Marble statues of Isolt and James flank the front doors of Ilvermorny Castle. The doors open onto a circular room topped by a glass cupola. A wooden balcony runs around the room one floor above. Otherwise, the area is empty except for four large wooden carvings representing the houses: the Horned Serpent, the panther Wampus, the Thunderbird and the Pukwudgie.
While the rest of the school watches from the circular balcony overhead, new students file into the round entrance hall. They stand around the walls and, one by one, are called to stand on the symbol of the Gordian Knot set into the middle of the stone floor. In silence, the school then waits for the enchanted carvings to react. If the Horned Serpent wants the student, the crystal set into its forehead will light up. If the Wampus wants the student, it roars. The Thunderbird signifies its approval by beating its wings, and the Pukwudgie will raise its arrow into the air.
Should more than one carving signify its wish to include the student in its house, the choice rests with the student. Very rarely – perhaps once a decade – a student is offered a place in all four houses.
Horned Serpent
Founder
Isolt Sayre
Alumni
Seraphina Picquery
Head of House
Magdalena Espinosa
Overview
Sometimes considered to represent the mind of a witch or wizard. It is also said that Horned Serpent favors scholars.
Tribal Affiliation
Abenaki, Anishinabe, Arapaho, Blackfoot, Cherokee, Choctaw, Cheyenne, Fox, Iroquois, Lakota, Lenape, Maliseet-Passamaquoddy, Micmac
Traits
Anticipative, Charismatic, Creative, Curious, Guarded, Logical, Pedantic
Common Room
Located in the North Wing, a view of the lake and tributary river can be seen from the Common Room. The walls of their common room are comprised almost entirely of bookcases, and while many volumes are duplicates of ones readily found in the school library, some are handwritten by previous Horned Serpent students—or special editions donated by alumni. Naturally, the whole place smells a bit like old books.
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Within the 1st floor library, Horned Serpent students are given access to the common room by tossing an enchanted coin into a fountain embedded into the library wall. The fountain is modeled after the patron ghost, The Lady of the Lake, while the coins are embossed with the imagery of a horned serpent.
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When access is permitted the fountain rotates 180°, permitting students to discretely enter while an exact replica of the fountain supplants the former allowing a newfound place for students to toss in coins for admittance. Those who attempt to improperly access the common room with be doused by a powerful jet of water.
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Patron Ghost
Name | Winnifred “Winnie” Whipple, Whiny Whipple, The Lady of the Lake
House | Horned Serpent
Birth | June 26, 1859
Death | March 16, 1876 (3:13 AM)
Winnie was once a studious Serpent full of dreams and aspirations. In the midst of making a groundbreaking discovery, she fell in love with one of her professors who had set his sights on her, wooing her in pursuit of her brilliance. One evening, during a purported romantic rendezvous near the lake; the professor slew Winnie; robbing her of her lifelong work and claiming it as his own. Due to both the shock of betrayal and a broken heart, the ghost of Winnifred remains wandering the castle’s grounds.
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In life, Winnie was tall. She walked with her back hunched and shoulders slumped forward to make herself appear smaller in the hopes of fading from view. As a spirit, her form appears exaggerated, now excessively tall as it was due to her frail frame that she was unable to defend herself in life. This new appearance makes her seem both confident and intimidating.
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Winnifred “Winnie” Whipple is referred to by many as Whiny Whipple as she is frequently seen lamenting inside and outside of the castle. Although her appearance may be sullen, Whiny Whipple is kind to students. She frequently skulks about the library peering over students shoulders and muttering something along the lines of ‘no no no’ should their schoolwork be wrong or happily assisting them should they acknowledge her presence. When male professors come into the picture, however, Whiny Whipple grows silent. The only indication of her disfavor of them, other than her silence, is the occasional shaking of bookcases, rattling of windows, and extinguishing of candles.
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On the anniversary of her death, The Lady of the Lake can be observed crying in the spot she died. As her tears mix with the water, the lake emits an eerie glow, and a dense fog sweeps over the campus.
Wampus
Founder
Webster Boot
Alumni
Webster Boot
Head of House
Eduard Petrov
Overview
Sometimes considered to represent the body of a witch or wizard. It is also said that Wampus favors warriors.
