#silverquill

[strixhaven-star]

Izzet Ral or Orzhov Ral?

I do like how Orzhov Ral's pose is a throwback to the original Ral Zarek's pose.

[artguycharlie]

Psa: In the online discussions I’ve seen about the new Secrets of Strixhaven cards the vast majority of people have been referring to all of the Arcavios elder dragons with masculine pronouns, but in actually three of the five are lady dragons.

[vezimira]

cute silverquill student art request from my patreon

[ryan-nerdy-goober]

Hypothetical: You’ve studied at Strixhaven University for a whole year, and it’s time to pick a college! Which one’s your Arcavian alumni?

🪶Silverquill

✨Prismari

🌱Witherbloom

🗿Lorehold

🌐Quandrix

Voting ended onApr 13

[straightedgesavior434]

By the power of lesbians, YOU can draw 3 cards

[glyphreader]

Inkling Mascot (Secrets of Strixhaven No. 0196, Illus. Inkognit)

As far as visuals and character design is concerned, the Silverquill inklings are the college mascots that got the biggest upgrade in Secrets of Strixhaven. Their original design was very straightforward: Silverquill mages use ink, so their familiars are just living blobs of it, done. Their impish appearance and demeanor made them feel very skewed towards the black mana side of the college. They were probably the least "balanced" out of all the mascot character designs.

Secrets of Strixhaven changes this. Instead of being amorphous blobs of liquid, Inklings are now beings on ink and light. The ink functions as the creature's "body", and the light, drawn in calligraphic strokes, forms the outlines and details that hold it all together. Other examples include Scriv, the Obligator (which also incorporates paper into the design) or the ink-birds seen in the art of Ral Zarek, Guest Lecturer and Kilian, Decisive Mentor.

One thing that I didn't like about Silverquill in original Strixhaven is that most of the cards depicted the college as a gathering of mean rich kids, . In Secrets of Strixhaven, this characterisation is continued - see Social Snub, for example. But it seems like the orderly, "proper" side of the college is emphasized more this time around, with locations like the Forum of Amity and characters like Abigale as a kinder, more sympathetic poster child. I like how the inkling redesign reflects this change. The calligraphic elements highlight the fact that Silverquill mages use language (not just ink) for their magic, and suggests that inklings aren't simply summoned, but have to be written into existence, with the style of writing, grammar, and each writer's hand (as in handwriting) shaping the outcome. It's a design that feels unique to the Silverquill college and the combination of mana that they use. In the first Strixhaven set, Lorehold was my clear number one favourite, but in Secrets of Strixhaven, Silverquill feels like a strong challenger.

[raakdos-battlemap]

[Strixhaven Battlemap] The Silverquill Campus - Grandloft Hall 32x56

Within the soaring chambers of Grandloft Hall, Silverquill students refine the most dangerous art on Arcavios: the power of language itself. Here, speeches become weapons, poetry becomes battle magic, and ambition walks hand in hand with discipline. Draped in black ink and sharp elegance, aspiring Vainglories and future Eloquents train beneath vaulted balconies where every debate feels like a duel and every word carries the weight of command. The college’s creed — “Sharp Style. Sharper Wit.” — echoes through every corridor of the campus.

More variations of this map:

Patreon Page:

Strixhaven Encounters #003 The Silverquill Campus - Grandloft Hall 32x56 | Raakdos

Strixhaven Encounters #003 The Silverquill Campus - Grandloft Hall 32x56 by Raakdos on Patreon. Join Raakdos's community for exclusive conte

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Abigale, Poet Laureate by Olivier Bernard