The island of Thistletop sits in the Varisian Gulf off the coast of the Nettlewood, about a day’s journey north from Sandpoint. The island itself is weatherworn and rounded at the top, and locals claim to see a face within the eroded rock at sunset, when the light hits it just so. Thistletop is surrounded on all sides by nearly sheer rock cliffs jutting up from the sea, and by dense thickets of stinging nettles, with a rope bridge providing the only access to the fortress.

Being naturally well-defended, the Thistletop goblin tribe (named for the location) chose this site for their lair, where they have until recently been ruled over by Warchief Ripnugget. The main goblin stockade, a crude construction pieced together from salvaged lumber including the hulls of old ships, sits perched atop the dome of Thistletop.

Recent Events

After the recent goblin raids on [{Sandpoint]], the town, through the reconnaissance efforts of Shalelu, discovered that several local goblin tribes were being marshaled together under orders coming from the Thistletop tribe. Together with the Sandpoint Heroes, it was determined that Warchief Ripnugget was taking orders from the presumed deceased Nualia, who was bent on razing the town of Sandpoint as an offering to the unholy deity Lamashtu, and upon freeing an entity known as Malfeshnekor.

The heroes orchestrated an assault on Thistletop in an effort to thwart Nualia’s machinations. Though they suffered grievous injury, they managed to delve to the heart of the island, in the process slaying Warchief Ripnugget, Nualia, and her assistants Bruthazmus, Lyrie, and Tsuto Kaijitsu.

Beneath the ramshackle goblin stockade atop Thistletop, the heroes discovered two layers of older architecture: The first floor down apparently dated back about 200 years, and contained friezes relevant to the worship of Lamashtu. The second floor down, however, appeared to be much older than the first. Stone was clean carved and polished, climate was magically controlled to be a constant 70 degrees, and there were many statues of a stern bald man wielding a glaive.

Secret Chambers

On the lowest and oldest level, and behind a secret door made to look like a carved column of coins, the party found three more interesting rooms. The first contained a magical projection of the bald man with the glaive, seated on a throne, repeating the same fragment of speech continuously. The language was unknown, though Lyra was able to translate with use of a tongues spell.

The second room contained a table and a collection of rune-inscribed, masterwork instruments – intended for surgical use, or worse. It also contained an intricate key made in the shape of a seven-pointed star.

The third room was locked, but able to be entered using the key noted above. This room appeared to be a lair or prison or somesuch for a large planar creature. The heroes briefly engaged this creature, but were quickly overcome and retreated.