The Campaign Builder's Guild

Quote from: Seraphine_HarmoniumI would normally be wary of having too much magical intervention when dealing with city problems, mostly I think from the idea of low-level characters being around powerful magic (since I'm used to thinking of low-level PCs for adventures, and them either having or fighting high level magic is never good) but seeing as it seems most of the inhabitants are in some way altered, it doesn't seem like this is a location for low-level adventures, so it's probably not a problem.

It's designed for mid-level PCs, since the inhabitants average at about CR 12

Quote from: Seraphine_HarmoniumDoes the rest of the world know that Highfaeth (rather ironic name) is still down there?  Do they know about Lizzy and Vex?  I can imagine adventurers seeking to find magical & alchemical treasures from abandoned ruins to find that they are in fact, by no means abandoned.

Lizzy Kerrigan is known for being a serial killer from Beldor, she would kill young women and skin them (To replace the flesh she lost during her transformation). Vex is also know, as the mysterious prisoner in the Locked Room in the basement of Larkhill Prison, arguably the most inescapable prison on the planet.

However, unless you were inside it, or got a little off on your directions to Paradigm, you'll never know of Highfaeth. This makes it all the better, really, because you find it only by accident, and then you're in this entire world you have no knowledge at all of, adding to the creepy feel of the city.

Quote from: Seraphine_HarmoniumOne thing I find strange:  If they use wood for currency, I find public parks a strange idea.  Do they keep Security Golems constantly alert defending the trees?  Otherwise, why couldn't people just cut bits off the tree and use chips to make coins or whole branches as if they were gold ingots?  I suppose (or would suggest if you haven't thought of this already) that money must have a stamp or seal of approval to show that it is issued by the city and in fact, legal tender.

In order to make coins, they first need the wood. The wood is carved into shape and marked with Arcane Mark. Then, it goes through an alchemical permanency process that makes Ironwood cast on it permanent. Since only a tiny fraction of the population are Druids, and because the alchemical process is kept a government secret, the coins can't be illegally duplicated. Added to this issue of counterfeiting is the Arcane Mark, 6 characters long, and no-one on the production line ever sees what they read except the person putting them there. This means that even someone on the production line doesn't know the whole story.

Nothing? No-one?

Alrighty, things to consider:[list=1]* Laws? Do they still work in this place? Does anyone follow them?
* Food and Air. They have to come from somewhere, or else they certainly wouldn't have lasted so long.
* Creatures? We have the primaries from inside the city, but what about escaped sea creatures? This was a place of isolated experimentation after all.
* Power? A bit of a modern or future concept, but they'd need lights in the Bathypelagic (Which is where the city is, 800 ft. below sea level) because light doesn't go that far down.
* Some important NPCs. We've got that skinny on the big villains, but what about the little people? Healers, lieutenants, store owners, bar wenches!
* The Grit. So we've gone through power and we've gone through food and air, but what about the worse little things that PCs always seem to end up in? Things like how sewage is rid or what happens to contaminents and rubbish.
* As said, Highfaeth was created with the express purpose of recreating the advancement of Paradigm. There should probably be some such advancements available to PCs scouring the city (New spells, magic items, etc.).
* Similar to the above, there's a significant focus between the enemies on the alteration of their original bodies, be it with alchemical experimentation or grafts or transmutation magic. The PCs should have the option to do so, perhaps with new grafts and various alchemy and transmutation effects, possibly stemming from the city itself, in the form of dilapidated laboratories, perhaps even Gene Bank-like stalls.[/list]

Another note: Currency.[spoiler]In Rapture, the economy was driven by the extremely popular and culture-centric ADAM substance, because everyone used it to some extent or another. However, in Highfaeth no such discovery has been made, the Weird Henrys and Witchburns were created to fuel the black market that keeps a tenuous calm in the city.

So, what would they use for currency? It's unlikely they would stick with the old coinage, because a tie to the outside is an enticement, and more importantly: If you use a different coinage, you can tell when a coin shouldn't be around. In other words, if it's different coins, and a coin from outside gets in, you know there's a leak somewhere.

A currency needs to be distinct, it needs to be very hard or impossible to duplicate outside of the government, and it needs to be easily passed from one person to another (To facilitate economy). In a setting like this, it needs to be something that really sticks out as well, just like ADAM does in Rapture.

Now, for the ease of use, the traditional numeric system can be kept (1 PP = 10 GP = 100 SP = 1000 CP). Because we're dealing with a magical society, it's reasonable to assume that some form of anti-counterfeiting is in place, such as Arcane Mark.

It can't be any kind of plant matter, because that can be duplicated by your average citizen with Minor Creation, so we'll go with something that can be acquired in the environment, but not easily, or at least not without government knowledge. Notice that none of the resident models, despite being competent spellcasters, are Druids? This opens up Ironwood as a possible substance for currency.

Because Ironwood is, basically, wood, it's useless outside of an economy that uses it, meaning you can't take any wealth from Highfaeth with you should you leave. Because it would need special treatment to stay Ironwood, and because no-one in the city is a Druid without special order, the government can control it's production and prevent counterfeiting.

So, instead of PP=GP=SP=CP, we might have OW=PW=BW=WW, for Oak Ironwood, Pine Ironwood, Birch Ironwood, and Willow Ironwood. This is especially useful, because it gives an added reason for a large number of trees in Highfaeth, which can supply oxygen to the city. And, like Rapture, it means we can have a lot of government-funded parks :)[/spoiler]
[list=1]*We have Security Golems to keep a look-out against criminal action, so there's at least one situation where the inhabitants obey the law. What laws there are in a place like Highfaeth, I'm not sure.
*Because wood is needed to make the currency, we have to have room to grow them, meaning a forest or, at the very least, a sizeable park. I've plotted two points in the city that have very large parks, capable of providing air to the entire city. Alternatively, with power, a slightly modified Bottle of Air could also provide air.
Similarly, there could be a floor dedicated to farmland, which would be a fairly gruesome place to be in the modern times. Getting cattle down through the Diving Bell would be a tricky prospect, better to use Teleport or Teleportation Circle (There's a plot hook!).
The parks might also support various herbs and flowers for research and experimentation. Care to take a trip down a swirling rainbow-coloured road?
*There's a lot of creatures from the Bathypelagic written up in Stormwrack, but a lot more that haven't been seen at all. Most of the inhabitants use bioluminescence, producing quite a dazzling sight for those that can find windows. A number of Anglerfish and Eels could serve as useful food sources, but my primary thought is taking advantage of the experimentation and the largely-unexplored area to come up with whatever creature you want swimming about.
*Highfaeth is described as being on a ledge on the side of a seamount (Undersea mountain), with Paradigm city in the other side. Most undersea mountains are formed from extinct submarine volcanos. So, there's the possibility of geothermal energy, like Rapture. Alternatively, a magical source? I for one enjoy the idea of alchemical Fireballs being used as reactors.
If we consider the alchemical Fireball reactor idea, the rubbish could just filter through into them, destroyed completely. Alternatively, there could be a gate to somewhere that either it won't matter or the inhabitants won't care. Given it's massive volcanos, Gehenna would seem to be a good choice, provided an adequate target could be found that wouldn't shift away from the portal. There is the possibility of simply dumping it in the existing extinct volcano, but that could compromise the power supply.
For water, the spell Create Water would do well, especially through a series of items like Decanter of Endless Water, which would provide a stable source of clean water for bathing, toiletries, cooking, and drinking. The only issue would be to dispose of the water appropriately so as not to disturb the salination of the surrounding ocean (Which would force fish away).[/list]

[spoiler][/spoiler]
My city map thus far, created using the liquid death that is InkScape. You can see the two park areas that supply oxygen, nitrates, and wood for currency, to the city, as well as the four docks for the Diving Bell. I'm going to add all the storm damage after the map is done.
The symbol in the top right is the symbol that indicates Highfaeth. It's the binary code for H and F in leaf presentation.

And of course, for the avid tourist:

The text around the outside of the coin is in Elven, Dwarven, Gnomish, Common, and Halfling. It means Arcane, Faith, Knowledge, Union, and Power, respectively.

I'm working on a new location in my campaign world, the city of Highfaeth.
History of Highfaeth
[spoiler]Paradigm was an island city, highly proficient in trading and as a result they enjoyed a significant technological base. However, forces conspired to destroy Paradigm, in order to weaken the world as a whole by eliminating a source of high technology and strategic value. The base of the island was destroyed, causing significant earthquakes on the island surface, and it eventually sank beneath the waves to extreme depths, unreachable by most present standards. Those that survived have little memory of what occurred and what Paradigm was like, the product of extremely powerful tampering by the hands of Set. This occurred forty-four years ago, in the year 1912

Not long ago, a decade or so, the precise date is unknown, a group of mages developed an improved design of diving bell, utilising a shielding effect to reduce the issues of the crushing depths, and found their way to the ruined remnants of Paradigm. Because they were the only ones with this technology, they could control who went down to the city, and they eventually learned to expand the shielding in order to make the sunken ruins habitable by a chosen few.

Nearby Paradigm, they established a new city, Highfaeth, a few miles from the ruins. Here, they built a new Paradigm, reducing the trade opportunities in exchange for concentrated technology and magical advancement. This they did in secret, to avoid the same destructive fate as Paradigm. At its peak, Highfaeth supported over a thousand people, from various races, beneath the sea.

After the Great Storm of 1962, the tidal forces severely crippled Highfaeth, leaving it in a state of internal conflict. Some wanted to flee, others wanted to repair the city, and others believed it was perfectly functional despite the damage. Leadership within Highfaeth fragmented amongst the groups. Violence began to break out, rioters plagued the streets, and resources became hoarded and rationed. The once beautiful but isolated city of advancement, Highfaeth slipped into utter chaos over the course of a few months.

Eventually, Highfaeth was discovered by a creature able to survive the depths by impersonally sacrificing the ever-growing hordes of her children. She slipped into the now-ruined city through a port entrance and began to take control of the city. She repaired some of the storm damage, making old areas habitable once again, and captured all that stood against her. Lizzy Kerrigan had found her way into Highfaeth.

But she wasn't the only one. Another creature found his way beneath the seas. An undead of extreme age, he utilised the abilities of his unique minions to crash his way through the ceiling of Highfaeth and into a conference hall. The sheer size of the transported rock he utilised sealed the gouge, for the most part, and a few minor blasts of eldritch might sealed it once more. He too began abducting the surviving residents, but as undead he had little to fear from the ocean reclaiming the city. Vex the Malign had found a residence in Highfaeth as well.

The two came into conflict several times, but nothing significant developed of it. Because Kerrigan could do little to infest Vex or his minions, and Vex had little use for anything Kerrigan could offer, the two formed an uneasy truce. In the wake of their civil war, the hand of Kerrigan or of Vex had left much of the population of Highfaeth altered in some way, either corrupted through transmutation magics and alchemy or through the infernal meddling of aberrations. However, it had brought a peace to the previous civil war between the original inhabitants. Highfaeth began to flourish once more.

