I would recommend starting the Whispering Cairn with a mini-adventure made up using the Abandoned Mine Office in Dragon magazine as the first area.
The Mine Office becomes home base and - yes - the PCs will need one to rest in frequently.
Here's the mini-adventure to help you out. The map for the abandoned mine office may be found in Dragon #333 on page 63.
******************
The Ruined Mine Office
The Yard (CR 1)
There is a twisted, dead tree that hangs over the yard. Hanging around the tree are 3 Stirges, 5 hp each, Monster Manual, pg. 236, who have caught the scent of sweat and blood inside the mine office, and are waiting for it to come out. They have been waiting too long however, and are now ravenous. They attack anyone who comes into the yard.
Stirge: CR 1/2; Tiny Magical Beast ; HD 1d10 (Magical Beast) ; hp 5; Init +4; Spd 10, Fly, Average 40; AC:16 (Flatfooted:12 Touch:16); Atk -1 base melee, +7 base ranged; -1 (1d3-4, Touch); SA: Attach (Ex) , Blood Drain (Ex) ; SQ: Darkvision (Ex): 60 ft., Low-light Vision (Ex); AL N; SV Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +1; STR 3, DEX 19, CON 10, INT 1, WIS 12, CHA 6.
Skills: Hide +14, Listen +4, Spot +4.
Feats: Alertness.
Description: A stirge resembles a cross between a bat and a giant mosquito. It has membranous bat wings, a short furry body, eight jointed legs that end in sharp pincers, and a needlelike proboscis. Coloration ranges from rust-red to reddish-brown, with a dirty yellow underside. The proboscis is pink at the tip, fading to gray at its base. A stirge's body is about 1 foot long, with a wingspan of about 2 feet.
Combat: A stirge attacks by landing on a victim, finding a vulnerable spot, and plunging its proboscis into the flesh. This is a touch attack and can target only Small or larger creatures.
Special Attacks: Attach (Ex): If a stirge hits with a touch attack, it uses its eight pincers to latch onto the opponent's body. An attached stirge has an AC of 12.
Blood Drain (Ex): A stirge drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of temporary Constitution damage each round it remains attached. Once it has drained 4 points of Constitution, it detaches and flies off to digest the meal.
The Living Room (CR 1)
The Goblins inside should hear the commotion from the Stirges and the Shaman will nudge out a few guards to wait for the PCs in the Living Room. The Shaman hides in the Library/Study until the attack is over. 4 Goblins, 5 hp each, Monster Manual, pg. 133. If the Goblins hear nothing, they will be spread through the house in twos, with the Shaman inspecting the rooms upstairs.
Goblin: CR 1/3; Small Humanoid (Goblinoid); HD 1d8+1 (Humanoid) ; hp 5; Init +2; Spd 30; AC:15 (Flatfooted:13 Touch:13); Atk +1 base melee, +3 base ranged; +1 (1d6, Spear); SQ: Darkvision (Ex): 60 ft., Subtype: Goblinoid; AL NE; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will -1; STR 10, DEX 14, CON 12, INT 10, WIS 9, CHA 6.
Skills: Climb +0.5, Hide +6, Jump +1, Listen +2, Move Silently +6, Ride +6, Spot +3, Survival +0.
Feats: Alertness, Simple Weapon Proficiency.
Possessions: Spear; Leather Armor.
Description: Goblins have flat faces, broad noses, pointed ears, wide mouths, and small, sharp fangs. Their foreheads slope back, and their eyes are usually dull and glazed, varying in color from red to yellow. They walk upright, but their arms hang down almost to their knees. Goblins' skin color ranges from yellow through any shade of orange to a deep red; usually all members of a single tribe are about the same color. They wear clothing of dark leather, tending toward drab, soiled-looking colors.
Languages: Goblins speak Goblin; those with Intelligence scores of 12 or above also speak Common.
Dining Room (CR 1)
This room contains the “guard dogs” for the small band, 2 starving, tortured Badgers, 6 hp each, Monster Manual, pg 268, who have taken to digging into the floorboards in frustration. They will attack anything that doesn’t feed them a scrap of food, and even then, will only pause long enough to eat it.
Animal, Badger: CR 1/2; Small Animal ; HD 1d8+2 (Animal) ; hp 6; Init +3; Spd 30, Burrow 10; AC:15 (Flatfooted:12 Touch:14); Atk +0 base melee, +4 base ranged; +4/-1 (1d2-1, 2 Claw; 1d3-1, Bite); SA: Rage (Ex) ; SQ: Scent (Ex), Low-light Vision (Ex); AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1; STR 8, DEX 17, CON 15, INT 2, WIS 12, CHA 6.
