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.

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.

Scholars of Prismari

The Prismari Scholars table offers examples of the scholars in Prismari College.