Spring Update Highlights

Posted on June 1, 2021August 7, 2021 by Morgan_Shade

Greetings, Wizards of the Spiral. As we prepare for the Summer here at Ravenwood Academy, we’d like to highlight some of our favorite changes from the Spring 2021 Test Realm. Without further delay, let’s begin!

New Skeleton Key Bosses

Two new Skeleton key bosses have arrived in Grizzleheim and Karamelle. The first boss, King Borr, resides in Savarstaad Pass. Meanwhile, the Stay-Puffed Marshfellow dwells in the Nibbleheim Mines.

The Stay-Puffed Marshfellow requires a Gold Skeleton key. At the same time, King Borr has variants for all three keys. The Nibbleheim Key Boss drops new unique Marshmallow Wands. Meanwhile, King Borr drops Spellements for the Grizzleheim Lore Spells. Life Wizards rejoice as there’s now another method to get Ratatoskr’s Spin!

New Social Feature

Recently added in the Spring Update was the new Social feature. Clicking the icon beneath your Friend’s List will bring up a list of all nearby Wizards. This list will show you all the Wizards currently in your same zone and their current quest.

Friendly Wizards are okay with other people joining them in combat. You can also chat and teleport to any nearby Wizard who has marked themselves as Friendly.

Finding a questing buddy is now easier than ever! Even better, we no longer must sacrifice those on our Friends List to make room. Finally, we can see if a player is fine with another person joining their PVE duel. No more awkward conversations when you enter a fight that was almost over.

Team up VolUnteering

The Join a Team Kiosk has received an update in the form of Volunteering! Volunteering allows you to help other players without having to stay put. You can select the world and types of instances you want to volunteer for at the Kiosk outside the Bazaar. Here you can choose from any world you’ve unlocked to volunteer. From there, you can choose to volunteer to assist with farming or longer dungeons.

The teams who’ve been waiting the longest time for help will receive volunteers first. After you’ve helped your team complete the instance, your Health and Mana are replenished. From there, you’ll return to your previous location. This system allows players to help other players without selecting a new team to help each time. Excellent for any Wizard seeking to get the illustrious Team Champion Badge.

New Spell Animations

Many AOE animations were updated to hit all enemies, making them faster. Below is the list of AOE’s whose animations were updated. You can also check out the video below to see the changes made to them.

Fire: Meteor Strike, Fire Dragon, Rain of Fire

Ice: Blizzard, Frost Giant

Storm: Tempest, Storm Lord, Sirens

Myth: Humungofrog, Orthrus, Mystic Colossus

Life: Forest Lord, Rebirth

Death: Deer Knight, Scarecrow

Balance: Sandstorm, Ra

New Spells

It’s time to visit your professors because sixteen new spells have arrived in the game! There are two new spells for every school. But Life and Death received an extra, each in the form of damage boosting Globals. All these spells are available from the respective trainers in Ravenwood. You must be level forty-two to learn these spells. You’ll also need the prerequisites in your Spellbook.

Many of these spells were once popular treasure cards used in PVP. Their popularity has brought them to be permanent additions to our Professors’ curriculum. Don’t worry non PVP players; the Developers kept PVE in mind too for these spells. You might find them helpful outside the arena.

New Quest

“Old is New Again” is a new quest available in the Arcanum for Wizards who have completed “Everything and Nothing.” For those who don’t want any spoilers look away now. For those who don’t mind spoilers, the video below covers the entire quest.

Spoilers Ahead!

To summarize the quest. We receive a message from the Old One, who is seeking to recover a memory of a world called Lemuria. Scholar Zander helps us discover Lemuria is little more than a fairytale.
The Old One insists the world exists, and so we venture to Mirage to find proof. After some snakey-shenanigans, we realize we are the only ones who can see the Old One. From there, we recover a piece of a mosaic depicting the Lemurians kneeling beneath him.

The Old One reveals himself as an aspect of the Nothing. Exhausted, the he tells us we must find Lemuria before vanishing. Finally, we return to Bartleby for more information. The Grandfather Tree gazes back through history only to inform us that Lemuria disappeared centuries ago.

We’re too late.

Food for Thought

The quest takes us to Mirage, which houses the Sands of Time. According to Librarian Fitzhume on the Message Boards, we know time within the Spiral is governed by the flow of magic. Meaning time within the Spiral is flexible and subject to manipulation. We’ve seen it in Dragonspyre, the Five BOXES event, and Mirage. Does our return to Mirage hint at us going back in time to stop Lemuria’s disappearance?

We also know worlds can become disconnected from the Spiral and reconnected to it. We’re told about this in the level twenty quest “Grizzleheim.” Merle Ambrose tells us, “The Grizzleheim world-tree was once linked to the rest of the Spiral, but the contact was lost…. we thought it was destroyed. Bartelby now informs me that the portal to Grizzlehiem is now active, and travel there is possible.” This begs the question of how does a world lose its connection to the Spiral? How does it regain contact? Going a step further, how many worlds are floating undiscovered within the Void?

