Thistleflame Keep

Thistleflame Keep, also known as Thistleflame Manor or just Thistleflame, was the Suzail estate of the noble Thistle family. It consisted of a small keep enclosing the Thistleflame Manor and a Purple Dragons garrison, with the Bubbling Bulwark tavern attached.

Location
Thistleflame was located near the bridge crossing the Jaws of Lake Azoun, south-east of Wyvernspur House.

Structure
Thistleflame Keep was enclosed in a rectangular 15-foot stone wall with 25-foot tall towers in the corners. An additional tower was placed along the western wall, overlooking the stables. The main gates were along the southern wall, and were wrought-iron forged in the shape of thistle bush branches.

The center of the courtyard held an ornate fountain sourced from a decanter of endless water. It had a sculpture of an elegant robed woman holding a thistle branch above her head, with the fountain's water pouring from her navel into the basin. The water was then carried by underground pipes to the Manor, providing the residents with a supply of fresh water. The fountain was widely regarded as the Ugliest Fountain in Cormyr.

Along the western wall, the large stables held three-dozen horses, including Lord Thistle's favorite warhorses. It was attended to by the ten-year-old twins Zac and Mac.

The north-east corner of the Keep held the Purple Dragons garrison, a sturdy two-story stone building. It consisted mostly of lodgings for the soldiers, but also contained a small kitchen, storeroom, and armory. The contingent of 40 Dragons was commanded by Aleka Ravenheart, and had a unit symbol of a burning thistle branch.

The eastern wall was straddled by the Bubbling Bulwark inn and tavern, which served both the general public and the residents of Thistleflame.

Thistleflame Manor sat just short of the northern wall of the Keep, a large 60-foot tall four-story building with an underground cellar and crypt. The exterior was beautifully but oddly decorated with carved sculptures of gargoyles and sylphs.

Interior
Thistleflame Manor was lavishly appointed, and well-suited for the hosting of large events. The first floor entry hall held the main stairs leading up, as well as a locked door hidden under the staircase that led down to the crypts. The floor also had a library and sitting room for guests to relax in, the servant's personal quarters, and the large kitchen. The kitchen had an attached larder with stairs that led down to the storage cellar, and a locked door that led to the narrow alleyway that ran between the Manor and the north wall of the Keep.

The second floor was dominated by two rooms, the grand hall and the ballroom. To the west was the grand hall, with a huge stained-glass window along the western wall, elaborate wall tapestries depicting ancestral scenes, and a massive U-shaped dining table that could seat 80 people. A large fireplace in the north wall was decorated with crossed +3 vorpal and +1 flametongue longswords that Lord Thistle's ancestor had captured. To the east, the ballroom had a polished marble floor and gilded east-facing windows, with a fireplace on the east wall that was decorated with innumerable heirloom trinkets and curios. On the southern wall above the entry foyer, a balcony sat 15 feet above the ground, while to the north was a set of ten private privies with flushing mechanisms.

The third floor held Lord Thistle's lodgings as well as some guest rooms. His bedroom had two large west- and south-facing windows, a four-poster bed, and his personal +4 defender broadsword and +2 plate armor. In the south-west corner, a support column was hollowed out and contained a tight, secret passageway that led down to the crypts. Adjoining the bedroom was his private bathroom with plumbed sink and bathtub, which in turn also led to his private library. The library contained a massive collection of works on the history and politics of Cormyr, as well as accounts of adventurers and the massive genealogical tome The History of the Thistles. A wooden filing cabinet held records of Lord Thistle's work as Registrant General, though they were not as complete as his eidetic memory. The remainder of the floor was taken up by a guest bathroom and six well-appointed guest bedrooms, each serving two guests.

The fourth floor was entirely devoted to guest rooms, having 12 of them. In total, Thistleflame could accommodate 36 guests in minor luxury.

The cellars, accessed through the larder, were divided in three parts. The main storage area was very cold, and contained meats, cheeses, and other victuals. A locked steel door led to the wine cellar, with vintages ranging from common everyday fare to centuries-old rarities, potentially valued at up to 150,000 gp. A second locked steel door led to a general storage room, including a small armory of weapons, spare furnishings, and miscellaneous household supplies such as candles and soap.

