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The Daily Diviner - Issue 43

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The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#1
Transfiguring Dueling: Loadouts!
Feature
Written by joyellen
Edited by bluecherub

Greetings, magical readers, and welcome to Issue 43 of the Daily Diviner. In this article, we will be discussing an exciting new feature that will change the world of dueling as we know it!

‘Loadouts’ is a new system that will allow players to select specific spell kits preset with stats that focus on different play-styles to use when dueling other players. For instance, if a player would like to focus on healing during a duel, they will be able to select a Loadout that is preset with stats that focus on healing magic. The goal of implementing these dueling kits is that they will help to create a more even playing field for players when it comes to dueling.

The implementation of Loadouts will be a community-altering change. Dueling is a major part of Potterworld, with many duel-loving players partaking through classes, challenges, and the Dueling Halls. This new system will allow anyone, not just players who have graduate level gear, to ambitiously partake in dueling. I believe it will be interesting to see how Loadouts affect the PvP scene on Potterworld, especially as it is believed that this change will alter the range of the ‘top duelists’ on the server.

To learn more about this new system and the changes it will bring to PvP on Potterworld, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lead Cursebreaker, Paul, about all things Loadouts!

For our readers who don’t know what this new system is, can you provide a brief description of what Loadouts are?
In a nutshell, they are pre-set selections of stats (including health, damage, cdr, etc) that you can select when dueling other players. The system ignores gear but does not ignore spell trees.

What was the main reason for the introduction of Loadouts?
There is currently a severe imbalance in Potterworld PvP (Challenges, Classes, etc.) based around gear & level. The idea is to make the playing field more even and allow for people of lower years and people who don't have the best gear to be competitive in PvP, and to make the challenge of Potterworld PvP more skill-based.

How do you think Loadouts will affect the PvP scene on Potterworld?
Well, obviously it will make it more even since anyone can pick any loadout. I am hoping that it will mean a greater pool of people are considered the "top" duelists on the server due to sheer accessibility, and that we will see more variety in the winners of Tournaments and things like that.

What did the thought process for creating these kits look like? Was this something you have always wanted to implement or was this more of a recent idea?
It was a recent idea. However, we've been discussing how best to address the problem of imbalance that gear created for a long time. Originally, we were just going to negate everyone's gear. The problem was that this made it so people were doing far too much damage because of spell trees. Then, we thought about essentially mirroring the 1v1 Arena minigame in other places where people can PvP, and this was not done because it removes all customization from PvP (besides spell trees). That is how we landed on loadouts, by searching for a way to bring the customization back.

Bridging from the previous question, how long has this project been in the works?
The idea was originally proposed just under a month ago, but we've been working on design & implementation for around two weeks.

Will these kits completely encompass dueling on the server, or will players be able to choose when and where they use Loadouts?
This is a tricky question to answer because we haven't fully decided yet. The two things I can promise are that it will be fully present in the 1v1 Arena minigame, and that Dueling Halls will have both options. I can also promise that it will only be present in PvP and used absolutely nowhere in any PvE content on the server.​

Is there an estimated time period in which we can expect the release of Loadouts, or is the timeframe for release under wraps for now?
I would say you can probably expect it by the end of summer, but that is absolutely not a hard and fast timeframe. We are working as fast as we can, though.

Do you have any additional comments to make or want to provide any additional information on the Loadouts system?
It might not be called "Loadouts" on-release. We're still looking for a more magical rename.

I would like to thank Paul for partaking in this interview! Loadouts are certainly an interesting new feature that will hopefully help get more players involved and interested in dueling. It truly is exciting to see the continuous changes that are made to ensure Potterworld’s growth and ensure its player-base is engaged! Be sure to keep an eye out for any additional information regarding Loadouts and to give these magical spell kits a try when they finally are released.

Lastly, I would love to extend a thanks to you, our lovely readers, for tuning in to this issue of the Daily Diviner. This has been Joy; have an amazing day!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#2
GD Q&A
Editorial
Written by Honeyreu
Edited by bluecherub

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Daily Diviner! As you may have seen, there was recently a Game Design Q&A about new, long-awaited content. In case you missed the Q&A, a recording will be posted on Potterworld’s Youtube channel shortly. To start off, let’s see what the events team has been up to!

The Magiventologist team has been hard at work these past few months preparing the summer event and future events including a Butterbrew event in September, Halloween event in October, and the Winter Waltz in early December. While there isn’t much info on this right now, we do know that these events will be released earlier than normal this year! Another change to events coming soon is 'Story Mode and Challenge Mode.' Story mode will be simpler, with easier parkours and tasks, while Challenge mode will have harder versions. Though Challenge Mode will be harder, there will be higher rewards and more tokens for players’ efforts. Events may or may not start to award EXP, as the team aims to vary events more while maintaining certain traditions.

