One year ago, the matriarch of House Ranwaer, a retiring crone, was convicted of deviltry after a series of noble heirs were victims of ritual murder involving the cult of Sestyruas, the diabolic Lord of Ardor. When the Lantern Watch investigated, they discovered that the entire noble family showed signs of consorting with devils. Thus exposed, the nobles fought to avoid capture, aided by a pair of vile half-fiends—the progeny of Lady Ranwaer and the foul arch-devil Sestyruas—and a good number of the family, including the half-fiends, escaped before the full might of the Lantern Watch could be brought to bear. Since that time, the estate of House Ranwaer has been deserted. No one is willing to build on the accursed spot, and even if a noble patron was found, there is no worker in all of Cillamar willing to demolish “the devil house.”
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Now the foreboding stands dark and silent, the windows boarded over, the doors locked and bound with chains. Certain members of the Thieves’ Guild allege that the Lantern Watch was too quick to seal the house, and that certain undiscovered vaults and galleries were never cleared of the family’s diabolic influence. It is true that a secret passageway runs from beneath the house to join the town sewers, but it is also true that no rogue has ever ventured past the warded grate, down the peculiar, leadlined passage, and returned to tell the tale.
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Within the past few months, a group of wizards has gathered together and decided to make use of this abandoned property for a wizard's academy. They have opened up the house and worked with the clerics of Sarenrae and Iomedae to clear the temple of the influence of Sestryuas. After several weeks of work, the house seems to have been cleared of much of the evil influence but only time will tell if all evil items have been neutralized or removed. In the meantime, the Companions meet and work to educate young wizards. They have also set up protections by working with the thieves guild to try and prevent thefts of magical items but they have met with limited success.
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