Arcanescape: The Citadel of Forbiddance

Note: the planar traits here supercede those put together in the preview.

The source of abjuration magic, the Citadel of Forbiddance is a fortification of epic proportions. The broken lands of its outer ring consist of sharp, jagged heaps of bent stone. Perhaps once walls were broken here, or perhaps they mere mere prototypes or groundwork for the infinite wall that surrounds the first inner ring.

Stretching to the sky, the wall that surrounds the inner ring has no seeming top or bottom. Those who have tried to scale it find their efforts in vain, the clouds only seeming to rise higher as they ascend. It is said that high on the wall, there are cells from which there is no escape. It is said those that offend the jailers of this plane are kept here. Quite often this consists of those whom try and break out other people and things imprisoned within this place. However, it is said that the jailers of the plane accept anyone placed in a cell as a prisoner, whether worthy of the punishment or not.

Few live here, but it has the name of "Hermit's Paradise" for a reason - the harsh terrain discourages any casual visitors, and the powerful abjurations powerful here mean that a number of spellcasters hide themselves away here, constructing towers or hidey-holes in which to conduct their own private research or schemes. Often designs are duplicated, in order to better confound those who might seek them out. It is said some secretive orders also make their home here, conducting their rituals and traditions on the rocks and dust. Some merchants travel here to conduct home deliveries of sorts, a profitable if uncomfortable pasttime. Most such places are found in the outer circle or the first inner circle, as beyond that, things become less habitable.

The guards here are a mysterious lot known largely as the Fettermen. Their origin is unknown, but it is largely presumed they are a natural feature of the plane itself, a local race of outsiders. Most are dressed in heavy armor layered in rags and chains, hiding their faces behind elaborate steel masks and often using weapons such as mancatchers or nets as well as spears and crossbows. In addition to great strength and fortitude, they have magical abilities and a variety of forms, such as those with many asymmetrical limbs that make their way along the outside wall or broken terrain gracefully, those with almost comical bodies that seem custom-fit to block the hallways of the second circle, or the massive giants that serve as gatekeepers to the second circle (or first circle, in emergencies).

There are gates upon the wall, but they are rarely guarded same in an emergency situation such as an invasion or breakout. The only real difficulty is opening the doors, which are massive stoneworks that simply do not stay open easily. A DC 30 Strength check is required to typically force the door open for one round wide enough to let a single medium-size or large creature through.

The outer circle has the following traits:

• Impeded Magic: All spells that are not abjuration or universal spells. The Spellcraft check is only made at (DC 10 + the level of the spell), however.
• Enhanced Magic: All abjuration spells are heightened by one level (as if Heighten Spell had been used on them, but the spells don't require higher-level slots). Spells and spell-like abilities that are already heightened are unaffected by this benefit. Alternately, instead of gaining this benefit, a spellcaster may decide to add a single metamagic feat to an abjuration spell, but only if the metamagic feat normally requires that the spell's level is increased by one (such as for extend spell, silent spell, or still spell).

The inner circle is comprised of harsher terrain, with deadly ravines and tall spires of stone. It comprises the courtyard between the outer wall and the immense castle, and air rips through this area like a wind tunnel, winding between small mountains and through deep canyons. It seems the sole purpose of this area - if any - is to make travel to the other inner circles more dangerous and tiresome.

The first inner circle has the following traits:

• Impeded Magic: All spells that are not abjuration or universal spells. The Spellcraft check is only made at (DC 15 + the level of the spell), however.
• Enhanced Magic: All abjuration spells are heightened by two levels (as if Heighten Spell had been used on them, but the spells don't require higher-level slots). Spells and spell-like abilities that are already heightened are unaffected by this benefit. Alternately, instead of gaining this benefit, a spellcaster may decide to add a single metamagic feat to an abjuration spell, but only if the metamagic feat normally requires that the spell's level is increased by one or two (such as for extend spell or empower spell).
• Limited Magic: All teleport castings add +25% to their d% roll. All greater teleport castings are treated like normal teleport castings instead, without the above penalty.
• High Winds: All flight has its manuverability reduced by one class, so perfect becomes good, good becomes average, average becomes poor, and poor becomes clumsy. Clumsy flyers cannot effectively fly in these winds. Furthermore, all flight speeds are reduced by half.
• Hampered Movement: All unworked terrain in this circle inflicts hampered movement on those that seek to travel through it.

Beyond the first inner circle is the enormous keep of the Citadel, a labyrinthine maze beyond human mapping or reckoning. It is easy to become lost in these halls, which make up the largest prison known. Furthermore, even the very nature of the plane weighs on one here, tiring one quickly and weakening even the mighty. There are numerous traps in these dimly-lit halls, which largely consist of things such as pits, deadfalls, and other manipulations of the construction itself rather than any sophisticated or subtle entrapment.

Here, the worst violators of magic are kept. These are not merely those who have broken human laws, but those who have found ways to break the laws of magic itself. The guards here do not appreciate any intrusion, and only humor outsiders on their way to a cell. Curiously enough, though, they do treat those who volunteer themselves surprisingly well, often allowing them to keep any belongings they may bring... presuming they desire a permanent safe haven rather than punishment. Also found here are creations and mutations that threaten the existence of magic itself, things that might infect entire planes or erode abjuration magic on a large scale.

The second inner circle has the following traits:

• Heavy Gravity
• Impeded Magic: All spells that are not abjuration or universal spells. The Spellcraft check is made at (DC 20 + the level of the spell).
• Enhanced Magic: All abjuration spells are heightened by three levels (as if Heighten Spell had been used on them, but the spells don't require higher-level slots). Spells and spell-like abilities that are already heightened are unaffected by this benefit. Alternately, instead of gaining this benefit, a spellcaster may decide to add a single metamagic feat to an abjuration spell, but only if the metamagic feat normally requires that the spell's level is increased by one to three (such as for extend spell, empower spell, or maximize spell).
• Limited Magic: All attempts to teleport, greater teleport, gate, dimension door, and similar spells do not function in or out of this plane.

Perhaps the ultimate dungeon, little is known of the third inner circle of the Citadel, save that it can be found by going down below the keep. Here things from outside all planes are kept, horrors beyond the laws of existence, as well as mad yet epic mages. It is said that the lowest levels are but black pits where forgotten, blasphemous gods are kept. The guards do not travel here, but rather, a dangerous ecology of monsters, infighting between prisoners, and even the terrain itself keeps its members imprisoned. Numerous permanent abjurations also divide up the regions of this plane, making the greatest danger being unable to get out.

The third inner circle has the following traits:

• Heavy Gravity
• Limited Magic: All spells that are not abjuration or universal spells do not function. All universal spells require a (DC 25 + level of the spell) roll to function. Additionally, all attempts to teleport, greater teleport, gate, dimension door, and similar spells do not function in or out of this plane.
• Enhanced Magic: All abjuration spells are heightened by four levels (as if Heighten Spell had been used on them, but the spells don't require higher-level slots). Spells and spell-like abilities that are already heightened are unaffected by this benefit. Alternately, instead of gaining this benefit, a spellcaster may decide to add a single metamagic feat to an abjuration spell, but only if the metamagic feat normally requires that the spell's level is increased by one to four (such as for empower spell, maximize spell, or quicken spell).
• Confusing Layout: Any attempt to find one's direction with the Survival skill finds the DC increased to 25. Furthermore, any attempt to map is futile; the layout changes subtly from hour to hour.