Tribal Affiliation
Appalachian Cherokee Nation
Traits
Argumentative, Fiercely Loyal, Practical, Reliable, Resilient, Spontaneous
Common Room
Located in the South Wing, the Wampus Common Room is enshrouded by the surrounding forests. The room is kept dimly lit, with floating candle-lit lanterns supplying most of the light source and augmented by fairy lights strung through foliage overhanging the common area. The space is partitioned into several rooms employing rain curtains that fall into basins running along partition walls. Student dorm rooms are concealed throughout the miniature forest. It is a favorite sport of older Wampus students to watch first years struggling to find their dorms.
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Following the curved hallway between classrooms and the greenhouses in the South Wing, students will find roots entangled between the stones on one side of the wall. It amasses with each step until there is not a trace of the wall left once students near its center. From the outside, it seems that the southmost wall of the castle has been consumed by a large tree that has grown into the side of the building. It is known that this large section of the wall marks the pathway to the Wampus Common Room, but there is no clearly exposed entrance or doorway.
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Those wishing to access the Common Room must permit the magically enchanted roots to enwrap their bodies and swallow them whole. The procedure is akin to a tight hug; testing the Wampus' resilence and house loyalty. Those attempting to enter without permission are not so lucky. Like before, the roots will envelop the intruder, and, depending on its mood, either forcefully spit them back into the hallway or transport them through the southmost wall and adhere them there until rescued.
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Patron Ghost
Name | Chief
House | N/A
Birth | Unknown
Death | Unknown
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An intimidating warrior of the Cherokee tribe with androgynous features, no one is entirely sure of their gender, though they are rumored to be a woman. Anyone who dares to question their identity is confronted with an annoyed glance and deaf ears; however, the title of ‘Chief’ has been used to address the Wampus patron, leading some students to think of them as male.
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In life, Chief was an animagus and continues to be so in death. They take on the form of a panther, but rarely reveal themselves as such to anyone outside of their house. They float through the school bearing the garment of a fighter of their tribe. Long black hair is tied back and embellished with eagle and snallygaster feathers. Although detailed and decorated, several cuts in the fabric of their garment indicate where Chief was fatally wounded in battle.
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They inherited their title at a rather young age due to the sudden death of their predecessor. Inheriting the position, Chief had many responsibilities placed upon them, including meeting with other tribes. On one such journey north, Chief chanced upon an Ilvermorny professor. Gradually, the two bonded and, with time, the professor became a dear friend. Eventually, Chief visited Ilvermorny and developed an attachment to the school as well and a pact was formed to aid and cooperate should the need arise.
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Meanwhile, things were not going well with a nearby tribe. A canyon of disagreement had opened over Chief’s cooperation and culture sharing with the magical school. Sadly, there was no solving this slowly boiling conflict, and it was taken to arms. The battle did not last long but claimed many lives between the two tribes; among them, Chief. It took nineteen stab wounds to bring down the great warrior, but fall they did. A long way from their tribe, Chief’s spirit latched onto what felt most like home— Ilvermorny.
Thunderbird
Founder
Chadwick Boot
Alumni
Chadwick Boot, Porpentina Goldstein
Head of House
David Wu
Overview
Sometimes considered to represent the soul of a witch or wizard. It is also said that Thunderbird favors adventurers.
Tribal Affiliation
Arapaho, Navajo, Ojibwe, Salish, Sioux, Wichita
Traits
Ambitious, Energetic, Escapist, Introspective, Powerful, Temperamental, Rebellious
Common Room
Located in the West Wing, as Thunderbirds are native to the American West, they have a clear view of Wolfpine Pass, a canyon that sits behind the castle. A balcony located to the rear of the common room functions as a launchpad for flying. The room is circular, open in the middle with a spiral staircase winding around the outer walls to each floor. The flooring is metal grating, much like a birdcage. This Common Room is most comparable to the design of MACUSA.
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The entrance to the Thunderbird common room is located in a large tower crowned with a glass dome and can be accessed from the top floor of the main building at the end of a long corridor.
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Concealed behind an exquisite painting of a Thunderbird flying through a thunderstorm, the grated metal door does not reveal itself to just anyone. Within the dark moving clouds of the canvas, every now and again, brilliant flashes of lightning strike through the painting. Thunderbird students are required to repeat the sequence of lightning flashes with taps of their wand to reveal the hidden entryway.
