Chimera Institute Setting - Dev Log #2
- Shylah Hunter
- Jul 25
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 14
Your Acceptance Letter Has Arrived!
It’s arrived at last — your very own admissions letter to the Chimera Institute. As tradition, it has found you under the most curious of circumstances…
Your invitation marks you as seen. Being an interplanar college, the Chimera Institute keeps an ever-vigilant eye on many unique worlds and settings. The Institute surveys countless worlds in this fashion, some so remote that their inhabitants have never heard its name, nor dreamed of the wonders within its halls! Neither technology nor the absence of arcana disqualifies a world or its people from consideration. None are beyond the reach of the college.
Maybe your heroics have, for once, not fallen on deaf ears. Maybe your tenacity and creative evocation of the arcane arts have caught the attention of watchers from a distant star. Whatever the cause, you are noticed. This invitation marks the beginning of a journey that will take you far from home to a very different place, one very alien to the life of which you are accustomed. But don’t let that deter you. It’s not where you’re from, after all. It’s who you are becoming.
A Look Into Admissions
In this development update, you will find a glimpse into the Admissions process for the Chimera Institute as well as its home plane of Los Lekai. While we still have plenty of work ahead of us, we’d like to provide everyone a glimpse into the narrative design process as we continue to further develop Chimera into a Campaign Frame & Setting Reference Book! We are also including a downloadable PDF version of the Acceptance letter for you to hold onto in the meantime. So stay tuned!
Of course, it all starts with a letter. Each PC will begin their journey at Chimera by first receiving a letter of acceptance. How this letter arrives is up to the imagination of the table. However, we plan to include a few suggestions, some inspiration that can be tailored to different settings with varying magical and technological standings.
Included with each letter of acceptance will be a small magical device called a Luminere (or Lumis Key). This magical device boasts a level of arcane-tech that may be foreign to PC’s at the beginning of their journey. Each Lumis Key is uniquely tailored to the individual. It offers the convenience of cross-campus communication between students and faculty, and otherwise functions as an entrance key to both the plane of Los Lekai and other restricted areas around campus.
One of the aspects we are most excited to explore in Los Lekai is the integration of arcane technology into the Institute’s daily life. Rather than replacing the wonder of magic with machinery, we hope this fusion of arcana and technology enhances the mystique of the setting. From magic-driven conduits that whisk students across campus to pocket-sized Lumineres enabling instant communication, these innovations are only the beginning. This approach might set Chimera apart from more traditional settings. However, we don't want to do away with the feel of traditional fantasy completely. Our goal is to evoke a sense of discovery in the new and unexpected. Arcana-tech is nothing new in the TTRPG space, but we hope that utilizing this type of genre adds some unexpected twists and turns for both PCs and players! The added conveniences these technologies provide are only a plus.
In the same vein, the Chimera Institute stands apart from most academies by means of its interplanar scope. As an institution of advanced arcane technology, its halls draw scholars, wanderers, and prodigies from countless worlds, not merely a single continent or plane of existence. This vast reach is reflected in its admissions philosophy: students are welcomed regardless of their origin, ancestry, or cultural background. For players, this means extraordinary freedom when crafting their characters. A Chimera student might originate from a thriving metropolis of airships, a quiet pastoral world, or even a shattered realm lost to time. Within the story’s framework, the only true limit is the imagination of the table and the guidance of the GM, who serves as the final referee for what fits naturally within the campaign’s tone.
The Colleges & The Six Elder Spirits
After a PC makes the pivotal decision to pursue studies at the Chimera Institute, mysterious instructions on how to travel to the plane of Los Lekai will be further provided by the Institute's scouts. The admissions journey then continues upon arrival to Los Lekai at the beginning of the school year. This process is conducted under the guidance of an Augurist — one of Chimera’s trained student counselors. In a small ceremonial room, the applicant is brought into a safely conducted trance in which their mind is unbound and their spirit is led into the veil between worlds.
This trance is not a hallucination nor a dream. It is a crossing. The veil reveals the innate arcane potential that lies within an individual. For students, it also offers a glimpse of one of the Six Elder Spirits. Each Elder Spirit is deeply tied to a unique branch of magical study found at the Chimera Institute. They are, to the people native to Los Lekai, the primal architects of all known magic.
Since, each spirit presides over one of the six Colleges of Chimera, it may be valuable for PC’s to learn more about them during their time at the Institute. Here’s a quick glimpse into the themes for each:
Kharonozae, Khath Aurun (Augury & Spiritual Studies): Those who see Kharonozae often feel a great stillness and the whisper of ancestral memory.
Baavera, Be Aurun (Evocation & Expression): Those who feel Baavera’s presence often feel the rumbles of a coming storm.
Nimuaumin, Nun Aurun (Arcane Theorycraft & Infusion): Those who walk Nimuaumin’s halls emerge altered, their thoughts wrapped in the intricacies of celestial magic.
Vemornae, Vor Aurun (Runecraft & Enchantment): Vemornae speaks melodically, their presence known to soothe and enchant.
Lomerozh, Lor Aurun (Martial & Abjuration Studies): Lomerozh is revealed through the discipline of battle and as a voice of reverence for the lost.
Ziv, Zith Aurun (Medica & Alchemy): Those who encounter Ziv often emerge shaken, bearing the weight of both beginnings and ends.
“This trance is not a hallucination nor a dream. It is a crossing. The veil reveals what lies within an individual. For students, it also offers a glimpse of one of the Six Elder Spirits.”
Upon emerging from the trance, each student carries with them the memory of the Elder Spirit they encountered—a moment of profound personal significance that shapes their path forward. The Augurists interpret these visions not as mandates but as callings, gently encouraging the new initiate toward the College overseen by the Spirit they represent. A glimpse of Kharonozae often leads one to the solemn halls of Augury and Spiritual Studies, while those who stand amid Baavera’s storm-touched presence find themselves drawn toward Evocation and Expression.
Maintaining Player Agency
While the vision of an Elder Spirit is a pivotal moment in the admissions narrative, it is our hope that we refrain from creating a situation that strips agency from the player. First and foremost, we hope to create an experience that allows players to choose their own path! The trance is framed as a deeply personal and symbolic experience. Therefore, the spirit each PC encounters is ultimately chosen by the player rather than dictated by the GM. This ensures that every student’s calling feels personal, reflecting the themes and interests they’d like to explore. Players should always be given final agency in the decision.
Once the vision concludes, the student is placed in their College — a placement that will define the focus of their magical education, their mentors, their community, and likely, their fate.
We’re very excited to continue sharing insights into different aspects of the Los Lekai setting as we continue to develop this project. Keep an eye out for our next update coming in a few weeks! In the meantime, here’s a small parting gift for joining us in this journey: the printable first draft of the Chimera Institute student acceptance letter. You can find the download here, or click the button below!
Tell us what you would be most interested in hearing about in the comment section below! We'd love to hear your thoughts on Chimera and the development journey so far. Likewise, you can reach out with any questions you may have by contacting us at shylah@wicklandwand.com.
As always, Happy adventuring!
Shylah Hunter
A graphic designer by profession and a long-time fan of all things RPG and tabletop, Shylah actively devotes her creative energy towards laying a path between the world of visual design and storytelling.
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