This brings us to our next team: Arena! Since Season 2 for the Arena Champions ended, the Arena team has been planning to spice things up and improve for Season 3. One of their ideas is Practice Challenges and Tournaments. These will be like any normal challenge or tournament, but instead students will practice maps for a certain duration before receiving Arena Tokens for participation! We can also expect to see new challenge types related to dueling and flying. Finally, after a long wait, an official Arena Discord is coming! While we don’t know much at the moment, a lot of people are extremely excited for its release.

Speaking of new things, the Inquisitor team has been brewing up some fun Community Engagement (CE) changes! CE’s will now be held five times at the end of each month. These will include one chill activity, and two minigame-style games. However, these changes require more team members! If you want to help out, you can apply here! Finally, there will be new activities on the website and in-game for us to look forward to.

While all of this is exciting, it can’t happen without new lore! The Lore Team has been hard at work on various projects which will be implemented shortly. One big thing being added is lore for towns and shops to enhance the player experience. There will also be a new way for players to learn more about Potterworld’s lore through interactions. Recently, the Lore Team has also been working on original magical schools that will expand the world into China, Australia, and more. The Potterworld Story itself will also be expanding soon.

With the map expanding, there are more opportunities for the Seer team to work their magic! For starters, Chapter 2 will be wrapped up with a one-of-a-kind event in the near future. After preparing it for almost a year, the Seer team can’t wait to share it with the community. New locations also may be added to the catalogues for new, more exciting places to roleplay. Last, but definitely not least, there will finally be a new Dark Follower base coming very soon!

With the most updates, the Unspeakable team hasn’t spent a day without working on new projects. Noah Pendragon stated, “After a long time, the Revenant Gauntlet will return. Ever since it left, the community has wanted it back.” The Revenant Gauntlet will be a Max-Level experience for Graduates only, which aims to give more motivation to level up. There will also be new fast-travel locations and HP-themed quests, which, while they won’t be announced, will be released. Minigames are also getting a revamp with fun new modes and rewards. There will be more quality-of-life improvements to gameplay for lower levels, including a rework of first year quests, and new quests in no-content areas! The long-awaited Dungeons, group based experiences for all levels, will soon be scattered all around the map as well.

Last but not least, we have the Systems team and Overall Updates. For duelists, Loadouts will be coming out soon! These will tie into Arena, Academics, and PvP with a preset selection of stats to use while dueling. Adjustments to spell-attainment will also be made, with new quests to unlock spells. Professions will also be making a return through ‘Subjects,’ which will lean more heavily on HP-style content. Teased earlier this year, Guilds will soon arrive on Potterworld! Different achievements and related titles will also be available to unlock with guildmates.

I know that I can’t wait to see these new updates, and I hope you’ve begun to feel the same way! Be sure to keep an eye out for these changes. This is Keira, signing off for the Daily Diviner. Have a wonderful day!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#3
Beach Days Inspire An Art Wave
Editorial
Written by Creme_de_Creme
Edited by Hoppine

Hello readers, and welcome back to the Editorial column of the Daily Diviner! Last month, on July 17th, this year’s Summer event was released: Summer Beach Party! Students flooded the sandy dunes, where they helped pick up litter on the beach and learnt how to care for Kelpies. To match the event, on June 18th, Potterworld came out with a Summer Visual Arts competition. Students could direct their inspiration from the event towards making artwork! However, there were a few requirements.

Anyone could enter the competition, staff, team members, and students alike. Only traditional drawings, digital drawings, or render artwork could be submitted and each individual could only submit one entry. The top three entries won house points and Potterpoints (used to buy items in the in-game store)! Some people were competitive and wanted a chance to win one of the three top-prizes. Others felt intimidated and thought of something along the lines of, “How can I make the BEST beach-themed art compared to everyone else?” To assuage this anxiety and to encourage more entries, Potterworld assured that each individual would earn points for their house as long as they submitted an artwork that followed the prompt: “Depict a summer day at the beach.” Soon after, a vast number of entries were submitted by players from all houses until August 1st, when submissions closed.