Regarding the Void

Which brings us to another question what exactly is the Void? In the Storytime posts from 2013 and 2014, King Artorius spoke about the “Outer Void.” The most we can glean from his responses is that the Outer Void fills the space between the Spiral’s worlds. It’s a dangerous, inhospitable place, and little is known about it. In Pirate101, when we sail from one world to another, one could claim we are traversing the Void, albeit not as empty as the name implies. Artorius does use the words “Outer Void” when he mentions it; this means, to me at least, that the Void has depth.

Could it be what we see in Pirate101 and the Arcanum is partly a product of being so close to the Spiral? Are other fragments of the First World being pulled closer to the Spiral by the same magic used to create it? Who is to say the Void doesn’t grow darker and quieter the farther out you go? But to our knowledge, no one has ever traveled so far and returned to talk about it.

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Again, according to Librarian Fitzhume in the 2016 Storytime on the Wizard101 Message Boards, it doesn’t appear that the Void is the end. According to Fitzhume’s responses, there is still something beyond the Spiral. Whatever it might be is beyond our understanding. It is worth noting there is no mention of the Outer Void here.

Meaning the theoretical ‘something’ excludes the Void. Based upon this information, I’d like to think of the Void as a kind of padding. It surrounds and guards the Spiral, somehow part of the Spiral, and apart from it, like armor or a shell. It is keeping things that don’t belong in it out while also containing everything within. A fascinating subject, to be sure. I am interested in seeing how it develops going forward.

Thanks for Reading!

With that, I will draw this to a close. Thank you all so much for reading this article; I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to browse the other guides and pieces here. Leave a comment below on what you think will happen as the Fourth Arc continues.

If you want to stay up to date on our most recent releases, you can follow us on social media. Ravenwood Academy has started creating YouTube videos for the Community. Check it out!

Until we meet again, I hope to see you in the Spiral!

-Morgan Shade

Wizard101 Theory: The Coven Conspiracy

Posted on November 13, 2019November 13, 2019 by Fable Finder

Hello, I’m Fable Finder! Join me as we ponder the depths of a conspiracy. We’ll gaze into the shadows, exposing the hidden secrets. The secrets that ripple throughout the Spiral, leaving only questions in their wake. I present to you, Wizard101 Theory: The Coven Conspiracy.

Our wizard is first sent to Grizzleheim at Level 20. Merle Ambrose wishes to establish an alliance with their King. When we arrive, we must prove our worth by helping Bjorn Ironclaws. He sends us to his friend, Hagen Shieldbreaker, who gives us many quests towards this end. We learn about a mysterious group, the Coven, who seek to unleash the Everwinter. Later on in Wintertusk, the Coven works to unleash the Everwinter by awakening Ymir. When you think about it, this effort doesn’t make sense. Why would the Coven want to unleash the Everwinter?

In the quest “A Wolf Among Bears”, Osric Grimbold tells us about Wulfric Foesbane. Wulfric is a wolf who has allied themselves with the bears. When we go to speak with Wulfric, this is what he tells us:

Notice how Wulfric remarked that it is foolish to trust a raven. This remark is important in revealing cultural distrust to the Ravens. This also suggests that Ravens have a history of trickery in this world. Why else would a lack of trust exist? Wulfric’s skepticism proves to be correct in the quest “All is Revealed”. Munin, a member of the Ravens, confesses the following when the Dust of Discovery is cast upon him:

Yet, in Wintertusk, it is none other than a raven, Grandmother Raven, who is helping us put a stop to the Coven. Could Grandmother Raven be the one who is behind the Coven? In the quest, “Fishes & Loaves”, Grandmother Raven directs us to Henrek Graincutter. Henrek’s role in the story is to help our wizard find Vestri’s Golden Seal. When we go to speak with Henrek, this is what he tells us:

This may not seem like much, but remember that all lines of dialogue in the game are important to the story. KingsIsle added that dialog for a reason: it is a hint. Why would Grandmother Raven be behind the Coven though? Even if she was, how would this explain why the Coven wanted to unleash the Everwinter? To answer these questions, we must examine the nature of Grandmother Raven’s powers. In the quest “A Potion for Bartleby”, Merle Ambrose explains the following:

This tells us that Grandmother Raven has the power to create objects that can show the past and future. If she has this power, why would she only give Bartleby this ability? We can assume that she gave herself this ability as well. Grandfather Spider, equal in power to Grandmother Raven, most likely did the same. But, how exactly do the past-viewing and future-revealing powers work?

The power to see into the past does not appear to have any constraints in the game. This is not the case for the power to reveal the future; it has its vagueness. Let’s assume for a moment that the power to reveal the future has no constraints whatsoever. Bartleby would foresee the fight between Raven and Spider that takes place in the Third Arc. Why didn’t he try to stop it? In the First Arc, Bartleby could stop Malistare Drake from awakening the Dragon Titan. Why didn’t he try to stop that, either?

If we assume the power to reveal the future has no constraints, there would be no story. Thus, logic dictates that the power to reveal the future has a constraint. First, the future is indeterminate. This power does not reveal one defined future, but only possible futures. Second, this power cannot see endlessly into the future. It must have some sort of time-frame. Thus, the farther into the future, the vaguer the outcome becomes. This would also explain why prophecies are as vague as they are.

So how is this relevant to Grandmother Raven and the Coven? Well, the first time we meet Grandmother Raven in person, in the quest “That’s So Raven”, we find her trapped in a cage.

