Alright finally settled on a setup and first adventure for my Pathfinder game.
Skipping starting in the hub city. Going to be en route to their first job for the Silver Star, the adventuring guild. They will be escorted by a handful of level 3-5 NPCs who can fill the in on things as they head to the site for the request. Upon arrival the NPCs will dip, heading off to do some other task in a different part of the forest or whatever, and leave the party to fend for themselves. They'll also get an emergency flare or something just in case.
The party will be tasked with recovering some parts of the Yellow Musk Creeper for an alchemist. The creeper though is a plant that enthralls things with its pollen then bores into them when fully entranced to turn them into thralls.
When the party hits level 5, part of their mission will be reciprocating and escorting newbies themselves and filling them in on things while handling nearby tasks.