Do How Sorcerers Dress Tell Us Something About What They Studied? - Or How I Decided What Character's Studied Based On Patterns IN Their Dress: Part 2
(Link to Part 1, Read that first)
So, in the previous post, I primarily answered two things:
How does Hexley Hall organizes courses of study by age/ year?
What makes Sorcerers different from Fairies, Witches, and Humans as far as magic goes?
The Basic Summary of the previous post is that:
Sorcerers ARE NOT born/ DO NOT originate on the Mystic Isles.
Fairies and Witches are/did.
Fairies color code themselves based on personality.
Witches dress based on Good Witch/ Neutral Witch/ Bad Witch affiliation.
Sorcerers dress based on field of study/ specialization.
Fairies spell cast based on "personality/" what they love to do.
Witches spell cast through their alignment - Good/Neutral/Evil.
Sorcerers combine both and cast out of the place where their alignment meets their interest.
Fairies "apprentice" under other Fairies until their powers stabilize, at which point, they can start to cast/ learn whatever they want/ write spells on their own.
Witches have free flowing and "experimental" magic and, most frequently, learn by trial and error. They grow in power as they age & their lived wisdom increases.
Sorcerers gain magic through pattern recognition & intensely following one particular interest that is connected to the "Wish that makes them who they are."
Additional General Notes On Spell Casting
Sorcerers that cast spells that go against that "Wish," most frequently, end up with a product that does not work/ is botched.
With the following exceptions:
Their Wish has been removed
The Sorcerer's mind/heart/body has been cursed **
The Sorcerer experiences some other form of manipulation/ loss of control of their body (example: mind control)
** Even when cursed, depending on the degree or severity, the core of that Sorcerer may still be INSIDE them and would, thus, prevent the Sorcerer from going against their "desire" entirely. **
This is WHY Sorcerers cast both from alignment AND personality/what they most love to do.
However, this means that, of the three spell casters, Sorcerers are the most "specialized" because fewer things, on average, will turn out for them.
Witches can cast ANY spell they discover, write, learn, or know within their alignments and a version of it will turn out. The degree of power that Witch's spell holds will be based on how old they are/ how much life they've lived.
Fairies can cast ANY spell so long as it suits their basic desire. The examples I used in the previous post were "growth" and "protection," but there are more ideas I have for "desires," those were just the first two I thought of.
However, Fairy spells don't have to suit any particular ALIGNMENT to be cast. A Fairy could cast a spell that is knowingly harmful and still have it turn out, even if they considered themselves "Good," so long as they were doing it out of their core "desire."
(Further Example: A fairy whose desire is to "protect" might temporarily use magic harm a creature, if it was attempting to/ had hurt someone/ something they considered within their domain of "protection." Depending upon the severity of the injury to their charge/ the object of their "protection," they may or may not even go back to administer healing to the creature in question.)
Therefore, Fairies and Witches are probably on equal, though different, levels of raw magical power/ range.
However, despite this, Sorcerers can, hypothetically, do and/or learn the most within a SINGULAR TYPE/ SCHOOL OF MAGIC because of the hyperspecificity of their range of interest.
So, this post seeks to answer:
What are those types/ schools of magic?
How do we know who studied what?
Schools of Magic & Their Colors W/ Pictures From the Wiki Pages ... And Other Stuff:
So, this section will honestly answer both questions at the same time. I grouped and organized each as follows:
School Name
(Description if needed)
First Color = Base color of Dress Variations Listed Below
2nd Color = Accent(s) Variations Listed Below
(My personal notes/ ramblings, which can appear anywhere throughout the different sections.)
Final Note Before Getting Into the Schools
If I thought a character practiced a certain kind of magic, an image will appear somewhere within that section.
However, there are a few characters that I will hold to the end - Goodwyn, Wu Chang, Morgana and Grimtrix - because I want to talk about the ideas of using clothes to denote multiple fields of study/ "Majors" and "Minors."
Destruction
(War Magics)
Red: Most commonly Bright Red Ruby Crimson Vermillion
Accent(s) Gold
Restoration & Abjuration
(Includes: Healing, Medicinal Spells, Counter Cursing, Wards, and Defensive Spells)
Dark Purple: Indigo, Midnight Purple
(From ArtyClick) Wine Imperial Purple Tyrian Purple Raspberry
(Pip Note:
One of the above three colors is Cedric's new robe color in RM. Meaning, it is still purple - but has slightly more "maroon"/ "reddish" undertone - kind of like this for "Healing."
