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On October 21st, 1759, the Knight Templar hired a group of criminals to pose as traveling gypsies seeking shelter from the cold night (that night being the coldest recorded of the entire century). Several hours after being admitted into the visitor’s dormitory, the band of thieves and murderers left a signal for their allies. This was their moment.

With due haste the thugs lit fire to the Visitors Dorm, closing the windows so the smoke would remain inside and releasing into the flames a poisonous root from depths of the African jungles, Radix pedis diaboli; a powerful hallucinogen that can kill at high dosages within moments.
Breaking free from this room they slaughtered teacher and student alike, making their way down to the lower levels of the lavish castle outside the walls of Harvad's grounds. Throwing down hastily produced ropes and ladders, the brigands and their Templar allies alike tore through the Dormitory building, killing all who lay in their way. Teachers were rounded up in the courtyards and decapitated and emolliated and students were raped, tortured and killed on sight However, this was not the end of Harvad Universities’ bright future.



The university had devised an elaborate escape and warning system and during the massacre word was quickly relayed to the teaching hall and open cathedral that Harvad was under attack. Time being of the utmost urgency, the head scholars moved the Universities most prized possessions and ushered as many students and teachers as could be managed outside the grounds and through underground tunnels.

When the Templar made their way to the Teaching facilities most of the valuables had been removed, though they did manage to take the Holy Chalice (which would be reclaimed by Harvad in 1809). Finding that there had been evacuations beforehand, the Templar laid chase to the escapees via the tunnel system and the roads. A handful of those who had escaped the massacre were captured and brought back to be killed. However among those who made off safely was Harvad's future savior, Eugina Sanford.

Eugina Sanford was known in many circles as one of the brightest of her time. The daughter of moorland farmers, Eugina enrolled in Harvad and began the rigorous 5 year testing regimen at the ripe age of 16, before finally being admitted and given a dormitory wing. At Harvad, Eugina was well liked by her peers, and adored by her teachers, who saw in her a brilliance they had not seen for as long a time as they had been at the prestigious university. She quickly rose to the top of every participant learning group and had a reputation for having a quick mind and tongue to match.



After Harvad was besieged, Eugina was among those ushered off the grounds. Costumed as a homeless harlot traveling the streets, she narrowly evaded capture by her pursuers though the group she was with was not so lucky. Of the 70 odd she left the castle grounds with, only 4 would remain.