The judges took nearly a week to deliberate over who’s submission was the best. The competition was tough. There were too many wonderful works of art! In fact, there were so many gorgeous drawings that Potterworld decided to award all individuals who entered into the contest 100 Potterpoints! However, there were still prizes for the top three, which meant that only the best of the best submissions could be selected as the winners. In third place, winning 100 House Points and 300 Potterpoints, there was RainbowElfe with her lustrous digital artwork of friends eating snacks at the beach together. In second place, winning 150 House Points and 450 Potterpoints, there was fleurtje0726 with her magical underwater digital drawing of mermaids and wizards building an underwater sandcastle. Finally, in first place, winning a grand total of 200 House Points and 600 Potterpoints, there was Prin_ce with a very realistic digital drawing of a lazy day at the beach.

We would like to congratulate everyone who entered the visual arts competition! You all have made your houses very proud, and thanks to the individuals that entered, Griffins were awarded 60 house points, Honeybadgers were awarded 45 house points, Ravens were awarded 60 house points, and Serpents were awarded 75 house points. I would also like to thank our judges, who worked quite hard to pick our top three winners. If you would like to view some other entries, check out Potterworld’s new art discord where some players have been sharing their artwork ever since the winners have been announced. I hope you have an artsy day! This has been Creme_de_Creme reporting for the Daily Diviner.
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#4
The Future Is Now, Thanks To Chicken Nuggets
Student Spotlight
Written by kvmw
Edited by mckennaweasley

What better way to spend a warm summer's evening than with some chicken nuggets? Delicious, versatile, and easy to share with friends, it’s the perfect snack for a get-together. Here on Potterworld, we have our fair share of chicken nugget sellers, and today I’ll be covering one of them! If you recall reading an article about chicken nuggets before, you probably have—but wait! I promise we’ll be covering new information!

Now, I’ll (briefly) stop talking about chicken nuggets, and let one of these sellers introduce herself!

Introduce yourself!
Hello Potterworld, I’m Ellie! Although I’m better known as SpookyEllie, as of right now I’m pretzellie! My pronouns are she/her. I joined Potterworld in April of 2016, though I’ve been a Harry Potter fan ever since I was little. I was later introduced to Potterworld by an old friend called Matt. Ever since then, I have made a lot of new friends!

What house and/or allegiance/club are you in?
I’m in Serpents, and I’m part of all the allegiances!

What year are you on the server?
I’m a graduate.

What is your favorite quest or event?
The carnival event! I barely remember it, but I remember having to do this parkour that I couldn’t do if my life depended on it...but it was just very enjoyable like the entire theme itself with all my friends!

Any last things to add?
A little thing y’all should know is I’m going to be a future dueling or flying champion!

As shown, Ellie (better known as SpookyEllie) is many things at once. A member of all of Potterworld’s allegiances, graduate, future flying or dueling champion, and, last but not least, one of two people behind a very successful chicken nugget business! One of the friends she’s made on Potterworld, Elfe_Beef, was covered in our last article about chicken nuggets, and I’m thrilled to be writing about their partnership again! (Coincidentally, or perhaps not, both mentioned the carnival event when it came to favorite events.)

However, I don’t want to cover the same topics—after all, it’d make a boring read—so this time, we’ll be covering the future of their business. In case you missed the previous issue on chicken nuggets, I will provide a brief recap on how you can buy your very own chicken nuggets from the pair. Ellie and Elfe currently do door-to-door selling (i.e. asking players in chat or in classes), meaning if you want fresh chicken nuggets, you have to buy them through either of the two when they’re online. I asked Ellie why they do door-to-door selling—after all, wouldn’t a shop be more profitable and easier to run?—and she answered:

“...[M]e and my workers...go around asking players to buy chicken nuggets because they are organic and fresh off the oven.”

It’s great that their business is committed to selling top-quality chicken nuggets; however, you can also buy chicken nuggets at a shop on Ellie’s housing (/housing pretzellie). They are sold for 50 gold apiece—a respectable price for such delectable chicken nuggets!

Of course, it takes a lot to successfully sell anything: a good business model, passionate workers, and dedicated customers, among others. Curious about the latter, I asked Ellie why people bought her chicken nuggets.

“I believe people buy our chicken nuggets because they are the best food on the server. It also brings people together and makes them happy and that makes me happy!”

I am always happy to see dedicated members of the community spread joy, and it’s wonderful that Ellie and Elfe have managed to do so while selling their chicken nuggets! There seems no way to go but up, and curious about what the future has in store, I asked Ellie whether she has any future plans for her chicken nugget business.

“Recently I’ve made a suggestion on adding an official Potterworld chicken nugget shop, and of course it got accepted! So stay tuned for that.”

A wonderful idea; the shop would allow more people to experience and share the joy of these scrumptious chicken nuggets! Curious to see what Ellie would expect from an official Potterworld chicken nugget shop, I asked her if there was anything she hoped to see.