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Many underestimate the relatively simple puzzle, but the enchanted door does not allow just anyone to enter the common room. Should non-Thunderbirds try to access the space they'll be greeted with an intense but non-deathly electric shock that renders the trespasser with a headful of frizzy hair.
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Patron Ghost
Name | Dean King Jr., Junior, King
House | Thunderbird
Birth | April 2, 1959
Death | April 1984 (Day Unknown)
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Dean was a hardworking Thunderbird student. His strict parents wished for him to become a teacher, but he had other plans. While attending Ilvermorny, he discovered his love for punk rock. In interviews, he would often speak fondly of the school, and particularly his supportive housemates.
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Years later, while on stage during a gig near the school, the gear provided by the concert venue suffered a malfunction, resulting in Dean’s electrocution and untimely death. According to rumors, a close friend and bandmate tampered with Dean's amplifier following a heated argument. Others allege an unforgivable curse was cast upon the young man and the electrocution served as a coverup. Neither rumor has been confirmed true. Following his demise, his spirit was drawn to Ilvermorny as the school functioned as a second home he'd always longed to return to.
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Grumpy and easily annoyed, Dean appears to have a permanent frown etched into his face, but you’d be angry too if you'd died the way he did! While Thunderbird students irritate him, but he won't hesitate to offer them a transparent shoulder to cry on should they be upset. However, the same cannot be said of students from other houses. Should someone disturb one of his birds, he'll turn up uninvited and force the offenders to pass through his body, resulting in a light tingly sensation as if they'd been electrocuted. Additionally, they may suffer a bad hair day, hah!
Pukwudgie
Founder
James Steward
Alumni
Queenie Goldstein
Head of House
Rajit Yadav
Overview
Sometimes considered to represent the heart of a witch or wizard. It is also said that Pukwudgie favors healers.
Tribal Affiliation
Wampanoag Nation
Traits
Compassionate, Cunning, Empathetic, Impulsive, Independent, Prideful, Secretive
Common Room
Located in the East Wing, as the protectors of Ilvermorny, they have a view of the castle’s main gates from their Common Room. The main room is shaped like a Native American kiva, with translucent curtains cascading from the ceiling around it while the floor of the kiva is spattered with an endless supply of throw pillows. The wooden walls are carved and painted with depictions of Ilvermorny’s origin story, and on the walls surrounding the kiva are a series of doors that lead to maze-like inner rooms, where there are darker hole-in-the-wall areas for students to hideaway and study, or share more private conversations with other students.
The entrance to the Pukwudgie common room can be found nearby the spacious courtyard where students socialize during their free time. Thick vines and exquisite flowers that change daily blanket the castle's brick wall. Beyond the foliage lies the Pukwudgie's lair.
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To enter, one must whisper the daily password to the flower-coated wall. Therefore, Pukwudgie students need to be well-versed in flower language as the password is related to the delicate blooms. If answered correctly, the flora will move aside and allow them to enter. If incorrect, the student must wait until someone new solves the riddle.
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Non-Pukwudgie students that attempt to enter the common room will be flogged by the vines coating the wall— trust us when we say it's painful!
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Patron Ghost
Name | Sassamon
House | N/A
Birth | January 17, 1717
Death | Unknown
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During the eighteenth century, Sassamon, a native of the Wampanoag tribe, worked as the gardener to Ilvermorny. He was the husband of the headmaster, Weetamoo; also from the same tribe.
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Woefully, Weetamoo died during one of the many skirmishes that occurred during a period plagued by war, and as a result, her remains were buried on the grounds of the castle. In his grief, Sassamon refused to vacate the property where his wife was laid to rest.
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As time passed, flowers overtook his wife's grave. Sassamon attributed the blooms to his wife starting life anew in the realm beyond the living and took it upon himself to tend to the flowers that blossomed there. To this day, he continues to look after them in his spectral form.
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As a ghost, Sassamon resembles a stern and unapproachable elderly man. Those who are familiar with him, however, will see that the gardener is gentle. He often tends to the flowers near the Pukwudgie common room and gives advice to students in need of it, but should one disturb his garden he'll unveil a brutal temper. Ought someone encroach on his territory uninvited, prepare to be punished; only Sassamon is permitted to care for the flowers, and he'll make sure it stays that way.