It gives off status of understanding of body/ blood/ anatomy ... very pretty.
Vibes well with how I am writing his character. Because, that matters ... clearly this was done for me. XD
But, it DOES, actually, give a mark in favor of the fact that, I think, Cedric's OG vest is meant to be more a shade of purple than true "maroon" or "red.")
Accent(s): Green **** Specifically: Dark Green, as in the one used for Medical School regalia ****
(Pip Note: I actually never realized just how close Cedric's shirt matched that? It might be SLIGHTLY more olive green in tone, but is that just because the Med school robe is fuzzy? Because, that is freaking CLOSE. // Additional Note: Medical school gown from Cap & Gown Website)
Transmutation & Alteration
(The magic where stuff gets made into other stuff)
Black
Accent(s) Gold Orange White
(Pip Note:
Could see music magic, in general, but especially the way von Rocha, takes musical giftedness as being a form of "Transmutation"/ "Alteration"
Per DnD 5E: "The transmutation school of magic consisted of spells that changed the physical properties of some creature, thing, or condition. The school was previously known as alteration."
Condition/ physical property of person being able to play music was removed/ revoked by his spell = transmutation?
Seems logical.
Possibile he had music magic previously and was removed by someone?
Learned to do transmutation spell to steal others gift seeking his own??
Explore further.
But, yeah, in general, I feel like "Music Magic" as a discipline is, probably, a basic subcategory of "Transmutation" - you take the physical properties of sound and make new stuff/ alter other stuff? Like, that seems logical???
Illusion
Black very dark Navy Midnight BLUE (NOT to be confused with Midnight PURPLE)
(From ArtyClick)
Accent(s) Blue: Bright Blue Cornflower Blue Periwinkle Royal Blue Cerulean Blue Steel Blue
(Could go the other way, where the brighter blue is the main color, but is unusual to see)
(Pip Notes From Doc:
From Greylock:
Outer Robe Color, generally, will indicate Mastery
Ties, under shirts, clothing beneath the robe, etc will indicate minors - if present
Shares Goldenrod color scheme in his textile w/ Winifred's belt accent??
Possible shared minor? - (Look into some kind of Divination??)
Later: YES TO DIVINATION.
Works well with backstory for Sascha Silvertide & disguised "Sascha the Sorceress" & Winifred's connection to Apollo & we get to add a fun little layer to Greylock's character w/ Rudistan's connection to Norse gods, also planning to add Sofia to the divination party ... I am HAUNTING Cedric with connections to PROPHECY!
Grimtrix was of the Head of the School of Illusion before becoming headmaster during Sofia’s plotline
Chose Grim's mastery based on casting style; not dress
Grims is only ever in Headmaster Robes? So, I can't know what he looks like w/o those on ...
Somehow, Illusion just fits Grims though!
(Pip Notes on Grims & Illusion: YOU KNOW WHAT I CAN'T BE PERFECT??? )
Conjuration & Evocation
(Summoning Magics )
Pink Purple (any "cool"/ "blue" undertone shade) Accent(s) Silver (Pip Notes:
Winifred studied Conjuration after Goodwyn talked her into it.
Silver accents on jewelry
Was planning on Divination/Prophecy - hence Minor - seen in belt accent
As I said, more on Morgana later, but I just wanted to bring up the difference between Conjuration Purples and Restoration Purples which is the presence of SILVER vs. GREEN accent colors
You'll also notice that, generally, Winifred, Morgana, and Cordelia's "Conjuration Purples" all seem to live more in the "cool" family
Cedric's "Restoration Purple" lives more in the "warm" purple family
On the subject of Cordi:
Again, that's not really a "warm" pink either.
So, Conjuration would have a cool undertone
But, she and Cedric both have that sort of interesting gold accent - Bowtie for him, belt for her.
Cedric's a potion guy?
They also both seem to know ingredients really well based on Through the Looking Back Glass?
Possible associations with Alchemy?
Yeah ... actually ... we're running with that. Varian is their SHARED ancestor ... we're doing that. That's too funny. That's a personal joke. But, that's FUNNY.
Enchanting
Gold
Silver
Alchemy/Potion Making
Yellow Gold
Bright/ Gemstone Colors
Blue
Green
Yellow
Red
Silver
White
Brown (all shades)
Divination/Prophecy
Goldenrod Yellow Gold
Orange
Let's stack these colors on top of each other:
Winifred's belt is the same color as the accents in Sascha's robes and Greylock's vest
The black cape could relate to Transmutation, but like 90% of her outfit/ the core outer part of her robe is the same goldenrod color as Greylock's vest?
