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Reshuffling Kingmaker Take 2
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So I posted... wow was that 4 years ago? About my reshuffling of Kingmaker (here https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2s7yc?Reshuffling-Kingmaker). Between delays and my group swapping campaigns/DMs fairly regularly, as well as my modifications fluffing out what we've played... we're currently done with Book 2.

Which means we're hitting the point where I plan to make more serious changes.

Short version of what I am planning here is:

-Rushlight tournament invites go out.This usually comes in part 5, but I am wanting to use this as a way to introduce the players to local politics, and show them getting recognition as a real kingdom following the defeat of Hargulka.

-Since we are at start of book 3 technically, the Rushlight tournament will not be tied to the attack of Pitax (this time at least). After returning home there'll be a time skip, and a few months later players get a call for help from Varn (who has not vanished!)

-Varnhold Vanishing is going to be pushed all the way to 5, right before or possibly simultaneously with Nyrissa's Blooms. However, I do want the players to take over Varnhold. So at this point, Varn is being raided by Centaurs in response to his settlers heading south and coming too close to Vordrakai's tomb. At this point the PCs being called in to help can choose to ignore Varn (then go take up the ruins of the town afterwards), or go to help (in which case after successfully helping Varn swears fealty to the PCs and they can annex his kingdom). In either case the PCs will need to deal with the Centaurs either to gain Varn's fealty or to successfully claim the remains of his kingdom.

-Once the Centaurs have been dealt with (or possibly simultaneously with it, depending on how evil I feel), the battle of Tatzlford kicks off, starting the events of Book 4. It will then go to Book 5, then eventually loop back to someone crossing a line, waking up Big V, and Varnhold vanishing and all of the fun associated with that starting.

So my major points of concern right now are:
1) Is the Rushlight Tournament enough to hold a whole session by itself? I am planning on doing it as a one shot in the relatively near future even though it's not my turn to DM again yet. Since it's kind of disconnected from the Minotaurs and Book 4 issues, it seems like a good way to set up that political landscape before diving in. I am just not sure it will be enough to fill a 6-8 hour session on its own.

2) In the event that it is not, I am interested in hearing about things to help pad it out. I have so far decided to add at least one new minigame event (Extreme Juggling. I can provide my current write up for it if anyone is interested), though there was a Thief Tower event someone had posted here some time ago and it may get added as well. Looking for any other events that people have created that fit in well (especially interested in anything Mage themed, though I have also considered something tied to Ride/Handle Animal with the menagerie at the tournament), or any encounters (social or otherwise) that would make sense to include before/during/after the tournament.

3) How much am I potentially shooting myself in the foot with the reshuffling of big V? I really feel like he is a bigger more menacing threat than anything we see in stages 3/4, and feels like a more appropriate high level challenge. I am more concerned about storyline setup. Particularly ramifications of the players allying with the Nomen centaurs potentially years before Big V starts doing his thing.
[RRR] What are the Cultists actually doing?

So I am finally after two years getting back in the DM seat, and getting to run Part 2 of Kingmaker (we finished Part 1 a couple years ago but schedules forced us to put off continuing until now).

So I'm now in the middle of prepping and going through the changes I want to make, and this particular event at home is bugging me. The adventure path doesn't actually give any details on the cultists really doing anything. Sure Malgorzata is recruiting for her cult, but does ignoring this cause any trouble for the PCs? Not per the adventure. It says that it will cause the town to tear itself apart, but unlike with Grigori causing unrest, there's no notes on what happens if the PCs just ignore the cult.

So I am looking for suggestions. What is the cult actually doing that may attract the PCs attention? What sort of consequences come from failing to deal with this in a timely manner?
Need Inspiration for Kingmaker Lead-In

So I've been posting around here for the last month or so, but due to conflicting schedules first actual session date keeps getting pushed back. Normally I don't mind playing down a player or two, but for the first session of the campaign I prefer everybody to be there.

But at this point, rather than pushing everything back another two weeks, I thought maybe I could instead run a one-shot adventure with half the party that works as a lead-in to the two groups meeting up at Oleg's and the adventure proper starting. Problem is, I am drawing a blank as to what do with that lead-in session.

I figure the most logical thing would be something that results in the PCs earning the attention of the Restovi government and being given their initial charter, and possibly including the road to Oleg's. But what could 2-3 low level PCs get up to in the middle of Brevoy that attracts that attention, and what if anything could be done to make those interactions more interesting/entertaining?

Hoping for any inspiration you guys might be able to provide. I figure worst case I can throw together something involving a bandit raid on the border of Brevoy, to make the Stag Lord seem like a more present threat and get the PCs into things early... but I know there's a lot of creative people here, and am hoping someone can provide a more interesting/unique idea.

