Shuodou

Shuodou, also known as the Obsidian Isles, are a series of volcanic isles just off the northern coast of Shavhan, and south-west of Nothindria. They are rocky inhospitable islands, covered in black sand and jagged volcanic rock. Perhaps worse than this, Shuodou is a dark place, home to demons and other dark beings.
Yet despite this, there are those who live here. Shuodou was often used as a place of banishment in the past, and as such the descendants of those exiles still live there, hardy folk who know how to work the black soil, and can defend themselves against the creatures of the night. Often these folk turn to the worship of Dark Gods, in an attempt to appease the demons. Or it may be that their ancestors were originally exiled for dark worship. Whatever the case, Shuodou is a religious centre for the Dark in Shavhan.
At the centre of the largest isle in the Obsidian Isles is Shigannan, a huge volcano. Though it hasn't erupted in thousands of years, it often emits an acrid black smoke. At the base of Shigannan is an ancient monastery, once dedicated to an unknown purpose. The Monastery suffered when Shigannan last erupted. The building was left mostly intact, but all its inhabitants were killed. It has since been taken over by Dark Worshipers, and turned into a dark temple of Shidiqura.
The Monks of Shigannan are infamously capable assassins and spies, possessing a level of deception and cruel intelligence beyond what was even thought humanly possible.