To be honest, I feel like a need a little rundown of the world. I get it's a high fantasy setting, but I'd like a better idea of what's been happening in the world so I can create a believable "meanwhile" story. And, yeah, I've read everything in the OP. 

I understand there's a war going on? I would like the names of the armies involved and possibly some information about their equipment. I'm thinking that Gregory got tangled in the middle of a conflict while traveling with his current employer. This would lead to his employer getting killed and Gregory barely getting out alive. He would travel in the same direction as the heroes and collide into whichever group makes the most sense, perhaps the one he was already with.