When Grandmother Raven is finally freed in the quest “Root of the Loom”, she remarks about her time spent in the cage.

In the quest “Norn Time”, the Norns explain that only an outsider can free Grandmother Raven.

Grandmother Raven would not sit dormant through free will. Most people, when imprisoned, would search for ways to escape. So, what escape attempt did Grandmother Raven make?

Grandmother Raven used her future-revealing power to assess all her possible futures. Her best chance relied on an outsider to free her from imprisonment. She pondered about how to actualize this possible future. In the quest “That’s So Raven”, Grandmother Raven tells us this:

So, Grandmother Raven knew about us and our heroism. By creating a world crisis in Grizzleheim, she could attract an outsider to come and free her. With this in mind, Grandmother Raven created the Ravens of the Coven to act in her stead. She made the Ravens seek to unleash the Everwinter, as well as made them hate her to throw the trail off. I doubt the Coven is aware that they are being used by Grandmother Raven. When we defeated the Coven the first time, we did not end up freeing Grandmother Raven. So later on, she let loose the Coven on Wintertusk, so we would end up freeing her. Then, with her main goal achieved, she helped us put a stop to the threat she created.

There is one hole in this theory, and you may have noticed it. As I showed earlier in this post, when we meet Grandmother Raven in person for the first time, she is in a cage. Yet, she claims that the Coven trapped her in the cage. If this is true, it would contradict the theory. But this story is implausible. How could the Coven, a group of ordinary sorcerers, trap Grandmother Raven, who is a divine being, in a cage? It’s likely that Grandfather Spider, the Rat, or the Scorpion trapped Grandmother Raven. It’s more likely that she lied about who trapped her to make us doubt the possibility that she created the Coven. The Rat and the Scorpion are candidates because they are the offspring of deity. We’ve also learned, through the story, that lower-divine beings can challenge greater ones.

In conclusion, the Coven is a false flag operation perpetrated by Grandmother Raven. Her motivation for it was to free her from imprisonment. Now that is a scheme within a scheme, as Henrek Graincutter put it.

More Theories

Wizard101 Theory

Have you ever wondered if Sylvia Drake actually died of a cold? Why did the Coven want to unleash the Everwinter on Grizzleheim? Does being the Scion of Bartleby actually mean anything, or is it just a replay of the Chosen One trope?…

A Tale of Three Scions

In the middle of Empyrea, the game reveals that the main hero of our story is the Scion of Bartleby. What does this mean? On the surface, it appears that this is simply a replay of the Chosen One trope. This is true, but it’s not the entire story. When you critically examine all the facts that we have been given, we are left with more questions than answers….

The Absence of Being

The Third Arc is about a conflict between Grandmother Raven and Grandfather Spider. Both of them posed a threat to the Spiral during this time. They are finally reconciled at the end of Empyrea, and lock themselves in the Primordial Forest. After this, our Wizard returns to the Arcanum to bring everyone up to speed. When we arrive, we receive a cryptic prophecy from Sybil, the Tree of Knowledge in the Arcanum….

So there are my thoughts on the Conspiracy of the Cabal, and links to my other theories. I hope you enjoyed our walk into the shadows. Let me know in the comments what your thoughts are!

The Absence of Being

Posted on July 18, 2019November 7, 2019 by Fable Finder

Hello, I’m Fable Finder.

[…]

This is an essential scene that must be understood when trying to predict what the Fourth Arc will be about. Since all lines of dialogue in the game have been choreographed, they were all put there for a reason. Thus, interpretations of this scene will be assessed based on how well they abide by the following rules:

Rule One

The threat we will face in the Fourth Arc relates to the “Nothing” Sybil spoke of, so understanding what that means is paramount.

Rule Two

Observe what Ione said in response to Sybil. This is a hint that the threat of the Fourth Arc will arise as a result of thwarting Raven and Spider.

Rule Three

Ione’s response was also a hint saying that the threat of the Fourth Arc will be much, much worse than the threat of the Third Arc.

Rule Four

Sam Johnson, KingsIsle’s Lead Creative Designer, stated in an interview that he wanted the Fourth Arc to be “fundamentally different” from the other arcs in structure.

Apocalyptic Interpretation

This interpretation is the simplest and takes what Sybil said at face value. If the Spiral got destroyed, it would be replaced by “Nothing”. Thus, the “Nothing” Sybil warned us about is the aftermath of the Spiral’s destruction.

How well does this interpretation abide by the rules? While this interpretation could potentially fulfill Rule Two, it violates Rule Three. The threat of the Third Arc was the destruction of the Spiral, so facing the threat again would be nothing new. For the same reason, it also violates Rule Four.

False Security Interpretation

I came up with this interpretation. What if the “Nothing” Sybil warned us about is the appearance of nothing? When the Fourth Arc begins, it will seem like there is nothing to be afraid of. We will have a false sense of security. However, there will be a traitor in the midst plotting something sinister, and we won’t find out until later.

How well does this interpretation abide by the rules? Well, this interpretation is yet to be complete.

