Recap

 Main set of character

Original group of "Fort Aralan" characters are now at 11th level (I think).

Move recently they defeated a beholder who had set up an encampment south of the city.  His layer was linked to an  orbital station.  They recovered a ship there that can sail on the astral sea. (See this post)

Their long time mentor, the wizard Sihirbaz is missing.

New set of characters

A new set of characters was started.  These characters were not in the Fort Aralan setting.  Instead they were refugees of the Gith war.  Their home worlds were destroyed by Githyanki marauders.  They were rescued by Githzerai, and brought to "Ares Outpost".  On a desert world, this is the last remaining city of a Thri-Kreen population facing extinction.  (See this post)

This group of characters was given shelter within the walls of Ares Outpost, while most refugees had to live outside the walls in a shanty town.  They received this shelter in exchange for working for a Gith captain named Rinrath. 

Rinrath sent the party to investigate some smugglers.  Ancient Thri-Kreen artifacts had been stolen, and Rinrath had learned of a meeting between the thieves and the buyers.  The party interrupted this sale.  In the process they learned that the buyer was a Thri-Kreen druid.

They traced this druid to an order living in an underdark realm beneath the mountain.  On their journey to investigate this place, they encountered many underdark creatures, including Myconids and Grey Gnomes.  They also learned of a mysterious figure known as "The Thinker of Thoughts", who was stirring up trouble among the underdark peoples.  

The druid order, called "The Preservers" or "Preservationists" had an enormous cavern with an artificial sun.  Within it they created a ecosystem populated with plant and creatures from Ares before it became a desert.  

All the druids were Thri, except for one - a halfling named Bell.  Bell was friendly to them at first, but eventually attacked them.  They defeated her in battle, and learned that her mind had been taken over by an Intellect Devourer.