I'm doing something new with my player characters...I'm starting them at different times. The first players village is raided by Death Knights, and the townsfolk pack up and get out. The players parents and family are killed, and the player is stuck with a group of soldiers travelling to Cormyr to speak to King Azoun.. The player REALLY wants to find out why the Death Knights raided their village after they'd been gone for a couple hundred years, so he enlists the aid of player 2, maybe player 3. They set out, hired hands, with player 1, and end up meeting player 4 in an adventure. Player 4 joins them after MORE Death Knights show up, this time led by Gondegal, who I've recreated as a Doom Knight after his loss at Arabel, and they flee, only to get to WaterDeep, and meet players 5 and 6. Seven, a drow psionicist, will join them when they venture into Menzoberranzan.
*Lord Xian of Silverblood*