The city was largely rebuilt, save some of the most heavily damaged areas left over from the Great Storm, but what populated Highfaeth was no longer the altruistic pioneers that had been before. Highfaeth had fallen under an almost militaristic control by Vex and Kerrigan. However, not every resident was their pawn, and not every street was their domain. Some escaped their transformative dominion and others evaded capture by it. Most that escaped drifted in and out of sanity, driven mad by the tortures they endured. The more lucid ones attempted to escape further, away from Highfaeth, or began stripping their fellows apart to sell on some disgusting black market between the dictatorial pair.

And now we see Highfaeth, a hidden city laying in tatters beneath the waves, not far from its impetus, the once-great city of Paradigm, made residence by two of the most vile creatures the world has ever known.[/spoiler]
Travel Brochure
[spoiler]Highfaeth lies at a depth of 800 ft., about 2 miles away from the ruins of Paradigm.

Because of this depth, the standard Diving Bell (As seen in Stormwrack) only gets you about 1/4 of the way down. Anything unprotected takes 8d6 damage per minute (DC 15 +1 per previous check negates this damage for any given minute), Aquatic creatures take only 1d6. As a result, it's fairly hazardous for most player characters.

The best way down to Highfaeth is to use a Diving Bell for the first 200 ft. and then cast Transformation of the Deeps on all of the party members and start swimming.

Total travel time, assuming good Swim checks, is about 6 minutes.

Alternatively, you can try this without the spell, but you'd take way more damage (Compared to zero) and risk drowning, unless every party member has at least a 20 Constitution. However, you do cut the time down by 6 rounds. Regardless, there's still the traditional marine wildlife to chew on them during the dive, as well as whatever engineered monstrosities may have escaped the city.

For plot hooks on why your players would want to go through all this trouble, the promise of treasure in Paradigm nearby is a classic. Maybe they spot the lights of the city in the distance, or maybe they just miscalculated their positioning on the sea above. Alternatively, maybe some of the residents took a trip to the surface of the sea, though most likely they'd be the kind of people to enjoy floating about...face down.[/spoiler]
Residential
[spoiler]Highfaeth had a peak population of roughly 1000 people, which has since dwindled for one reason or another to at most 600. They are divided into three groups, barring exceptional members: Alchemists, Arcane mages, and Divine Mages. Except for race, they are fairly regular.

*Alchemists are Factotums,
*Arcane mages Wizards,
*Divine mages Adepts, all of 10th level.

Naturally, they're mostly altered. Experimentation by Kerrigan and/or Vex has left the population largely inhuman.

*Alchemists tend to be Half-Troll, Living Zombies, or Spellwarped.
*Arcane mages are Guardian creatures, Half-Illithids, or Phantoms.
*Divine mages are Bone creatures, Lost, or Pseudonatural creatures.

Feel free to populate Highfaeth with whatever custom creature you deem appropriate, it's essentially a boiling pot of ingenuity, able to produce whatever creepy masterpiece you like.

*Average CR of a resident: 11 (Range 10-13 depending on the template)

Security Golem
In addition to the ex-/humanoid residents, Highfaeth is patrolled by a number of Security Golems, whose previous task was to ensure the city was safe from criminal elements. Now, they have been charged with their original goals in addition to keeping check on the still-damaged areas of the city. Over time, they have become infested with experiment rats, becoming hivenest creatures. Because of their duties, they are often at odds with the black marketers and Vex & Kerrigan, even the most insane of the residents knows to avoid the Golems.
[spoiler]Large Construct
Hit Dice:   11d10+30 (90 HP)
Initiative:   +1
Speed:   30 ft.
Armor Class:   18 (+1 Dex, +8 Nat, -1 Size), touch 10, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple:   +8/+16
Attack:   Crossbow +8 ranged (3d8 [18-20/x2]){120 ft.} or Slam +11 melee (2d8+4 [20/x2])
Full Attack:   2 Crossbows +8 ranged (3d8 [18-20/x2]){120 ft.} and 2 Slams +11 melee (2d8+4 [20/x2])
Space/Reach:   10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks:   Infested Attack, Distraction, Innate Crossbows, Revision
Special Qualities:   Darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/adamantine, Fast Healing 5, Immunity to Magic, Infestation, Innate Crossbow, Low-light vision, Repair
Saves:   Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +5
Abilities:   Str 24, Dex 12, Con '", Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 12
Skills:   Climb +11, Jump +11, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +8, Listen +6, Search +4, Spot +6
Feats:   Improved Multiattack, Multiattack, Rapid Reload, Two-Weapon Fighting
Environment: Highfaeth
Organization: Solitary, Pair, or Gang (3-4)
Challenge Rating: 10
Alignment: Neutral

From down the corridor comes the sound of slow pounding footsteps. A large humanoid creature appears cloaked in metal plates arranged like clothing, with a sphere of iron dotted with glowing porthole about its head. Embedded in its arms are powerful crossbows, and under the clanking noise of its approach you can just hear the sound of quiet squeaking somewhere within'¦

Security Golems were created during the early days of Highfaeth, to defend it from intruders and to keep order within. After the Great Storm critically damaged the city, they were also charged not only with ensuring law was maintained inside but with ensuring the city did not fall into such a state as to compromise it to the ocean outside.

Ironically, for creatures tasked with the upkeep of the city, security golems have become largely infested themselves with cranium rats that have escaped from one laboratory or another. The rats don't interfere with the golem's operations, but they occasionally scutter about inside or peek out of holes in the shell, giving a disconcerting aesthetic to the once treasured creatures.

The golems are fairly docile, and usually do not engage targets unless provoked or when they bear witness to an illegal act. However, they have trouble recognising the deranged and the transfigured residents of the city, and usually pay closer attention to them than most other activities. Most inhabitants have learned to avoid the golems unless absolutely impossible.

Security Golems cannot speak, but can understand Draconic, Elven, and Common.

Combat
Security Golems typically prefer to begin combat from range, where they can use their crossbows for significant damage before closing to capture the target and eliminate them.
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature vulnerable to the damage from an infested attack (see below) that begins its turn in a square adjacent to a security golem is nauseated for 1 round. A successful DC 18 Fortitude save negates the effect. Spellcasting or concentrating on spells while adjacent to a security golem requires a concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a successful DC 20 Concentration check.
Infestation (Ex): If a security golem is reduced to 0 hit points, it is destroyed but the swarm that nests within it is released. One average cranium rat swarm is immediately placed in the space previously occupied by the security golem. This swarm has full hit points, regardless of damage to the security golem, and acts independently of any control that golem was under. A golem that is repaired by its Clockwork Mender swarm is soon inhabited by another swarm.
Infested Attack (Ex): Any creature struck by one or more of a security golem's slam attacks is dealt 3d6 points of damage from the cranium rats' swarm attack at the end of the security golem's turn. Any effect that reduces or negates swarm attack damage, such as damage reduction, is applied separately to both the slam attack and the swarm attack.
Immunity to Magic (Ex): A security golem is immune to the effect of any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.
A dispel evil, dispel good, dispel chaos, dispel law, or dismissal spell resets a security golem's Revision bonus to +0 and dazes the creature for 1 round. A banishment spell also resets a security golem's Revision bonus but dazes the golem for 1d4+1 rounds. While the golem is dazed by either of these effects, its Fast Healing ability is suppressed.
Innate Crossbows (Ex): Each arm of a security golem is fitted with a great crossbow. Each crossbow is connected to an extradimensional pocket inside the golem that stores up to 100 bolts. Each day, the pockets are magically refilled with 100 bolts, and the golem can insert bolts that it finds during its rounds with a move action. The golem must still reload an empty crossbow as normal. The bonus on attack and damage rolls from Revision (see below) also applies to the golem's crossbow attacks.
Repair (Su): As an immediate action once per day, a security golem can summon a Clockwork Mender swarm (MMIV) from Mechanus. If the golem is destroyed, a swarm is summoned instantly the next round and begins repairing it. In this case, the golem becomes operational again once its hit points would exceed zero from the healing (Any excess damage below zero hit points must be healed first). The swarm dissipates once the golem reaches full hit points or its task is completed.
For example, a security golem is destroyed after being hit by a Weird Henry by taking enough damage to reach '"8 hit points. The next round, the Clockwork Mender swarm appears and begins repairing it at the normal rate of 1 hit point per round. After 9 rounds, the golem reaches 1 hit point and its own Fast Healing begins to repair it as well, until finally after 15 rounds it reaches 90 hit points and the swarm dissipates.
If, for whatever reason, the golem is unable to summon the swarm (Such as due to a dimensional anchor or an antimagic field) it remains destroyed and cannot summon the swarm at any point. If the swarm is destroyed before the golem reaches 1 hit point, it cannot summon another.
Revision (Ex): When it strikes, a security golem adapts its attack to take advantage of weaknesses in the opponent's defenses. Each round that it successfully damages a creature, it gains a cumulative +1 insight bonus (maximum +5) on attack rolls and damage rolls against that opponent. This bonus remains in force until the golem deals damage to a different creature.
For example, the first time a security golem damages a foe, a +1 bonus applies to each of its attacks against that target in subsequent rounds. The next time it hits that foe, the bonus increases to +2. During any round that it misses the target, the bonus does not increase. If the security golem hits a different target at any point in the progression, the bonus against the first target is lost, and a new bonus begins to accrue against the new target.[/spoiler]
Weird Henry
Weird Henrys are created from no-longer useful Witchburns and are their protectors as they travel about the hazardous spaces and areas of Highfaeth. Whilst the precise figures aren't known, because they are simply allowed to roam the corridors, there are thought to be 3-4 Weird Henrys for every Witchburn.
[spoiler]Large Aberration (Augmented Humanoid)
Hit Dice:   15d8+60 (128 HP)
Initiative:   +1
Speed:   30 ft.
Armor Class:   25 (+1 Dex, +15 Nat, -1 Size), touch 10, flat-footed 24
Base Attack/Grapple:   +11/+21
Attack:   Slam +17 melee (2d8+6 [20/x2])
Full Attack:   2 Slams +17 melee (2d8+6 [20/x2])
Space/Reach:   10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks:   Spell-like abilities, Swallow Soul
Special Qualities:   Darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/adamantine, Fast Healing 5, Immunity to magic, Improved Grab, Incarnum Investiture, Low-light vision
Saves:   Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +9
Abilities:   Str 22, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 5
Skills:   Climb +12, Jump +12, Listen +12, Search +14, Spot +14
Feats:   Combat Brute, Improved Power Attack, Improved Sunder, Lifesenseb, Power Attack, Pulverize Foe, Quick Recovery
Environment: Highfaeth
Organization: Solitary or Pairing (1 Witchburn & 1 Weird Henry)
Challenge Rating: 10
Alignment: Neutral

A large man-shaped creature of some sort lumbers along the corridor, a rusted piton sticking out of its back. It is covered head to toe in armoured plates, save its almost reptilian orange eyes, which pierce the blackness ahead. What little flesh you can make out flickers inside with a faint bluish light.