Adjacent to but inaccessible from the cellars, the Thistle family crypt was a huge, vaulted room that contained over 20 generations of Thistles past. It could be accessed by the locked door on the ground floor, or by the secret passageway from Lord Thistle's bedroom. The support columns were carved in the likeness of fallen Thistles, each caught in a grim expression as if in the moment of death. Dozens of sarcophagi with sculpted likenesses on the lids filled the room, with even more interment niches and shelves built into the walls. One particular ancestor, a paladin, was buried with his +5 holy avenger bastard sword, suit of +3 plate armor, and +3 shield.

Inhabitants
The Manor and accompanying grounds had a staff of 13 servants, in addition to Lord Thistle himself.
 * Lord Partic Thistle.
 * Moorefield, the Lord's butler.
 * Travis Ormaster, the Lord's steward.
 * Kaleb Fleetwing, the Lord's messenger.
 * Nora, Dora, and Malda, the Manor's cooks.
 * Tami and Larwyn, the Manor's maids.
 * Dom, the Manor's baker.
 * Berke Glorata, the estate's gardener.
 * Borin Woodbracer, the estate's handyman.
 * Mac and Zac, twin stableboys.

The garrison consisted of 40 Purple Dragons.
 * Aleka Ravenheart, Purple Dragon officer and commander of the garrison.
 * Laraby, a young soldier.

An additional 10 people worked at the Bubbling Bulwark, though they were not directly employed or housed by the Crown or Lord Thistle.

History
In 1369 DR, Lord Thistle hosted a grand feast and party to celebrate the King's birthday, inviting scores of nobles, adventurers, and other important personages. That night, the adventurers were invited to swear an oath of loyalty to the King and affirm their faith and duty towards Cormyr. It was not a magically- or legally-binding oath, but rather a display that was intended to publicly raise the reputation of adventuring companies in Cormyr.

The event was hosted by Lord Partic Thistle and buoyed by the bard Mendryll Belarod. It was attended by a array of distinguished personages, including King Azoun Obarskyr IV and Queen Filfaeril, and their children Alusair and Tanalasta. They were accompanied by the Royal Magician Vangerdahast, Alaphondar the Sage Most Learned, the Lord High Marshal Duke Bhereu Ammaeth, his brother Baron Thomdor, and Lord Magistrate Sthavar. The other noble families of Suzail also attended, with showings by the houses of Bleth, Cormaeril, Crownsilver, Dauntinghorn, Emmarask, Hawklin, Huntcrown, Huntsilver, Illance, Marliir, Rowanmantle, Silversword, Truesilver, and Wyvernspur.

Cormyr's most powerful mercantile companies also appeared, with the leaders of the Dragoneye Dealing Coster, the Seven Suns Trading Coster, the Six Coffers Trading Coster, and the Trueshield Trading Priakos. The remaining patrons of the party were made up by members of the Company of Night, Emerald Swords, Gold Coins, Golden Gauntlets, Grand Fist, Magebanes, She-Wolves, Stag Runners, and Warhawks adventuring companies.

Security for the event was handled by the Keep's own Aleka Ravenheart and a host of Purple Dragons, along with a handful of War Wizards, some of whom were disguised as ordinary guests.

After the celebrations concluded, the majority of guests went home or continued carousing elsewhere, such as at the Bubbling Bulwark. The guest rooms of the Manor were granted to a choice selection of esteemed individuals from the noble houses and adventuring companies.

Unbeknownst to everyone else, the Emerald Swords company had abducted Lord Thistle partway through the event, replacing him with the doppelganger Xixis. They intended to transport Lord Thistle to Zhentil Keep so that he could be interrogated and have his deep knowledge of adventuring companies put to use by the Zhentarim. This plan was spoiled by Xixis going off-script and risking discovery, which led to the Emerald Swords killing him and attempting to use the confusion of the Lord's apparent murder to cover their escape.

Their new plan was in turn ruined by the butler Moorefield discovering the body far too soon, and the commanding Purple Dragons officer Aleka Ravenheart had the estate locked-down while she worked to find the culprits. In the investigation that followed, the Emerald Swords were uncovered, and Lord Thistle was recovered intact from where they had hidden him in the family crypts.