It would be nice to hire NPCs to perform tasks that are time sinks. If you complete a type task then you could hire an NPC to do that job going forward. Build a cultivator, you can hire someone to grow carrots, turnips, onions, barley, and linen. Tame your first animal and you can hire an animal handler to breed animals. Build a kiln and you can hire an NPC to cut down and replant trees and make charcoal. A sailing master to move ore from one port to another. A teamster to move items from one location to another with a cart. A black smith to smelt ore. A chef to make meads and foods. A fletcher to make arrows. Men at arms/Valkyries to defend your base during raids. A chamberlain to keep your sconces full of resin and your hearths topped off with wood. Then you have a use for all that gold you keep accumulating and you can concentrate on exploring and leveling your skills.