(Note if you want to suggest specific monsters: the group tends to be mid-op and I have some house rules in play to make starting characters a bit more durable. This is already being accounted for in the main AP, but it boils down to most monsters up to CR3 or 4 being able to be used without a serious chance of TPK even with a small group.)
Reshuffling Kingmaker
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So my group's other campaign has about 1 session left before I take over for Kingmaker, so I am ironing out my changes to the AP before going live. I've read through a lot of the larger threads on this forum mining for ideas, this is what I am planning to go with:

Character Changes:
The two major villains of the adventure path are Nyrissa and Irovetti. I've seen suggestions around for both of them that I liked, and am using/adapting them to my purpose.

Major Character Changes:
Nyrissa's backstory modified: Nyrissa when put down by the Eldest had her Love and Ambition torn from her. Her love was used to forge the three Weapons: Briar, Ovinrbaane, and The Lonely Sword. While her Ambition was wrought into the earth itself in the Stolen Lands.

The three weapons are redesigned to fit this new motif, and have the potential to gain more intelligence, gain power as they spend more time in proximity to each other. Nyrissa seeks to steal the Stolen Lands to reclaim her ambition, and great power along with it. courtesy of Gentleman

Irovetti's story changed: Irovetti takes power around the same time as the PCs. Is aware of the threat posed by Nyrissa through predecessor's journals, and is rapidly amping up resources to be able to defend against her. Somewhere after Part 2 Irovetti in desperation for more power takes up with Devils, exchanging soul of self + others in exchange for the power to stand against Nyrissa. courtesy of Pennywit He is actively seeking the 3 weapons that make up Nyrissa's love, having heard that the three united against her are the only way to end her permanently. (breaking her love into 3 weapons instead of just Briar is my own twist on things, and makes Irovetti's hunt for the two swords in the PC's lands that much more important).

Timeline: Timeline stretched, provide roughly 5 years between each part. After the first break, kingdom turns progress by season instead of by month. Possibly make other changes to slow down time passing if needed. Events get shuffled around, most prominently moving Varnhold Vanishes until the second to the end, but also notably moving the Rushlight tournament close to the beginning. The timeline will be mixed up as shown below.

Timeline:

1) Part 1-Initial Exploration of the Greenbelt, dealing with the stag lord, establishing the start of a Kingdom. Runs as is, except with a few added in references to seed the idea that a powerful fey lays claim to the Stolen Lands.
[PC Levels: 1-4]

[5 year gap. Total: 5 years]

2) Part 2-Expanding into the rest of the Greenbelt, fend off Nyrissa and Irovetti's various plots. Considering using the Hargulka Monster Kingdom stuff(see here), or at least adapting it to make Hargulka a more active and prominent player in this section.
[PC Levels: 4-6]

[1 year gap. Total: 6 years]

3) Interlude 1- Players receive their first invitation to the Rushlight Tournament, along with the other 2 local monarchs (Varn and Drelev). Use this as a good place to introduce the players to local politics and the leaders of the nations in the region. This is the first indication the players are being taken seriously as leaders, and a strong showing in the Tournament itself will only further emphasize that. Focus should be on the tournament minigames and Varn/Drelev/Irovetti, but lots of opportunity to expand further if the players show interest in diplomacy and the surrounding region.
[PC Levels: 6]

[5 year gap. Total: 11 years]

4) Interlude 2- Varnhold runs into trouble with Minotaurs, get bogged down in war that stagnates their growth and threatens to exterminate them. Brevoy withdraws all official support due a combination to increasing internal tensions and feeling the experiment is now a lost cause. In desperation, Varnhold reaches out to the PCs for help. If PCs can end the war (peacefully or otherwise), Varnhold will swear fealty to the PCs, joining their kingdom without first needing the events of Varnhold Vanishes (which gets pushed back much later).
[PC Levels: 6-7]

[no gap. Total: 11 years]
5) Part 4-Have this begin simultaneously with the PCs being preoccupied with helping Varnhold if possible. Drelev sees weakness in the PCs kingdom with them being preoccupied dealing with the Minotaurs, and decides to take advantage of it. Break out mass combat rules here, rather than the small bands used in the official adventure. If Hargulka is not killed in Part 2, have him show back up as a part of Drelev's forces here. Play up the threat posed by Drelev, making ending that threat a high priority for the PCs.
[PC Levels: 7-8]

[3 Year Gap. Total: 14 years]

6) Interlude 3-Brevoy Civil War. Optional interlude if the PCs are showing interest in the politics of the region, or just in expansion (going in and stomping over both sides of the warring nation). Otherwise this happens in the background while the PCs nation recovers and the PCs themselves enjoy some hard won peace.
[PC Levels: 8]

[5 year gap. Total: 19 years]

6) Part 5-Irovetti at this point in time has been working on behalf of the devils for 10-15 years, and rumors of this should be spreading rapidly, especially when the change in national religion becomes official.

