The following was used to hook the players into the first adventure:
The honour of your presence is requested and required at a banquet to be held at the Tea House of Baron Lion’s Gate. Festivities commence with a speech from the Baron at 7pm on Monday April 27th, 2020: don’t be late!
Following the conventions of Fantasy Geography 101, dwarves hold the Tantalus Range and the southern Coast Mountains. Elves infest the Kootenays, the orcish cult of Malacath is centred around Mt Edziza and goblins control the Okanagan. Dragons sometimes sleep for centuries, so could be curled up in a cave or condo almost anywhere.
The Barony of Lion's Gate is a continental outpost of the Kingdom of Columbia, ruled by Queen Victoria, 24th of her line, from the eponymously named city on VanCouver's Island. Queens are elected by the council of electors every 14 years or whenever a new monarch is needed.
Everyone expects that the Baron's speech will convey the latest news of the zombie plague that has taken over the land of Unamer to the south. Thus far, the mages of the Princess Patricia regiment have managed to keep the plague from passing the magical barrier of the 49th parallel. A gift of mage-weed from King Nelson of the Elves has helped to bolster their mana reserves and everyone is hopeful that the plague can be kept from spreading north. However, with so many of the Queen's forces and so much of her attention turned southward, news of increased activity around Mount Edziza has turned some eyes nervously northward.