Below I have provided the hook I gave to the characters when we started out in the very beginning of 2019.

Hello potential adventurers! Let me see if I can tickle your fancy with this hook.

We begin on the continent of Uuthral. A land of rolling plains, calm seas, impassable mountains, and... random demons. Uuthral has the misfortune of massive Demon Princes coming to its lands every dozen generations or so and absolutely flattening any civilization that has been built up and no one knows how or why. So civilization is young and fragile.

Most people, including you, residents of the capital city of Acelea, have other things to worry about. Day-to-day stuff. Like why strange piles of rocks are appearing seemingly out of nowhere around the city. Or rumors of the young ruler of the empire going mad. Or that bigger and bigger sea creatures are starting to show up in the pool in the center of the city. But today Acelea is celebrating its 287th year free from major demon attacks, and this is where our story begins.

The Stars of Our Show

Grimtwinkle the forest gnome wizard [school of Illusion] played by Gareth.

Karadin Forgeheart the hill dwarf forge cleric played by Hamilton.

Torbin Gavalle the mountain Dwarf Paladin of the Ancients played by Andrew.

Silas the fire Genasi Rogue played by Zac.

Acelea is the thriving capital of Uuthral. A relatively new city in a relatively new empire, Acelea thrives on trade, farming, fishing, and tourism. It is a city on the rise and people are generally optimistic about the future. Citizens of Acelea have made it, and even the lower class of people work hard and are proud of their city. Acelea is made up of six districts with some being more welcoming than others to outsiders.

Acelea rose to prominence under the previous king, Quilious Acelea the First’s reign. He expertly spearheaded the recovery of the land of Uuthral after the Demon Prince Fraz-Urb'luu tore through the land, ending the Second Demon Age. Acelea built large walls and assembled a fierce army to protect those who wished for something greater in their lives. He was widely successful, and by the time of his death 8 years ago Acelea had grown to a thriving metropolis.

In the empire and on the continent it is not uncommon for portals to open between this plane and The Abyss where demons reside, no one knows why and no one knows how to predict them.

It is early spring and today is the celebration of the defeat of the demons or Founding Day. The streets are full of large parades, papier-mâché demons hang everywhere, and music and song fill the air. This is a joyous albeit a superstitious celebration were townsfolk celebrate the passing of another year without a major demon attack. This is the character’s first celebration and they are all taking in the fun in the Distillery District. The night air is crisp but not cold, people surround them unwinding having a great time.

They are all gathered around Tipsy Trixie’s Meadery watching the day’s parade wind down. There is a small stage being set up for the annual Demon Push which is followed by a musical performance where the city will dance the night away.

Demon Push stars an enchanted Balor replica complete with with actual licking flames and deep growls.

It is tradition for new comers to the city to “fight off” the demon. The heads of the city watch control the demon as the crowd cheers for the giant sword to be plunged into the Balor.

As the festival is winding down a red flash illuminates the crowd and to everyone’s horror a demon gate opens up. Everyone is too drunk to fight and the guards are busy keeping the people safe. It is up to the adventurers to save them.