The Houses
Every scholar at the School of Evershade is an Everspark. Those who wish to may also find a home within one of the school's four Houses.
Each House has its own virtues, direction, element, season, colors, House creature, Head of House, and Common Room. Together, they provide smaller communities within the larger school and another way for scholars to take part in life at Evershade.
House membership does not determine what you study. Scholars from every House are welcome in every classroom, and all four Houses come together as part of the wider Evershade community.
You do not need to join a House to study here. All Eversparks are equally welcome.
Finding Your House
There is no single quality that determines where you belong at Evershade. You may recognize yourself immediately in one house, find pieces of yourself in several, or simply discover that one feels more like home.
If you would like a little guidance, the Evershade Sorting will lead you through a series of choices and suggest the House with which you share the strongest affinity. Your result is a guide, not an assignment. The final choice is always yours.
Prefer to meet the Houses first? Continue reading below to explore their virtues, symbols, Common Rooms, House creatures, and traditions before deciding.
The Four Houses
The four Houses are associated with the four cardinal directions, four classical elements, and four seasons.
Their virtues represent qualities each House values, not requirements for the scholars who belong there. You may recognize yourself immediately in one House, see parts of yourself in several, or simply find that one feels more like home.
Each crest is a door: choose one to step into that House's Common Room.
House Septentrio
House Creature: Alaric the Gyrfalcon
Common Room: The Aerie
Septentrio looks toward the North and values wisdom, perspective, independence, and clarity. It is a House of observation, thoughtful inquiry, and seeing a question from more than one point of view.
House Oriens
House Creature: Izumi the Koi
Common Room: The Basin
Oriens looks toward the East and values adaptability, renewal, creativity, and flow. It is a House of growth, possibility, creative thinking, and finding another path when circumstances change.
House Meridies
House Creature: Aurel the Fennec Fox
Common Room: The Hearth
Meridies looks toward the South and values passion, courage, vitality, and transformation. It is a House of action, determination, expression, and the courage to begin.
House Occidens
House Creature: Constance the Porcupine
Common Room: The Terrace
Occidens looks toward the West and values resilience, groundedness, resourcefulness, and balance. It is a House of practical thought, persistence, making, and finding useful solutions with what is already at hand.
Your House & Your Studies
House membership is part of student life at Evershade, not an academic track.
Every course is open to every scholar. Your House does not determine which subjects you may study, which professors you may learn from, or which parts of Evershade you may explore.
A Septentrio scholar may spend most of their time in the Herbology Greenhouse. Someone from Oriens may become fascinated by ancient writing. A Meridies scholar may prefer quiet hours in the Scrollwork Library, while an Occidens scholar may spend their evenings studying the stars.
The Houses give scholars smaller communities within Evershade without dividing the school itself.
The Common Rooms
Each House has a Common Room of its own:
Septentrio • The Aerie
Oriens • The Basin
Meridies • The Hearth
Occidens • The Terrace
The Common Rooms give House members a place to meet, share projects and discoveries, join discussions, participate in activities, and help shape their House community.
When scholars from all four Houses come together, they gather in the Quadrivium, Evershade’s shared student commons.
Eversparks First
Whatever House you choose, you are an Everspark first.
The Houses have different identities, symbols, traditions, and communities, but all belong to the same school. House membership offers another place to participate and belong. It is not meant to separate scholars from one another.
Join a House if you would like one to call home. If you would rather simply study, explore, and participate in Evershade without choosing one, you are just as welcome.
Shop the Houses
The House Meridies art print: Aurel the fennec fox, in summer sun — the house mascot portrait for a scholar's wall. Prints at 11×14 inches. Digital PDF.
The House Occidens art print: Constance the porcupine, in autumn woods — the house mascot portrait for a scholar's wall. Prints at 11×14 inches. Digital PDF.
The House Oriens art print: Izumi the koi, in spring water — the house mascot portrait for a scholar's wall. Prints at 11×14 inches. Digital PDF.
The House Septentrio art print: Alaric the gyrfalcon, midwinter — the house mascot portrait for a scholar's wall. Prints at 11×14 inches. Digital PDF.
A set of fantasy bookmarks from the school gift shop — print on cardstock, cut along the guides. Digital PDF.