I'm running mostly-pathfinder game for friends of mine and I've run into a writer's block type lack of inspiration. I need your help coming up with the next adventure in an ongoing campaign.
The set up for the adventure is that the party is tasked with retrieving "a document" from "a secret demi-plane" and they have to "travel through the Astral to reach the portal pool" in order to get there. There are 7 PCs, all 7th level: a Human Fighter, an Aasimar Paladin, a Halfling Rogue, a Gnome Cleric, a Elf Sorcerer, a Half-Elf Ranger, and a Lizardman Magus.
That is unfortunately all I have at the moment.
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/sadyellow.gif)
I need to know:
1. What is "the document" and why does the Empress need it?
I'm leaning towards it being the Anathema Archive that she needs because she's a high-level spellcaster fighting an inter-dimensional war, but none of that is set in stone. Her existence is based on the assumption that kingdoms and empires in D&D land are centered around 1 or more individual badasses. The inter-dimensional war angle is just something I've kept in the back of my mind to keep her largely absentee and running the lands via her bureaucracy. Also, so the PCs will actually adventure. They don't know any of that, so that can all change if someone has a better idea.
2. Why does the party need to go get it/why can't she get it herself?
This will inevitably get asked, and I don't really have a reason. Is there a rules-legit way to lock a high-level person out of a demi-plane while still allowing a party of 7th level characters to enter?
3. What is the demi-plane like? What threats or creatures might be found within?
Free reign here, I have nothing. I imagine the plane being tiny, like 30-50 square miles at the most.
4. The Astral. How should they get there and should there be any interesting encounters while there? If so, what?
Basically, what method of getting to the Astral would be the most-functional or coolest? Plane Shift? Astral Projection? Permanent Portal? Something else?
Any ideas y'all could provide would be very much appreciated; I've been at a total blank for days.