In my Sunday campaign, for The 13 Kingdoms, which I'm substitute-DMing for a few months..... The PCs have just boarded the Gilded Harpy, a schooner heading for the local capitol city, seeking to look for any gnomes in the capitol that might have been recently freed. The island nation just received a shipment of gnomish slaves from the hobgoblin nation on the mainland, a few months ago, and the PCs have headed to the islands looking for any of Fleck's kin. Fleck hopes that the islanders freed the gnomes, since the slavers sent them over unconditionally as a gesture of their continued alliance. The party just recently fought a harrowing series of battles with kobold bandits and their leader, a large green dragon named Oruzanthanax. Fleck's familiar Bristletail perished in the final battle, from a combination of acid breath, biting, and a lightning bolt spell from one of the kobolds. However, Argus subdued the kobold cleric with the intention of questioning him later, but on Fleck's watch the following night, he cast a series of enchantments on the kobold cleric, releasing him and then bargaining for him to return Bristletail from the dead.
The kobold cleric, himself a devotee of the death dragon, agreed to the deal because of his meager honor and chiefly the enchantments Fleck had cast upon him. Risslek raised Bristletail from the dead, then was freed of the Suggestions and such, warning the gnome that the only reason he didn't kill the stupid mage now was because his deity would look down on him for the dishonorable circumstances and possibly revoke his blessings (all that he had left, since the party already looted him and took all the stuff he had crafted or accumulated). Risslek hid in the shadows just outside of Fleck's sight and used Ethereal Jaunt to pass through the walls of the cave and escape, vowing to himself for revenge later. Presently, the group pursues Fleck's goals, but soon enough one or another party member will pull the group in a different direction, as they have no real leader and no single purpose. Fleck seeks magical knowledge and anything that can help his people, as most gnomes are slaves of the hobgoblins. Valdir just likes to kill orcs and goblinoids, traditional enemies of elvenkind, and wants to improve his archery skills. Argus seeks strength, pure and simple, and for the time being he has been able to find magic items and opponents to help improve his strength by following these people. Zerash was imprisoned by Oruzanthanax and tricked by him, so now follows the group to lend a bit of help while he can, as long as it does not go against the tenets or goals of his patron god. Many others have been a part of the group, but gone their separate ways over time, though some may cross paths wtih the group again someday.
In my Saturday homebrew campaign, Rhunaria....... The PCs have just been found by the great wyrm gold dragon, Kizaraxmallian, who's lived for millenia in the area they've recently been traveling through. They received a bit of lore and directions from him regarding the location of the "tree of silver" and the "mountain that weeps" mentioned in Karil's dream/vision by the Gilden deity Altania L'Salle, goddess of night, nature, arcana, and mystery. Karil seeks to restore the Summer Fields of old, which the party recently fought their way through, as the Bloodgrass Fields of modern Rhunaria. Myriad restless spirits and horrors roam there since the old wars that took place in the formerly-tranquil Summer Fields.
Karil, a spirit sorcerer, wants to restore the Summer Fields, and was told by Altania that he may be able to help with that by finding the tree of silver and the mountain that weeps, though he does not know what exactly he's supposed to find in either place that will help. Kizaraxmallian has told him of a silver tree in one of the elven ruins to the north, in the Ashen Desert that was once part of his forest long ago, before humanoids burned it down in the Great Rebellion against elvenkind's Illustrious Kingdom of Linaerelesti, which had dominated most humanoids as slaves to elvenkind before the Rebellion. The group just fought a pair of dinosaurs halfway between Kizarax's lair and the Ashen Desert, when Donovan was slain as he got too close to the allosaurs, early in the fight. Now the group considers returning to Kizaraxmallian to see if their friend can be returned to life, as Franceis does not yet have such power from his thus-far brief time dedicated to Allesandro LeSalle.
Karil's longtime traveling companions help him out in his quest, while seeking their own goals. Feliex learned from Kizaraxmallian of the red dragon who burned Feliex's family and hometown to ashes so many years ago, and now knows generally where to find Modorvalkiderax, though warned that he and his comrades are not nearly strong enough to challenge Kizarax's old enemy yet. Donovan has learned of his draconic heritage and how to come to terms with his alternate personality, Drax, to become a half-dragon like his ancestors. Jules takes any chance to slaughter the hated orcs, and if he has to help out on some other folks' quests to have their aid in striking at orcish territory later, so be it. Davian needs resources and power if he's going to overcome the corrupt noble who executed his father and took his family's land, after proclaiming them traitors. Tzedek just needs some new tales, like any good bard does, and some personal fame and fortune as an orc-slayer or dragon-slayer wouldn't hurt. Sniklis has little choice but to keep strong company, if he's to avoid being found, tortured, and slain by his former master, a fellow kobold druid calling himself the Green Lord.
Yumiko has taken an interest in the folks who visited her draconic grandfather, and the young half-dragon lady has an eye for Jules, so she's taken it upon herself to travel with them a bit and observe. Seth has nowhere better to go, and he'll take any opportunity for potential treasure and, well, expanding his collection of camel toes, orc ears, goblin fingers, and whatever else he can take as trophies or trinkets. Franceis was bidden to go out and earn experience in the world by High Priest Giovanti of the Versalle church of Allesandro LeSalle (chief god of the Gilden pantheon), and Franceis could use more battle experience to serve his deity. Not to mention that the fools need his healing and smiting abilities, to save them from their own brashness. He's not too shabby with his musket either. Mouse, well, she mostly travels with the group to keep Karil company, as the only other kid in the group, and she'd really rather not get found by the authorities or thieves' guilds, after her troublesome childhood and natural talents as an independant thief.