First, how will the threat of the Fourth Arc arise as a result of thwarting Raven and Spider? Raven and Spider were thwarted when they reconciled and locked themselves in the Primordial Forest. Therefore, the threat of the Fourth Arc will arise either as a result of Raven and Spider reconciling, as a result of Raven and Spider locking themselves in the Primordial Forest, or both.

We must remember that the Cabal is still in play. We have yet to enter the “Cabal Room” in the Arcanum. KingsIsle would not have put that there unless we were going to explore it.

Second, while some members of the Cabal may have given up after the reconciliation of Raven and Spider, it’s entirely plausible that some of them would stay loyal to the cause. In fact, wouldn’t you think that the reconciliation of Raven and Spider would anger the Cabal, and make them even more determined to achieve their goal?

The first possibility is that as a result of Raven and Spider reconciling, the Cabal is angered and becomes more determined. Whoever the traitor is, most likely an important character from Ravenwood or the Arcanum, they will be in league with the Cabal. Either they were in league all along, or the Cabal turns them to their side. The Cabal will use the traitor to try and achieve their ends. How well does this possibility abide by the rules? Well, it violates Rule Three and Rule Four.

The second possibility is that Bartleby is the traitor. Bartleby being the traitor doesn’t violate Rule Three since Bartleby wouldn’t be challenged by anyone of equal divinity like was the case with Raven and Spider, however, it does violate Rule Four. Plus, Bartleby has no motive to betray us.

Nihilism Interpretation

I’ve been thinking about philosophy a lot recently. One day I thought of an interpretation of Sybil’s prophecy that makes the most sense. Nihilism comes from the Latin word “nihil”, meaning “nothing”.

So what if the “Nothing” Sybil warned us about is referring to nihilism? Well, what even is nihilism?

“That there is no truth, that there is no absolute state of affairs—no thing-in-itself. This alone is nihilism, and of the most extreme kind.”
–Friedrich Nietzsche

Nihilism asserts that there is nothing beyond our direct experience: no truth, no God, no meaning, no morality, no consciousness, and so on. However, this interpretation is incomplete, and it needs something to build on top of it.

Neverending Story Interpretation

Sarai Willowbreeze proposed this interpretation. The Neverending Story is both a book and a film, and it follows a mystical world which is under a threat from a dark force called the “Nothing” that is threatening to engulf it. KingsIsle obviously likes to make references, so the Fourth Arc taking inspiration from The Neverending Story makes sense.

AwesomeTheSauce pointed out in a video that the Third Arc takes inspiration from the Earthsea Cycle book series. One comment on that video pointed out that Mirage takes inspiration from the book Dune. Lastly, it is evident that Empyrea takes inspiration from Star Trek.

This interpretation successfully builds onto the Nihilism Interpretation. In fact, the Nothing in The Neverending Story is a metaphor for nihilism. Here is a quote from the Wikipedia page of The Neverending Story:

We’re making progress, but this interpretation is also incomplete. We have yet to know how it fulfills Rule Two and Rule Three.

The Theory

Meaning is incredibly important. Meaning is what gives us a reason to live. Meaning is how we derive our happiness. This is why nihilism is so destructive. The nihilist has no reason to live, and no way to derive happiness. Doesn’t that sound like torture? If you were experiencing nihilism, would you not prefer destruction? Clearly, the threat of nihilism is worse than the threat of the Spiral being destroyed.

How can The Neverending Story Interpretation fulfill Rule Two?

To answer this, we must recall the events of Briskbreeze Tower. The story began when Sergeant Muldoon asked for our help in finding Lieutenant Culpepper, who had gone missing. Our search lead us to Kirby Longspear, who said that Culpepper was investigating the presence of Undead in Colossus Boulevard. Kirby then told us that Culpepper went into Briskbreeze Tower after hearing there was Undead in there. AwesomeTheSauce can take it from here.

All the threats we have faced so far have come from inside the Spiral. However, the Nothing, by necessity, must come from outside the Spiral. We don’t see any traces of it inside the Spiral anyway. AwesomeTheSauce mentioned in another video that he thinks Sybil’s prophecy and Orrick’s prophecy are connected, and I agree.

Furthermore, in the Briskbreeze Tower video, AwesomeTheSauce points out that the Arcanum is outside the Spiral and brings to our attention the black hole that we see from the Arcanum.

What else could this black hole be besides the Nothing from the Neverending Story?

So again, how can the Neverending Story Interpretation fulfill Rule Two?

Well, as I said earlier, the Cabal will undoubtedly be involved in the Fourth Arc. I suspect that as a result of Raven and Spider reconciling, the Cabal will be angered and become more determined to achieve their ends. Because of this, the Cabal will somehow be responsible for unleashing the Nothing onto the Spiral.

If this is the case, it would suggest that Orrick Nightglider is a member of the Cabal. If Sybil’s prophecy and Orrick’s prophecy are connected, then Orrick has been planning to unleash the Nothing onto the Spiral for ages, either because he wants vengeance for something, or he is experiencing nihilism and wants the whole Spiral to suffer as he does.

This means he probably would have infiltrated the Cabal in hopes of eventually influencing them to help him unleash the Nothing. If this is the case, it’s possible that the bone key he drops in Briskbreeze Tower will be the key we use to unlock the Cabal Room in the Arcanum.

