House of Wonder

House of Wonder

Temple of Mystra

North Diamond Street, Sea Ward, Waterdeep

Founded 1215 DR

Personages

• Population: 33 clergy (8 mages, 3 clerics, 5 bards, 17 priests; 25 ordained priests, 8 acolytes), 12 academy apprentices, 20 temple guard (6 Knights of the Mystic Fire, 14 guards) • High Priest: Temple Magister Sendra Arunsun • Master of Acolytes: Candos Restlar • Academy Headmaster: Marwenna Wands • Captain of the Guard: Thalai Ogolakanu • Noble Patrons: House Wands

Services

Apprenticeship (wizard), curse removal, healing, ritual, social

Faction Details

Common Descriptors: Arcane, spiritual, servant of the Mysteries Primary Classes: Wizard (primary), cleric, paladin, sorcerer, bard, fighter (eldritch knight), rogue (arcane trickster) Alignments: LN, N, NE

Faction Ranks

• Servant of Mystery: Rank 1. You are a sworn servant of Mystra, and ordained as novice clergy within the temple. You aid higher ranking priests in the sacred rites of the temple, and perform some basic services for lay worshippers in need of one-on-one aid. • Lord/Lady of Mystery: Rank 3. You are a fully ordained priest of the temple's order, with the right to perform all the rites and services of the temple, save those reserved for the high priest or priestess. • Temple Magister: Rank 10. You bear the title of Temple Magister of the House, responsible for tending to the proper rites of worship to the Lady of Mysteries within these hallowed halls, and to the training of priests. Its success and prosperity are wholly within your keeping.

Waterdeep has a strong tradition of magery. Waterdhavians inclined to worhsip one of the "arcane" faiths have traditionally favored the Lady of Mysteries dating back to the establishment of the House of Wonder in the Year of Starlight (1215 DR).

In Waterdeep, the Church of Mystra has long played a secondary role to the Watchful Order of Magists & Protectors because the sale of spells and magic items is traditionally in the province of the guild, not the church. Waterdeep's Mystran church is closely allied with the Church of Selune, and the two faiths work together to battle the followers of Shar.

With the death of Mystra and destruction of the Weave, the House of Wonder suffered incredible damage, and in the height of the Spellplague was quarantined from the rest of the city, as the ravening arcane energies twisted and warped anyone who entered its demesnes. Once that faded, the House of Wonders stood empty, for without Mystra, there was no priesthood. The Watchful Order eventually took over the compound, moving their school for wizardry into its ancient halls.

Then, with the Sundering, things changed. A tenday after every magician in Faerûn received the knowledge of Mystra's rebirth and the reconstruction of the Weave, two strangers came to the gates of the city: a man who identified himself only as the Magister of Mystra, and a silver-haired woman who bore a surname so familiar to Waterdhavians: Arunsun. Sendra rapidly began to reform the priesthood of Mystra, using old texts and new revelations from the Lady of Mystery, and over the course of the next year, the Magister returned several times, each time in the company of a newly Called cleric of Mystra.

In the intervening three years, the temple has restored the worship of the Lady of Mysteries rapidly. There are a few young clerics on hand, learning her lore and (for those with the inclination) pursuing ordination to the Mystran faith. Several of them have struck out on their own during that time as well. The first of the new clerics, Candos Restlar, remains as the Master of Acolytes.

Rather than taking the temple away from the Watchful Order, Sendra suggested to the Order that they help sponsor the school and allow it to remain on the temple grounds. Indeed, the temple has started taking on students other than those with Watchful Order connections, sometimes even doing so for free when a particularly promising student cannot afford the fees of the school. Its students frequently become members of the Watchful Order, and some even remain as clergy.

Temple Personages

	Sendra Arunsun Temple Magister • Rank 10 The head of the House of Wonder bears a notable surname, for she is the grand-daughter of Khrelan Arunsun, the fourth Blackstaff, and son of the original. Sendra is reclusive, and dedicated to Mystra's service. She is a powerful wizardess in her own right, though she does not "meddle" the way those in her lineage are known to have done (although many Waterdhavians simply assume her meddling is more subtle). As Temple Magister, she leads the rites of the House of Wonder, and does what she can to foster the worship of the Lady of Mysteries to those who seek it out.
	Candos Restlar Master of Acolytes • Rank 7 The priest responsible for the education of the temple's novices and acolytes, Candos is the highest ranking full cleric of Mystra in the temple. He takes his responsibility – both as a temple authority and as one of the Called of the Lady of Mysteries – quite seriously, though this sometimes takes the form of taking himself too seriously. He is very aware of his own dignities and pride, and a quick way to get on his bad side is to not respect both of those. That said, he is a very caring tutor and well-liked by his many students.
	Marwenna Wands Academy Headmistress • Rank 8 A noblewoman of the Wands line, Marwenna is whipcrack intelligent, to a degree that tends to intimidate those around her. Fortunately, she is also very skilled at creating harmony, even with normally cantankerous wizardly sorts (she likes to joke that her best spells were learned in comportment school). Marwenna oversees the teaching of the wizard apprentices, and is dear friends with both Sendra and with Bowgentra Summertaen, the Lady Master of the Watchful Order.

