Professor Syble Thornwood

Title: Professor of Transmutation & Theoretical Selfhood
Race: Human

Overview:

Professor Syble Thornwood is The Arcanum’s leading expert on transmutation magic and the nature of the self. Unlike most transmuters who focus on changing the external world, Thornwood’s research questions the very boundaries of personal identity—what it means to be oneself when the body can change. This has led her to develop cutting-edge theories on the immutability of self, as well as practical advancements in bodily transformation, object transmutation, and arcane reconstruction.

She is frequently lost in thought, and often forgets basic social conventions when she is excited about a discovery. Her absentminded nature does not come from a lack of awareness but from a brain that operates five steps ahead of everyone else. She is brilliant but scatterbrained, sometimes forgetting that ethical considerations exist, leading to moments of unintended insensitivity—such as picking up a sentient, transformed person without permission.

Teaching Style:

• Energetic and spontaneous—often forgets she’s in a classroom when a new idea hits her.
• Loves hands-on experimentation, sometimes at questionable personal risk.
• Often loses track of time and forgets students’ names, but remembers every single detail of their magical progress.
• “Magic is change. And if you think you understand change, you’re already wrong.”

Personal Quirks:

• Perpetually disheveled—smudges of ink, soot, or transmuted materials are always present on her hands or face.
• Wears an absurdly large pointed hat, which is always in some state of collapse under its own weight.
• Talks to herself constantly—not as an odd habit, but because she’s actually working through equations in real-time.
• Does not believe in personal space—tends to grab objects (or people) to examine them mid-conversation.

Notable Achievements:

• Developed the leading theory on the "Arcane Identity Principle," positing that even when transmuted, a person retains a unique magical signature.
• Created the "Thornwood Loop," an experimental transmutation field that locks an object in a cycle of constant change—though it is currently too dangerous to use.