire magic, which grant drinkers brief fire resistance.
Esix is a living theorem created by Quandrix students as part of an assignment to devise an infinite equation. The entity has become consumed by infinity itself, and all attempts to unmake or destroy it have proven unsuccessful.
Fain is a professor of shadow magic at Silverquill Academy. He maintains an extensive network of contacts and specializes in obtaining rare or forbidden items, setting prices according to his own discretion rather than standard market rates.
Urzmaktok Grojsh (Orc, non-binary)
A café located at the edge of Archway Commons. It is a first-year institution that remains packed at all hours. The café is managed by Ellina Tanglewood.
A paired magical device consisting of a bracelet worn by the user and a collar placed on a cat. When someone lies in the vicinity, the bracelet vibrates to alert the wearer, and the cat makes noise and runs away. The bracelet is made of firesteel.
Strixhaven University was founded seven hundred years ago by five enormous dragons—Lorehold, Prismari, Quandrix, Silverquill, and Witherbloom—who believed magic needed to be studied rather than left lying around. Lorehold's historians speak with the dead in gold-glowing spells. Prismari artists paint with lightning and cause earthquakes. Quandrix scholars manipulate size and summon creatures of pure mathematics. Silverquill masters wield words like weapons in beams of light and spilled ink. Witherbloom students brew potions in the swamp and command life and death itself. Magic at Strixhaven isn't a subject—it's the tool used to study everything else.
Furygale is located at the outskirts of Prismari College and spans several acres. The area contains abandoned creations of past artist-mages that have congealed into shifting magical energy and rogue elementals. It is roped off with wards to contain these hazards. Despite the dangers, Furygale is favored by students as a location for dueling without professor interruption.
Grayson Wildemere (Human)
Galazeth Prismari is one of five ancient dragons who founded Strixhaven and established the Prismari college. Though still alive, Galazeth rarely comes to campus.
Golwanda is a summoned spirit of a stone giant warmonger, evoked by professors as a cautionary lesson for first-year students. The spirit performs with tremendous relish, deliberately working to terrify the young scholars. Golwanda is notorious for cruelty.
Grandloft Hall is the great central space of Silverquill College, characterized by light falling in shafts from enchanted panes. The hall features multiple levels of balconies, loges, and daises designed for orators and speakers. Inklings flit near the ceiling, and enchanted spotlights swing automatically to illuminate impressive spellcasters.
Grayson Wildemere is a Human member of the Future Entrepreneurs of Strixhaven and the Strixhaven Star.
Greta Gorunn is a Dwarf and a member of the Strixhaven Iron-Lifters Society, which is associated with Athletics and Medicine.
Groff Lundquist is a cheerful human who manages the student store in the library. He is locally famous for fashionably combining university apparel in distinctive ways.
The heart of the great library at Strixhaven, a chamber within the Biblioplex filled with statues. It contains a luminous snarl—a knot in magic itself that glows like a captive sun. This space serves as both the university's most sacred space and a permanent low-grade hazard. The Hall of Oracles is located at the heart of the Biblioplex. A bell in the Hall of Oracles rings as a summons to students.
Hedrick Pemble is an equipment and properties manager at the Rose Stage on Silverquill campus. He supplies treated props and trunks to support theatrical productions. He has held this position for two decades. He faces potential job loss after being blamed for incidents that originated elsewhere.
Hofri is a professor at Strixhaven, having formerly been a struggling Prismari student. Years ago, Mavinda Sharpbeak counselled Hofri to change colleges to Lorehold, a decision that ultimately led to Hofri's current position as a professor.
Zanther Bowen (Fire Genasi)
Jadzi is the current Oracle of Strixhaven, the most accomplished mage in the world, chosen by the Founder Dragons. She is charged for life with ensuring magic is used to help people and never twisted to cruel ends.
Javenesh Stoutclaw is an Owlin and a member of the Intramural Silkball Club.