“What I would hope to see in the first official Potterworld chicken nugget shop...of course dedication to Elfe and I; maybe like an NPC named after us would be cool! I was hoping it would be more out in different towns? And besides just chicken nuggets, maybe a side of fries and a drink would be a nice add on to give the restaurant feel.”

I would love restaurants on Potterworld—after all, what better place to hang out with friends?—and I cannot wait to see this implemented!

I wish both Ellie and Elfe the best in their chicken nugget business! It’s been a pleasure writing about their clear passion for the small yet flavorful food, and a special thanks to Ellie for working with me on this issue. Check out their chicken nuggets when you have the time, and be sure to share them with those around you!

As a final send-off question, I’ll end this with the same question I asked Elfe: “What’s your favorite condiment to eat with chicken nuggets?”

“A mixture of honey mustard, barbecue sauce, and ranch!”
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#5
August Activities
Lifestyle
Written by Silquer
Edited by snotflower

Hello my lovely readers, and welcome to this issue’s Lifestyle article! At last, we’re nearing the end of the summer… For many, this means going back to the daily monotony of life, leaving behind the beach days or the late nights on Potterworld, and starting the school grind with a sleepy head and slightly-renewed vigor. With this rather dreary outlook, it’s easy to think the summer is already over. However, it isn’t done yet! There’s still plenty to do with our remaining weeks before September, so let’s make them count. Here’s my list of Potterworld must-do’s before the end of the summer.

Our first stop in end-of-summer denial is the Seaside Cottage, located at the southern peak of the map. This homely cottage is a lovely sight, and it's a wonderful place to explore and take a rest from all of your adventures. However, that’s not all there is to offer! If you go into the cottage, through the warm kitchen, past the creaking staircase, and out through the back door, there is a spectacular beach awaiting you. Imagine that salty breeze, the crashing of the waves on the shore… Build sandcastles or bring a few friends and play around with some watery spells (Aquatimentum is my personal favorite to cool off). You could even take a dive into the water with your trusty Respiratus!

If you find yourself getting tired of the beach, or perhaps you want to dry off, take a trip to Tristmoor. It’s not far away, and you’ve surely passed it on the way to Cottage. There are also a few commodities available in the town; be sure to check them out before you leave! It’s very important to take a relaxing day to explore the beauties of the map. Enjoy your beach day!

If you’re not so willing to travel the thousands of blocks down to the southern coast, try exploring somewhere a little closer to home: Hogsworth! It may seem like a strange suggestion at first; after all, most of our time as players is spent in the castle. However, with all the time we spend here, we often take the castle’s many secrets for granted. Take the opportunity to explore Hogsworth while classes are out and the halls are empty!

If you need an extra incentive, try challenging yourself to find the seven minigames scattered throughout the castle without using the website’s map. How many will you be able to find? With this goal in mind, you’ll be sure to find plenty of nooks and crannies about the castle. I wish you luck in your exploration!

Finally, if none of those options are appealing to you, or if you want a final challenge before the summer ends, I have one last suggestion: Visit the Dark Prison. Infamous for its high-level Dementares and imposing architecture, this will surely give your summer the appropriate send-off. Bring a group of trusted friends or gather together complete strangers to fight through this terrifying prison. If this is how you end your summer, I wish you luck!

Now that we have an end-of-the-summer plan, it’s time to execute it! Log onto Potterworld and have some fun all across the vast map. Although the summer is nearing its end, don’t worry! There’s still half the month left, and plenty of time to finish up whatever you’d like, or even start something new. Have a great rest of your summer!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#6
Book Recommendations on Magizoology
Lifestyle
Written by Creme_de_Creme
Edited by bluecherub

Hello readers, and welcome back to the Daily Diviner! There is so much to do on-server, and one of the most underrated, yet highly enriching things to do is read a few books. The Hogsworth Library has one of the wizarding world’s most eclectic book collections. The shelves of Hogsworth contain a litany of novels and handbooks on Magizoology, the study of magical creatures, ranging from Wiggleworms to Dementares. Some of these books offer first-hand experiences, whereas others list and describe creature appearance and behavior as any class textbook might. In this article, I will give a review of three of the many iconic books you can read in the Hogsworth Library.