Additionally, there is a book called the Lathe of Heaven. A side quest in Empyrea suggests that the Fourth Arc will also draw inspiration from this book. The plot of the book is about someone who can dream things into reality, so it’s easy to see how this could be integrated with The Neverending Story.

AwesomeTheSauce was the one who brought this to my attention in the following video:

In conclusion, my prediction is that the threat we will face in the Fourth Arc is the Nothing from The Neverending Story. Orrick Nightglider will manipulate the Cabal into helping him unleash the Nothing upon the Spiral. As a result of the Nothing being unleashed, the residents of the Spiral will slowly lose their sense of meaning, and this will torture them.

What do you think? Does my theory make sense to you? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments below.

Fable Finder

A Tale of Three Scions

Posted on June 14, 2019July 15, 2019 by Fable Finder

Hello, I’m Fable Finder. In the middle of Empyrea, the game reveals that the main hero of our story is the Scion of Bartleby. What does this mean? On the surface, it appears that this is simply a replay of the Chosen One trope. This is true, but it’s not the entire story. When you critically examine all the facts that we have been given, we are left with more questions than answers. Let’s start with what we know.

Main Hero’s Backstory

In the video “Making of Wizard101 ~ Part 4” published on KingsIsle’s channel in 2010, the person who was the Creative Director at the time, Jeffrey Todd Coleman said: “When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was climb under my bed or in the back of my closet and find a portal to a magical world. I think that’s pretty much what every kid wants, and it’s effectively what we’ve created.”

It’s clear that Coleman’s idea was implemented into the game. For example, during character creation, Merle Ambrose says the main hero is from a different realm. More recently, during the quest “Only Mostly Dead”, Zander says the main hero is from Earth.

We can infer from this, that the main hero started off as a normal kid on Earth. Merle Ambrose was obviously casting some sort of realm-searching spell to find someone of great potential. For some reason, Merle’s spell chose the main hero, and created a portal somewhere in their house. Then the events of the game began.

This leaves us with some questions. Why did Merle’s spell choose the main hero? Why didn’t the spell choose someone who was already a Wizard, and even better a powerful one? Why did Merle Ambrose even need to find a Wizard? There’s tons of experienced Wizards all around the Spiral, couldn’t Merle Ambrose have gathered some together and chased down Malistaire?

Scion of Bartleby Lore

Let’s see what Merle Ambrose has to say about the Scion of Bartleby.

If a test is required, that means nobody knows who the Scion of Bartleby is, not even Bartleby himself. So what determines who is the Scion of Bartleby? Bartleby couldn’t have chosen his Scion, because then he wouldn’t have needed a test. But, why would the Scion be some random kid from Earth? There is undoubtedly more to this story that we don’t know.

The Answer

What does Scion even mean, anyway? Let’s take a look at Merriam Webster.

We can tell from this definition that this word was chosen by KingsIsle with careful thought. After all, it’s plant terminology, and Bartleby is a tree, so this definition certainly applies here. And that sounds a lot like what Mellori is, doesn’t it? Mellori was born when Raven broke off her love for Spider. This would make Mellori a detached, living portion of Raven, or in other words, the Scion of Raven.

If you are a child of an entity, you were simply born of them. Scions, being a detached, living portion of an entity, are also born of that entity. So not only is the main hero the Scion of Bartleby, they are also the child of Bartleby. Mellori is the same way, but for Raven. This answers all the questions we had asked previously, but there is one more. Mellori is the Scion of Raven because she is Raven’s love for Spider. So what makes the main hero the Scion of Bartleby? This is where we enter the territory of speculation, but I would speculate that the main hero is Bartleby’s hope. When the titans broke up the First World, he probably lost hope. And Bartleby was pretty melancholy during the first and second arcs. He only started being more positive when he found out that the main hero is his Scion.

What about Zander saying the main hero is from Earth? About that, it seems odd to me that Spiral beings would be unable to enter the Astral plane, but for some reason Earthly beings, who are non-magical, would be able to. Zander clearly has special knowledge somehow, so he probably knows the main hero’s true origin story. I suspect the real reason that the main hero was able to enter the Astral plane is because they are the Scion of Bartleby, and Zander made up a fake reason because he wanted to keep the knowledge of the main hero’s true origin story from the rest of the scholars. However, we can tell from the tutorial that the main hero did start off in another realm. The main hero’s being could have simply manifested on Earth when they detached from Bartleby.

What about Spider, does he have a Scion? Let’s ask him.

Pay attention to the wording. Spider said Bat was his only dream. A dream is a happy thing, and Spider’s only dream ever created Bat. Based on this, it’s reasonable to assume that Bat is the Scion of Spider, specifically Spider’s happiness.

It is unlikely that Rat and Scorpion are Scions. When a Scion is created, the entity loses something. Raven lost her love for Spider when Mellori was created. Nothing about the personalities of Rat and Scorpion suggest that Spider lost anything from their creation. Rat and Scorpion are bitter and hateful, and so was Spider. Second, Rat and Scorpion were created in Spider’s nightmares, and Spider having nightmares was not a unique occurrence. Again I stress that Bat is unique because he was born of Spider’s only dream.