Weird Henrys, named for Professor Henry Tenenbaum, are large hulking creatures created from recycled witchburns that have worn out their usefulness. The curse is temporarily lifted and they are immediately subjected to an intense regimen of alchemical and magical treatment, which transforms them further from their natural state to the state called Weird Henry. Though powerful, this process leaves the briefly free witchburn in a vegetative state in which their creator can control them not unlike a dominated creature.

As a Weird Henry, they have every compulsion to defend and protect their former fellows, to the point of risking their lives entirely. They often taxi witchburns about as they cling to them by pitons.

Weird Henrys cannot speak any language, but are capable of understanding any languages they knew as ordinary children and typically communicate with grunts and howls akin to a wounded whale. Though precise figures are unknown, there are thought to be 3-4 Weird Henrys to every witchburn in Highfaeth, meaning between 194-256 stalk the hallways.

Combat
When in combat, a Weird Henry uses their brawn rather than much brain to fight adversaries. Above all, protection of any witchburns in the vicinity is paramount, even to their own survival. If they have any soul points, they usually invest them in gaining combat bonuses to dispatch the target quickly, whilst using fortunate fate and shield other on the nearby witchburns.
Otherwise, they try to avoid combat, to avoid placing the witchburns in harm's way. When a creature appears that may present a threat, they work to cast shield other and fortunate fate on their charge before things get hairy.
Immunity to Magic (Ex): Weird Henrys are immune to the effect of any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.
A magical attack that deals cold or fire damage slows a Weird Henry (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds, with no saving throw.
A magical attack that deals electricity damage breaks any slow effect on them and heals 1 point of damage for every 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause them to exceed their full normal hit points, they gain any excess as temporary hit points. For example, a Weird Henry hit by a lightning bolt heals 3 points of damage if the attack would have dealt 11 points of damage. A Weird Henry gets no saving throw against attacks that deal electricity damage.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a Weird Henry must hit an opponent with their slam attack. They can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Incarnum Investiture (Su): By expending soul points garnered from the souls of the fallen around it, a Weird Henry can augment their existing abilities.

*

Combat Power: The Weird Henry gains a +1 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls per soul point invested.
*Damage Reduction: The Weird Henry's damage reduction increases by 2 points per soul point invested.
*Land Speed Increase: The Weird Henry's speed increases by 10 ft. per soul point invested.
*Teleportation: The Weird Henry can use a move action to teleport 20 ft. per soul point invested. They can take other creatures it is carrying with it, provided they do not exceed their maximum load.[/list]
Each of these investitures last for up to an hour, regardless of the quantity of soul points invested into them. Investing any number of points into a single ability is a standard action.
Spell-like Abilities: At will '" fortunate fate, shield other, 1/hour '" dimension door. Caster level 10th.
Swallow Soul (Su): A Weird Henry that is present when a sentient creature is killed (Such as being reduced to '"10 hit points or having a Constitution of 0) can take a full-round action to capture and consume the soul of the victim. This grants them a number of soul points equal to the hit dice of the consumed creature. A typical Weird Henry is found with 10 soul points to spend, though this is the maximum quantity of points they can have at any one time (Including points invested).
Skills: Weird Henrys have a +8 racial bonus to Search checks and a +6 racial bonus to Listen and Spot checks.[/spoiler]
Witchburn
Witchburns work for Andrew Thomas via the Council, and go about Highfaeth looking for supplies, be they food, clothing, or components and resources to be sold on the black market, typically body parts from other inhabitants. There are about 64 Witchburns in Highfaeth.
[spoiler]Small Aberration (Augmented Humanoid, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice:   10d8+30 (75 HP)
Initiative:   +3
Speed:   50 ft.
Armor Class:   16 (+3 Dex, +2 Nat, +1 Size), touch 14, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple:   +7/+10
Attack:   Slam +10 melee (1d8+3 [20/x2])
Full Attack:   Slam +10 melee (1d8+3 [20/x2])
Space/Reach:   5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks:   Improved Grab, Disembody, Skirmish +3d6/+2 AC
Special Qualities:   Blindsense 60 ft., Cursed, Darkvision 120 ft., Evasion, Hide in Plain Sight, Illuminated Eyes, Immunities, SR 21, Superior Low-light vision, Uncanny Dodge
Saves:   Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +10
Abilities:   Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 1, Wis 16, Cha 1
Skills:   Climb +6, Hide +21, Listen +14, Move Silently +16, Spot +14
Feats:   Blind-Fightb, Dodge, Hammer and Piton, Improved Grappleb, Improved Natural Attackb, Improved Toughnessb, Mobility, Spring Attack
Environment: Highfaeth (Plane of Shadow)
Organization: Solitary or Pairing (1 Witchburn & 1 Weird Henry)
Challenge Rating: 13
Alignment: Neutral Evil

A little girl, easily no more than nine years old, clambers out of a neglected air vent nearby, her simple white dress dirty and tainted with dried blood. Around her waist is a belt with four climbing pitons dangling from it, and her figure is wrapped in a foreboding darkness. Her eyes beacon forth with a eerie light and you hear powerful footsteps approaching'¦

Witchburns, named for their creator, Meredith Witchburn, are small children that have been alchemically and magically altered to go around Highfaeth retrieving components and resources for the black market.

Children were chosen because of their small stature, allowing them to navigate smaller areas than most of the inhabitants, and girls were found to be more susceptible to the transformation than boys, so the majority are female.

Witchburns live in a state of domination by the council, cursed to follow their commands, and because of the alchemical serums in their bodies they are stunted at a childlike state for the duration of their lives. They can typically be found being accompanied by a Weird Henry, who protects them when they venture out into the open, and keep guard of them while they go about gathering resources.

Witchburns speak whatever languages they knew before their transformation, though they are very childish in their language and rarely talk to their targets.

Combat
Witchburns rarely enter combat alone or from out of cover. They typically stick to dark areas and hide from whatever enemies they detect, more afraid of them than anything else. However, when in combat, they like to keep mobile, lashing out at the opponent before moving out of their grasp. When they finally whittle the target down, they engage them in a grapple and rip them apart.
Cursed: To keep them in line, a witchburn is cursed during their creation. This reduces their Intelligence and Charisma scores to 1 each and binds their will to the one performing the ritual process. A single creature can have no more witchburn bound to them than one for each point of ability bonus in their primary spellcasting ability, but for each witchburn they control they age half as fast, though the witchburn heals naturally at half the normal rate. To remove the curse, you must first remove the portion of the creator from the witchburn's body, this requires that they be restrained or helpless and a DC 21 Search check allows the discovery of the item. Removing it requires a DC 15 Heal check, at which time the witchburn regains their normal freedom and their Intelligence and Charisma scores change to 11 and 7, respectively, and their alignment reverts to Chaotic Neutral. A limited wish, miracle, or wish spell is required to return an uncursed witchburn's to their original state (Be it human, elf, halfling, etc.).
Disembody (Ex): A witchburn that pins an opponent in a grapple can make a grapple check to rend the target's body apart. If they succeed, the subject is killed immediately. They can attempt a Fortitude saving throw (DC 18) to survive, in which case they take 1d4 points of Constitution damage (Or 5d12 points of damage, if the target has no Constitution or is immune to ability damage). Witchburns can use this ability against helpless targets without establishing a grapple beforehand.
Illuminated Eyes (Ex): A witchburn's eyes glow strongly with a slightly orange light. While open, they illuminate a 60 ft. cone.
Immunities (Ex): Witchburns do not need to sleep and are immune to magical sleep effects. They have a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting spells or abilities.
Improved Grab (Ex): A witchburn must hit a target with their slam attack to use this ability. If they establish a grapple and pin the opponent, they can disembody the following round.
Skills: A witchburn has a +8 racial bonus to Hide checks and a +6 racial bonus to Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks. Unless the curse is removed, they cannot use Intelligence or Charisma-based skills.[/spoiler][/spoiler]
Politics
[spoiler]Highfaeth was originally founded by 16 mages working for an archaeology firm, but they split away from the company and took the modified Diving Bell with them (Which has since been lost somewhere on the ocean floor due to a small group of insane escapees). They then established Highfaeth and ran it together as a council. However, the disagreements on what to do with the damage city broke the council into groups of 7:4:5 (On Stay, Flee, and Repair, respectively) and it has since all but dissolved. The remaining uncaptured residents are largely the only ones that still follow their orders, though Vex will occasionally bow to their superior knowledge of the city. Kerrigan seeks to eliminate them to weaken the survivors for capture.

Now, the three primary runners of Highfaeth are Elizabeth "Lizzy" Kerrigan, Vex the Malign, and Andrew Thomas.

*

Lizzy: Half-Farspawn Human Swashbuckler in command of a Hivemind composed of Tsochari strands (It bends rules but not by much), which she births personally.
She was created through the experimentation earlier of a cult dedicated to the Great Mother. She is using Highfaeth as a base of operations to produce a powerful host body for her children, so she can move onto greater straits of acquisition. With her are the unconscious bodies of her elder brother and sister, plus her parents, in Temporal Stasis. She intends to use them for more ambitious experimentation once she knows it'll work. Much of the eastern sections of the city are almost coated internally with her hivemind, giving the look of a horrible wriggling fleshy structure.
*Vex: Gravetouched Ghoul Human Warlock/Sorcerer/Eldritch Theurge.
Vex came to be after being quarantined in a room with prison inmates suffering from Slimy Doom. He survived the sickness, but wasn't allowed out for fear of his still being contagious. To survive, he feasted on the bodies of his fellows. After escaping, he was joined by the Plague Blight reanimations of four of the others. He's using Highfaeth as a refuge while he builds his supersoldiers and other weapons, which he was previously imprisoned for. For more information on Vex, see the Salient Villains section of my signature.
*Andrew: Human Rogue/Master of Masks/Mountebank
The king of Highfaeth's black market, Andrew occupies a grey neutral zone inbetween Vex and Lizzy. He and his subordinates gather resources from around the city, mostly the components of their former neighbours, and sell them between the two villains for a profit to keep themselves alive. He spends most of his time in the theatre section, but he is hoping to pull Vex and Lizzy back into conflict in order to use the surviving resources to leave Highfaeth and make millions on the international market with what has been wrought from the city.[/list]Via the black market, this is a great place for players to go searching for Grafts, of virtually any kind. Alchemy and the related substances are also up for grabs here, provided you can wrench them from the hands of who-(or what)-ever still has them. Aberration and Undead fans can also appreciate the works of Lizzy and Vex, and if both are bested it leaves them with a vast (albet decimated) underwater city for them to rebuild.[/spoiler]
Villains
[spoiler]Andrew Thomas
Design
[spoiler]Human Rogue 5/Master of Masks 6/Mountebank 9
Feats*: Deceitful (h), Lucky Start, Telling Blow, Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Dual Strike, Persistent Attacker, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting
Skills:

13% - Disguise

13% - Sleight of Hand

13% - Perform (act)

10% - Bluff

6% - Diplomacy

6% - Intimidate

6% - Search

6% - Sense Motive

6% - Tumble

5% - Listen

5% - Spot

3% - Knowledge (local)

3% - Move Silently

3% - Spellcraft

Sink the Intelligence-gained skill points into these skills or into useful Skill Tricks like Acrobatic Backstab and Assume Quirk.