For those of you who love roleplay, identify as a werewolf, or LOVE factual, first-hand accounts, then this first book is for you. “Illness is not a Crime” is a wonderfully written book on Werewolves authored by Asteria Andimeur. Asteria writes powerfully about what it was like to watch her sister go from living her everyday life as an Aurorlock to getting turned into a Werewolf, discussing her sister’s quality of life afterwards. In the Wizarding world, Werewolves are often looked down upon and cast aside. Asteria explains how people with Lycanthropy are treated poorly over a circumstance they cannot control and argues for better rights for Werewolves. I think that this book is important for anyone and everyone to read. It educates people on Lycanthropy and advocates for the fair treatment of Werewolves. I personally give this book a 5 out 5. Asteria’s explanation of how people with Lycanthropy are currently treated and her argument for how they should be treated is very moving and could potentially start a movement within the Wizarding world.

For those of you who are ever-eager to learn, this next book may be for you! “Miraculous Merpeople” is a cleverly written book by Cyrus Blythe. Cyrus starts the book with his first experience in meeting Merfolk, then transitions into giving interesting facts about Merpeople. Finally, he concludes his book by giving his readers tips on what to do should they encounter Merfolk. I personally give this book a rating of 4 out of 5. I can definitely see the Magical Creature Professors at Hogsworth requiring students to read this book as part of the curriculum. I would also recommend that you read this book if you ever decide to visit Ireland. It is an absolute must.

If you are a lover of spooky and scary stories, then this last book is for you. "Sweet and Sinister" by Akakios Horatius tells an old wives' tale of the old mining town, Antrum, and Vexlings. Akakios warns readers against going too far into the mines by themselves for fear of coming across a Vexling. The most eloquent yet terrifying part of the book is where he says, "You're only safe with the thought that you're never truly safe." I personally would give this book a 4.5 out of 5- it sent shivers down my spine. Nowadays, it seems as if the people of Antrum don't worry too much about Vexlings, but they are still cautious, for one never knows what they might find in the dark. I am curious if the Vexlings are within, but after this story, I was too scared to find out for myself. Maybe you readers can find out? Be sure to stay in groups!

I highly recommend that you check out the Hogsworth Library and read a few books, even if they aren’t the three I recommended. The information inside might just save your life one day- or at the very least teach you something new! I hope you have a fantastic day and enjoy the rest of this edition. This has been Creme_de_Creme reporting for the Daily Diviner!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#7
An Unexpected Customer
Original Works
Written by bea_5OOOO
Edited by kvmw

A woman sat hunched over the counter, scribbling numbers onto a notebook, stopping every so often to count coins in the register next to her. “Still not quite enough, perhaps if I-” She shook her head. “No that wouldn’t work, maybe I could-” Chimes tinkled, and she set down her pen as a man stepped into the shop.

“Morning, Austin,” she said, tossing the coins back into the register and shutting it.

“Good morning, Everly.” Austin made his way over to the counter. “I was planning on getting my daughters a gift. Do you have any suggestions, you know their tastes pretty well.”

“Of course, I think I have a couple that will work.” Everly hopped up out of her seat, and Austin followed her to one of the shelves. “Let’s see here, this might work,” Everly pulled a large book off the shelf and handed it to Austin, “Although, Avery might prefer something much more simpler, like this.” Everly pulled out a smaller book and passed it to Austin.

“Thank you,” Austin smiled, “I think I can take it from here.” Everly nodded to him, as she made her way back to the counter, going back to scribbling numbers and thoughts into her notebook.

A scream interrupted her concentration. She looked up to see the few customers in the store toss their books onto the floor, cheering as they charged out of the store. Austin and Everly stared at each other. They walked over to the window and looked out onto the street. Though he was difficult to discern in the mob of fans around him, Everly recognized the celebrity—Peyton Damaris, a musician.

“Oh, it’s him. Samantha has posters of him all over her bedroom.”

“He’s definitely popular. I’ve heard a few of his songs here and there, but I’m less inclined to like them now that he’s taken away my customers.” She shook her head and left the window.

He nodded. “How has business been going?”

Everly sighed, beginning to pick up the books that had been tossed. “Not well. I’ve been struggling to get customers, and at this rate, I might have to sell the shop.”

“That's terrible! Is there anything that I can do that I can do to help? I know the shop is important to you and I don’t want you to lose it.”

“I’ve tried everything I could possibly think of, advertisements around towns, paper ads, even a few new books here and there and none of it seemed to work.” For a while the two went silent, until the chimes tinkled once more. She peered around the shelf and gasped--Peyton, with a crowd of adoring fans at the windows, was standing in her shop. Everly quickly set down the pile of books in her hand, and walked over to the counter.

“Do you happen have any history books?” he asked.

She looked at him, puzzled why a musician would want history books, but gestured for him to follow anyway. “They’re over here. They’ve been arranged chronologically up here and the top few shelves and then down here and the lower shelves they’ve been arranged based more on geographic position. We have a pretty wide selection, as history isn’t very popular with customers.”