In conclusion, there are three Scions. The main hero is the child and Scion of Bartleby, Mellori is the child and Scion of Raven, and Bat is the child and Scion of Spider. This also explains how they were able to combine all their essences to create that overpowered Divine Paradox transformation that the main hero transformed into to defeat the Aethyr Titan. The Divine Paradox transformation is the unification of all three Scions.

What do you think? Is Bat really the Scion of Spider? What does determine who becomes the Scion of Bartleby? We want to hear your theories in the comments below!

Shoutout to Saffron Life for helping me synthesize this theory.

Fable Finder

Wizard101 Theory

Posted on May 24, 2019February 10, 2021 by Fable Finder

Hello, I’m Fable Finder. Have you ever wondered if Sylvia Drake actually died of a cold? Why did the Coven want to unleash the Everwinter on Grizzleheim? Does being the Scion of Bartleby actually mean anything, or is it just a replay of the Chosen One trope?

All stories each have their own unexplained mysteries. Something I have always enjoyed on YouTube is the theorizing genre, where people try to explain these mysteries with theories. Theories have been made for a vast array of movies, TV shows, and video games, but the theorizing genre has barely been touched in Wizard101. It’s time to change that.

I introduce to you Wizard101 Theory. The goal of this series is to come up with theories that explain the mysteries of Wizard101. It will maintain a reasonable standard of evidence, and where evidence lacks, logic will be used. There are already posts in the making on all the questions I brought up in the first paragraph. But first, I must explain a theory that builds the foundation of all the other theories to be made: Who created the Wizard101 universe?

We could reasonably assume, using Occam’s Razor (1), that Grandmother Raven created the Wizard101 universe. The problem is that Bartleby said it was another entity. In a Wizard City side quest called “Old Men”, Boris Tallstaff asks you to interview Gamma, Ambrose, and Bartleby. When you go to talk to Bartleby, the first thing he says is this:

Did you catch that? Bartleby mentioned an entity called “The Creator”, independent of both himself and Grandmother Raven. What if the Creator is Grandfather Spider, though? After all, he wasn’t mentioned in that sentence. There are a few problems with this, however. First, I don’t think KingsIsle had even created Grandfather Spider’s character yet. Second, Grandfather Spider clearly has equal power to Grandmother Raven, which wouldn’t be the case if he had created both her and Bartleby. Finally, Bartleby clearly states that both him and Grandmother Raven were created. Since Grandfather Spider didn’t create them, he must have been created too. So someone must have created them all.

That still leaves one question unanswered, however. How did the Creator come into existence? Well, an entity that exists outside of time and space would not need an explanation for their existence. After all, things can only begin within time and space. We can assume the Creator would be outside of time and space using Occam’s Razor (1). If the Creator was not outside of time and space, we would have an Infinite Regress problem (2). If things within time and space need an explanation for their existence, then Grandmother Raven, Grandfather Spider, and Bartleby need an explanation for their existence. All three of them clearly exist within time, based on how they act throughout the story. Combining that with the fact that Bartleby told us that a separate Creator exists, we can conclude it was this Creator that created the Wizard101 universe, as well as Grandmother Raven, Grandfather Spider, and Bartleby.

So, there you have it. From this foundation we can begin to answer all the unexplained mysteries of Wizard101. The topic of the next installment will address what it means to be the Scion of Bartleby.

(1) Occam’s Razor is a problem-solving tool used in logic that says the explanation with the least assumptions is more likely to be true.

(2) An Infinite Regress is when someone tries to explain an event with another event that would also need a cause, then tries to explain that event the same way, and so on. For example, if you ask me where I got my robot, an Infinite Regress would be me saying that the robot was created by another robot, and that robot was created by a robot, and so on.

Guest Author Fable Finder

The Monquistan Choir

Posted on March 6, 2019July 1, 2021 by Peyton Lionheart

Despite its location in an isolated corner of the Spiral, Monquista, rich in gold and culture, is one of its most prominent powers. The Skull Island colonies enrich their people considerably. In line with Valencia and Marleybone, their society is posh and structured in which there is a noble class, a (daily changing) monarchy, and the Church. These powers fight vigorously with one another for control.

Please note I title tracks with their Wizard101 music scroll title and not the title of the You Tube video.

Skyway Theme

You can receive this music scroll from fishing chests in the Myth House, Sultan’s Palace, and Polarian Shipwreck

The Monquista soundtrack is most notable for its vocal counterpoint and harmony. This is complemented by stringed instruments like the guitar.

We begin with the full choir harmonizing together. The cello accompanies in a soulful motion, keeping the tempo and balance in the ensemble. Three pulses per measure is established, giving us a Mediterranean essence.

We are greeted by the guitar at 00:18 seconds, the brass then joins in a perfect cadence. A classic resolution drives us into the next section. More strings join, creating counterpoint in the melodic contours between the pizzicato strings, the cello, and the voices.

The tension rises though the chord progression. The cello hits a higher top note in each measure, leading us up to the entrance of the flute at 00:36 seconds. The contrasting chords in this section remind me of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.

This continues until 0:52 seconds in when the high strings foreshadow other pieces to come. This connects the musical development and identity of Monquista.