Andrew isn't really designed for combat, he's designed to manipulate people to the extremes of their mentalities. If he gets into combat, he's a dual-wielding fiend with the mix of masks and sneak attacks (Once he goes first, he can use Persistent Attacker to sneak attack once every round, at the cost of 4 of his 9 d6s, given the Assassin mask). If he needs to escape, he goes out theatrically by using the Archmage mask's Invisibility and Sideslipping into a hidden area.[/spoiler]
Personality
[spoiler]When Highfaeth was being constructed, the original 16 mages that began the project needed financial backing and supplies to continue the construction. Loaning out the Diving Bell wasn't bringing in enough money, so they turned to the most discrete people available.

One such person was Eli Yorisov, a business kingpin amongst Dwarves. His representative was a sly businessman named Andrew Thomas. Thomas oversaw much of the entertainment areas of the city and facilitated the supply of resources from a race almost universally known for their architectural genius. Through the entertainment, Thomas wormed his way into the political infrastructure of the city through temptation and debt.

At the height of its life, Thomas controlled two sixths of the working population in Highfaeth, spread throughout every group. He snapped communications with Yorisov and began running his own black market. When the Great Storm massively damaged the city, his contacts outside were either killed or left him to save themselves, leaving his black market bereft of supplies.

Thomas proposed to the council that repairing the city was the best course of action, neglecting to mention that it would allow the black market supplies back along with external communications. Ultimately it wasn't the option chosen by the council, and Thomas began moving his supporters towards the civil war. When the Golems finally discovered his growing movement, he lead his most trusted creditors and minions to a safe part of the city just as the Flow arrived through one of the damaged docking ports. The Golems were recalled and his haven has become a mecca for the surviving uncaptured residents.

Because everything in the haven is under his command, Thomas holds great extortional sway over the councilmembers, and acts as their self-imposed voice. He still deals in black market operations, but now business is primarily between the leading groups, Kerrigan, Vex, and himself, for the resources of eachother. His minions can often be found scavenging around different areas or fighting with the captured residents to acquire the components that have altered them.[/spoiler]
Lizzy Kerrigan
Design
[spoiler]Half-Farspawn Human Swashbuckler 16
Feats*: Make Your Own Luck (h), Weapon Finesse (b), Lucky Start, Combat Expertise, Tempting Fate, Unbelievable Luck, Better Lucky than Good, Darkstalker
Skills:

16% - Diplomacy

14% - Jump

14% - Tumble

12% - Climb

12% - Escape Artist

12% - Sense Motive

11% - Bluff

3% - Knowledge (religion)

2% - Sleight of Hand

2% - Balance

Lizzy is largely about misdirection. She bluffs the opponent to get them flat-footed and then keeps on slashing with her rapier or her own tentacles. Her Swashbuckler levels allow her extreme versatility in the oft-damaged environment of Highfaeth. If things go really bad, she can use Tempting Fate to appear dead as anything. Her interpersonal skills are pretty good, and if allowed she can take the Seduction dead-level class feature.

However, Lizzy will rarely get into combat alone. Whilst she enjoys combat and misleading her opponents, her hivemind has spellcasting to back her up significantly. The hivemind has, at least, 20th level Sorcerer casting, and can cast any spell it has from any part of itself, making it very difficult to retake Lizzy's part of the city.[/spoiler]
Personality
[spoiler]Lizzy was a fairly average girl until the Temple of Zakia in Beldor city kidnapped her in 1955 when she was only 8 years old. She was implanted with a Tsochar parasite, fanatical to the Zakian mythology, and brainwashed into similar worship. During a confrontation between an adventuring guild and a group consisting of herself and a number of other kidnapped children, she alone escaped into the sewer system.

In the sewers, she began to undergo a startling metamorphosis. Instead of fighting off the Tsochar within her, her body instead began a process of perfect symbiosis, a reaction considered by Sovice and Makinoan researchers to be the result of specific genetic mutations within her. This process took several years, and she was well into her development when it was finally completed in 1958 at age 12. However, her mental and physical development after this completion made her more akin to a 19 year old. Over the four-year period, the Tsochar portion of her had been almost continuously breeding, producing an incalculably massive grouping of strands that served as a hivemind for her (The first incarnation of the 'Flow'). Eventually, the same adventuring guild located her (Having been recently tipped off by an increasing number of Caucasian females being assaulted with their skin being removed, which Lizzy was using to repair the gaps in her own humanoid flesh from the transformation) and destroyed virtually all of her hivemind, leaving her to flee from the Material Plane to escape her own destruction.

After the destruction of the original Flow, Lizzy Kerrigan did not surface for many years, and was presumed lost. She travelled the worlds with the new incarnation looking for sanctuary, and eventually she came upon very old documents that led her to Highfaeth.

Lizzy still remains loyal to the teachings of Zakia, and wise enemies can usually stave off annihilation at her hands by dressing themselves up as Zakian worshippers.

Whilst she has had much time to develop her mature personality, Kerrigan still holds a few traits from her grievously aberrational childhood in the hands of a biological mutation. Evident of this is her belief of irreversibility, that if something changes it most likely will not be able to be turned back to how it originally was. Because her puberty was overshadowed by her transformation, and she now reproduces asexually to produce new Tsochar strands, her knowledge of sexual matters is somewhat limited, but she is not above using her feminine allure to get what she wants.

Special note: Lizzy carries four black gems that hold the trapped essences of her sister, brother, and parents. She intends to use/torture them later for their individual parts in her suffering. If a player got hold of even one, especially a parent, they would have a massive bargaining chip.[/spoiler]
Vex the Malign
Design
[spoiler]Gravetouched Ghoul Human Warlock 5/Sorcerer 4/Eldritch Theurge 10
Feats*: Eschew Materials (h), Violate Spell-Like Ability, Point-Blank Shot, Somatic Weaponry, Multiattack (b), Contagious Paralysis, Ability Focus (paralysis), Jack of All Trades, Improved Paralysis
Skills:

17% - Concentration

15% - Spellcraft

13% - Bluff

12% - Use Magic Device

9% - Intimidate

9% - Knowledge (arcana)

9% - Knowledge (the planes)

7% - Sense Motive

5% - Disguise

3% - Diplomacy

Of his own volition, Vex will rarely get into melee range. He prefers to use his Invocations to fire from significant distance, to the point that most of the people who manage to get into melee range are already in dire need of the medic they just ran from. Those that survive getting to him have to worry about the high DC of his paralysis, which he can then use to affect other party members thanks to Contagious Paralysis. He enjoys mixing magic weapon attacks (Like wands and rods) with his spells and Eldritch Blasts, available through Somatic Weaponry.[/spoiler]
Personality
[spoiler]Lex Vietmaghn was born some 432 years ago in Midgard to a young parishioner mother and a slightly older man of the shugenja. His mother and father travelled for some time together spreading the word of Odin and Thor to the darkest regions. When his mother, Cassandra, became with child, Alexander insisted that she return home to Midgard until the child came of age. However, a fiery woman, Cassandra denied him his martial reprieve and continued on alongside him.

Eventually, their travels pitted them against a conjurer of foul demons and spirits. Included were a number of Vrocks, and Cassandra in her weakened and vulnerable state soon fell victim to their hazardous demonic spores. Alexander was able to protect her long enough to escape with their lives, and she soon recovered without issue.

Several months later, Lex was born, and his parents rejoiced. The couple settled down, delegating their journeys to younger supplicants of the clergy, to raise Lex as best as they could. When Lex was ten years old, he began displaying sorcerous talents, performing minor tricks such as minor electrical jolts and light-fingered telekinesis.

The village elders were amazed, they could scarcely believe that the child of two farmers nee holy priests could have inherited some innate magical talent, but this appeared to be the case. However, as time went by, it became more and more apparent that Lex wasn't inheriting only sorcerous skills, but demonic ones as well. The first incident of this was shortly after his sixteenth birthday when a young outlaw arrived in the village, and began disparaging all he could lay eyes on, including his fair mother. Lex confronted the man and eventually the argument grew violent. Lex's eyes flared red, and as he struck the man down, a similar flame engulfed his fist. The villain was not burned, but had been killed outright regardless.

For the rest of his time in the village, Lex was ostracised. People whispered and muttered under their breath near him, telling tales of demons and monsters and alleged heinous acts. In reality, he was a hard-working student and a dutiful farmer's son, who said his prayers each night. But his ways were being gradually changed by these whisperings, and his father recognised it.
When Lex was twenty years old, his mother passed away from Vile Rigidity. Lex was at her bedside for the entire ordeal, including her passing, and heard the final gasps of breath that passed her cracked lips. Realising that the villagers would blame him for causing the affliction, Alexander sent Lex away to a university in Beldor, and bid him never to return for his own safety.
In his new environment, Lex did his best to hide his inherited demonic abilities and ply them off as mere sorcery, a trait more readily accepted. His penchant for magical study eventually earned him a prestigious place in the Transmutation department of the Mystical Experimentation Complex, just as the Great War began to heat up.

Realising the necessity of better soldiers for the war, Lex stepped up his experiments beyond the restrictions of the complex, picking up orphans and beggars from the streets to test his potions and tonics on. He knew it was a vile action that would have proven the prejudices of his hometown, but he felt it necessary to save many millions of lives. However, he was eventually discovered, and sentenced to fifty years in Larkhill prison for unnatural acts of arcane experimentation.

402 years ago, when Lex was imprisoned, Larkhill Prison was a fairly recent institution, only 60 years old. Built to contain the worst inmates imaginable, and whilst it had it's fair share of breakouts, it did its job well.
However, war brings everyone to their knees. With funds to the prison instead going to help win the Great War, started 442 years ago, the prison suffered considerably. Maintenance started going undone, and eventually disease began to stir in the population.

Then, twenty inmates fell sick with a terrible plague of Slimy Doom. To contain the outbreak, the guards locked them away in a storage room in the underground boiler level. 19 of the inmates fell to their sickness, but the twentieth survived. He banged desperately on the door to be let out, but the guards couldn't risk releasing the plague as well.

As a result, he was locked away and forgotten in the storage room. To survive, he began feeding on the carcasses of the other inmates, until eventually he died of thirst. He awoke as a gravetouched ghoul, still hungering for living flesh, and the necromantic energies of his creation spurred four more inmates to awaken as plague blights.