“Maybe you could try throwing some of the history books out, it would make room for much more popular books which could attract new customers.” Austin suggested.

She sighed, “Maybe...“

“History is very interesting and useful though, and I’d hate to see good books go to waste,” Peyton began. “My fans can definitely be difficult sometimes, but I’m sure if I tried asking them a favor they’d be happy to at least come and try,”

They stared at him, and he plowed on. “Well, I asked my fans to wait outside so you and I wouldn’t be overwhelmed, but I could ask them to come in? If they see my shopping here, they might buy something.”

Everly frowned. “You could try, though I highly doubt it’ll work.”

The trio walked towards the door, which Peyton opened. The sudden screams that greeted him made Everly flinch, and she was nearly run over as the fans poured into the shop. “Now everyone,” Peyton was shouting. “Come on, we can go book shopping together!” However the fans seemed to have different plans, knocking over books and shelves in order to get closer to him.

“I told you it wasn’t going to work.” Everly leaned back, banging her head against the window.

“Settle down!” Peyton sang loudly, in a lovely tenor that created a burst of squealing. Nevertheless, his words had the desired effect, and the crowd settled down. Everly lifted her head up to watch as Peyton lifted up his wand, summoning a ukulele to him. Strumming a few mournful chords, he began to sing about the burning of the Library of Alexandria, despairing over its downfall and comparing it to the potential loss of Everly’s bookshop.

By the time he finished, fans were sobbing, and they rushed for the bookshelves. Soon, the register was too busy for Everly to handle alone, and Austin stepped in to help.

In the end, Peyton’s song had done the trick. The shelves were considerably emptier, and fans continued coming in for the rest of the week. The three continued to work hard to keep business afloat. Peyton stopped by whenever he could, his famous concerts-turned-history-lectures encouraging fans to read. Eventually, the bookshop developed a steady customer base, always helped by Everly, who would recommend the best books. And of course, Austin, who manned the register when the store got too busy. From then on, not only had a new friendship formed, but Everly never had to worry about selling her shop again.
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#8
Journey Into the Vaults
Original Works
Written by Serpentella
Edited by snotflower

An eerie fog had settled around the dimly-lit streets of Shade Alley by nightfall. The uneven cobblestone streets were covered by tall shadows created by the dingy buildings lining the roads. Judging figures glared at Sylvia as she passed; their hands reached towards their concealed wands, undoubtedly due to the presence of the witch. She made a point to walk with purpose yet kept her head low to avoid the threatening gazes of the suspicious wizards in the alleyways. She knew that they were outlaws themselves. However, Sylvia felt like they were directly from the Ministry, lying in wait for her weakest moments. She knew that they were looking for her. The silence of Shade Alley only put her more on edge.

The brighter, busier street soon came into view. Past the exit of Shade Alley sat the bank, looming before her. Sylvia took a deep breath, adjusting her robes and striding past the darkness of the street. The moonlight reflected off the marble building, casting a soft glow on the witches and wizards walking in and out. Sylvia slowly approached, carefully avoiding everyone in her path.

Her breath quickened as she entered the bank. Sylvia heard a whisper of what could’ve been her name ripple through the bank. She rubbed a hand across her face, desperately attempting to shake off the thought. Immediately after walking in, she felt as though everyone’s eyes were burning into her. Even the goblins, who were hard at work, seemed to be staring at her as she trudged across the marble floors. The quiet murmurs of the witches, wizards, and goblins of the bank grew louder as she neared the large, mahogany desk ahead. Sylvia could’ve sworn she saw a mother pull her child closer as she passed.

She kept her gaze low, focusing on the pristine shoes of the bank visitors. Her raggedy clothes made her feel out of place amongst the sharply-dressed assembly around her.

“Name?” a goblin grunted, snapping Sylvia out of her trance.

“Uh—“

“You do have a name, right?”

Startled by the snappy response, Sylvia stepped back, eyes wide.

They know.

“Fine,” the goblin began, rolling his eyes, “I guess we’ll move on to the ne-“

“Sylvia. My name is Sylvia.”

“That’s all? You don’t have a surname?”

“I have my key. I need to go to my vault.”

Although she couldn’t bring herself to meet his icy gaze, she could feel the daggers being stared into her.

The goblin knows.

Raising an eyebrow, the goblin held out an expecting hand. Sylvia quickly handed her key to the goblin and rocked back and forth on her heels.

The sudden silence was deafening. After a moment, the goblin climbed out from behind the desk and gruffly gestured for Sylvia to follow. Breathing a sigh of relief, she hurried to follow the goblin to the winding staircase down to the vaults.

