I've done a few re-writes myself to get past some of the plot holes discussed earlier here.
1. First change was to dramatically shorten the Bumblebrasher call for help. I removed the "Helba misses the meeting with Warbal twice" portion and went straight to red smoke. I couldn't wrap my head around a full month between the Bumblebrashers encountering the Cultists and present day. So, in my game the red smoke went up a few days back and Warbal immediately petitioned the town for help.
2. Rather than having Alak a chance encounter; I've made him a key(ish) town NPC. The town; still culturally inclined to procedure and law from old Cheliax rule, refused to hear Warbal's request and told her to wait until the next Call for Heroes in one week's time. After all, how big of a threat could it be that it scares peaceful goblins? However, Alak happened to be in Breachill as a waystop on his travels to Castle Alterein and promised to look into it for Warbal. After all, he was heading there anyway for all the same reasons listed in the book.
3. Calmont originally went with Alak to Hellknight Hill as a guide. Alak was new to the area and hired the services of a local to show him the way. Calmont; having picked up on Alseta's Ring in Voz's work, volunteers for the job. On the way, Calmont needles Alak for information and concludes that there is much more wealth beneath the Hill than he originally thought. When they reach the Castle, Alak and Calmont come upon the goblins and the Grauladon fighting. Alak steps in, the goblins use the diversion to get the rope set up to the battlements and get as many as possible up. (The Grauladon breaking the stairways is right before this.)
At this point, Calmont ditches Alak to the Grauladon to seek a way into the depths but realizes the way down has been fully collapsed. He leaves Alak and the Bumblebrashers to their fates and returns to Breachill. He knows Voz has some knowledge of a different way in and intends to sneak through her stuff to find it.
4. This is where my game begins. Alak has been just returned badly injured by a couple Bumblebrashers who managed to get him out. The Call for Heroes has gone up but instead of Warbal, it's Warbal and a couple Bumblebrashers who are there as witnesses that something serious is happening at Hellknight Hill. The goblins (I named them Frick and Frack) don't know a lot. Just that frogmen, monkeymen and giant lizards came from the depths and chased them our of their home. Alak, though injured; is attending the Call to make a secondary, more personal request of any potential heroes. (His ring.) This allows me to have Alak pass along potential information about Hellknight defenses, wards, etc without him being there as a GMPC (sidenote: wth Paizo? GMPC's in the first book? Alak is a super cool character but god I hate GMPC's.)
5. Calmont, upon realizing Alak is very much not dead; but also sitting in front of the town council is worried that Alak may out his betrayal in the Castle (in reality, Alak doesn't see it as a betrayal or even cares. He figured Calmont ran in fear when he saw the Grauladon) and pass along more information about the Castle's hidden riches. Rushing back to Voz's shop, he steals the scroll and sets fire to the town hall; hoping it will take care of Alak and any potential heroes while giving him time to find another way into the depths of the Castle. To compensate for Alak being injured, I removed 5 bystanders from the fire encounter and made Alak require 2 PC's under hampered movement to get him out.
6. The main quests are now A. Investigate and if possible, eliminate the Bumblebrasher's invaders. B. Bring Calmont to justice. C. Find Alak's Ring. I feel like this gives the PC's solid reasons to push further into the depths and get to the point they realize someone else (Voz) has been in there. The dungeon crawl plays out as written with the exception of Calmont talking about Norgorber. If Calmont is brought back alive, I can roleplay a trial where he gives up the Norgorber/Voz info he would have in the hostage situation and point a finger towards Voz who has skipped town at this point.
8. If the PC's want to pursue Voz early, I let them. She legitimately has no knowledge of Calmont's recent interest in the Castle and she fired him a week or so ago anyway. Last she heard, he was trying to make a few silver as a guide for the Hellknight boy.
7. I removed the secret entrance the Goblins use. This Castle has a ridiculous amount of secret entrances. The goblins help the PC's clear the stairway down to the next level and it takes only an hour or so. Further down takes days to clear.
The vast majority of the book plays out as written from here. I feel like this buttons down some of the early plot and pacing issues and gives more NPCs to bond with early. If Alak survives the fire and gets his ring back, it could allow the group to petition Alak as a steward for their Castle when that becomes a thing too.