The ghoul sent the blights to beat at the stone walls of the room, hoping to gradually tear it down and wreak revenge on his imprisoners. The guards heard this, and rapidly sealed an earth elemental into the structure, reinforcing it beyond the ability of the blights to damage, entombing them forever. As a matter of government embarrassment, the warden of the time erased the incident from the books with a fire that tore through the record library later that year.

The ghoul and his plague blight minions stayed locked away for four hundred years, and Vex the Malign hungered for each of them, until finally cracks appeared in the prison, the earth beneath the prison moving in to reclaim it. They escaped, and built a lance with which to retrieve the depths of Paradigm for his purposes. They crashed unceremoniously through the ceiling of one of the city's conference rooms, and Vex quickly sealed the gash before the sea finally retook the entire complex.

---------------
Lex is a scientist first and foremost. He weighs his options and goes for the most rational given the circumstances, and he ventures towards gains whilst weighing the losses in hand. [/spoiler]

*In order of acquisition[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Alrighty, things to consider:[list=1]* Laws? Do they still work in this place? Does anyone follow them?
* Food and Air. They have to come from somewhere, or else they certainly wouldn't have lasted so long.
* Creatures? We have the primaries from inside the city, but what about escaped sea creatures? This was a place of isolated experimentation after all.
* Power? A bit of a modern or future concept, but they'd need lights in the Bathypelagic (Which is where the city is, 800 ft. below sea level) because light doesn't go that far down.
* Some important NPCs. We've got that skinny on the big villains, but what about the little people? Healers, lieutenants, store owners, bar wenches!
* The Grit. So we've gone through power and we've gone through food and air, but what about the worse little things that PCs always seem to end up in? Things like how sewage is rid or what happens to contaminents and rubbish.
* As said, Highfaeth was created with the express purpose of recreating the advancement of Paradigm. There should probably be some such advancements available to PCs scouring the city (New spells, magic items, etc.).
* Similar to the above, there's a significant focus between the enemies on the alteration of their original bodies, be it with alchemical experimentation or grafts or transmutation magic. The PCs should have the option to do so, perhaps with new grafts and various alchemy and transmutation effects, possibly stemming from the city itself, in the form of dilapidated laboratories, perhaps even Gene Bank-like stalls.[/list]

Another note: Currency.[spoiler]In Rapture, the economy was driven by the extremely popular and culture-centric ADAM substance, because everyone used it to some extent or another. However, in Highfaeth no such discovery has been made, the Weird Henrys and Witchburns were created to fuel the black market that keeps a tenuous calm in the city.

So, what would they use for currency? It's unlikely they would stick with the old coinage, because a tie to the outside is an enticement, and more importantly: If you use a different coinage, you can tell when a coin shouldn't be around. In other words, if it's different coins, and a coin from outside gets in, you know there's a leak somewhere.

A currency needs to be distinct, it needs to be very hard or impossible to duplicate outside of the government, and it needs to be easily passed from one person to another (To facilitate economy). In a setting like this, it needs to be something that really sticks out as well, just like ADAM does in Rapture.

Now, for the ease of use, the traditional numeric system can be kept (1 PP = 10 GP = 100 SP = 1000 CP). Because we're dealing with a magical society, it's reasonable to assume that some form of anti-counterfeiting is in place, such as Arcane Mark.

It can't be any kind of plant matter, because that can be duplicated by your average citizen with Minor Creation, so we'll go with something that can be acquired in the environment, but not easily, or at least not without government knowledge. Notice that none of the resident models, despite being competent spellcasters, are Druids? This opens up Ironwood as a possible substance for currency.

Because Ironwood is, basically, wood, it's useless outside of an economy that uses it, meaning you can't take any wealth from Highfaeth with you should you leave. Because it would need special treatment to stay Ironwood, and because no-one in the city is a Druid without special order, the government can control it's production and prevent counterfeiting.

So, instead of PP=GP=SP=CP, we might have OW=PW=BW=WW, for Oak Ironwood, Pine Ironwood, Birch Ironwood, and Willow Ironwood. This is especially useful, because it gives an added reason for a large number of trees in Highfaeth, which can supply oxygen to the city. And, like Rapture, it means we can have a lot of government-funded parks :)[/spoiler]
[list=1]*We have Security Golems to keep a look-out against criminal action, so there's at least one situation where the inhabitants obey the law. What laws there are in a place like Highfaeth, I'm not sure.
*Because wood is needed to make the currency, we have to have room to grow them, meaning a forest or, at the very least, a sizeable park. I've plotted two points in the city that have very large parks, capable of providing air to the entire city. Alternatively, with power, a slightly modified Bottle of Air could also provide air.
Similarly, there could be a floor dedicated to farmland, which would be a fairly gruesome place to be in the modern times. Getting cattle down through the Diving Bell would be a tricky prospect, better to use Teleport or Teleportation Circle (There's a plot hook!).
The parks might also support various herbs and flowers for research and experimentation. Care to take a trip down a swirling rainbow-coloured road?
*There's a lot of creatures from the Bathypelagic written up in Stormwrack, but a lot more that haven't been seen at all. Most of the inhabitants use bioluminescence, producing quite a dazzling sight for those that can find windows. A number of Anglerfish and Eels could serve as useful food sources, but my primary thought is taking advantage of the experimentation and the largely-unexplored area to come up with whatever creature you want swimming about.
*Highfaeth is described as being on a ledge on the side of a seamount (Undersea mountain), with Paradigm city in the other side. Most undersea mountains are formed from extinct submarine volcanos. So, there's the possibility of geothermal energy, like Rapture. Alternatively, a magical source? I for one enjoy the idea of alchemical Fireballs being used as reactors.
If we consider the alchemical Fireball reactor idea, the rubbish could just filter through into them, destroyed completely. Alternatively, there could be a gate to somewhere that either it won't matter or the inhabitants won't care. Given it's massive volcanos, Gehenna would seem to be a good choice, provided an adequate target could be found that wouldn't shift away from the portal. There is the possibility of simply dumping it in the existing extinct volcano, but that could compromise the power supply.
For water, the spell Create Water would do well, especially through a series of items like Decanter of Endless Water, which would provide a stable source of clean water for bathing, toiletries, cooking, and drinking. The only issue would be to dispose of the water appropriately so as not to disturb the salination of the surrounding ocean (Which would force fish away).[/list][/spoiler]

[spoiler]
My city map thus far, created using the liquid death that is InkScape. You can see the two park areas that supply oxygen, nitrates, and wood for currency, to the city, as well as the four docks for the Diving Bell. I'm going to add all the storm damage after the map is done.
The symbol in the top right is the symbol that indicates Highfaeth. It's the binary code for H and F in leaf presentation.

And of course, for the avid tourist:

The text around the outside of the coin is in Elven, Dwarven, Gnomish, Common, and Halfling. It means Arcane, Faith, Knowledge, Union, and Power, respectively.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]I'm working on a new location in my campaign world, the city of Highfaeth.
History of Highfaeth
[spoiler]Paradigm was an island city, highly proficient in trading and as a result they enjoyed a significant technological base. However, forces conspired to destroy Paradigm, in order to weaken the world as a whole by eliminating a source of high technology and strategic value. The base of the island was destroyed, causing significant earthquakes on the island surface, and it eventually sank beneath the waves to extreme depths, unreachable by most present standards. Those that survived have little memory of what occurred and what Paradigm was like, the product of extremely powerful tampering by the hands of Set. This occurred forty-four years ago, in the year 1912

Not long ago, a decade or so, the precise date is unknown, a group of mages developed an improved design of diving bell, utilising a shielding effect to reduce the issues of the crushing depths, and found their way to the ruined remnants of Paradigm. Because they were the only ones with this technology, they could control who went down to the city, and they eventually learned to expand the shielding in order to make the sunken ruins habitable by a chosen few.

Nearby Paradigm, they established a new city, Highfaeth, a few miles from the ruins. Here, they built a new Paradigm, reducing the trade opportunities in exchange for concentrated technology and magical advancement. This they did in secret, to avoid the same destructive fate as Paradigm. At its peak, Highfaeth supported over a thousand people, from various races, beneath the sea.

After the Great Storm of 1962, the tidal forces severely crippled Highfaeth, leaving it in a state of internal conflict. Some wanted to flee, others wanted to repair the city, and others believed it was perfectly functional despite the damage. Leadership within Highfaeth fragmented amongst the groups. Violence began to break out, rioters plagued the streets, and resources became hoarded and rationed. The once beautiful but isolated city of advancement, Highfaeth slipped into utter chaos over the course of a few months.

Eventually, Highfaeth was discovered by a creature able to survive the depths by impersonally sacrificing the ever-growing hordes of her children. She slipped into the now-ruined city through a port entrance and began to take control of the city. She repaired some of the storm damage, making old areas habitable once again, and captured all that stood against her. Lizzy Kerrigan had found her way into Highfaeth.

But she wasn't the only one. Another creature found his way beneath the seas. An undead of extreme age, he utilised the abilities of his unique minions to crash his way through the ceiling of Highfaeth and into a conference hall. The sheer size of the transported rock he utilised sealed the gouge, for the most part, and a few minor blasts of eldritch might sealed it once more. He too began abducting the surviving residents, but as undead he had little to fear from the ocean reclaiming the city. Vex the Malign had found a residence in Highfaeth as well.

The two came into conflict several times, but nothing significant developed of it. Because Kerrigan could do little to infest Vex or his minions, and Vex had little use for anything Kerrigan could offer, the two formed an uneasy truce. In the wake of their civil war, the hand of Kerrigan or of Vex had left much of the population of Highfaeth altered in some way, either corrupted through transmutation magics and alchemy or through the infernal meddling of aberrations. However, it had brought a peace to the previous civil war between the original inhabitants. Highfaeth began to flourish once more.

The city was largely rebuilt, save some of the most heavily damaged areas left over from the Great Storm, but what populated Highfaeth was no longer the altruistic pioneers that had been before. Highfaeth had fallen under an almost militaristic control by Vex and Kerrigan. However, not every resident was their pawn, and not every street was their domain. Some escaped their transformative dominion and others evaded capture by it. Most that escaped drifted in and out of sanity, driven mad by the tortures they endured. The more lucid ones attempted to escape further, away from Highfaeth, or began stripping their fellows apart to sell on some disgusting black market between the dictatorial pair.

And now we see Highfaeth, a hidden city laying in tatters beneath the waves, not far from its impetus, the once-great city of Paradigm, made residence by two of the most vile creatures the world has ever known.[/spoiler]
Travel Brochure
[spoiler]Highfaeth lies at a depth of 800 ft., about 2 miles away from the ruins of Paradigm.

