Location: Clockwork Library

Another picture that I forgot to copy the source of. I do apologize for that. The ideas for this area come from Wan Shi Tong's Library from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and a little bit from the Portal series. I like this area a lot because I can envision it being the sort of place that PCs could visit multiple times before it actually becomes a conflict. They come a few times for information, and then they need something restricted and have to fight through the defenses. I rather like that. Also, I'm trying to keep to more minimalist descriptions, since I feel like I'm too long-winded at times.


                                                             Description:
The halls are lit from the ceiling, and are brightly illuminated. Gears whizz all around, and steam blows out of various pipes to fuel the mechanisms. The floor tiles shift about like clockwork, and the different structures all hum and turn on their own rhythm.

Associated Knowledges:
History:

• This place is ancient, older than most established civilizations.
• The library has been open for the storage of knowledge for centuries.
• Different factions have used this place as a neutral meeting grounds.

Arcana:

• A faint magical aura permeates the library.
• Most of the mechanisms are not magical, but a few have a slight aura.
• Most of the magic is emanating from below the surface.

DM Info:
  The Clockwork Library has existed since before most human kingdoms. It was built by dwarven clans to be a repository of all their collective knowledge. Most of those clans have since gone extinct, and only one of them remains. They invented the clockwork structures within the library, and have guarded those secrets jealously. These dwarves were also the ones that invented firearms, though these are significantly less advanced. The library is still open to visitors, but they are restricted on what they can see, as the pact between the clans has become void with their extinction.
  The library is protected by clockwork golems and defense structures. These golems are more advanced than most others, and have some form of intelligence. The defensive structures have different abilities. There are turrets that fire at attackers, structures that will assemble more clockwork golems on the spot, and others that will warp the terrain against would-be attackers. The library itself is not sentient, but it does have a built-in sense of self preservation that the dwarves have programmed in. The day to day activities are handled by the library itself, but the dwarves can still control it directly if need be. 
  The library has a lot of knowledge that has been stored in it. Public access includes most common magical spells and incantations, and a number of rarer spells in certain sections. The library also contains detailed manuals on most species in Fomor, and has information on most of the major planes. The public can only access the information that could be found in other places. The library has it all in one spot, but most of it can be found by going to three or four major cities and looking hard enough. The restricted-access areas have much more detailed information on a wider variety of topics. Specific rituals to summon powerful demon lords, bargaining advice for elemental lords, passwords and taboo spells. The library has rooms dedicated to channeling powerful divination spells to obtain even more knowledge than would otherwise be possible. The secrets to advanced clockwork construction are also down there.
  The dwarves that inhabit the library are few in number, and ostensibly neutral to anyone else. They have lost their ancestral home to other clans, and now only hold onto the library. None dare trifle with them, as the advanced defenses of the library have turned back entire armies. They allow anyone in so long as they hold no intention to damage the library itself. The dwarves reserve the right to eject anyone or anything from their home, but they tend not to. Many have come from long distances to peruse the library, ranging from evil to good, lawful to chaotic. 
  The challenges here for the party should be mostly RP-based. They could come here in search of knowledge to help them on their quest, which can only be found in the restricted areas. That would require either diplomacy with the dwarves, or navigating through puzzles and traps and the formidable defenses of the library itself. Because the rooms can shift about and have any sort of dangers within, the possibilities are almost limitless. 

Location: Pouderin Keep

I decided to do another picture today. This time, though, the image is from Reddit user Pouderpuff. Since he didn't name the picture, I dubbed it "Pouderin Keep" in honor of him. Also, I decided that I would only post on weekdays. This is already of low quality as it is, and I'd like to spend at least a little more time on each post than I have been.

Description: The castle sits atop a small island in the ocean. The sun gleams off the white stone in a majestic fashion, nearly blinding you as you approach. The air is salty from the sea, and the wind blows perpetually. The nearby area is nothing but cliffs and jagged stone. The keep itself is made from a white stone, and shows the wear from the sea over the course of the years. The keep tunnels down into the rock it is located on, and it seems to you that it must even go underwater. You have a slight sense of claustrophobia inside the cramped halls.

