Azron taught our heroes that the Order of Saruun was founded over a millenium ago by three clerics, in commemeration of one of the greatest religious figures of that time, Markus Saruun, who fell in battle against the forces of evil. Over the years, the Order's HQ grew from a small abbey to a town and later a massive citadel in honor to the gods. All the gods. Their power grew, but so did their hubris. It wasn't long before their golden age was over.
The gods and their followers grew jealous of each others, and these feelings drew in the darker gods. Bane was the one who struck the first blow to the citadel, as armies of raiders came pouring from the plains to set fire to villages and murder pilgrims. The citadel stood proud, however. Once again united against a common foe, the Order of Saruun withstood assault after assault, backed by plenty of divine power.
That is, until Torog interfered. In one swift blow he burrowed to the surface with his followers and pulled the city under, ever deeper, torturing and tormenting everyone inside along the way. By the time the citadel hit the underdark, a proces that took many years to complete, only the three first clerics hadn't succumbed to madness or death. In the meanwhile a dark curse spilled over the lands, originating from the hole to the Underdark. Tainted magic, plants and creatures poured over the mortal realm and made it their own, forcing the inhabiting races to lay aside their differences and fight the blight as a united force. While the civilians fled to farther corners of the realm, a giant army lead by a human hero named Aelu Dawnbreaker fought its way to the core of the blight and into the Underdark in a desperate attempt to save the mortal realm.
It's been near a millenium since they first set out and the survivors founded the empire of Irin at the edge of the realm, waiting for news, praying for salvation. News never came, but neither did the blight. The taint never reached past the lands now known as the Wastes, at the very edge of Irin. One can only assume the heroes succeeded.
The gods and their followers grew jealous of each others, and these feelings drew in the darker gods. Bane was the one who struck the first blow to the citadel, as armies of raiders came pouring from the plains to set fire to villages and murder pilgrims. The citadel stood proud, however. Once again united against a common foe, the Order of Saruun withstood assault after assault, backed by plenty of divine power.
That is, until Torog interfered. In one swift blow he burrowed to the surface with his followers and pulled the city under, ever deeper, torturing and tormenting everyone inside along the way. By the time the citadel hit the underdark, a proces that took many years to complete, only the three first clerics hadn't succumbed to madness or death. In the meanwhile a dark curse spilled over the lands, originating from the hole to the Underdark. Tainted magic, plants and creatures poured over the mortal realm and made it their own, forcing the inhabiting races to lay aside their differences and fight the blight as a united force. While the civilians fled to farther corners of the realm, a giant army lead by a human hero named Aelu Dawnbreaker fought its way to the core of the blight and into the Underdark in a desperate attempt to save the mortal realm.
It's been near a millenium since they first set out and the survivors founded the empire of Irin at the edge of the realm, waiting for news, praying for salvation. News never came, but neither did the blight. The taint never reached past the lands now known as the Wastes, at the very edge of Irin. One can only assume the heroes succeeded.