## Paired by Light and Static Juliana Angora stood among eight hundred first-year students in the central courtyard, all wearing black, white, and gray uniforms tailored to every imaginable form. She spoke with a shy shadow fey from Menzoberranzan who was excited to practice magic far from home. Without warning, a violet ball of light appeared directly in front of her nose, hovering and waiting. When she tried to walk away, it shocked her with static that made her fur stand on end and her ears go flat. At the same moment, an amber orb appeared before her future roommate Luna III. Juliana tried to hop away from another shock just as Luna lunged forward, and both collapsed in a heap on the ground. When they stood, their two orbs had merged into a single muddy-colored sphere that floated between them, leading them both toward the same destination. ## The Stampede to Marrowgate Hall The merged orb guided Juliana and Luna to a clear space where they met two other students: Katureena Fundicuss, a tortle in reading glasses carrying far too many belongings, and Sivart Nightquill, an owlin with a spectacular gold crest. Professor Mavinda Sharpbeak, an owlin with enormous orange eyes and disheveled robes, addressed the courtyard without shouting, explaining that she had personally read all eight hundred student files and deliberately assembled each group of four roommates based on their abilities and histories. She announced that rooms in Marrowgate Hall were first come, first served, then flew away as the entire courtyard erupted into a stampede. Luna made the critical decision to go for the top floor and wove through the crowd with extraordinary agility. Juliana followed close behind as they reached the packed staircase, and Juliana spent one of her daily hops to leap over every person on the stairs and claim the finest fourth-floor room with its balcony and views of the Dawnbow and all five beacon towers. ## What Mother Packed Juliana settled into the freshly-mopped
## The Overloaded Tortle Katureena Fundicuss stood in the clear space wearing reading glasses, surrounded by far too many belongings. Professor Mavinda Sharpbeak, an owlin with enormous orange eyes and disheveled robes, addressed the courtyard without shouting, explaining that she had personally read all eight hundred student files and deliberately assembled each group of four roommates based on their abilities and histories. She announced that rooms in Marrowgate Hall were first come, first served, then flew away as the entire courtyard erupted into a stampede. Luna made the critical decision for the group: they would go for the top floor, which offered the longest climb but also the quietest rooms, the best views of the Dawnbow and all five beacon towers, and a balcony. ## Settling Into the Fourth Floor The four roommates settled into their freshly-mopped room with its four beds, empty shelves, and two windows. Katureena confessed she'd brought a second set of supplies despite the letter's instructions and had worried about it since the shuttle. Luna revealed she'd brought a collar for her cat Waffles that connected to a bracelet on her wrist, vibrating to alert her when someone lied. Juliana admitted her mother had packed a diamond sword thinking there would be armor fighting. When Sivart claimed he'd brought only what was permitted, Waffles immediately yowled and ran under the bed, and Luna challenged him to prove it by going through his bag. Before he could respond, a bell rang out over the rooftops and didn't stop, followed by doors banging in the corridor—the summons to the Hall of Oracles had arrived.
One of the first professors of Lorehold College, commemorated with a statue in Kollema Hall.
Kollema Hall is a tiered gallery built into an outcrop at Lorehold College. The hall serves as the venue for the college's great lectures and features a statue of Kollema, one of the college's first professors.
Larine Arneza is a human member of the Intramural Water-Dancing Club.
Live-Action Roleplaying Guild members include Cadoras Damellawar (Elf) and Rosimyffenbip "Rosie" Wuzfeddlims (Gnome). The guild focuses on Animal Handling and Performance skills.
Lorehold College is one of Strixhaven's five colleges, organized around the philosophical opposition of Order and Chaos. The college debates whether history progresses toward an ideal state or dissolves into happenstance. It focuses on history and spirit studies, and is led by Deans Plargg and Augusta Tullus.
