Here's an idea I've incorporated into my AoW campaign:
When the PCs return from the Free City in "A Gathering of Winds," they find out that Ilthane has attacked Diamond Lake. You can use this opportunity to introduce a group of NPCs that have banded together to try to take an active part in the goings-on in the area. The NPCs go to the party members looking for some guidance and funding.
The cast: (Taken from Age of Worms Overload and Dungeon #124)
Mélinde (LG female human paladin 3, Overload p. 15, Dungeon #124 p. 58)
The usually exuberant red-haired paladin is uncommonly quiet and morose. She hesitates to speak with the party members, allowing Polly to do most of the talking, especially when asking for money or magic weapons. Many of the garrison soldiers were killed during the dragon's attack, including all those in her platoon. She feels responsible for their deaths, and feels uncomfortable asking for what she feels is "a handout."
Initially she only speaks of the destruction that the dragon caused, and the deaths of those she knew, speaking in short, cold sentences while staring at the ground. It is evident that she is shaken up from her experience. If the PCs treat her with respect for her abilities, possibly pointing out that some of their own comrades have fallen, she soon comes out of her shock and can describe the dragon's tactics.
Proud Polly (CN female human rogue 3, Overload p. 11 "Companion" and p. 21 "Emporium Encounters")
The PCs recognize Polly as an *ahem* employee of the Veiled Corridor. Due to the timing of the dragon's attack, most of the employees and clientele of the Emporium were not in the building and survived the destruction of the establishment. Many of them are waiting to see if their services will still be needed when Zalamandra re-opens, but Polly is ready to move on. It was Polly who approached Merris with the idea of forming an adventuring party, hoping he would be able to recruit from the garrison's militia and clergy. She is extremely happy having Mélinde and Father Childramun in this group.
Polly speaks for the others, as she is the least "shook up" over the dragon attack. She considers herself the leader of the group but realizes that without a clear short-term goal the group will not likely work together. She also knows that they need money to get them started, and that without a single magic weapon among them they may not be able to overcome many obstacles.
She tells the PCs that they want to help, but they're not sure how. If the PCs suggest that they stay in town and help rebuild, she says that they want to take a more active approach, "...like you guys." A sense motive check DC 10 will reveal that they are looking for a paid job, and they will accept any offer from the PCs.
If the PCs don't readily offer magic weapons, Polly makes a point of telling them that they don't have any, and that the fight against the dragon has proven that they are sorely under-equipped. (Depending on how your party distributes treasure, it may be possible that they have several extra +1 longswords.) They will graciously accept any magic weopons the PCs can give, and will understand if they won't give them away, or if they don't have any.
Merris Sandovar (NG male human ranger 3, Overload p. 15, Dungeon #124 p. 57)
Merris was returning from a diplomatic trip to Blackwall Keep, with Valkus Dun and Dietrik Cicaeda, when Ilthane attacked Diamond Lake. He is angry about the dragon attack and plans to take out his anger on the next dragon that crosses his path. (Give him favored enemy dragon +4 at 5th level.) He hasn't cleaned his travelling outfit since returning to Diamond Lake, and he looks a little road-weary, but there is no missing the determined glint in his eyes or the smell of freshly fletched arrows in his quiver.
Merris stands next to Mélinde with his hand on her shoulder. He allows the two women to do all of the talking because he considers himself to "get along with animals better than 'umanfolk." He will be able to tell the PCs that as of 9 days ago the Twisted Branch clan was unharmed, but admits that the dragon could have attacked the lair anytime after he left, or that the dragon has headed that way after the attack on the town.
His friendship with Captain Trask is still the strongest relationship he has in Diamond Lake, but his anger and desire for action is strong enough to lead him on what he sees as “the right thing to do.” He is glad to have Mélinde in the group. Though it a lot to convice her that she is capable of leading a team, he is confident that her leadership and martial prowress will pull them through whatever they will face.
Velias Childramun (LG male human cleric 4, Overload p. 19, Dungeon #124 p. 58)
No one is more distraught than Father Childramun over the deaths of so many. He has never looked his age, but now he looks older than he is, and the lack of restful sleep isn’t helping. He is torn between what he wants to do… and that what he believes he should do. He wishes to stay in Diamond Lake to see over the funerals of many he knew as children, and to watch over the children of their own that are left orphaned. But his dreams of the past few months have become clear to him.