Knights of the Mystic Fire

Thalai Ogolakanu Knight-Captain • Rank 8 The massive Sir Thalai is the head of the Knights of the Mystic Fire in the House of Wonder, and makes quite a sight. He stands just shy of eight feet in height and wears gleaming plate, a trophy won from a champion of the Church of Cyric. Though quiet, he radiates a palpable sense of strength and protectiveness, and is very serious about protecting the Temple of Wonder and its students and priests.

Previous Eras

• 1354 DR

Services

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Layout

Grounds & First Floor

Second Floor

Third Floor

Fourth & Fifth Floors

Grounds

The grounds of the House of Wonder are surrounded by a fine gate of wrought iron, each spoke in the gate topped with the Eightfold Star of Mystra at the crosspoint. The grounds themselves are wrought of fine white marble cobblestones, with blue-white cobbles forming the mosaic of the Eightfold Star from which rises the temple.

Three buildings are situated on the grounds: the Gatehouse, a defensive structure maintained by the Knights of Mystic Fire, Mystra's order of paladins; the Shrine to Azuth, tucked away at the rear of the compound; and the House of Wonder itself, a great circular tower.

Gatehouse

Headquarters for the local chapter of the Knights of Mystic Fire, the Gatehouse defends the sole entrance to the House of Wonder.

• Gate House: First Floor. The gatehouse serves as the point of entry for the House of Wonder. A Mystran acolyte is always on duty here, ready to welcome those who come to the House, offering to help them with whatever their needs may be. Beyond the entry vestibule, a pair of Knights of the Mystic Fire await, prepared to defend the House and sound an alarm rousing their companions to the temples' defense.
• Guard Room: Second Floor. There are always at least two guards on duty in the guard room, prepared to rush downstairs to the aid of their fellows and alert those paladins in the chambers above them. They are also the guards for the armory.
• Armory: Second Floor. With armor stands supporting finely-wrought suits of chain and plate in the center of the room, and walls with many shields (all showing the sign of Mystra) and weapons, the armory is the responsibility of the Knights. Several of these items are magical, but properties of the room muffle any magical auras - only the Knights and upper clergy of the temple know which ones are enchanted.
• Guard Quarters: Third Floor. The Knights of the Mystic Fire take five-day rotations of service in the House of Wonder. While all of them have quarters elsewhere in the city, when on duty, they dwell in one of the bunks in these quarters.
• Captain of the Guard's Quarters:' Third Floor. The captain of the temple guard, Dhaelos Marganathyr, dwells here full time.

Shrine to Azuth

Like most temples to Mystra, the House of Wonder includes a small shrine to Azuth. The Waterdhavian shrine is home to a handful of Azuthan clergy, more than half of them mages, who tend to the needs of the faithful and stand out among the Mystran clergy by dint of their gray robes among the Mystran blue.

• Sanctuary: First Floor. Here the faithful of Azuth and Mystra can frequently be found in contemplation and prayer. An altar burning with many candles in glass votives, each etched or scribed with a symbol that is a form of prayer, stands to one end of the sanctuary. Eight or so feet above the altar is a small shelf on which stands a statue of Azuth. Beside the door, a set of stairs rises to the gallery above. At least one Azuthan priest can be found here at all times.
• Ikon of Azuth: Second Floor. Above the altar in the sanctuary is a statue of Azuth, long-bearded and hooded, holding a staff in one hand, and his other raised in benediction, forming the gesture that is his holy symbol, his hand alight with mystical flame.
• Gallery: Second Floor. The gallery above the sanctuary is where the faithful are often taken to speak with clergy alone, or where the clergy remain during the rites to Azuth (which the faithful gather below), so that all eyes are upon the ikon of Azuth rather than his priesthood.
• Meditation Chambers: Third Floor. The faithful are always permitted space here. Though it may be used for general meditation and contemplation, it also finds extensive use by Azuthan faithful, who offer instruction in the Art or demonstration of their own breakthroughs as part of their service to the faith.

First Floor

Set into the temple's foundation, this floor - which is wider than the others - serves as living space. Beneath it is a wide-open set of cellars, used for storage and occasionally for the teaching of the temple's acolytes.

• Acolyte Dorms: Large open dormitories filled with bunks for the acolytes of the temple.
• Mess Hall: Eating space provided to the temple's clergy and guardians. Food is prepared off-premises and brought here to be served.
• Priest Cells: Though most of the temple clergy have dwelling places either in the nearby temple-owned row houses or simply in private dwellings elsewhere in the city, a handful of them maintain cells here. For the most part, these are either senior clergy or those responsible for teaching and overseeing the acolytes.

Second Floor

This is the main entry of the temple, a vast pillared circular chamber. In the center is a circular altar from which rises a flickering blue-white flame. Those who approach the altar find the flames parting, and the image of a serene, slightly aloof goddess - a depiction of Mystra - gazing at them from out of the flame, no matter which direction they approach the altar from.

Small side alcoves either provide access to the stairs up or down (and are usually watched over by an acolyte), or harbor small sitting areas with priests ready and able to discuss the needs of the faithful. The southermost alcove also holds a holy water font, where the faithful may purchase Mystran holy water from.

Third Floor

The Shrines of the Eightfold Star

Fourth Floor

Library & Labs

Fifth Floor

Ritual Chambers