House of Knowledge

Location

It was located at one end of the Dolphin Bridge,[1] at the northeastern end of the The Wall.[2]

Structure

The House of Knowledge was considered one of the most impressive buildings in Neverwinter, whose fame spread throughout the Sword Coast. It was an impressively tall building with many windows and an arched roof.[1] After the eruption of Mount Hotenow in 1451 DR, the House of Knowledge was badly damaged, and, as of 1479 DR, it still stood in ruins.[2] Efforts to repairing it begun around 1489 DR.[3]

Activities

As of 1370 DR, the temple was run by Chief Priest Watger Brighthair and Elder Reader Salyndra Shaern, who offered their teachings for free. It was a repository of chronicled learning, including maps, history, and hundreds of poems and chapbooks produced over the centuries.[1] During the eruption of Mount Hotenow, in 1451 DR, the priests sealed the temple's inner sanctum to protect the books, maps and other treasures, and fled, leaving trapped there a young loremaster, Atlavast. He survived the cataclysm but became a little bit of insane after the experience, choosing to never abandon the temple, instead biding his time cataloging and organized the libraries and other repositories of knowledge.[2] As of 1478 DR, Brother Anthus was in charge of the House of Knowledge. His research on the Chasm led to the temple's being used as a haven for spellscarred refugees, something Lord Protector Dagult Neverember didn't approve. Soon after Brother Anthus died under mysterious circumstances, a young woman known as the Prophet Rohini took all the refugees and Oghmanite priests and left the temple for Helm's Hold. Only one priest remained in the temple after her departure, Atlavast.[2] In 1479 DR, a group of Ashmadai took up residence in the House of Knowledge. Posing as refugees, the Ashmadai used their cover to try to corrupt the Mintarn mercenaries Neverember had hired to protect the Wall. The Ashmadai also helped the mercenaries, by ringing the bells every time they spotted aberrations coming up from the Wall, as they believed people should be slaves to Asmodeus, not to monstrosities from the Far Realm.[2] With the Chasm sealed in the late years of the 1480s decade, a few Oghmanite priests from other lands went to Neverwinter in the hopes of reclaiming the temple for their faith.[3]