Because of this depth, the standard Diving Bell (As seen in Stormwrack) only gets you about 1/4 of the way down. Anything unprotected takes 8d6 damage per minute (DC 15 +1 per previous check negates this damage for any given minute), Aquatic creatures take only 1d6. As a result, it's fairly hazardous for most player characters.

The best way down to Highfaeth is to use a Diving Bell for the first 200 ft. and then cast Transformation of the Deeps on all of the party members and start swimming.

Total travel time, assuming good Swim checks, is about 6 minutes.

Alternatively, you can try this without the spell, but you'd take way more damage (Compared to zero) and risk drowning, unless every party member has at least a 20 Constitution. However, you do cut the time down by 6 rounds. Regardless, there's still the traditional marine wildlife to chew on them during the dive, as well as whatever engineered monstrosities may have escaped the city.

For plot hooks on why your players would want to go through all this trouble, the promise of treasure in Paradigm nearby is a classic. Maybe they spot the lights of the city in the distance, or maybe they just miscalculated their positioning on the sea above. Alternatively, maybe some of the residents took a trip to the surface of the sea, though most likely they'd be the kind of people to enjoy floating about...face down.[/spoiler]
Residential
[spoiler]Highfaeth had a peak population of roughly 1000 people, which has since dwindled for one reason or another to at most 600. They are divided into three groups, barring exceptional members: Alchemists, Arcane mages, and Divine Mages. Except for race, they are fairly regular.

*Alchemists are Factotums,
*Arcane mages Wizards,
*Divine mages Adepts, all of 10th level.

Naturally, they're mostly altered. Experimentation by Kerrigan and/or Vex has left the population largely inhuman.

*Alchemists tend to be Half-Troll, Living Zombies, or Spellwarped.
*Arcane mages are Guardian creatures, Half-Illithids, or Phantoms.
*Divine mages are Bone creatures, Lost, or Pseudonatural creatures.

Feel free to populate Highfaeth with whatever custom creature you deem appropriate, it's essentially a boiling pot of ingenuity, able to produce whatever creepy masterpiece you like.

*Average CR of a resident: 11 (Range 10-13 depending on the template)

Security Golem
In addition to the ex-/humanoid residents, Highfaeth is patrolled by a number of Security Golems, whose previous task was to ensure the city was safe from criminal elements. Now, they have been charged with their original goals in addition to keeping check on the still-damaged areas of the city. Over time, they have become infested with experiment rats, becoming hivenest creatures. Because of their duties, they are often at odds with the black marketers and Vex & Kerrigan, even the most insane of the residents knows to avoid the Golems.
[spoiler]Large Construct
Hit Dice:   11d10+30 (90 HP)
Initiative:   +1
Speed:   30 ft.
Armor Class:   18 (+1 Dex, +8 Nat, -1 Size), touch 10, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple:   +8/+16
Attack:   Crossbow +8 ranged (3d8 [18-20/x2]){120 ft.} or Slam +11 melee (2d8+4 [20/x2])
Full Attack:   2 Crossbows +8 ranged (3d8 [18-20/x2]){120 ft.} and 2 Slams +11 melee (2d8+4 [20/x2])
Space/Reach:   10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks:   Infested Attack, Distraction, Innate Crossbows, Revision
Special Qualities:   Darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/adamantine, Fast Healing 5, Immunity to Magic, Infestation, Innate Crossbow, Low-light vision, Repair
Saves:   Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +5
Abilities:   Str 24, Dex 12, Con '", Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 12
Skills:   Climb +11, Jump +11, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +8, Listen +6, Search +4, Spot +6
Feats:   Improved Multiattack, Multiattack, Rapid Reload, Two-Weapon Fighting
Environment: Highfaeth
Organization: Solitary, Pair, or Gang (3-4)
Challenge Rating: 10
Alignment: Neutral

From down the corridor comes the sound of slow pounding footsteps. A large humanoid creature appears cloaked in metal plates arranged like clothing, with a sphere of iron dotted with glowing porthole about its head. Embedded in its arms are powerful crossbows, and under the clanking noise of its approach you can just hear the sound of quiet squeaking somewhere within'¦

Security Golems were created during the early days of Highfaeth, to defend it from intruders and to keep order within. After the Great Storm critically damaged the city, they were also charged not only with ensuring law was maintained inside but with ensuring the city did not fall into such a state as to compromise it to the ocean outside.

Ironically, for creatures tasked with the upkeep of the city, security golems have become largely infested themselves with cranium rats that have escaped from one laboratory or another. The rats don't interfere with the golem's operations, but they occasionally scutter about inside or peek out of holes in the shell, giving a disconcerting aesthetic to the once treasured creatures.

The golems are fairly docile, and usually do not engage targets unless provoked or when they bear witness to an illegal act. However, they have trouble recognising the deranged and the transfigured residents of the city, and usually pay closer attention to them than most other activities. Most inhabitants have learned to avoid the golems unless absolutely impossible.

Security Golems cannot speak, but can understand Draconic, Elven, and Common.

Combat
Security Golems typically prefer to begin combat from range, where they can use their crossbows for significant damage before closing to capture the target and eliminate them.
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature vulnerable to the damage from an infested attack (see below) that begins its turn in a square adjacent to a security golem is nauseated for 1 round. A successful DC 18 Fortitude save negates the effect. Spellcasting or concentrating on spells while adjacent to a security golem requires a concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a successful DC 20 Concentration check.
Infestation (Ex): If a security golem is reduced to 0 hit points, it is destroyed but the swarm that nests within it is released. One average cranium rat swarm is immediately placed in the space previously occupied by the security golem. This swarm has full hit points, regardless of damage to the security golem, and acts independently of any control that golem was under. A golem that is repaired by its Clockwork Mender swarm is soon inhabited by another swarm.
Infested Attack (Ex): Any creature struck by one or more of a security golem's slam attacks is dealt 3d6 points of damage from the cranium rats' swarm attack at the end of the security golem's turn. Any effect that reduces or negates swarm attack damage, such as damage reduction, is applied separately to both the slam attack and the swarm attack.
Immunity to Magic (Ex): A security golem is immune to the effect of any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.
A dispel evil, dispel good, dispel chaos, dispel law, or dismissal spell resets a security golem's Revision bonus to +0 and dazes the creature for 1 round. A banishment spell also resets a security golem's Revision bonus but dazes the golem for 1d4+1 rounds. While the golem is dazed by either of these effects, its Fast Healing ability is suppressed.
Innate Crossbows (Ex): Each arm of a security golem is fitted with a great crossbow. Each crossbow is connected to an extradimensional pocket inside the golem that stores up to 100 bolts. Each day, the pockets are magically refilled with 100 bolts, and the golem can insert bolts that it finds during its rounds with a move action. The golem must still reload an empty crossbow as normal. The bonus on attack and damage rolls from Revision (see below) also applies to the golem's crossbow attacks.
Repair (Su): As an immediate action once per day, a security golem can summon a Clockwork Mender swarm (MMIV) from Mechanus. If the golem is destroyed, a swarm is summoned instantly the next round and begins repairing it. In this case, the golem becomes operational again once its hit points would exceed zero from the healing (Any excess damage below zero hit points must be healed first). The swarm dissipates once the golem reaches full hit points or its task is completed.
For example, a security golem is destroyed after being hit by a Weird Henry by taking enough damage to reach '"8 hit points. The next round, the Clockwork Mender swarm appears and begins repairing it at the normal rate of 1 hit point per round. After 9 rounds, the golem reaches 1 hit point and its own Fast Healing begins to repair it as well, until finally after 15 rounds it reaches 90 hit points and the swarm dissipates.
If, for whatever reason, the golem is unable to summon the swarm (Such as due to a dimensional anchor or an antimagic field) it remains destroyed and cannot summon the swarm at any point. If the swarm is destroyed before the golem reaches 1 hit point, it cannot summon another.
Revision (Ex): When it strikes, a security golem adapts its attack to take advantage of weaknesses in the opponent's defenses. Each round that it successfully damages a creature, it gains a cumulative +1 insight bonus (maximum +5) on attack rolls and damage rolls against that opponent. This bonus remains in force until the golem deals damage to a different creature.
For example, the first time a security golem damages a foe, a +1 bonus applies to each of its attacks against that target in subsequent rounds. The next time it hits that foe, the bonus increases to +2. During any round that it misses the target, the bonus does not increase. If the security golem hits a different target at any point in the progression, the bonus against the first target is lost, and a new bonus begins to accrue against the new target.[/spoiler]
Weird Henry
Weird Henrys are created from no-longer useful Witchburns and are their protectors as they travel about the hazardous spaces and areas of Highfaeth. Whilst the precise figures aren't known, because they are simply allowed to roam the corridors, there are thought to be 3-4 Weird Henrys for every Witchburn.
[spoiler]Large Aberration (Augmented Humanoid)
Hit Dice:   15d8+60 (128 HP)
Initiative:   +1
Speed:   30 ft.
Armor Class:   25 (+1 Dex, +15 Nat, -1 Size), touch 10, flat-footed 24
Base Attack/Grapple:   +11/+21
Attack:   Slam +17 melee (2d8+6 [20/x2])
Full Attack:   2 Slams +17 melee (2d8+6 [20/x2])
Space/Reach:   10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks:   Spell-like abilities, Swallow Soul
Special Qualities:   Darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/adamantine, Fast Healing 5, Immunity to magic, Improved Grab, Incarnum Investiture, Low-light vision
Saves:   Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +9
Abilities:   Str 22, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 5
Skills:   Climb +12, Jump +12, Listen +12, Search +14, Spot +14
Feats:   Combat Brute, Improved Power Attack, Improved Sunder, Lifesenseb, Power Attack, Pulverize Foe, Quick Recovery
Environment: Highfaeth
Organization: Solitary or Pairing (1 Witchburn & 1 Weird Henry)
Challenge Rating: 10
Alignment: Neutral

A large man-shaped creature of some sort lumbers along the corridor, a rusted piton sticking out of its back. It is covered head to toe in armoured plates, save its almost reptilian orange eyes, which pierce the blackness ahead. What little flesh you can make out flickers inside with a faint bluish light.

Weird Henrys, named for Professor Henry Tenenbaum, are large hulking creatures created from recycled witchburns that have worn out their usefulness. The curse is temporarily lifted and they are immediately subjected to an intense regimen of alchemical and magical treatment, which transforms them further from their natural state to the state called Weird Henry. Though powerful, this process leaves the briefly free witchburn in a vegetative state in which their creator can control them not unlike a dominated creature.

As a Weird Henry, they have every compulsion to defend and protect their former fellows, to the point of risking their lives entirely. They often taxi witchburns about as they cling to them by pitons.

Weird Henrys cannot speak any language, but are capable of understanding any languages they knew as ordinary children and typically communicate with grunts and howls akin to a wounded whale. Though precise figures are unknown, there are thought to be 3-4 Weird Henrys to every witchburn in Highfaeth, meaning between 194-256 stalk the hallways.

