The Daily Diviner - Issue 108

TABLE OF​	CONTENTS​
Feature​	First Quarter Wrap-Up​
Editorial​	Spring Tidings and Mischief Managed​
Server Spotlight​	Inside the Lore Keeper’s Compendium​
Lifestyle​	Glamorous Gardening: Building Your Own Magical Garden​

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First Quarter Wrap-Up
Feature
Written by snotflower
Edited by bluecherub
​

Hello readers, and welcome back to the Daily Diviner! With three and a half months already under our belt, Potterworld has been busy bringing a variety of new updates and additions, both on the server itself and behind the scenes. Let’s take a look at some of the past quarter’s most notable changes!

One constant of Potterworld is its store. Every month, players can look forward to new items such as pets, hats, wands, and more! The Mythology Store Releases, Sanctuary Store Releases, and Tranquil Store Releases are only a few of the many unique releases from the past few months. If you are interested in seeing the new items, you can find our store here!

Apart from these exciting additions, the Store team has also been hard at work improving other aspects of the server. For example, the Housing Reset Release in March added a purchasable token to the store that allows players to reset their housing plot without having to reset their entire account. This is handy for those who have new plans for their housing but do not want to go through the often tedious job of destroying everything that is already built.

When looking back, it is easy to miss the changes that happen behind the scenes. The Technology and Development department, for example, is often overlooked in favor of more obvious updates on Potterworld. However, with the creation of Development Blogs in early 2022, players can now better understand what happens in this interesting department.

The main focus of Potterworld’s Developer team has been upgrading the server from 1.10 to 1.16. As expressed in past Development Blogs, this has been a difficult process because they would have to maintain two separate versions of the code and make any changes to both of them. However, they have since been able to merge their 1.16 code into their 1.10 branch, which means the two codes mirror each other. Now, if they need to make the same change to both codes, they only need to adjust it once!

Since then, they have been working on standardizing item names between 1.10 and 1.16, as well as making sure items are saved with all of their Minecraft data. Using a handy item converter, they are able to turn items into a cleaner and more readable version. Unfortunately, with these changes comes more obstacles, namely that some systems must be rewritten so they can use this new data structure. This will be their main goal for the next few months!

Alongside these changes, there have also been numerous quality-of-life changes to the server. One of the most notable is the decrease of minigame lag spikes, which were caused by the huge amount of data loaded alongside the game maps. By fixing this issue, there is less demand put on the server and therefore less lag! Similarly, the Developer team added the ability to see what your friend, guild, or party member is doing in a minigame or class. Finally, they also worked on the Housing Resets with the Store team.

In February, the Valentine’s Event was released, which let players visit the Enchanted Valley to help poor storybook residents have a happy ending! This event featured an exciting set of quests and activities, and it was a wonderful way to celebrate the season of love.

Moving on to the competitive side of Potterworld, the Arena team is constantly hosting challenges that test players’ skill in Flying, Dueling, and Quabbleball! With numerous occasions to participate in these thrilling battles of speed and agility, the competition for the winning spots is fierce. Season 1 ended with players SmellyLilBro, kleneucuzstink, and HarryPotters as the champions!

Finally, with Potterworld’s first quarter having come to a close, so has the first House Cup competition of the year. Making an exciting comeback, the Griffins won with a resounding 14,079 House points! If you are interested in reading more about this victory, you can check out the Daily Diviner article about it here. Congrats, Griffins!

So much has happened over the last few months that it would be impossible to list it all, but I hope this has given you a helpful glimpse into the lively world of Potterworld! With over half a year left, there are many things to look forward to, including exciting events, challenges, and updates. Have a magical day!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Spring Tidings and Mischief Managed
Editorial
Written by Silquer
Edited by Calliequeen
​

Hello my dear readers, and welcome back to the Editorial column of the Daily Diviner. The outdoors has finally turned warm, and spring has kicked off on Potterworld with a little mischief and a small celebration! The server is bustling with players, old and new, excited to see what spring has in store for Potterworld. Let’s take a look at what’s been happening on the server the past few weeks and how spring has finally arrived.

April first dawned on Potterworld with… AI taking over the server? Indeed, on April Fool’s Day, it was announced that the recently developed KevinAI had gone rogue and caused mayhem across the server without permission from Staff. This AI, developed by the Staff team to help along Potterworld 2.0, went wild and changed many skins on the server into Kevin Prime! Even Staff members and regular players were corrupted, with groups of Kevins appearing in the Great Hall.