## Arrival at Strixhaven Luna III stepped into the central courtyard of Strixhaven University amid eight hundred first-year students, all dressed in black, white, and gray uniforms tailored to every conceivable form. She saw gowns with slits for wings, tunics with six armholes, a girl made of fire wearing an unburning sash, a twelve-foot-tall creature with a single black stripe, and even a tree wearing a scarf. She met a nervous boy named Derrek whose father had teleported him to school after he accidentally set the kitchen table on fire. The university, she learned, had been founded seven hundred years ago by five enormous dragons who believed magic needed to be studied rather than left lying around. Each dragon taught a different kind of magic: Lorehold's historians speak with the dead in gold-glowing spells, Prismari artists paint with lightning and cause earthquakes, Quandrix scholars manipulate size and summon creatures of pure mathematics, Silverquill masters wield words like weapons in beams of light and spilled ink, and Witherbloom students brew potions in the swamp and command life and death itself. An amber orb of light appeared before Luna, hovering expectantly. She followed it without watching where she was going and lunged forward just as a rabbit-like student tried to hop away from a violet orb shocking her with static. Luna and the rabbit—Juliana Angora—collapsed in a heap on the ground. When they stood, their two orbs had merged into a single muddy-colored sphere that floated between them, leading them both toward the same destination. Derrek, who had been sitting by a fountain in the courtyard, found their collision amusing and laughed, asking if they were all right after they collapsed. ## The Race for the Fourth Floor The merged orb guided Luna and Juliana to a clear space where they met two other students: Katureena Fundicuss, a tortle in reading glasses carrying far too many belongings, and Sivart Nightquill, an owlin with a spectacular gold crest who stood as though expecting to be admired. Professor Mavinda Sharpbeak, an owlin with enormous orange eyes and disheveled robes, addressed the courtyard without shouting. She explained that she had personally read all eight hundred student files and deliberately assembled each group of four roommates based on their abilities and histories. She announced that rooms in Marrowgate Hall were first come, first served, then flew away as the entire courtyard erupted into a stampede. Luna made the critical decision: they would go for the top floor, which offered the longest climb but also the quietest rooms, the best views of the Dawnbow and all five beacon towers, and a balcony. She wove through the crowd with extraordinary agility, squeezing through gaps while Juliana followed close behind. When they reached the packed staircase, Sivart took flight outside the building, trying to beat them to the best room. Juliana spent one of her two daily hops to leap over every person on the stairs, sliding down the hallway and slapping her hand on the door of the finest room just as Sivart tumbled through the window. ## What You Weren't Supposed to Bring The four roommates settled into their freshly-mopped room with its four beds, empty shelves, and two windows. Katureena confessed she'd brought a second set of supplies despite the letter's instructions. Luna revealed she'd brought a collar for her cat Waffles that connected to a bracelet on her wrist, vibrating to alert her when someone lied—though Waffles hated the device and ran away whenever it activated. Juliana admitted her mother had packed a diamond sword thinking there would be armor fighting, though Juliana didn't know how to use the heavy weapon. When Sivart claimed he'd brought only what was permitted, Waffles immediately yowled and ran under the bed. Luna challenged him to prove it by going through his bag. Before he could respond, a bell rang out over the rooftops and didn't stop, followed by doors banging in the corridor—the summons to the Hall of Oracles had arrived.
Home to the Intramural Gymnastics Club and Mage Tower Cheer Squad.
Zanther Bowen (Fire Genasi) is a member of the Mage Tower Cheer Squad.
A residential hall at Strixhaven where first-year students are assigned rooms on a first-come, first-served basis; ground floor doors open directly onto the lawn. The hall contains multiple floors, with the fourth floor offering the quietest rooms, the best views of the Dawnbow and all five beacon towers, and a balcony. Rooms are furnished with four beds, empty shelves, and windows. A packed staircase provides access to upper floors, though windows also allow entry from outside.
Soft enchanted toy in the shape of each college mascot, sold in the library's student store. When pressed against arm or shoulder it stays put, and helps the holder keep their nerve when frightened.
Owlin professor of radiance and guidance counselor for first-year students. Warm and fussy, she carries healing potions and has been known to give platinum to brave students. Brown and cream plumage with enormous orange eyes. Wears robes that she hasn't gotten straight and carries a canvas bag over one shoulder that clinks when she moves. Professor of Radiance at Silverquill College. She addresses the courtyard without shouting, and the courtyard grows quiet in a wave from front to back when she speaks. She has read all eight hundred first-year student files and deliberately assembles each group of four roommates based on their abilities and histories, taking a great deal of time over the process. She announced that rooms in Marrowgate Hall are first come, first served, then flew away as the entire courtyard erupted into a stampede.
Melwythorne is a dryad member of both the Intramural Silkball Club and the Student-Mages of Faith.