★​

A soft breeze brushed against Sylvia’s cheek as her cart flew past the dimly-lit vaults. The goblin behind her mumbled to himself as they traveled around winding corners. She could’ve sworn the goblin was talking about her, though from his cold and abrasive comments earlier, the behavior of the goblin seemed to be normal.

The cart soon slowed down and Sylvia was able to get a closer look at the vaults surrounding her. At this altitude, the vaults had the best protection. Almost every vault was shut tight, the large collection of locks on the door keeping the valuables inside safe. One vault caught Sylvia’s eye as she passed. From behind the cracked door, a pair of dark eyes seemed to peer out at her.

The Ministry found me.

Sylvia’s heart began racing as the cart slowed to a stop. They were here to get her. They knew the Dark Followers had sent her to get the item. It was too late to turn back now.

“Is this your vault?”

“Y-yes,” she responded slowly, stepping out of the cart.

The goblin inserted the key into the hole on the door and twisted it delicately. He looked over his shoulder suspiciously before turning his back to Sylvia and opening the vault. The locks on the door clicked in unison, allowing the heavy metal door to swing open.

“Miss,” the goblin grumbled, stepping aside and holding out an arm.

Carefully, Sylvia stepped into the vault. It was pitch black; the darkness engulfed her as she ventured deeper into the vault.

A soft glow coming from the back of the vault caught Sylvia’s attention. She knew instantly that it was what she needed. Her heart beating faster than ever, she quickened her pace as she moved through the dark vault.

She was close enough to reach the item now. The glow, which was now nearly blinding, seemed to mask the shape of the item. Sylvia reached out in an attempt to grab it. However, red sparks from behind her skimmed her extended arm.

“It’s her! Go, go, get her!”

They’re here.

Turning quickly, Sylvia spotted the group of Aurorlocks that were rapidly rushing into the vault. She desperately reached into her robes, trying to find her wand. The pocket in which it could usually be found was empty. She glanced at the ground, trying to search the darkness for her wand in case she dropped it.

“Sylvia!”

The harsh voice made her wince and look up again. However, the dark of the vault was replaced with light filtered through prison bars. An Aurorlock with narrowed eyes looked her over through the bars, his hand hovering over his wand. Sylvia blinked, trying to ignore what she assumed to be a figment of her paranoia. However, it was to no avail; the Aurorlock was truly there, watching her with narrowed eyes.

Sylvia tilted her head to the side, puzzled. Where had the item gone? The Dark Followers needed it. They would surely kill her if she didn’t report back with it. Where was she?

The guards watched Sylvia pace around her cell, murmuring to herself as she attempted to find her wand.

“Hey,” an approaching guard whispered, nudging the first. “What’s new with the prisoner?”

“She’s grade-A insane,” he whispered back. “These Dementares are driving her insane. She’s been going on about complete nonsense for hours.”

“Hmm.”

The first guard sighed and crossed his arms.

“What’s the story now?” the second guard asked.

“Something about the vaults.”

The guards shook their heads and walked away, leaving Sylvia to mutter to herself in the silence of the Dark Prison.
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#9
How to Begin Dueling with Jinxes
Branches of Dueling
Written by Creme_de_Creme
Edited by mckennaweasley

Hello lovely readers, and welcome back to the Daily Diviner’s web-exclusive article! Last issue, we covered the Charms branch in dueling. If you haven’t read it yet, I would highly recommend you go back and read that one first. Now onto the main subject of this article: Jinxes!

What are Jinxes? Jinxes are the second branch located on the spell tree. There are Jinx knockback spells such as Propulso (Lvl. 27), Flipellius (Lvl.3), and Ventimus (Lvl. 54). There are also dueling attack spells such as Levosus (Lvl. 8), Ignatium (Lvl. 18), and Cascamorus (Lvl. 35). Duelists tend to use Jinx spells for a variety of different combos, skill shots, and long range distance shots.

Cascamorus is one of the most heavily used Jinx spells in dueling because you can use it for a longer range shot. Graduates that cast this spell while wearing Jinx gear can generally hit their opponent from the other side of the arena. This comes in handy when you hit your opponent before they have casted any protection spells, because it puts you at an advantage. Another benefit of Cascamorus is that it will bounce off of walls, so if you miss your opponent there is an opportunity to hit them with the rebound of the spell. This can allow for some really interesting trick shots! The only disadvantage with this spell is if you cast it while your opponent is shielding themselves, the rebound of the spell could hit you.