Combat
When in combat, a Weird Henry uses their brawn rather than much brain to fight adversaries. Above all, protection of any witchburns in the vicinity is paramount, even to their own survival. If they have any soul points, they usually invest them in gaining combat bonuses to dispatch the target quickly, whilst using fortunate fate and shield other on the nearby witchburns.
Otherwise, they try to avoid combat, to avoid placing the witchburns in harm's way. When a creature appears that may present a threat, they work to cast shield other and fortunate fate on their charge before things get hairy.
Immunity to Magic (Ex): Weird Henrys are immune to the effect of any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.
A magical attack that deals cold or fire damage slows a Weird Henry (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds, with no saving throw.
A magical attack that deals electricity damage breaks any slow effect on them and heals 1 point of damage for every 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause them to exceed their full normal hit points, they gain any excess as temporary hit points. For example, a Weird Henry hit by a lightning bolt heals 3 points of damage if the attack would have dealt 11 points of damage. A Weird Henry gets no saving throw against attacks that deal electricity damage.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a Weird Henry must hit an opponent with their slam attack. They can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Incarnum Investiture (Su): By expending soul points garnered from the souls of the fallen around it, a Weird Henry can augment their existing abilities.

*

Combat Power: The Weird Henry gains a +1 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls per soul point invested.
*Damage Reduction: The Weird Henry's damage reduction increases by 2 points per soul point invested.
*Land Speed Increase: The Weird Henry's speed increases by 10 ft. per soul point invested.
*Teleportation: The Weird Henry can use a move action to teleport 20 ft. per soul point invested. They can take other creatures it is carrying with it, provided they do not exceed their maximum load.[/list]
Each of these investitures last for up to an hour, regardless of the quantity of soul points invested into them. Investing any number of points into a single ability is a standard action.
Spell-like Abilities: At will '" fortunate fate, shield other, 1/hour '" dimension door. Caster level 10th.
Swallow Soul (Su): A Weird Henry that is present when a sentient creature is killed (Such as being reduced to '"10 hit points or having a Constitution of 0) can take a full-round action to capture and consume the soul of the victim. This grants them a number of soul points equal to the hit dice of the consumed creature. A typical Weird Henry is found with 10 soul points to spend, though this is the maximum quantity of points they can have at any one time (Including points invested).
Skills: Weird Henrys have a +8 racial bonus to Search checks and a +6 racial bonus to Listen and Spot checks.[/spoiler]
Witchburn
Witchburns work for Andrew Thomas via the Council, and go about Highfaeth looking for supplies, be they food, clothing, or components and resources to be sold on the black market, typically body parts from other inhabitants. There are about 64 Witchburns in Highfaeth.
[spoiler]Small Aberration (Augmented Humanoid, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice:   10d8+30 (75 HP)
Initiative:   +3
Speed:   50 ft.
Armor Class:   16 (+3 Dex, +2 Nat, +1 Size), touch 14, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple:   +7/+10
Attack:   Slam +10 melee (1d8+3 [20/x2])
Full Attack:   Slam +10 melee (1d8+3 [20/x2])
Space/Reach:   5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks:   Improved Grab, Disembody, Skirmish +3d6/+2 AC
Special Qualities:   Blindsense 60 ft., Cursed, Darkvision 120 ft., Evasion, Hide in Plain Sight, Illuminated Eyes, Immunities, SR 21, Superior Low-light vision, Uncanny Dodge
Saves:   Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +10
Abilities:   Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 1, Wis 16, Cha 1
Skills:   Climb +6, Hide +21, Listen +14, Move Silently +16, Spot +14
Feats:   Blind-Fightb, Dodge, Hammer and Piton, Improved Grappleb, Improved Natural Attackb, Improved Toughnessb, Mobility, Spring Attack
Environment: Highfaeth (Plane of Shadow)
Organization: Solitary or Pairing (1 Witchburn & 1 Weird Henry)
Challenge Rating: 13
Alignment: Neutral Evil

A little girl, easily no more than nine years old, clambers out of a neglected air vent nearby, her simple white dress dirty and tainted with dried blood. Around her waist is a belt with four climbing pitons dangling from it, and her figure is wrapped in a foreboding darkness. Her eyes beacon forth with a eerie light and you hear powerful footsteps approaching'¦

Witchburns, named for their creator, Meredith Witchburn, are small children that have been alchemically and magically altered to go around Highfaeth retrieving components and resources for the black market.

Children were chosen because of their small stature, allowing them to navigate smaller areas than most of the inhabitants, and girls were found to be more susceptible to the transformation than boys, so the majority are female.

Witchburns live in a state of domination by the council, cursed to follow their commands, and because of the alchemical serums in their bodies they are stunted at a childlike state for the duration of their lives. They can typically be found being accompanied by a Weird Henry, who protects them when they venture out into the open, and keep guard of them while they go about gathering resources.

Witchburns speak whatever languages they knew before their transformation, though they are very childish in their language and rarely talk to their targets.

Combat
Witchburns rarely enter combat alone or from out of cover. They typically stick to dark areas and hide from whatever enemies they detect, more afraid of them than anything else. However, when in combat, they like to keep mobile, lashing out at the opponent before moving out of their grasp. When they finally whittle the target down, they engage them in a grapple and rip them apart.
Cursed: To keep them in line, a witchburn is cursed during their creation. This reduces their Intelligence and Charisma scores to 1 each and binds their will to the one performing the ritual process. A single creature can have no more witchburn bound to them than one for each point of ability bonus in their primary spellcasting ability, but for each witchburn they control they age half as fast, though the witchburn heals naturally at half the normal rate. To remove the curse, you must first remove the portion of the creator from the witchburn's body, this requires that they be restrained or helpless and a DC 21 Search check allows the discovery of the item. Removing it requires a DC 15 Heal check, at which time the witchburn regains their normal freedom and their Intelligence and Charisma scores change to 11 and 7, respectively, and their alignment reverts to Chaotic Neutral. A limited wish, miracle, or wish spell is required to return an uncursed witchburn's to their original state (Be it human, elf, halfling, etc.).
Disembody (Ex): A witchburn that pins an opponent in a grapple can make a grapple check to rend the target's body apart. If they succeed, the subject is killed immediately. They can attempt a Fortitude saving throw (DC 18) to survive, in which case they take 1d4 points of Constitution damage (Or 5d12 points of damage, if the target has no Constitution or is immune to ability damage). Witchburns can use this ability against helpless targets without establishing a grapple beforehand.
Illuminated Eyes (Ex): A witchburn's eyes glow strongly with a slightly orange light. While open, they illuminate a 60 ft. cone.
Immunities (Ex): Witchburns do not need to sleep and are immune to magical sleep effects. They have a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting spells or abilities.
Improved Grab (Ex): A witchburn must hit a target with their slam attack to use this ability. If they establish a grapple and pin the opponent, they can disembody the following round.
Skills: A witchburn has a +8 racial bonus to Hide checks and a +6 racial bonus to Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks. Unless the curse is removed, they cannot use Intelligence or Charisma-based skills.[/spoiler][/spoiler]
Politics
[spoiler]Highfaeth was originally founded by 16 mages working for an archaeology firm, but they split away from the company and took the modified Diving Bell with them (Which has since been lost somewhere on the ocean floor due to a small group of insane escapees). They then established Highfaeth and ran it together as a council. However, the disagreements on what to do with the damage city broke the council into groups of 7:4:5 (On Stay, Flee, and Repair, respectively) and it has since all but dissolved. The remaining uncaptured residents are largely the only ones that still follow their orders, though Vex will occasionally bow to their superior knowledge of the city. Kerrigan seeks to eliminate them to weaken the survivors for capture.

Now, the three primary runners of Highfaeth are Elizabeth "Lizzy" Kerrigan, Vex the Malign, and Andrew Thomas.

*

Lizzy: Half-Farspawn Human Swashbuckler in command of a Hivemind composed of Tsochari strands (It bends rules but not by much), which she births personally.
She was created through the experimentation earlier of a cult dedicated to the Great Mother. She is using Highfaeth as a base of operations to produce a powerful host body for her children, so she can move onto greater straits of acquisition. With her are the unconscious bodies of her elder brother and sister, plus her parents, in Temporal Stasis. She intends to use them for more ambitious experimentation once she knows it'll work. Much of the eastern sections of the city are almost coated internally with her hivemind, giving the look of a horrible wriggling fleshy structure.
*Vex: Gravetouched Ghoul Human Warlock/Sorcerer/Eldritch Theurge.
Vex came to be after being quarantined in a room with prison inmates suffering from Slimy Doom. He survived the sickness, but wasn't allowed out for fear of his still being contagious. To survive, he feasted on the bodies of his fellows. After escaping, he was joined by the Plague Blight reanimations of four of the others. He's using Highfaeth as a refuge while he builds his supersoldiers and other weapons, which he was previously imprisoned for. For more information on Vex, see the Salient Villains section of my signature.
*Andrew: Human Rogue/Master of Masks/Mountebank
The king of Highfaeth's black market, Andrew occupies a grey neutral zone inbetween Vex and Lizzy. He and his subordinates gather resources from around the city, mostly the components of their former neighbours, and sell them between the two villains for a profit to keep themselves alive. He spends most of his time in the theatre section, but he is hoping to pull Vex and Lizzy back into conflict in order to use the surviving resources to leave Highfaeth and make millions on the international market with what has been wrought from the city.[/list]Via the black market, this is a great place for players to go searching for Grafts, of virtually any kind. Alchemy and the related substances are also up for grabs here, provided you can wrench them from the hands of who-(or what)-ever still has them. Aberration and Undead fans can also appreciate the works of Lizzy and Vex, and if both are bested it leaves them with a vast (albet decimated) underwater city for them to rebuild.[/spoiler]
Villains
[spoiler]Andrew Thomas
Design
[spoiler]Human Rogue 5/Master of Masks 6/Mountebank 9
Feats*: Deceitful (h), Lucky Start, Telling Blow, Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Dual Strike, Persistent Attacker, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting
Skills:

13% - Disguise

13% - Sleight of Hand

13% - Perform (act)

10% - Bluff

6% - Diplomacy

6% - Intimidate

6% - Search

6% - Sense Motive

6% - Tumble

5% - Listen

5% - Spot

3% - Knowledge (local)

3% - Move Silently

3% - Spellcraft

Sink the Intelligence-gained skill points into these skills or into useful Skill Tricks like Acrobatic Backstab and Assume Quirk.

Andrew isn't really designed for combat, he's designed to manipulate people to the extremes of their mentalities. If he gets into combat, he's a dual-wielding fiend with the mix of masks and sneak attacks (Once he goes first, he can use Persistent Attacker to sneak attack once every round, at the cost of 4 of his 9 d6s, given the Assassin mask). If he needs to escape, he goes out theatrically by using the Archmage mask's Invisibility and Sideslipping into a hidden area.[/spoiler]
Personality
[spoiler]When Highfaeth was being constructed, the original 16 mages that began the project needed financial backing and supplies to continue the construction. Loaning out the Diving Bell wasn't bringing in enough money, so they turned to the most discrete people available.

