An Elven Male Generalist Wizard, A Human Male Paladin of 'Mao', A Female Halfling Rogue, And A Gender-Undecided War-Forged Crusader of 'The Iron Giant'... (All 8th Level.)

The party guarding you tonight is only four people, and all only eighth level, but at least it is a properly balanced party.

First up we have Jaar'okash Banniettlin, an elven wizard who you have gotten to know over the course of the several years they have been doing this quest string for you. He's sweet on you, you know that: but he's a PC and you're a Quest Giver. Once the quest string is over he will move on, while you will remain here, doing your round of the province as you have for almost thirty years, right through the last invasion. (Those were some dark days, spying on the enemy troops while helping to deliver women's babies and dodging deserters from both sides...) "Jaar" (for short) is about your own height of 5'4", has dark green eyes and a thin frame, with long hair the color of rich forest loam and skin pale as milk. He dresses in bespoke clothing from Kelain Dor itself, enchanted to turn weapons and magic alike, and both repair itself if damaged and clean itself if dirty. He carries his accouterments in a Heward's Handy Haversack, and has spellbooks for each school of wizardry, refusing to sacrifice competence in any school for greater proficiency in another.

Next is Commissar Julian Philipæ Catachan the Red, a Paladin of 'Mao'. Technically, he is a Paladin of "An Ideal" specifically "The-Communist-Ideal" but he has created a micro-pantheon of 'gods' that he prays to within that ideal, Chairman Mao Zedong: God of Agriculture, Cultural Continuity, and History (L/G), Premiere Vladimir Lenin: God of The Party, Politics, and **** (L/N), Leon Trotsky: God of The Eternal Revolution, Right Sharing Of World Resources, and Hope (N/G), and Premier Joseph Stalin: God of Machinery, The Five-Year Plan, and War (L/E). None of these four 'gods' actually have any real power to grant spells or answers to questions from spells such as Sending, but it takes people longer to realize that the guy in Paladin class gear is a 'godless commie' if he says he worships "Mao: God of Agriculture, Cultural Continuity, and History" than if he just straight up says he's a Paladin of "The-Communist-Ideal".

(I also have to point out here that when 'The-Communist-Ideal' was added to the list of possible options for some classes to receive divine power from the version of 'The-Communist-Ideal' for "Aluvia: World of Fantasies" was not quite the same as the one in the real world, especially in that it didn't have the same anti-religion stance that it does in the real world. This is because, in Aluvia, the 'gods' actually exist, and perform meaningful service to both the general public, (via their clergy or directly in a few cases), and the game's administrative functions. This means that Alluvia's communism deals with divinity more like the celestial bureaucracy of Imperial China: F.E. Yes, you can have festivals and temples and priests and so on, but no more* than The Party has budgeted as needed for you to perform your necessary divine functions...)
*(Unless your clergy could perhaps make the case that... A: budgeting for an extra festival would have side effects worth the resource expense, like increased morale, a bonus to agriculture production over time caused by competing for the largest vegetables at an agricultural festival, or decreased winter mortality rates from a mid-season feast using up iffy food stocks before they spoil and become worthless... B: Putting in and staffing an additional Temple in some specific location would have long-term effects greater than the sum of the resources expended on the project, such as installing a Temple to the God of Travelers in a treacherous pass where people have often been snowed-in previously that will double as a search-and-rescue station, mountain caravanserai, and road-maintenance base: or a new temple to the God of Agriculture that is also combination grainery, silage depot, and flour mill...)

The Halfling Rogue is named Thr1c3 R4p3d G1ng3r 0f 3mb3rt0n, and her backstory is very tragic; having been **** repeatedly, body, soul, and mind. What had happened to her exactly changed with each telling, but the constant elements were that she had been a captive of a demon worshiping cult that **** her repeatedly and **** her to enjoy it with demonic aphrodisiacs. Eventually she was tattooed and scared with demonic runes and words that gave her a host of magic powers suitable for stealth-&-****, but she was not yet mind-broken as they'd thought she would be, so she used those powers to slaughter the cultists while the leaders were away and escape. Soon after, her player adopted her and has lived as her ever since. She has hair the color of flame and a lithe child-like figure except for b-cup breasts and a set of "birthing hips" that are positively enormous on her small frame. She claims that she is poisoned by the scar/tattoos that adorn her body into being a whoreish slut, but you think that her player must be fronting and simply enjoy it.

And last but not least we have the genderles warforged. Nether male nor female in appearance, the warforged "crusader" worships the Warforged exclusive Deity "The Iron Giant", who is prophecied to have the warforged build him a body and bring freedom and liberty to warforged everywhere, who are often enslaved by other races. They are trying to quest for the "Living Warforged" prestige class, but apparently also know most of the other PCs in thier party's players IRL. (Except for the Halfling.)

These four individuals have been with you on this quest string for years of your lifetime, and they are getting close to completing thier journey with you. After tonight there are only five more quests to go, and then they'll be done.

It is in this somewhat morose mood of preemptively saying goodbye to your friends that you hear the sounds of a group of raiders approaching your position...