His dreams have revolved around darkness and shadow, clouds and storms. Usually in places he could not identify, vast swamps, foreign city streets, smothering jungles, and bleak deserts, but sometimes places he knew well. The dreams were infrequent at first, but now pervade every sleeping moment. What he once thought was just “a bit of gravy” influecing his dreams, he now knows are omens sent from Pelor. With each dream repeating itself over and over, he began to notice things he didn’t see before: points of light within the shadow, pushing against the darkness, holding off the approaching storms. He believes that he has been called by Pelor to bring His light to the darkness, not to wait for the darkness to come to him.
When he saw Merris talking with Mélinde the other night by torchlight, he believed it was a sign that he was to join the group. He believes in the abilities of the others in the group, but after spending his entire life in Diamond Lake, he is unsure if he has in him what Pelor is asking.
The Task
The PCs can pay the group to perform any number of tasks that they can’t immediately attend to themselves. This includes escorting the lizardfolk representative with the Free City treaty back to the Twisted Branch lair, investigating Ilthane’s other interests in the Mistmarsh, taking a message to the new leader of the Twisted Branch tribe, or tracking down another Ebon Triad cult or investigating the appearance of Kyuss-spawn in the swamp or beyond.
Whatever the task is, it should be something that the PCs are interested in being done, within the scope of the Age of Worms adventure path or not, and something they consider worth to pay for it to be done. If the PCs can’t come up with any ideas, have the NPCs toss one out.
The Price
The NPCs will accept any amount of payment, but will initially negotiate for more if offered less than 250 gp each. They are in sore need of adventuring gear (Father Childramun doesn’t even own a suit of armor) and provisions.
If the party doesn’t routinely sell off all the treasure they acquire over the course of the adventure path, they probably quite literally have a bag of +1 longswords and other useful items. If the task they want to be done is important enough, it is in the PCs’ best interest to give up a few items for them to use. Play this up as you see fit.
The Pay-Out
The PCs won’t receive payment from the NPCs. The “pay-out” for being a patron of an adventuring party is information and influence. Just as the PCs’ interaction with Allustan forwards the plot of the adventure path, so should their interaction with their new employees.
After some time allowed for the NPCs to complete their task, they return with information, or clues to follow-up on. Perhaps they recover a chest that belonged to the former Twisted Branch clan chief, filled with recently minted coins bearing the imprint of the Principality of Redhand. While the NPCs will no doubt want to keep the treasure, they can deliver one coin to the PCs, giving them a clue to Ilthane’s stomping grounds. Perhaps they encounter a group of kobolds returning from a pilgramige with pieces of black dragon eggs, indicating that Ilthane (or her mate) may have another lair somewhere in the swamp. Perhaps they discover alchemically enhanced undead, indicating a location where Ilthane conducted more experiments. Maybe they find clues that tie Ilthane to Dragotha, mysterious books with missing text that will become clear after the events in “The Library of Last Resort,” or letters that describe how other Ebon Triad cultists have created stronger Ebon Aspects.
The main idea is that you present information that will help them along their way, and let the players know that their money and faith in the NPCs doesn’t go unrewarded. And hopefully they will feel more ties to the world they play in.
Excellent idea, Big Jake! Consider it swiped.
I had been wondering how to make the PCs feel connected to the devastated Diamond Lake upon their homecoming--it's quite obvious at this point in the AP that they've "graduated" and coming back to the podunk town they started in is awkward. AGoW indicates there ought to be some role-playing at this juncture, and you've just given some realistic substance to work with, using the tools available. I guess this is why I like these boards!
Agreed, very excellent idea Big Jake. In my campaign the Face of the party (Ftr/Rog Changeling) took the Leadership feat and wanted to start his own adventuring guild. After they saw the devastation of Diamond Lake, he had an idea; bring all his followers in and have them rebuild the town. He was also elected Mayor in an emergency vote, and paid the workers with town tax money :) He's sinking quite a bit of his own money into the town, including building a guildhouse. The entire crew is very attached to the town, and a little sad OOC that they're going to need to leave.
...it's quite obvious at this point in the AP that they've "graduated" and coming back to the podunk town they started in is awkward.
I think that the return to Diamond Lake is inherently awkward. The players were looking forward to returning "home" after more than two months in the Free City, and all it took was a few descriptive phrases of the state of Diamond Lake to make it feel smaller than they remembered.
They definately feel like they've "graduated," as you say. I described these new adventurers as either wearing old mix-matched armor and adventuring gear, or items so new "you can still see the creases in them." They kinda smiled a bit, thinking about how far they've come from where they started, and I think they were genuinely interested in helping out the new guys.