How to delay the return from Hook Mountain to Sandpoint...

[Dryder]

... so that I can insert THE ASYLUM STONE?

I run both campaigns together for one group (with skipping Foxglove Manor and part 2 of SS).

Spoiler:

I have the whole campaign laid out by now, but somehow don't know how to get the players to go to Kaer Maga (after they've beaten Barl Breakbones on Hook Mountain) instead of running straight to Sandpoint in order to help vs. the Giant's attack on the town.

Any ideas out there?! I seem to have a brain-blank on that by now... ;)

[Expatriate of Leng]

I was just reading some of AS, and it is by far one of the coolest looking adventurers in SS, so I may just have to try this as well, as my party is not high enough level for FSG.

After slaying Barl Breakbones, they do have a fair amount of cash, so that plus some hinting from the Black Arrows, I may try to get them into traveling to Kaer Maga.

Some of the Black Arrow quests are possible hooks, the trio of tasks like finding a Mason to fix the castle, or the poisoned well via troll alchemists.

[Raymond Lambert]

Point out that a major city like Kaer Maga would have a fine selection of magical items for sale and trade. Or experts who could help characters rebuild their level design like the rebuilding rules in Ultimate Campaign.

[slayer_of_gellcor]

I might plant a note from Lucrecia that one of her agents moved on to Kaer Maga to begin the process of harvesting souls there. Reading up on Kaer Maga: Legendary cliff-top city of criminals, refugees, and anyone else seeking to vanish. There could be a lot of Greed to harvest there, and you could present it as still advancing the current plot.

[Dryder]

I finally came up with an idea (thanx, guys, for chiming in here!).
I decided, that

Spoiler:

Barl only knows, that Mokmurian is gathering giants somehwere on the storval plateau, but doesn't know anything concrete about it.
The one stone giant messenger, who was ordered to bring that handout-note about the attack on Sandpoint to Barl was late, and found Barl dead, with the PCs already gone (to Kaer Maga, as this was the plan from Sheila Heidmarch anyway). The messenger was too afraid of Mokmurian, so he decided to not tell his boss he couldn't get the message to Barl, and insteat decided to desert the giant army, and is now traveling the countryside with two more stone giants.

When the PCs finally are on their way from Kaer Maga to Magnimar, they will happen unto this little group and find that handout, letting them know, they might have no time at all, to save Sandpoint from the attack.

I hope this works...