<em>At the first glance, the House of d'Szeossen did not overtly stand out among the other structures of the Ghetto of Scholars.  It was not particularly tall.  It had no distinctive features beyond the top of the building, which was ornately carved to resemble a spider on the pages of a book.  Besides the foreboding wall that served as its front with shadowy forms seen in the heights of the guard towers that dotted it, the house seemed like many of the other libraries and centers of learning found there.<br/><br/>And yet, the longer a person's eye wandered, the more it seemed to be invariably drawn back.  Perhaps it was the way the artisan had designed the curves to the structure.  They twisted and twined without beginning or ending, hypnotically beckoning.  There was a seductive aura, a mystique, surrounding the building.  A shroud of mystery and secrets.  And that aura was intensified by the inhabitants who housed the structure.  Their odd hours of the day.   The secretive comings and goings.  The occasional odd wail.  The maddening, muted silence.  And in the depths of that madness, the dawning realization that the beginning, the ending, and everything...<br/><br/>...was found here.</em><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">House structure in stronghold terms and business</div><div class="spoiler_body"><br/><strong>Major:Information Gathering</strong><br/>Primary Skill: Gather Information Secondary Skills: Intimidate (blackmails), Diplomacy (negotiations)<br/>Resources: High<br/>Risk: High<br/>Income per month: Each point over 25 multiplied by 50,000<br/><br/><strong>Minor:Mining</strong><br/>Primary Skill: Profession:Miner/Administrator Secondary Skills: Appraise (appraise value of the ores), Diplomacy (negotiations for prices)<br/>Resources: High<br/>Risk: Medium<br/>Income per month: Each point over 25 multiplied by 2,500<br/><br/><strong>Minor:Slave trade/training</strong><br/>Primary Skill: Intimidate Secondary Skills: Sense Motive (to learn best way to break slaves), Diplomacy (negotiation of prices)<br/>Resources: High<br/>Risk: High<br/>Income per month: Each point over 25 multiplied by 5,000<br/></div></div>