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The way I currently understand it:
1. We've just arrived back to the caves with the refugees after a successful supply run.
2. We've learned the origins of the Spiders (how they were created by the mysterious Sa Karan wizard race ... and that they were banished to another dimension). Evil Sa Karan might be the "Masters" of the Spider race (iirc .. not 100% sure about that).
3. They want to experiment on humans (& maybe halflings) (but kill other demi-humans outright (elves, dwarves)). Humans were created by Sa Karan originally.
4. We've found a portal to their dimension, but it was gated and we had no way through.
5. We know the Spiders have killed the King and all of his heroes (i.e. the Nine?). I think we have all of the Nine accounted for at this point...
6. We know the Spiders have captured the Princess (now Queen?) (probably planning to experiment on her).
7. We know that Lord Herrick leads the refugees and wants a big showdown with the Spiders. We've secured the allegiance of the Orcs & the Dwarves (& I vaguely recall the Lumberjacks/Woodsmen ... not 100% sure of the last one).
What we need to do (as I see it):
1. Rescue the Princess!
2. Help build the resistance (i.e. Lord Herrick's Army). Attain the allegiance of the Elves maybe? I believe there's some other human city-states as well that live down the coast. Thematically, it does feel like we should go get the Elves to help too.
3. Inspire the Refuges to not give up hope.
4. Get Buzzby some better pipeweed! Whatever he's been smoking stinks up the camp!
5. More chicken for Ben the dog!
6. Teach Nute to shave ... cause that thing on his upper lip is just embarrassing at this point.