So, the base color for Divinationshould be some kind of gold/ yellow/ goldenrod
There is some kind of orange stripe in Greylock's clothes and her sleeves are orange, so let's say orange accent?
Ugh ... the freaking twist with the Sascha he met at 17 being a self-taught Diviner because she had to be VS seeing the ILLUSION OF HER GROWN?? In her colors ...
Am I ... Am I a bad person??
No ... I just like writing angst ...
In parallel structure ...
For fun ...
Magical Teaching
Deep Blue
True Blue Light Blue
(Or really any Blue/Blue variation that's not the Black/Navy & Cornflower variant)
Teaches Restoration
Note the Green tie is the same shade of Green as Cedric wears later
Also has that bright yellow/gold color scheme w/ some gem tones- possible Alchemy connection? ... I mean *I know there is*
Hexley's robes are a double blue which is where I got the teaching thing
The collar/ hood is a darker blue & sleeves are a "true blue" for the teachers
Student robes are inverted.
Also see the double blues here
Don't have much more to say other than like ... Education TM is this dude's whole personality ... so like ...
The pattern fits??
** Pecullian is "Sorcery Professor Gorg" who wears street clothes, never wears regalia, and is an outlier who should not be counted. Y'all his name is basically "Professor Peculiar" ... He's not ... He's not gonna fit. I can't make him fit.
Goodwyn: The Double Major, Because He's Just That Great
I have two theories on why Goodwyn's outfits are so different when he was younger vs when he was older:
ONE:
Goodwyn has two majors: One in Destruction - definitely has that - and one in Conjuration.
OR
He's highlighting a minor in the second image because you'll notice his vest is still a pretty dark red.
My running theory/ HC is that he had two different majors because Winifred were a little farther apart in school. Thus, he ended up deciding to remain at Hexley for a while and do research/ pick up a second major while she was finishing school.
I came to this conclusion if only because Winifred looks like she could be younger than Goodwyn by a handful of years. So, this made sense to me.
However, despite getting asked to fill the position of Royal Sorcerer before Winifred was completely finished with school, Goodwyn finished his second major in like a year and half.
So, he, technically, has two majors ... because ... you know? ... He's Goodwyn ... why wouldn't he?
Wu Chang: Another Educator, But, Does He Have A Specialization In What He Teaches?
Once more, like Merlin, Wu Chang has that true double blue going on in his robes. And, despite having a black accented belt, his main robe colors are always two variations of blue.
Additionally, his base blue robe is far brighter than Greylock's blue robe - which I have on several occasions mistaken for black depending on how dark the room is around the TV.
However, something interesting I noticed about Wu Chang's second blue on blue ensemble was that it appeared to have undertones of green in the blue. Also,in the episode he was wearing that robe, he was pursuing a medicinal cure for Jun.
(I feel like the Incredibles meme right now ... but stick with me.)
So, it made me wonder if Wu Chang, like Cedric's Teacher, may have been focused on teaching Restoration, Alchemy, or some intersection of both because of his knowledge of Men-Saing and it's magical healing properties.
Morgana: Truly What Wearing Your "Minor Specalization" Looks Like
So, the red accent she's wearing is what I truly envisioned when I was thinking of someone wearing their "Minor Specialization."
(Hers being in destruction.)
When I had the thought of what Majors vs. Minors looked like, I was really envisioning something JUST like this.
The red scarf for her Minor in Destruction, and the long purple robe + silver jewelry for the major in Conjuration.
Grimtrix: Headmaster Robes
What you'll notice here is that the colors of every school are represented in the clothing of Grimtrix's Headmaster Robes.
I'm going to jump out on a limb here and say this is intentional because the Headmaster of Hexley Hall would preside over all the disciplines.
Though, like Morgana, I'm going to say Grimtrix has minors in Destruction Magic, but majored in Illusion.
During Cedric's time, he was the Head of the Illusion Department, whereas Cedric's Teacher, Fionn is the name I have given him, per the previous post & in my fics, was the Head of the Department of Restoration and Associated Studies.
(Closing Note: Screen stills/ images for this post were taken from the various character's Wiki pages linked below:
Baron Von Rocha Cedric Cedric2 Cedric's Teacher Cordelia Goodwyn/ YOUNG Greylock Grimtrix Merlin Morgana Sascha/ Miss Nettle Winifred Wu Chang)
