Two hundred years ago, the city of Shannath fell to the influence of the God of Madness, its citizens killing one another and growing deformed with the chaotic and twisting energies that wracked the city. Even armed emissaries sent to investigate the city were quickly lost in its tormented and ever-changing streets. Once lost, the victims soon met their ends to the horrors that roamed the ruins. For a time, the King stopped sending expeditions and the entire area was declared off limits.
It took less than a decade for reports to start trickling in that the madness twisting the ruined city was beginning to affect the surrounding countryside, an event known as a Madness bloom. As the reports grew in number and severity, it became clear that this was the worst such bloom in recent history and the Temple called an emergency council. When the doors opened, an announcement was made: a new monastery would be founded on the outskirts of the ruins. Unlike the existing monasteries in the Kingdom, this would be composed of members of all of Circadean o'Conn's monastic sects, nine in total. Its name, composed in the old language, was to be "Connovar", literally, "The Order of the Nine".
Due to conditions surrounding the ruins, it took ten years to complete the monastery and many monks and soldiers perished in the process. Once it was complete, the order of the building and its stones, in combination with the rituals performed, began to work on the land. The area of the monastery itself and a tract of land extending roughly thirty yards beyond it have been stabilized and returned to Order.
Since that day, Connovar's monks have been striving to push the madness back and reclaim the land. And they have had some success. The deeper into the city they push, however, the harder their work becomes. Worse, enrollment in the monasteries is on the decline. Recently, numbers have dropped enough that the madness is once more beginning to push back, spreading ever closer to the monks who fight it.
As a player, you will take on the role of a monk in Connovar. Monks come from a variety of backgrounds. They can be male or female, young or old, novice or ranking member of the church. You will join a society of men and women dedicated to order, but fighting madness both outside of and within themselves.
Take a peek at the links below for specific information about the World of the game. For information about the nine sects of the Temple, look here.