Royal Theme

You can receive this music scroll from fishing chests in the Myth House and Polarian Shipwreck

The piece begins with a regal texture, sharing likeness to Mozart’s Lacrimosa in melodic contour and structure. Beginning with the cello solo with the bass accompaniment, we feel the music in patterns of three, setting the tempo and mood for the entry of the choir.

At 0:26 seconds into the piece, the strings drop out, leaving the choir a capella. This leaves the music to sustain its somber, church-like tone until the string’s re-entry 0:38 seconds in, the cadential point, or moment the music’s tension seizes.

The flute begins 0:54 seconds into the piece, introducing the melody in a major modulation, or key change to a brighter key. We can hear the key change with the music’s relaxed tone instead of the somber and dramatic counterpart that came before.

Native Theme

You can receive this music scroll through fishing chests at the Death House, Nomad’s Camp, Polarian Shipwreck, Serpentine Escape, and the Winter Wind Tower.

The men of the choir sing in bass and baritone range, doubled by the guitar like the last track. This is the closest we’ve seen to monophony in the game’s soundtrack. In other words, each instrument plays in unison, without a simultaneous harmony. As the timpani strikes, the guitar drops out in favor of the strings section, thickening the orchestration.

The horns crescendo into a new section. The strings take over, violins with the melody as the lower strings stabilize with long tones. The melody passes to the choir as the strings sustain beneath.

Like before, the orchestra crescendos into a new section. We receive a cadential point with a faint cry of the flute in the distance. The strings die down from sustaining chord progressions into lighter orchestration at timestamp 1:05.

The guitar is accompanied by percussion in this new section. Every now and again we hear the flute’s cry once more. The melody passes from the choir to the strings, ending in a suspended chord, withholding a proper resolution.

We embark on the coda of the piece at timestamp 1:37. The beat is accented by the choir and tambourine. The strings interlude, leading us back to the beginning.

Thank you, Starlights, for joining me on this musical adventure through the music of Monquista.

Disclaimer

Please note: I transcribed the music from the original/classic mode music scrolls. Not all of my transcriptions are 100% accurate, but they are close and the rhythm is properly notated

The Darkmoor Philharmonic

Posted on February 2, 2019March 7, 2019 by Peyton Lionheart

In the first Wizard101 arc we learn the story of Malistaire and Sylvia. Even in death their love holds them together. A dark and mysterious man in a supernatural castle who goes too far. In Gothic literature this is a common theme. This is only fitting for our Phantom of The Opera esq love story. Let’s us take a look at the magic behind the music in the haunted sequel of this epic love story.

Main Theme

The orchestration begins with an eerie celesta solo accompanied by a shrill violin. The bass instruments soon follow, supporting the established sound. This theme calls and responds throughout the ensemble. It travels to the oboe and harp then follows to the flute and pizzicato strings soon after.

The choir and chimes enter at 00:39 seconds in. They trade off beats as the brass and strings emphasize the modulation of a minor chord to a major chord. This repetition develops into a different minor chord. This sets the mood of the dark essence of a Gothic castle.

We continue with a waltz which uses the same texture as before until timestamp 1:13. This is where we enter a Marleybone style orchestration with more organic sections. A change from the block-style Darkmoor tends to use. Then we jump back into the familiar melody introduced at the beginning. The orchestration lightens with several solos before its return to the start.

Tense Theme

The timpani, contrabass, and bassoon begin this section in a low rumble. They solo before the harp’s tone cluster 00:10 seconds in that introduces the high strings.

The alto flute introduces a maniacal theme, doubled by the grandiose pipe organ. This instrument is a familiar feature in pop culture when exploring the Gothic era and its music.

Timestamp 00:27 surprises us by clustering the tones within its chord progression. In the midst of this dissonance, a waltz occurs. The melody is a whisper, stressing tension on the non-chord tones. The bass line becomes overpowering. This reflects the feelings of our Wizard in the quest to conquer Castle Darkmoor.

The next section sneaks in, with arpeggiation in the woodwinds, celesta, and pizzicato strings. The music sneaks around the castle in espionage and exploration. The beginning theme returns in solo instruments, like a hollow echo of what came before.

Reunited Theme

A short piece plays in the Darkmoor reunion scene when Malistaire and Sylvia reunite. This is where they may finally be at rest together.

At timestamp 00:15, the upper strings enter the scene with the first violin sustaining a high note. This reminds us of the start of the main theme. The second violins and violas harmonize on the offbeats, swelling into them. We progress into a major modulation before the music halts into silence.

We continue as before, except now moving onward to a darker minor chord. The timpani interrupts, crescendoing into a tutti section of the ensemble. The great pipe organ swells in a twelve-tone row. In this form atonality all twelve keys are equally presented.

The romantic music begins at 00:58. The romance derives from tension tones added to chord. This makes us feel that we are wanting resolve. It is this tension that makes us expect something brilliant to happen at the climax of the music. Often, it’s a kiss. Here, it’s the finality of death as Malistaire and Sylvia cross to the other side of the veil. Together forever.

Large brass fanfares and orchestral jubilation continue as we say goodbye to Malistaire. Third times the charm, am I right?

Thank you, Starlights, for venturing with me through the Gothic music of Castle Darkmoor.

