Over one and a half thousand years ago there was a powerful sorcerer of Chaos known as Shordoth. He made his home in the Cruth Mountains between Highshire and the town of Dolos in the Republic of Darokin. Despite his dark allegiances, he kept a low profile and was content with influencing rather than conquering the lands nearby, though his instigations were often baleful. It is claimed by his followers that he encouraged the discord and infighting among the halflings that led to the Clanstrife of 811BC where the hin descended into civil war. It is also believed that he encouraged King Thrail of the orc tribes to invade the halflings’ lands in 802BC. For the next fifty years Shordoth tried to coordinate the forces of Chaos, particularly orcs and gnolls, to subjugate the hin while he stayed hidden in his mountain lair. Humans, dwarves and even corrupted halflings also served as his agents and footsoldiers while kobolds worked on his stronghold. However, in 740BC he was slain by brave halfling heroes after his identity and activities were revealed to the leaders of the Five Shires by the spy Meriadoc Hardbottle.
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His surviving followers placed him to rest in a tomb under his mountain stronghold and there his mortal remains have stayed. However, his corrupt influence endures, particularly within his stronghold. There are a number of orc tribes around his stronghold who still fear the place, and orc shamans will refer to it as the tomb of the ancient master. Many of his followers who died in that fortress have become undead, while chaotic creatures are now drawn to the ruins.
The stronghold of Shordoth has a significant presence on the surface, with the central keep, curtain walls and wall towers still mostly standing though many of the smaller buildings have completely collapsed. The Ragged Eyesocket tribe of gnolls are based in one of the towers and gnolls will patrol the rest of the surface buildings unless there are more dangerous monsters than they can handle - the gnolls avoid the central keep for this reason where a Red Ogre and a number of normal ogres have made their lair.
Beneath the main keep the first level of dungeons is believed to contain many barracks and guardian monsters, while the second dungeon level holds Shordoth’s extensive libraries and laboratories. The third level is the catacomb where Shordoth and many of his faithful minions were buried, as well as shrines to the cosmic force of Chaos, foul chaotic immortals and Chaos Princes. This third level has a powerful unhallowed aura that disrupts the spellcasting of lawful creatures and also makes them both fearful and nauseous. Even clerics cannot turn undead creatures as they would in other dungeons, and given the wraiths and spectres in these catacombs this is a dangerous situation for mortal adventurers to enter.
And yet mortals do still enter. Some are simply after treasure, both mundane and magical - a risky proposition though one or two adventurers have emerged with gems, jewellery and unusual magic items. Some are followers of Chaos, sent by their patrons or masters to retrieve books and scrolls from the libraries or strange ingredients and equipment from the alchemical laboratories. These chaotic folk are often completing tests of service, and proving themselves capable and worthy of continued patronage. Because they are of chaotic alignment they are not as affected by the unhallowed aura, although they generally do not get a free pass from the monsters and undead. The rarest type of explorers are those trying to put a final end to the evil influence of Shordoth. None have succeeded, and only one has made it out alive.
The Circle of Forgotten Secrets is a relatively small group of chaotic mages and their followers, not based in Shordoth’s keep itself but in a manor house in the Cruth Mountains nearby. They claim to be the successors to Shordoth’s apprentices and followers, and the circle is intent on both learning Shordoth’s secret research (hence occasional expeditions into the dungeon libraries and laboratories) and carrying on Shordoth’s plan of encouraging the humanoid tribes to disrupt and possibly overrun lawful civilisations such as the Five Shires. Like their dark hero, the Circle of Forgotten Secrets is unlikely to reveal itself, preferring to operate behind the scenes.