Thankfully, this was fixed shortly after. April fools!

After the clean-up of the KevinAI skins, the server could finally settle into spring properly. The Staff team announced decorations for the Great Hall courtyard, a small celebration of spring for players to enjoy. Kevin (the real one, thankfully) is present, offering a reward for players who can find all 20 spring eggs hidden in the courtyard. In the absence of a full spring event, this small celebration has been a cozy way to transition into the upcoming mid-spring occasions. The decorations will be going away shortly, so be sure to explore the decorations while they (and spring) last!

There is plenty to explore, even in the small courtyard. Giant baskets with eggs inside are placed around the yard, full of bright colors. There is even a giant bunny watching over the decorations! Balloons drifting in the sky and some giant bumblebees round out the colorful look. The final touch is the spring egg mural on the courtyard stone; overall, it has been a lively change to the courtyard!

If players want to hang out with friends and get screenshots, there is plenty of space for that too! A quaint picnic spread is prepared on the grass for all to enjoy, and the swings from the trees are a perfect place to take screenshots with players’ spring-themed skins.

Some rewards this spring include the Easter Basket, a magically enchanted basket just like the Beaded Handbag but a little more festive for spring. There is a special plushie for finding all 20 eggs, and you will have to find them all to discover your reward! You can also claim a collectible scarf, banners, and the Spring Bunnies Spell (a personal favorite spell of mine).

That was certainly an exciting way to start spring! There are many more things to come as the year advances, and I’m excited to see how the rest of this season goes for Potterworld. Be sure to enjoy spring while it lasts, and enjoy the warm weather!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Inside the Lore Keeper’s Compendium
Server Spotlight
Written by SnowyKitty
Edited by LMNJ
​

Lore is the backbone of every story, and on Potterworld, it is no different. However, designing a world is an immense undertaking. The Game Design department is in charge of weaving the story, and it is the Lore team who provides the details.

As its name suggests, the Lore team writes Potterworld’s custom lore. Everything that defines our world is a part of it, from magical creatures to wizarding laws. Not much is known about how the team works – their work is internalised, after all. However, today we will be exploring behind the scenes. Without further ado, please enjoy this interview with Lore team member MelonFoxy!

Who are you, and what is your role on the Lore team?

I am Rowan! I am a Lore Master for the Lore team!

What made you decide to become a Lore Keeper and stick around to become a senior member?

I originally applied for the Lore team because I was convinced in a Creative Writing class after I had wrote numerous O+ assignments. I stuck around and became a senior member because I just enjoyed creating lore for the server! I've now been on the team two years.

How do you decide what to create new lore for?

A lot of new lore I create comes down to what I enjoy writing and what I believe would work well for the server! My ideas start from a singular idea or object that is later expanded into something bigger. A lot of inspiration for these comes from images I've found online that I find cool or interesting.

How do you decide what information and details to include in lore write-ups?

Sometimes, the information we should include in lore write-ups is already given via other Staff teams. However, when it is not, I consider what would be important to include in order to use it in a variety of places around the server. It's always better to include more detail than not enough!

What steps do you take to create lore write-ups?

Whenever I create a lore write-up, I always like to have the name of said write-up before I begin. Whether that's already given to me or I have to come up with it myself, it gives me a good starting point. The writing process [has] a lot of creative freedom as long as it follows the theme. After that, I personally like to go through and edit my write-ups before they get feedback from another Lore member!

How does the team work through any creative problems when creating lore?

Fortunately, whenever we have any creative problems, we have many people we can ask. Anyone on the team is willing to help you develop ideas and expand on any lore, which makes any problems easy to overcome!

Where can community members find information created by the team?

The lore that we have created can be found in numerous locations! We have a good portion of it on the Potterworld Wiki, such as some NPC lore and creatures. We also have some pretty cool books in the Hogsworth library on creatures and magical schools. If you attend Potterworld classes, you may even see some of our lore being used for lessons! Even better, our lore is often used in events, an example being the most recent Winter Waltz event!

What are you hoping to improve in future projects based on recent projects?

As a more personal goal, I'm always looking to improve my own writing between projects. It's always nice to see how much I've grown since originally joining the team.

Are there any subjects that the team is hoping to develop lore for in the future?

We have a lot of ideas that we hope to develop lore for in the future. You're more than welcome to suggest any ideas you may have! After all, expanding the Hogsworth library was a suggestion made on the forums.

