Roses developments

OK, so I've got to come up with something for my characters to get started on their grand adventure. Monsters comming and killing everything (or the adventurer's families) is too overdone. Ie. In the name of the king, Wheel of Time series, and I could probably name a couple more if I checked through my books. I've also thought about an evil cleric kidnapping one of the group, but if he's strong enough to fake being a good cleric, wouldn't he be too strong for the group to defeat? Unless of course they were severely lucky, and almost literally caught him with his preverbial pants around his ankles. I've got to find a reason why these guys would be equipped with at least basic arms and armor. Even farmboys or country folk would have a bow or sling and would know how to use it, but armor? I sincerely doubt anyone in Rosenford would have a suit of armor, unless someone happened to make armor, and then why would 4 kids not expecting to go into battle get any of it? If I was heading out on a long trip, I would be more worried about supplies that armor or a weapon (other than a basic hunting implement, and eating knife). AND once I do get these guys outfitted, what will be their foe? I can't make the enemy too good, because these untrained (for the most part) smucks will get their butts handed to them on a platter. Like I said in an earlier post, I'm thinking about these guys' adventuring not really starting until they reach this artisan colony that they're going to for their journeymanship. There, the town gaurd is under manned, and they earn some extra cash by doing guard duty for the town. I'm thinking that this community is a smallish walled town, but many residents don't live actually inside the wall. Alot of the artists here prefer seculsion of a small cabin away from others. The community has a small population of about 100 or so that live in the walls. There's a large market held a couple days a week and the population swells greatly on that day. While the young'uns are on gaurd duty, they are provided with armor, and they are given some basic training. There's also a sorcerer's tower nearby where the sorceress trains, and the cleric trains with the guards, but she also spends alot of time in the forrest communing with nature. Now, the next step, is what is going to happen next. Something attacks the community? That's for another post.