Levosus is another spell that you might see duelists use frequently. When this spell is cast at an opponent, it lifts them high into the air before dropping them to the ground, dealing fall damage. An experienced duelist uses the time that their opponent is in the air to cast more spells at them. To practice this kind of shot, I recommend that you use Levosus on an NPC and try to hit them once or twice with another offensive spell before the NPC touches the ground.

If you choose to main in Jinxes, you’ll want to keep an eye out for gear with high cooldowns and a decent range. The current, most-recommended gear for Graduate students maining in jinx damage are as follows:

Head: Hood of The Assassin
Glove: Faeriekings Felt Gloves
Body: Cloak of Fantasia
Trinket: Grimlott's Lost Amulet
Leggings: Penultimate Greaves
Boots: Sandstorm Sandals

For those of you looking for more insight on what it is like to be a Jinx duelist, I interviewed Sametric (Graduate student), Tilllyy (Magiventologist, Lore Keeper, and Sr. Builder), and Minatoy (Arena Squire).

Why did you choose to use Jinx as a duelist?
Sametric: Well in the current meta it is by far the best; the spell tree gives you a multitude of spells with low mana cost, high damage and low cooldowns with no cast time. In comparison to something like Curse, where the mana cost is a lot higher and the cooldowns are longer with less cycle spells all for the same damage output. It's an easy choice.
Tilllyy: I chose to use Jinx since I felt like it was the strongest gear at the time compared to other types and it also played to my strengths better since a lot of the spells I used were Jinx spells!
Minatoy: It’s the most useful and strongest category to main right now. Curse just doesn’t do enough damage in my opinion and Charms is just like a side category that helps with combos.

What is your favorite Jinx spell and why?
Sametric: Gotta be Cascamorus and that's probably the same for a lot of people, the damage is one of the best in the game for a skill shot. Plus it also bounces and has a curve to the shot allowing for some creativity with the way you duel whether it's slinging it over a shield or to rebound on someone.
Tilllyy: My favorite Jinx spell is probably Levosus cause you can create some really great combos against your opponent if you're able to hit them in the air.
Minatoy: Levosus is a perfect way to make airshots and it's something very important I am trying to practice in dueling.

Do you have a go-to Jinx combo?
Sametric: Often with Jinx combos they revolve around Levosus combined with some stuns or skill shots since they aren't able to dodge while in the air. It is a bit hard to hit air shots but practice makes perfect.
Tilllyy: Yes! Probably some combination of Anti-Appareo, Levosus, Stupeficus, and Cascamorus! It does a lot of damage, and even though it’s a bit hard to hit, it’s definitely worth it if I'm able to!
Minatoy: Not pure Jinx, it's pretty hard to get combos just with one category. My favourite combos that I use are Expellimo-Cascamorus or Ignatium, Stupeficus, wait, Contagios, and Levosus-Propulso-Stupeficus.

What is something that you struggled with when learning how to duel?
Sametric: Personally, I struggled with just the fact that it was my first time playing a kind-of shooting game on a mouse and keyboard/PC. I was always a console player until I got back into PW in the start of quarantine, so I wasn't super used to aiming with a mouse and using a keyboard + mouse for gaming. On top of that my original computer was a 2013 MacBook Air that ran at like anywhere from 1-30 FPS when I was dueling so it didn't make it easier to aim.
Tilllyy: Something I struggled with was probably being able to know which spells to cast and when, and to be able to cast them quickly.
Minatoy: Well to be honest, I had a lot of luck that I had great people like Salmandingo, Tonk, Autumn and Tilly that helped me a lot. Even if I came to a point where I had something that I struggled with, they were always there to help. But the main problem for me in dueling is not how I play, but more where. In the Dueling Halls I am playing usually calmer and way better than in challenges and tournaments, where I start to shake and get nervous pretty quickly and usually just lose because of that.

Do you have any advice for first-time duelists?
Sametric: Don't be afraid to go against people better then yourself. It just gives you a chance to get better yourself as a duelist as you have to step up to their level to cope. I see many people who try to get into dueling go against other new duelists but that won't help you improve as fast. Also just have fun! Dueling is a fun thing to do and shouldn't be causing stress.
Tilllyy: I'd say don't be discouraged when you first start, it takes a lot of hardwork and practice to get better at dueling but it's definitely worth it and a lot of fun!
Minatoy: Well practice, practice and practice. You can’t expect to start with dueling and be on the top of the leaderboards. With time and a lot of practice, you will get there sometime.

I would like to thank Sametric, Tilllyy, and Minatoy for their time and insight. Now that you have Charms and Jinxes under your belt, try experimenting with different combinations of spells. Most importantly, keep practicing! This has been Creme_de_Creme reporting for the Daily Diviner.
 
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