Skills: Escape Artist +7, Hide +7, Listen +3, Spot +3.
Feats: Track, Weapon Finesse.
Description: The badger is a furry animal with a squat, powerful body. Its strong forelimbs are armed with long claws for digging. An adult badger is 2 to 3 feet long and weighs 25 to 35 pounds.
Combat: Badgers attack with their sharp claws and teeth.
Rage (Ex): A badger that takes damage in combat flies into a berserk rage on its next turn, clawing and biting madly until either it or its opponent is dead. It gains +4 to Strength, +4 to Constitution, and -2 to Armor Class. The creature cannot end its rage voluntarily.
The Kitchen/Pantry
These areas are the same, except the Pantry contains the treasures of the small goblin band: 8 pints of oil, 5 tindertwigs, 1 Flask of Alchemist’s Fire, 50’ Silk rope, 18 Trail Rations, 625 sp, 60 gp, 1 rose quartz (50gp), 3 blue quartz (10gp each)
The Library Study (CR 2)
The Shaman, Ugloop, and his bodyguards are located here, and they fight to the death. After days and days of wandering and dodging the Garrison and other dangers of the cairn hills, these Goblins desperately fight to the death. Any taken alive will know nothing of the area, but they will have heard strange moaning and whispering coming from the hills.
2 Goblins, 5 hp each, Monster Manual pg. 133
Ugloop, Male Goblin Ftr1/Wiz1: CR 2; Small Humanoid (Goblinoid); HD 1d10+1(Fighter) , 1d4+1(Wizard) ; hp 9; Init +2; Spd 30; AC:17 (Flatfooted:15 Touch:13); Atk +4 base melee, +4 base ranged; +4 (1d4+1, Scimitar); SQ: Darkvision (Ex): 60 ft., Subtype: Goblinoid; AL NE; SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +2; STR 12, DEX 14, CON 12, INT 11, WIS 9, CHA 6.
Skills: Appraise +1, Bluff -1, Handle Animal +2, Hide +4, Move Silently +4, Ride +6,Spot +4.
Feats: Armor Proficiency: heavy, Armor Proficiency: light, Armor Proficiency: medium, Dodge, Scribe Scroll, Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency,
Spells Prepared (Wiz 3/1): 0 - Acid Splash, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand; 1st - Sleep.
Possessions: Scimitar; Studded leather; Shield, light wooden. obsidian necklace valued at 200gp
3 potions of cure light wounds, 1 potion of resist energy (acid).
The Second Story
Is the same as the text, with the caved in roof. 5 more Stirges up here, roosting.
The Basement (CR 2)
A DC 7 Listen check will notice that there are ominous squeaking sounds coming from below, made by a nest of 5 Dire Rats, hp 5 each, Monster Manual pg 64, who have laired in the ruins of the basement. Also a number of non-combatant baby dire rats blindly root about a nest on the south wall, with a couple of badly decomposed bodies. The nest also contains a box, nestled under the debris, requiring a DC 10 Search check. The box contains an Elixir of Swimming, a scroll of Burning Hands a scroll of Animate Rope, 340 sp, 82 gp, a masterwork, and an ivory bound ledger worth 125gp.
Dire Animal, Rat: CR 1/3; Small Animal ; HD 1d8+1 (Animal) ; hp 5; Init +3; Spd 40, Climb 20; AC:15 (Flatfooted:12 Touch:14); Atk +1 base melee, +4 base ranged; +4 (1d4, Bite); SA: Disease (Ex) ; SQ: Scent (Ex), Low-light Vision (Ex), , ; AL N; SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3; STR 10, DEX 17, CON 12, INT 1, WIS 12, CHA 4.
Skills: Climb +8, Hide +8, Jump +4, Listen +4, Move Silently +4, Spot +4.
Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse.
Description: Dire animals are larger, tougher, meaner versions of normal animals. They tend to have a feral, prehistoric look. A dire rat can grow up to 3 feet long and weigh over 60 pounds. Combat: Dire rat packs attack fearlessly, biting and chewing with their sharp incisors.
Special Attacks: Disease (Ex): Filth fever - bite, Foritude save (DC 11), incubation period 1d3 days; damage 1d3 temporary Dexterity and 1d3 temporary Constitution. This save is Constitution based.
******************
As well, a backgrounder from a "local" of Diamond Lake to pass/read outloud to your players to give them info in Diamond Lake is attached below. It is not my work but that of another DM on Paizo's site.