Thank you so much, Rowan, for giving this inside look! If you also love creating stories and get O+’s in Creative Writing, I encourage you to apply for Lore Keeper! Potterworld is run by phenomenal storytellers, and we are always looking for more. Whether or not you do, I hope you all enjoyed this article and have a magical day!

Do you want to be featured in a future Server Spotlight article? Fill out our form here for a chance to be in our next Server Spotlight!​

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Glamorous Gardening: Building Your Own Magical Garden
Lifestyle
Written by yakko__
Edited by littledead
​

Spring is in full swing, Daily Diviner readers, and beautiful warm-weather plants are blooming again. Many people may take this as a sign to start gardening. However, many new gardeners might find starting out to be intimidating. I know that I did! With so many plant options, how can you ever be expected to make up your mind? Here’s a simple guide to magical gardening, no matter your skill level.

Let’s start with “beginner” level plants; these plants are easy starters for people with little to no gardening experience. Some of them have no practical use, though others are used in potions.

Flutterbrush is the easiest to care for, only needing sunlight and water–though these shrubs can go up to three months without being watered! Its only use is as a cute, harmless, tentacle-y houseplant–though some of your guests might mistake it for the deadly Scoundrel’s Snare.

Garden Lady’s Mantle, or just Lady’s Mantle, needs more direct attention. It thrives in temperate shade and moist soil, but if necessary it can survive in direct sunlight and heat if well-watered. The plant is beautiful, with green-yellow flowers and cloak-like leaves, and it is also used in healing potions and as a treatment for menstrual pain.

Peppermint is easy to care for and can be completely free! As it is commonly found in the wild along with other types of mint, you can just grab some of your own. It has needs similar to the Lady’s Mantle, though it does need at least some sunshine. It acts as a yummy flavoring and cooling agent and is an important ingredient in some healing potions.

Arnica is an appropriately sunny flower in the sunflower family. Arnica is quite hardy and doesn’t need much besides lots of sunlight and moist soil. It’s used in many health-based pastes, but this plant is poisonous if ingested. Remember to clean off your potions equipment well after using this flower!

Now it’s time for “advanced plants”. I only recommend these plants to gardeners with quite a bit of experience. Still, having an idea early on about more complex plants you would like to plant can be a good goal to work towards!

Though betony is advanced, it’s not very complex. The actual care needed is simple, but lots of patience is required. It needs watering about once a week, six hours of sunlight a day, and to be kept warm without being heated from the bottom. Betony leaves can be used in tea to help calm indigestion and mild anxiety, but be sure to harvest them before they flower.

Wormwood also needs patience, especially in its first few months. The soil it is in needs to be fully dry before being watered again, and if you don’t keep an eye on this plant, it will quickly take over your entire garden. Still, the effort is worth it, as wormwood is used in anti-inflammatory medicines–magical and unmagical!

Though Bounding Beets are crucial to stunning potions, they also pack a mean punch. The growing process is simple as they grow underground, but harvesting them is the hardest part. If you’re not careful, you might burst them open–or they might start walloping you. “Bruising Beets'' is a far more accurate name, so watch out!

If you use a lot of Demoxicide, you might want to invest in one of its ingredients, cowbane, also known as northern water hemlock. Though it’s pretty and delicate, it is highly toxic. Handle this plant with gloves, just to be safe. It needs to grow in wet, cooler conditions, so plenty of setup is required if you do not live near a marsh.

Though garden creatures are not required, they are common in magical gardens, so I will run through some common creatures (and Gnomes) briefly.

First is the unobtrusive Wiggleworm, which is completely harmless and can be harvested for potions or used as fertilizer when they die.

Bowleaves are common in outdoor trees and are incredibly loyal, but it’s best to only care for them if you find them naturally occurring in your garden instead of trying to move them into it. If you become friends with them, they might let you safely and harmlessly harvest the leaves from their heads to be used in wands.

Gnomes are often referred to as creatures, but Gnomes in magical society see this term as degrading. Though “feral” Gnomes also exist, it is unethical to go out of your way to put Gnomes in your garden. If Gnomes choose to move in or near your garden, give them space and treat them respectfully–in part because they can be quite dangerous if they wish to be!

That concludes my ultimate magical garden plant guide! Hopefully you’ll have discovered a plant you would like to grow, or were able to cross some off your list. No matter your skill level, I wish you all the best of luck with your gardens.