The PCs by this point have likely recovered 2 of the 3 weapons (Ovinrbaane and The Lonely Sword) that Irovetti has been seeking for his battle against Nyrissa, and by this time he is aware of it. In addition to that, and the PC Nation's growing power; the Devils Irovetti made a pact with have begun to mislead Irovetti into believing the PCs have secretly allied with Nyrissa, and are acting as her first line of defense. Proof of this includes that their lands contain the portal to her sanctum in the First World, and visions of the potential future in which all of the stolen lands are reduced to a barren wasteland.

Irovetti launches his attack, bringing to bear every force he can lay his hands on, ideally timing his attack to coincide with some disaster or other event (either natural or arranged by him or the devils), hoping to overrun the Kingdom and move to take on Nyrissa before it is too late.
[PC Levels: 8-12]

[1 year gap. Total: 20 years]

6) Part 3- Here we reimplement the events of Varnhold Vanishing. Nyrissa is coming very close to being able to complete her ritual to steal the Stolen Lands, but after the events of Part 5, the PCs are almost certainly aware of and looking for her, and have all Three Weapons in their hands.

The players will have roughly a year for research and searching here to try to find Nyrissa. As soon as they get close, to throw the PCs off her track she manipulates a mortal into opening up Big V's tomb, breaking the seal. Varnhold gets vanished just like in the AP, but V takes a far more active role in the adventure, having come out at full power instead of much weaker. His first few weeks are still reconnaissance, but after the PCs investigate and re-clear Varnhold, they should find themselves on the wrong end of an undead uprising with full support from a 17th level spellcaster whose eye is set on domination.
[PC Levels: 12-15]

[No gap. Total: 20 years]

7) Part 6- Play out almost identically to the standard Adventure. Unlike the other parts of the adventure, no long timeskip between Big V and Nyrissa. Ideally Nyrissa is in position to launch her first bloom during the climax of the battle against V. If V survives, Nyrissa will recruit him to her cause to aid with the ritual and get another shot at the PCs (possibly with a power boost courtesy of Nyrissa's First World Connection).
[PC Levels: 15-17]

So I guess what I'm looking for is another set of eyes to let me know if I missed anything obvious, or if there are major plotholes caused by any of these changes.

Explanation:
The main reason for the reshuffling is to try to make the story line flow better, as with these changes it evolves naturally from exploration/natural threats to external armies/kingdom threats, into supernatural Undead/First World threats, with Irovetti being a major crossover point (representing both a Kingdom threat and an extraplanar threat).

With these changes, most of the parts where armies and war is involved happen with the PCs below level 10 (with the PCs breaking past level 10 during their dealings with Irovetti). Meanwhile the deal with the devil gives Irovetti some more noble motivations, and makes him more human, a tragic figure even if the PCs bother to find out what's going on they may even want to try to bring him onto their side (which could end up being a sidequest all of its own, finding a way out of Irovetti's contract).

Meanwhile, at the same time, the literal deal with the devil makes it possible to have a higher level/higher powered Irovetti and lieutenants without making it seem like arbitrarily making every humanoid the PCs run into happen to match or beat their level. With both the Barbarians and the Rushlight tournament being pushed earlier in the campaign, the game can get by with most humanoids the party encounters being level 6 or below (with a handful being in the 7-9 range) without making it too easy.

Houserule Notes (in case they affect anything):
-I will be doing level up via fiat to keep players in the level range intended.
-Experience rewards will still be issued and may be spent on upgrades that supplement/replace magic items. In exchange fewer magic items will be dropped and magic items available for purchase will be severely limited. Expect the players to invest more personal wealth into the kingdom, or personal businesses/buildings.
-I will be making tweaks to kingdom building rules to make populations numbers make a bit more sense, and encourage players to have a standing army early on.
Foreshadowing for Part 6

I'm going to be running this AP eventually, but one of the biggest problems I have with it is that Nyrissa basically comes out of left field to the players. There's a lot of mentions of her in the first part or two of the AP, but all in the GM notes, never in any way for the players to reasonably find out about it.

As the DM we know that Nyssa has been manipulating things to cause problems for the players, and generally create instability in the region. It's actually pretty clear that her influence is a large part of why no kingdom has succeeded in taking root in the stolen lands before the start of the AP. But she keeps so much to the shadows that the PCs have no way to know about her, or any reason to even look to learn about her, until they find Briar at the end of Part 5, or barring that when blooms start hitting in Part 6.

Has anyone run this and tried to weave the narrative of Nyrissa sowing chaos throughout the region a bit more strongly? What ways have you found to give the PCs hints, or even namedrop Nyrissa, earlier on?

On a similar note, has anyone run any events similar to what occurs in part 2? Pre-determined kingdom events that happen throughout the course of the adventure. Particularly for parts 3-5, I find it hard to believe Nyrissa isn't trying to take advantage of the PCs being otherwise occupied by stirring up more trouble for them back home. More monster attacks or cultists are pretty easy to whip up, but has anyone had success coming up with interesting ways to undermine the PC's kingdoms?