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The air is clean. The day is early. You are bored.
After serving various Pathfinder Venture-Captains in random escort, investigation, and recovery missions, you decided that you need a break from your faction, the Hao-Jin Tapestry, and all of that Jormunden nonsense. What better way to relax than go on a short vacation.
Someone's bright idea was to wander through the River Kingdoms on a hunting trip. After a week's journey, you come across a small village called Thornkeep. What do you know about Thornkeep?
Kn: Geography
Kn: Local
Kn: History
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"It's nice to be in nature for a while" the elven ranger known as Eolowyn says. You have noticed she is a good shot with her bow and she is well at home in forests. "can you imagine that the Venture Captains only send me on trips in cities? I would think that that is a squandering of my talents, but what do I know of Grand Lodge politics?"
"Thornkeep? Never heard of it," Lirianne says, looking at the houses before them. "They sell roses here, that's why it's called Thornkeep?"
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A bookish gnome sits near the campfire paging through books feverishly, a look of consternation growing upon his face. He mumbles aloud as he reads: Nothing...nothing...nothing...not a word on Thornkeep. Confusticate and bebother!
Exasperated, he looks up. Sadly, I can find nothing in these tomes about Thornkeep! He throws his hands in the air for effect, but in he process knocks a stack of said tomes cascading onto the ground. With a horrified squeak, he clambers desperately after them as several loose pages get carried away in the breeze.
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You are able to learn a very small bit about Thornkeep by searching your memory banks and researching it in the Library. Thornkeep is a small village with only a few hundred people. Most are human, but there are a wide variety of races...even goblins.
You can also do a Diplomacy check to see if you can wrangle up some info from those a tad bit smarter.
Lirianna makes sure her pistols are loaded before she moves out on the streets. She approaches several people on the streets, and several within the public buildings she finds. "Pardon, I'd like to ask you something. Could you tell me some more about Thornkeep? I've never been here before," Lirianne says as she starts every conversation.
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Lirianne learns a little more. Besides a trading post, Thornkeep is home to outlaws and cutpurses (alignment CN). There isn't real authority here. The ruler is Baron Tervin Blackshield, and he is the ruler because he killed the previous one.
Thornkeep lies in a small natural clearing in the Echo Stream. The biggest city close to Thornkeep is Daggermark, about 100 miles away. The village is dominated by the weathered battlements of Thornkeep itself, a tall tower sitting on Brokenhelm Hill.
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Seelah learns a little more about the groups in Thornkeep. There is a mercenary group named the Blue Basilisks that are based here. Although they are not that large, they get a lot of work escorting caravans, driving off monsters, or assisting in dungeon explorations. The captain is Ariane Redderfine.
She also gets some info about the actual Thornkeep. Thousands of years ago, the evil Nur Athemon, wizard and devotee of the demon lord Abraxas, fled Azlant with his household and slaves, and made his home in the Echo Woods surrounding Thornkeep. He raised a tower here, and used illusion a magical wards to conceal his presence. Eventually, Azlanti wizards and soldiers found him, and Thornkeep lay dormant.
Over thousands of years, Nhur Athemon's wards slowly failed, but magic remained to make the hidden vaults a place of darkness and horror. The last few centuries, adventurers explored Thornkeep numerous times, and report that Thornkeep is dangerous as ever. The last group to have been reported in Thornkeep is a group of goblins, led by a goblin named Krenar Half-Face.
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Seelah turns to the group and quietly says, "Despite the glaring lack of a temple of Iomedae, the evil history of this place has piqued my interest. There may be an opportunity here to rid the world of a bit of nastiness. Perhaps we should head to the tower and see what there is to see? After all, nothing is more relaxing than a bit of evil smiting."
"Well it'll give us something to do," Lirianne says with a shrug, and follows Seelah and Eolowyn.
Curious to see what's inside the tower. Though, what I've heard... doesn't sound good...
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Room 1:
The narrow staircase ends in a short corridor leading to a large chamber, the center of which is dominated by a pool of stagnant water. An oily sheen covers most of pool, causing it to reflect a multitude of colors onto the walls and ceiling. The only light in this room emanates from a faintly glowing orb attached to the ceiling, and an acrid stench wafts heavily in the air. There is a simple wooden door in the eastern wall, and a set of ornate stone double doors to the south flanked by a pair of sandstone statues.
Lirianne quickly draws a pistol and shoots at the grey ooze from point-blank range. Despite being close to the ooze Lirianne keeps at least 10 feet in between them. "Yuck, it's ugly..."
Lirianne draws her second pistol and fires another shot at the ooze. "Pew!"
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Well, I say! Lazlo exclaims. What a rude greeting! He looks to be sure his companions are okay, noting to Jasper that poor Seelah has received some wounds too.
Perhaps we should take a look about now, hmm?
Unfortunately, Lazlo's height and proximity mean that the oversized teddy bear is in his way of seeing much except more bear.
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Many thanks, Jasper. That was just the first step we take to eradicating the evil that resides here. I agree with Lazlo. Let's continue our exploration!
Seelah walks around the pool of water to the door on the eastern wall. She gives it a (somewhat incompetent) check for traps and (barring the presence of traps) opens the door.