House of Skilled Hands

The House of Skilled Hands was a temple to Gond, the Lord of All Smiths, found in the city of Tantras in the Vast.

Location
The House of Skilled Hands sat almost at the end of Whistleturn Way, near the city's waterfront.

History
The House of Skilled Hands was only newly constructed in the Year of Shadows, 1358 DR, and not yet fully staffed. During the Time of Troubles of that year, the deity Torm resided at his temple in Tantras. Torm's zealous priests began persecuting followers of other faiths in the city as "unbelievers".

Nevertheless, the House of Skilled Hands remained active through to 1367 DR and past 1370 DR.

Activities
The House of Skilled Hands once installed a series of cargo-lifting cranes in Tantras's harbor, which Elminster noted were similar to cranes found on another world, and received a copper piece for every load lifted. These allowed the city to quickly move large quantities of freight, and made it a popular trade destination. Such cranes were recent inventions by the mid-1300s, and were also in use in Baldur's Gate and Scardale and other ports.

Inhabitants
In 1358 DR, the temple was led by High Artificer Eldorn Mindalar, with nine priests and eighteen lay-followers.