Imagine, a new rank in your GC grants you command of a 4 man unit of NPCs. These NPCs can level up by doing daily tasks such as guarding the town, attacking beastmen, escorting caravans, and bringing back rewards or loot. (perhaps even treasure maps for NPCs to use) Talking to an NPC in your GC, will dispatch your "adventuring fellows". These NPCs would gain exp. and cap every 10 levels, which would then require a boss encounter to advance. (perhaps an Instance which you help them down a foe?) After choosing your job for your NPCs, you are left with the task of outfitting them with gear, craftable/melds or Dungeon drops. This would provide a use for surplus gear on the market, as well as keeping dungeon gear useful. As your NPCs adventure, they are ambushed or robbed by beastmen or just let the condition of gear decline, as to which you have to replace it. Upon reaching high enough reputation with beast tribes, you could recruit a beastmen NPC to band with your NPCs.