Associated Knowledges:
History:

• This keep was built many centuries ago, and has always been owned by the same dwarves.
• The Bilder clan of dwarves crafted this keep, and it has always been owned by one of their patriarchs.
• The dwarves use this fortress as a secure point to fall back in case of war. This has happened many times during their history, and the keep is virtually unassailable.

Geography:

• The location of the keep makes it very secluded.
• The difficult terrain surrounding the keep prevents easy travel, even to the dwarves that live nearby and inside the keep.
• The keep itself is made of a stone that is not found in this region.

Dungeoneering:

• The keep appears to be built solidly. You can't identify any faults in the inside structure.
• The keep is made out of a porous stone that would resist any sort of siege weapons.
• You can tell that the keep extends far beneath the waterline.

DM Info:
  Pouderin Keep is an ancient dwarven fortress. The Bilder clan of dwarves regards it as the one location that they will definitively keep - pun fully intended - forever. In times of crisis, they have retreated to Pouderin Keep to hold out against invading armies. Every time, they have repelled the attackers without issue. It is built in such an unassailable location, and is made of a stone that is nearly impossible to breach. The material is similar to coquina, but is an actual stone. Siege weapons basically have little to no effect on the keep's walls. What is interesting is that this stone is found nowhere near the keep. In fact, it's not located anywhere in territory that the Bilder clan has every controlled. The Bilder dwarves have actually found a way to fabricate the stone, and do so in secret. It is very difficult to do so, which is why they only built the one keep. Most of the Bilder dwarves are obsessed with finding ways of making the process easier, to give them an advantage against invaders.
  The keep is inhabited mostly by dwarves and a small number of gnomes. This keep is to the south of the Bilder territory, and only has a few defenders. A minor patriarch is given control of the keep, almost as a token measure. However, in times of invasion the keep becomes a major strategic lynchpin to the dwarves, and that patriarch's status is elevated. This is, I feel, the biggest plot point that the keep can offer. The patriarch plans to start a war with another nearby clan, so that the Bilders will be forced to rely on his keep. This will make him a valuable member of the clan, and allow him to advance out of the Pouderin Keep. 
  Inside, the keep resembles most dwarven homes. Narrow tunnels, deep shafts, and underground mining. The keep extends far below the waterline, and has hit the earth below the relatively shallow sea. They are free to extend their operations as deep as they please without threatening the integrity of the keep. However, due to the small number of dwarves and gnomes that live there permanently, the operation is slow and inefficient. Mostly they spend their time readying the battlements in case of invasion. The tunnels, however, do still have a number of underground creatures living in them. The dwarves are oftentimes overwhelmed by the sheer number of monsters that inhabit their home, and are unable to do anything but slowly weed them out. Sometimes they will hire mercenaries to do it for them, but this is seen as highly insulting to the patriarch's honor, and is only done in times of great need.
  There is little trade to Pouderin Keep. Shipments of food and supplies come every now and then from the Bilder clan, but little else makes it's way there. No merchant is willing to risk the dangerous terrain for the little business they might drum up in the keep. Especially since dwarves are notoriously territorial, and may take offense to such actions. Luxury goods are very rare in the keep because of this. The dwarves that live there keep their lives fairly minimalistic. They keep to their tunnels, mining away slowly, and readying for a war that may never come. They keep their tradition highly insulated, and rarely see newcomers to the keep. 

Adventure Hooks:

• The tunnels are overwhelmed by monsters. The dwarven patriarch puts out a call for adventurers to help them reclaim their home.
• The patriarch is weary from boredom. He is scheming to start a war to elevate his position, but needs the PCs to help him.
• A merchant is willing to make the trip, provided that he has an escort.