Disclaimer

Please note: I transcribed the music from the original/classic mode music scrolls. Not all of my transcriptions are 100% accurate, but they are close and the rhythm is properly notated

The Valencian Philharmonic

Posted on January 14, 2019July 1, 2021 by Peyton Lionheart

he home of the ruthless clockwork empire and our own Diego the Duelmaster. Valencia was once a land of pristine culture and beauty until the clockworks came onto the scene.

This is best shown through the music of Valencia. Elegant classical instruments such as the piano and strings identify the culture. Played in a tense style, they represent the threat of The Armada to our pirate.

Tense Theme

You may receive this music scroll from fishing in the Amber Estate, the Fire House, the Polarian Shipwreck, or The Acropolis

The intrada is unique and notable for its thin texture. Only the piano and high strings begin before the lower instruments join in, creating rhythmic contrast. We are next greeted with an arpeggio that has the same melodic contour as Skull Island’s Main Theme at 0:07 seconds.

Changing instrumentation and mood, the music develops alongside the story. This maintains the spirit of adventure. The music leads us to the idea of the strings and piano repeating one another in a game-like fashion.

In the next section at 0:25 seconds the beat is emphasised with bass and snare, like a military march. This is intentional and reminds us of Valencia’s dominant military power.

The next section at 0:50 seconds brings us back to Skull Island. The music paints the adventure of being a pirate in the lion’s den, with a choir sustaining chords behind it. The brass joins in as the piano continues, a feature of Valencian music we will continue to see later. The brass that welcomed us bursts forth accents where the melody does not play. This counterpoint presents throughout the music in classical Valencian style.

Combining the previous ideas, the piano joins the percussion in emphasizing the beat. The contrasting ideas of the Armada and the cultured Valencians are now one and the same. Valencia has been conquered.

Espionage Theme

The strings slyly play their chord progression leading us to a melody in the piano we hear in other tracks. This leads us back to the strings, and they keep trading off in this manner. Every time the pattern occurs, there is a slight variation in what they play. This keeps the music interesting in its development.

At timestamp 0:40, the piano and strings finally come together in harmony. They start a new chord progression together, leading into a new section. In a mournful style, the piano plays a new solo line as the strings quietly sustain in the background.

The piano repeats this line in an ostinato. More texture is added by other instruments of the ensemble. The pizzicato strings, clarinets, and string bass are most prevalent in the texture. They either contrast or harmonize with the melodic line.

The brass and strings unify together at timestamp 1:06. Bold and bright, this section contrasts with the moody sections before, like a beacon of hope.

The section at timestamp 1:16 is the realization of devastation. The atonal piano line seems to stop time itself before the clarinets come in. The line these reeds play is a common “Easter Egg” in many video games and movies. It is a reference to the Dies Irae, the clarinets are warning about tragedy and horror.

The line ends on a major chord, bitter-sweet. The next section is a morbid and joyous waltz, before leading back to the beginning.

Skyway Theme

You may receive this music scrolls from fishing in the Botanical Gardens, Fire House, Life House, Serpentine Escape

Throughout this piece the orchestra is light and exposed, like a mournful ballad.

Like a cog at work, the piano begins by hammering away at its lower end. This trades off to the higher register of the piano with an added delay effect. The English horn enters next with a sixteenth note run, playing twice before resolving to the next section.

Now the piano with its delay effect, takes over the melody of the piece, louder than before. After this hallucination-like solo at timestamp 0:42, the bass of the piano pairs up with the contrabass. The cellos play arpeggios and violins sustain chords over this more driving section. The bassoon and metal strikes enter, resolving the tension.

Contrasting with the previous vigorous section, this section brings a breath of relief. This piece emotes anxiety, yet we see a melancholy side. The swelling strings and quiet murmuring of the machine that backs up the clarinet solo posses a relaxing ambiance.

Almost playful, the bassoon at 1:40 plays the theme we heard from the previous track. The mood changes here to balance the sad and mournful with hope as the adventure progresses.

Danger Theme

Silent but driving, the strings begin with an underlying ostinato. The other orchestration is layered throughout the first 0:38 seconds of the piece. We see this texture from the previous piece, but orchestrated to fit a new mood. The theme plays through the ensemble beginning with the bassoon, and carries to the horns.

This leads to a climax in the music as the strings, horns, and piano join in homophony. Playing similar melodies that harmonize into one.

The next section at 0:53 seconds leads back to a driving ostinato with strings and percussion. The horns have the melody in a short-short-short-long pattern that develops by changing chords. At 1:10, there is a chromatic mediant, a change to the chord not within the key we are in.

Timestamp 1:18 brings us a piano solo, ending the horns’ melody on a short note. A new motif emerges of even shorter notes that get passed to-and-fro from the piano and oboe. As the piece gets more wild, the low bassoon carries the motif, keeping stability. We hear the theme from previous pieces hinted at, reminding us of our pirate’s heroic nature.

Thank you, Starlights, for venturing through the music of Valencia with me. Have a wonderful night.

Disclaimer

Please note: I transcribed the music from the original/classic mode music scrolls. Not all of my transcriptions are 100% accurate, but they are close and the rhythm is properly notated