Thornwick Village

Thornwick sits tucked in a shallow valley right where three old goat-tracks meet before winding up into the Hungry Mountains. Most of the houses are shuttered up tight these days, their whitewashed walls grayed and streaked by years of mountain rain. Only a couple of chimneys still put up smoke. The eerie silence is usually the first thing travelers notice when they walk in. The church bells ringing on their own are the second.

Ever since a hooded disciple of Brother Alms slipped into town three weeks ago and planted a Threshold Seed beneath the sanctuary, the rift under the church has been growing steadily stronger. But the next big surge hasn't hit just yet. That gives the party some breathing room to poke around Thornwick, talk to the few locals who haven't fled, and figure out what is happening across town before everything goes sideways.

If the party drops by the church during the daytime, Sister Mirela is relieved to see them, but she warns them against heading straight down into the crypts. Over three frantic weeks of tracking the rift's rhythm, she is dead certain it's going to breach again right after sunset. She asks the party to head back before dusk so they can barricade the church and prep its defenses together. This leaves the afternoon open for the heroes to ask questions, check out the rest of the village, grab whatever supplies are left, and figure out a battle plan before night falls.

T1 The Bleating Lamb: The old village inn is completely boarded up now. The innkeeper, Grist Mallow, is holed up in the cellar and has gotten so jumpy he's liable to put a crossbow bolt through the front door before even asking who's knocking.
T2 The Cemetery: Directly behind the church. Once the sun sets, the older headstones start giving off a sickly blue glow as ghost-echoes surge across the gravestones. Nobody in town goes anywhere near the place if they can help it.
T3 The Church of Pharasma: Sister Mirela has basically turned the church into her personal bunker, rarely stepping outside unless someone needs medical attention. Deep beneath the altar in the crypts (T3B), the Threshold Seed keeps widening the veil-tear. She's convinced tonight's surge is going to be a nightmare.
T4 Old Varla's Hut: Local kids swear the old witch talks to ghosts. The adults usually laugh it off—at least while it's light out—but someone still makes sure to leave split firewood and a fresh loaf of bread on her porch every few mornings.