A place from which the shadow fey student traveled to attend Strixhaven. The shadow fey described it as quite a long way from Strixhaven and expressed excitement about being able to practice magic far from home.
Juliana's cat who gets hungry and sometimes very hungry. Multiple party members brought automatic food dispenser devices to feed Michu remotely while at Strixhaven. Luna III has an automatic food dispenser for Michu that is controlled by twisting a ring on her finger.
Mina Lee is a Human member of the Strixhaven Star, a student organization focused on Investigation and Insight.
A place known for excellent armor craftsmanship, mentioned as the origin of Juliana.
Nils is a professor of radiance at Silverquill. Strict and severe in demeanor, Nils believes deeply in student potential but is perpetually disappointed by their choices.
Nora Ann Wu is a human member of the Distinguished Society of Fine Artists.
Octavia is a water elemental that has taken the form of an enormous octopus. She was created as a graduate's final project and has since taken up residence at the university where she was developed. She considers herself a conceptual thinker and appears to possess higher reasoning and philosophical interests unusual for an elemental creature.
Odwin Pell is a meticulous Witherbloom laboratory technician who has refined eldritch balm for eleven years and maintains immaculate records. Recently, he has noticed batches of eldritch balm coming out darker than usual.
Opus Walk is a winding path through Prismari College campus that displays hundreds of Prismari works, ranging from centuries old to momentary creations.
Pillardrop is a major site within Lorehold College, combining elements of a natural chasm, archaeological dig site, and constructed architecture. Its halls are carved from cliff faces and interconnected by precarious bridges that traverse past enormous stone faces of ancient statues.
Plargg is a blind orc who serves as Dean of Chaos at Lorehold College. He is a military historian who invented heat lettering as a means to read. Plargg leads field excursions for his students, which are notorious for reliably ending with participants requiring infirmary treatment.
Playactors Drama Guild (Arcana, Deception): Quentillius A. Melentor III (Human), Rubina Larkingdale (Human)
Prismari College is organized around the philosophical opposition of Perfection and Expression, with students and faculty debating whether art should provoke thought or feeling. The college is known for a culture of breaking things, with construction golems continuously repairing damage caused by student activities.
Mavinda is an owlin who serves as a counselor for first-year students at Strixhaven, helping new students who feel lost. She has enormous orange eyes and disheveled robes. She personally reads all student files and deliberately assembles each group of four roommates based on their abilities and histories. She uses a system of colored orbs to guide students to their assigned roommates—when a student's orb merges with another student's orb, it indicates they have been paired together. She can address large crowds without shouting and can fly.
Quandrix College is one of Strixhaven's five colleges, organized around the philosophical opposition of Substance and Theory. The college debates fundamental questions about mathematics—whether it is discovered or invented. Faculty members include Ruxa. Notable creations by Quandrix students include Esix, Fractal Bloom.
Human member of the Dead Languages Society and the Playactors Drama Guild.
The Rose Stage is located on Silverquill campus. Hedrick Pemble manages the equipment and properties stored here, which are treated with eldritch balm and supplied to student groups for theatrical productions.
Rosimyffenbip "Rosie" Wuzfeddlims is a Gnome member of the Live-Action Roleplaying Guild.
Rubina is a human member of both the Playactors Drama Guild and the Strixhaven Show Band Association.
Ruxa is a bear who walks on two legs and serves as a professor at Strixhaven. Known for being patient with new students.
Sedgemoor is a sprawling acidic bayou surrounding and enclosing the Witherbloom campus. Its water is foul and sludgy but has been refined into eldritch balm for generations. Located approximately four miles away from Strixhaven, Sedgemoor is the origin point of a corruption affecting the university. Its deeper reaches are not patrolled or mapped in detail and are not visited without reason.
A shy shadow fey student from Menzoberranzan who is excited to practice magic at Strixhaven. He was encountered by Juliana Angora in the central courtyard during the arrival of eight hundred first-year students, where he was conversing with a dragonborn, a human, and a turtle-looking creature. He mentioned that he came from Menzoberranzan, noted it was quite a long way to travel, and expressed his excitement about being at Strixhaven and his desire to practice magic. He remarked that he hadn't seen many of Juliana's kind around.
