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I have 4 players. 2 of them are in a real-life band together and that sometimes interferes with our gaming schedule. The other 2 players have asked if I could integrate some sort of organization they could do "side quests" for.
In order to keep them from getting ahead of the others, this will not earn them any XP. However, I want to implement a system similar to the Fame/Prestige in PFS.
The PCs that would be involved are a Wizard (spellslinger) and a Magus, though it would need to be generic enough that the others could join if interested (a Barbarian and Inquisitor). They have just received the Black Mantle and will be passing through the Portal to Irrisen at the start of our next session.
I'm looking for ideas of how to accommodate them. Mainly how to facilitate this idea throughout the course of the AP. It all takes place on the Prime Material Plane as far as I can tell, so perhaps they receive a device allowing communication with the organization.
I've thought of using the Heralds of Summer's Return from The Shackled Hut, but I would want to plant a seed in Waldsby for the 2 PCs to discover first. A clue of some sort possibly hinting at the insurgent cell in Whitethrone...
Any ideas, advice, etc?
Possible spoilers ahead!
From what I can tell RoW is a very linear high speed adventure. And with the Geas it'll be harder to justify why 2 of the characters just "can't go". You might want to consider having them roll up 2 different characters and playing with those when your two other friends can't make it. Though you could still use those adventures to detail out background story in Irrisen or about the winter witches. (Bonus points if you put it in the past around the life of one of the previous Jadwiga!)
However if you want to keep the players using their PC's perhaps you could run dream sequences? Baba Yaga is immensely powerful and it's definitely possible her magic could reach those under her Geas. This would allow you to play out sequences where the players might learn information about what's going on. And if you wanted the PC's to obtain items "waking up" with them wouldn't be too out of hand seeing how weird the magic is in the worlds now.
Those are my suggestions. Of course if you're willing to run the campaign more laid back and give the PC's some rest then statting up some side-ventures wouldn't be too bad indeed.
Possibly take a page from the Midgard Campaign Setting and Doctor Who.
Baba Yaga's hut not only travels from place to place but also in time and so she shows up out of time sequence and drags these two off on immediate but short adventures anywhere that seem unconnected and return them sometimes in the space of time while the other two absent PCs are sleeping or have their backs turned. Perhaps Baba Yaga also shows up with different faces and personalities each time she is seen, sometimes she is just an old wise woman with some magic and cleverness, sometimes she is an awful child-eating ogre, another time she is a big scary hag. Sometimes she is obese and round, other times she is tall and thin.
The Baba Yaga = Time Lord and Dancing Hut = T.A.R.D.I.S. parallels really jumps out at me and could work with the situation you have.
It would be neat to have the main adventure story line have her captured and the PCs working to rescue her while the secondary ones be her other selves from the future and the past interacting with them but not directly interfering with herself.