One such person was Eli Yorisov, a business kingpin amongst Dwarves. His representative was a sly businessman named Andrew Thomas. Thomas oversaw much of the entertainment areas of the city and facilitated the supply of resources from a race almost universally known for their architectural genius. Through the entertainment, Thomas wormed his way into the political infrastructure of the city through temptation and debt.

At the height of its life, Thomas controlled two sixths of the working population in Highfaeth, spread throughout every group. He snapped communications with Yorisov and began running his own black market. When the Great Storm massively damaged the city, his contacts outside were either killed or left him to save themselves, leaving his black market bereft of supplies.

Thomas proposed to the council that repairing the city was the best course of action, neglecting to mention that it would allow the black market supplies back along with external communications. Ultimately it wasn't the option chosen by the council, and Thomas began moving his supporters towards the civil war. When the Golems finally discovered his growing movement, he lead his most trusted creditors and minions to a safe part of the city just as the Flow arrived through one of the damaged docking ports. The Golems were recalled and his haven has become a mecca for the surviving uncaptured residents.

Because everything in the haven is under his command, Thomas holds great extortional sway over the councilmembers, and acts as their self-imposed voice. He still deals in black market operations, but now business is primarily between the leading groups, Kerrigan, Vex, and himself, for the resources of eachother. His minions can often be found scavenging around different areas or fighting with the captured residents to acquire the components that have altered them.[/spoiler]
Lizzy Kerrigan
Design
[spoiler]Half-Farspawn Human Swashbuckler 16
Feats*: Make Your Own Luck (h), Weapon Finesse (b), Lucky Start, Combat Expertise, Tempting Fate, Unbelievable Luck, Better Lucky than Good, Darkstalker
Skills:

16% - Diplomacy

14% - Jump

14% - Tumble

12% - Climb

12% - Escape Artist

12% - Sense Motive

11% - Bluff

3% - Knowledge (religion)

2% - Sleight of Hand

2% - Balance

Lizzy is largely about misdirection. She bluffs the opponent to get them flat-footed and then keeps on slashing with her rapier or her own tentacles. Her Swashbuckler levels allow her extreme versatility in the oft-damaged environment of Highfaeth. If things go really bad, she can use Tempting Fate to appear dead as anything. Her interpersonal skills are pretty good, and if allowed she can take the Seduction dead-level class feature.

However, Lizzy will rarely get into combat alone. Whilst she enjoys combat and misleading her opponents, her hivemind has spellcasting to back her up significantly. The hivemind has, at least, 20th level Sorcerer casting, and can cast any spell it has from any part of itself, making it very difficult to retake Lizzy's part of the city.[/spoiler]
Personality
[spoiler]Lizzy was a fairly average girl until the Temple of Zakia in Beldor city kidnapped her in 1955 when she was only 8 years old. She was implanted with a Tsochar parasite, fanatical to the Zakian mythology, and brainwashed into similar worship. During a confrontation between an adventuring guild and a group consisting of herself and a number of other kidnapped children, she alone escaped into the sewer system.

In the sewers, she began to undergo a startling metamorphosis. Instead of fighting off the Tsochar within her, her body instead began a process of perfect symbiosis, a reaction considered by Sovice and Makinoan researchers to be the result of specific genetic mutations within her. This process took several years, and she was well into her development when it was finally completed in 1958 at age 12. However, her mental and physical development after this completion made her more akin to a 19 year old. Over the four-year period, the Tsochar portion of her had been almost continuously breeding, producing an incalculably massive grouping of strands that served as a hivemind for her (The first incarnation of the 'Flow'). Eventually, the same adventuring guild located her (Having been recently tipped off by an increasing number of Caucasian females being assaulted with their skin being removed, which Lizzy was using to repair the gaps in her own humanoid flesh from the transformation) and destroyed virtually all of her hivemind, leaving her to flee from the Material Plane to escape her own destruction.

After the destruction of the original Flow, Lizzy Kerrigan did not surface for many years, and was presumed lost. She travelled the worlds with the new incarnation looking for sanctuary, and eventually she came upon very old documents that led her to Highfaeth.

Lizzy still remains loyal to the teachings of Zakia, and wise enemies can usually stave off annihilation at her hands by dressing themselves up as Zakian worshippers.

Whilst she has had much time to develop her mature personality, Kerrigan still holds a few traits from her grievously aberrational childhood in the hands of a biological mutation. Evident of this is her belief of irreversibility, that if something changes it most likely will not be able to be turned back to how it originally was. Because her puberty was overshadowed by her transformation, and she now reproduces asexually to produce new Tsochar strands, her knowledge of sexual matters is somewhat limited, but she is not above using her feminine allure to get what she wants.

Special note: Lizzy carries four black gems that hold the trapped essences of her sister, brother, and parents. She intends to use/torture them later for their individual parts in her suffering. If a player got hold of even one, especially a parent, they would have a massive bargaining chip.[/spoiler]
Vex the Malign
Design
[spoiler]Gravetouched Ghoul Human Warlock 5/Sorcerer 4/Eldritch Theurge 10
Feats*: Eschew Materials (h), Violate Spell-Like Ability, Point-Blank Shot, Somatic Weaponry, Multiattack (b), Contagious Paralysis, Ability Focus (paralysis), Jack of All Trades, Improved Paralysis
Skills:

17% - Concentration

15% - Spellcraft

13% - Bluff

12% - Use Magic Device

9% - Intimidate

9% - Knowledge (arcana)

9% - Knowledge (the planes)

7% - Sense Motive

5% - Disguise

3% - Diplomacy

Of his own volition, Vex will rarely get into melee range. He prefers to use his Invocations to fire from significant distance, to the point that most of the people who manage to get into melee range are already in dire need of the medic they just ran from. Those that survive getting to him have to worry about the high DC of his paralysis, which he can then use to affect other party members thanks to Contagious Paralysis. He enjoys mixing magic weapon attacks (Like wands and rods) with his spells and Eldritch Blasts, available through Somatic Weaponry.[/spoiler]
Personality
[spoiler]Lex Vietmaghn was born some 432 years ago in Midgard to a young parishioner mother and a slightly older man of the shugenja. His mother and father travelled for some time together spreading the word of Odin and Thor to the darkest regions. When his mother, Cassandra, became with child, Alexander insisted that she return home to Midgard until the child came of age. However, a fiery woman, Cassandra denied him his martial reprieve and continued on alongside him.

Eventually, their travels pitted them against a conjurer of foul demons and spirits. Included were a number of Vrocks, and Cassandra in her weakened and vulnerable state soon fell victim to their hazardous demonic spores. Alexander was able to protect her long enough to escape with their lives, and she soon recovered without issue.

Several months later, Lex was born, and his parents rejoiced. The couple settled down, delegating their journeys to younger supplicants of the clergy, to raise Lex as best as they could. When Lex was ten years old, he began displaying sorcerous talents, performing minor tricks such as minor electrical jolts and light-fingered telekinesis.

The village elders were amazed, they could scarcely believe that the child of two farmers nee holy priests could have inherited some innate magical talent, but this appeared to be the case. However, as time went by, it became more and more apparent that Lex wasn't inheriting only sorcerous skills, but demonic ones as well. The first incident of this was shortly after his sixteenth birthday when a young outlaw arrived in the village, and began disparaging all he could lay eyes on, including his fair mother. Lex confronted the man and eventually the argument grew violent. Lex's eyes flared red, and as he struck the man down, a similar flame engulfed his fist. The villain was not burned, but had been killed outright regardless.

For the rest of his time in the village, Lex was ostracised. People whispered and muttered under their breath near him, telling tales of demons and monsters and alleged heinous acts. In reality, he was a hard-working student and a dutiful farmer's son, who said his prayers each night. But his ways were being gradually changed by these whisperings, and his father recognised it.
When Lex was twenty years old, his mother passed away from Vile Rigidity. Lex was at her bedside for the entire ordeal, including her passing, and heard the final gasps of breath that passed her cracked lips. Realising that the villagers would blame him for causing the affliction, Alexander sent Lex away to a university in Beldor, and bid him never to return for his own safety.
In his new environment, Lex did his best to hide his inherited demonic abilities and ply them off as mere sorcery, a trait more readily accepted. His penchant for magical study eventually earned him a prestigious place in the Transmutation department of the Mystical Experimentation Complex, just as the Great War began to heat up.

Realising the necessity of better soldiers for the war, Lex stepped up his experiments beyond the restrictions of the complex, picking up orphans and beggars from the streets to test his potions and tonics on. He knew it was a vile action that would have proven the prejudices of his hometown, but he felt it necessary to save many millions of lives. However, he was eventually discovered, and sentenced to fifty years in Larkhill prison for unnatural acts of arcane experimentation.

402 years ago, when Lex was imprisoned, Larkhill Prison was a fairly recent institution, only 60 years old. Built to contain the worst inmates imaginable, and whilst it had it's fair share of breakouts, it did its job well.
However, war brings everyone to their knees. With funds to the prison instead going to help win the Great War, started 442 years ago, the prison suffered considerably. Maintenance started going undone, and eventually disease began to stir in the population.

Then, twenty inmates fell sick with a terrible plague of Slimy Doom. To contain the outbreak, the guards locked them away in a storage room in the underground boiler level. 19 of the inmates fell to their sickness, but the twentieth survived. He banged desperately on the door to be let out, but the guards couldn't risk releasing the plague as well.

As a result, he was locked away and forgotten in the storage room. To survive, he began feeding on the carcasses of the other inmates, until eventually he died of thirst. He awoke as a gravetouched ghoul, still hungering for living flesh, and the necromantic energies of his creation spurred four more inmates to awaken as plague blights.

The ghoul sent the blights to beat at the stone walls of the room, hoping to gradually tear it down and wreak revenge on his imprisoners. The guards heard this, and rapidly sealed an earth elemental into the structure, reinforcing it beyond the ability of the blights to damage, entombing them forever. As a matter of government embarrassment, the warden of the time erased the incident from the books with a fire that tore through the record library later that year.

The ghoul and his plague blight minions stayed locked away for four hundred years, and Vex the Malign hungered for each of them, until finally cracks appeared in the prison, the earth beneath the prison moving in to reclaim it. They escaped, and built a lance with which to retrieve the depths of Paradigm for his purposes. They crashed unceremoniously through the ceiling of one of the city's conference rooms, and Vex quickly sealed the gash before the sea finally retook the entire complex.

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Lex is a scientist first and foremost. He weighs his options and goes for the most rational given the circumstances, and he ventures towards gains whilst weighing the losses in hand. [/spoiler]

*In order of acquisition[/spoiler][/spoiler]