Shadrix Silverquill is one of five ancient dragons who founded Strixhaven and established the Silverquill college. Though still alive, Shadrix rarely comes to campus.
Owlin. Member of the Student-Mages of Faith club (Insight, Religion skills).
Silverquill College is one of Strixhaven's colleges, organized around the philosophical opposition of Radiance and Shadow. The college argues whether language exists to lift people up or cut them down, exploring radiance and shadow magic through this lens. Faculty members include Mavinda Sharpbeak, Nils, and Fain. Silverquill masters wield words like weapons in beams of light and spilled ink. Professor Mavinda Sharpbeak holds the title of Professor of Radiance and serves as counselor to the entire first year class.
## The Merged Orb and the Matched Quartet A violet ball of light appeared before Juliana's nose while an amber orb materialized in front of Luna. When the two students collided, their orbs merged into a single muddy-colored sphere that led them both to the same clear space in the courtyard. There Sivart stood among the assembled group of four: himself, Luna III, Juliana Angora, and Katureena Fundicuss, a tortle in reading glasses carrying far too many belongings. Professor Mavinda Sharpbeak, an owlin with enormous orange eyes and disheveled robes, addressed the courtyard without shouting. She explained that she had personally read all eight hundred student files and deliberately assembled each group of four roommates based on their abilities and histories. She announced that rooms in Marrowgate Hall were first come, first served, then flew away as the entire courtyard erupted into a stampede. ## Flight and Defeat at the Window Luna made the critical decision to claim a fourth-floor room, and she wove through the crowd with extraordinary agility. Sivart took flight outside the building, trying to beat his roommates to the best room. When Luna reached the packed staircase, she spent one of her two daily hops to leap over every person on the stairs. Sivart tumbled through the window just as Luna slid down the hallway and slapped her hand on the door of the finest room. He grudgingly complimented her extraordinary hopping. ## What the Letter Forbade The four roommates settled into their freshly-mopped room with its four beds, empty shelves, and two windows. Katureena confessed she'd brought a second set of supplies despite the letter's instructions. Luna revealed she'd brought a collar for her cat Waffles that connected to a bracelet on her wrist, vibrating to alert her when someone lied. Juliana admitted her mother had packed a diamond sword. When Sivart claimed he'd brought only what was permitted, Waffles immediately yowled and ran under the bed, and Luna challenged him to prove it by going through his bag. Before he could respond, a bell rang out over the rooftops and didn't stop, followed by doors banging in the corridor—the summons to the Hall of Oracles had arrived.
Greta Gorunn (Dwarf)
A stadium on Central Campus with a capacity of thousands.
Strixhaven University is the best school for magic in the world, founded seven hundred years ago by five dragons. The institution features a central campus with multiple colleges and facilities. Seven hundred years ago, five enormous dragons decided that magic was too dangerous to have lying around for anyone to pick up and built a school where people needed to study it. Each of the five dragons taught a different kind of magic. Those five dragons are still alive but do not come to campus much anymore. At Strixhaven, magic is not a subject taken but the tool used to study everything else. Historians use magic to talk to the dead, artists paint with lightning, and scientists grow plants the size of houses. Magic is used for ordinary things too—the staircases move themselves to fit whoever is climbing them, and the coffee is enchanted. There are five colleges at Strixhaven: Lorehold, whose historians speak with the dead in gold-glowing spells; Prismari, whose artists paint with lightning and cause earthquakes; Quandrix, whose scholars manipulate size and summon creatures of pure mathematics; Silverquill, whose masters wield words like weapons in beams of light and spilled ink; and Witherbloom, whose students brew potions in the swamp and command life and death itself. The central courtyard can accommodate eight hundred first-year students. First-year students wear black, white, and gray uniforms tailored to fit every imaginable body type. Marrowgate Hall is a dormitory where rooms are assigned first come, first served. The fourth floor of Marrowgate Hall offers the quietest rooms, the best views of the Dawnbow and all five beacon towers, and balconies.
Members include Melwythorne (Dryad) and Shuvadri Glintmantle (Owlin).
