My party heavily distrusts Allustan - after all, they know that he is corrupt governour-major Neff's brother, and don't see it plausible for an upright wizard to inhabit shady Diamond Lake. This goes so far as to not mention where they encountered the brown mold for which to overcome they bought a scroll of ray of frost from him.
As I am inclined to let Allustan play a minor role as well (too much railroading otherwise), I am looking for replacements. One of the PCs has ties to the bronzewood lodge, so I will have a ranger or druid state that they had sighted worms in the mistmarsh; thus omitting Allustan from EaBK. Another PC is a Crusader/Cleric of WeeJas; the Green Lady cultists could sent them to Eligos in Greyhawk for HoHR (Maybe Eligos is a former lover of Amariss, the high priest of WeeJas in Diamond Lake?).
From that on, it gets difficult though. Eligos beeing killed, they sure will come back to Diamond Lake (to report to Amariss), and will find the Dragon. But probably they won't go for Allustan in GoW (notwithstanding that he would have never heard of the other portal in the first place). On the other hand, if Amariss gets trapped behind the portal in the Cairn, they would go rescue her (some PC-NPC romance here?), but I don't see how to tie them to Tenser afterwards (whom I would like to keep).
Any suggestions on how to omit / replace Allustan, while keeping the Tenser part?
Thanks!
Just keep Eligos alive. His death is anti-climactic anyway, as he is resurrected and encountered again in SoLS.
Perhaps instead of discovering that Eligos has been murdered at the end of Champion's Belt, the wizard leaves the PCs a note that he's going to Diamond Lake to investigate the Whispering Cairn (if the PCs have told him about it).
Once they rescue Eligos from Icosiol's tomb, have him sent them to Magepoint, or even accompany them to see his former master.
Just keep Eligos alive. His death is anti-climactic anyway, as he is resurrected and encountered again in SoLS.
Perhaps instead of discovering that Eligos has been murdered at the end of Champion's Belt, the wizard leaves the PCs a note that he's going to Diamond Lake to investigate the Whispering Cairn (if the PCs have told him about it).
Once they rescue Eligos from Icosiol's tomb, have him sent them to Magepoint, or even accompany them to see his former master.
Excellent solution! Simple and makes perfect sense.
Even if he does get killed, Amariss could resurrect him once she is saved (thus presenting an excellent opportunity for the then Crusader/Cleric/Ruby Knight Vindicator to prove his skills in rescueing her.)