Taiva is an imposing man who serves as the Voice of the Founders, speaking on behalf of the Founder Dragons. He intervenes in university affairs when the deans reach a state of paralysis in decision-making.
Tanazir Quandrix is one of five ancient dragons who founded Strixhaven and established the Quandrix college. Though still alive, Tanazir rarely visits the campus.
The great library at the center of Strixhaven, vastly larger inside than it appears. The Biblioplex contains rooms with their own weather systems and flooded hallways that require boat travel to navigate. It contains the Hall of Oracles and the snarl at its heart. Upper floors are restricted and patrolled by shield guardians, accessible only by faculty key or librarian permission. At the heart of the library is the Hall of Oracles, full of statues, and hanging in the middle of the air is a snarl—a knot in magic itself that glows like a tiny sun. Curving over the whole library is the Dawnbow, a huge arch made of floating pieces of stone that nobody else built and nobody can explain. People say that sometimes an arch like that appears when you do something important, or something important is about to happen in your life. The Biblioplex serves as a landmark visible from the fourth floor of Marrowgate Hall and from the balcony there, offering views of all five beacon towers.
Tilana is a human member of the Dragonchess Club and the Intramural Silkball Club.
Five lines of beacon towers radiating outward from the Biblioplex to each of the five colleges, burning with permanent magical flame and extending over a hundred miles into the countryside.
Torus Hall stands at the end of geometric walkways at Quandrix College. Its interior architecture is mapped to a slowly evolving three-dimensional grid with geometry that can turn itself inside out.
Orc, non-binary. Member of the Fantastical Horticulture Club.
One of five ancient dragons who founded Strixhaven and established the Lorehold college. Still alive but rarely comes to campus.
Verelda Lang is a dryad arcano-biologist of Witherbloom College who teaches Magical Physiologies and other courses. She is chaotic neutral and respected for her life-sciences expertise.
A cat belonging to one of the party members; reacts negatively to a lie-detecting bracelet and collar system, making noise and running away when activated. When Sivart claimed he'd brought only what was permitted, Waffles immediately yowled and ran under the bed.
A longbow of pale, close-grained wood, worn smooth along the grip by hands that were not hers. Nothing about it looks enchanted. It shoots true, and its arrows arrive carrying a mote of cold light that clings to whatever they strike. It came out of storage the week before Luna left — not bought, not commissioned, simply produced, as though it had been waiting for the right time to be handed over. She was told only that it had been in the family longer than anyone could account for, that it had always been given rather than inherited, and that the light was the point. Nobody explained what the light was for. She worked that out on her own.
A place from which the first-year student Derrek originated. Derrek's father arranged for a local wizard to teleport him there after he accidentally set his mother's kitchen table on fire.
Witherbloom College is organized around the philosophical opposition of Root and Vein, debating whether nature is driven by growth or decay. The college focuses on life sciences and maintains laboratories where eldritch balm is refined. Verelda Lang teaches at Witherbloom and has access to these laboratories.
Fire Genasi member of the Intramural Gymnastics Club and Mage Tower Cheer Squad.
Ancient dragons who choose the Oracle of Strixhaven and charge them with ensuring magic is used to help people.
A hippo-type humanoid creature species present at Strixhaven. One giff was observed in the Courtyard of Eight Hundred during the arrival of first-year students, making a prominent display by drinking from the fountain, shooting water into the air, and being patted on the back and laughed at by those around him.
Owlin are owl-people with real wings capable of flight and silent movement. They maintain a presence in academic institutions, including representation by individuals such as Professor Mavinda Sharpbeak. Owlin have real wings and can fly and move without making any sound, which makes them very annoying to play hide-and-seek against. Sivart Nightquill is an owlin with a spectacular gold crest standing straight up in the back of his head like a crown. He has wings that he folds precisely as tight as necessary. Professor Mavinda Sharpbeak is an owlin with enormous orange eyes, brown and cream coloring, disheveled robes, and a canvas bag over one shoulder that clinks when she moves. She is the Professor of Radiance at Silverquill College and counselor to the entire first year, and she assembled each group of four first-year roommates based on their abilities and histories after personally reading all eight hundred student files.