The Sites - Magma (TIP)

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The naturally destructive essence of the para plane of Magma makes short work of most structures. There are a few places, however, that deserve mention.
==The Fields of Nevermore==
In one area of the surface of the paraplane, a crust of stone has hardened atop the magma. The crust is thin in many places, so a man-sized creature standing on top of it has a 10% chance per tum of breaking through into the magma below. (Those larger than man-sized have a 20% chance, and those smaller than man-sized have only a 5% chance.) The place is known as the Fields of Nevermore. It's roughly circular with a diameter of about 60 miles, and the crust at the edges sometimes extends further into the molten sea in arms of stone that can stretch for miles.
At the center of the Fields, travelers from the Prime Material Plane have constructed a city-Nevermore-around a device called the chillsword. The weapon is a cursed artifact of great power that emanates an aura of cold in a 500- foot radius. About forty years ago, the great hero Vhans of Lostcrag thrust the ch ii/sword into the crust, creating a habitable spot in the paraplane. The natural heat of the magma and the sword's chilling curse canceled each other out. (This sort of thing doesn't always work, but in this case, the magic compromised.)
Of course, the air still contains harmful toxins and is dangerous to breathe without protection, but that wasn't enough to stop the ambitious primes from building a small city within the cool, livable area. The buildings of Nevermore are mostly towers, many of them as tall as the sphere of protective coolness allows. In addition, the city has a more stable foundation than the rest of the Fields, since the chillsword's power reaches down into the magma and cools it until it hardens in a hemisphere with a radius of 200 feet.
The people of Nevermore charge exorbitant fees to those who wish to enter their city, and more money still for a breathing apparatus that lets a visitor inhale the toxic fumes of the paraplane-a device worn constantly by all the inhabitants. The population's largest concern is one of defense, since they have experienced attacks from magmen and even raiding efreet. The folk of Nevermore look for a way to establish a peaceful agreement with the magmen, but no one knows if such a thing is even possible.
==The Monolith==
If any single structure in the paraplane of Magma confounds the scholars of the multiverse, it is the Monolith. Although this gleaming black object is some 90 feet high and 30 feet across, it is only JO feet thick. Many have remarked that it looks uncomfortably like a tombstone.
The Monolith is constructed of a black material that seems to be as much metal as it is stone, and as much glass as it is metal. In other words, no one quite understands what it's made of. In addition, the Monolith seems to be completely impervious to harm. Rumors say that even the powers cannot destroy or damage it, though perhaps that's because none of them have actually tried. Some suggest that the Monolith exists outside of time, which might explain why it never appears to change. Others think it could be a number of identical structures, all existing in the same place at the same time (or perhaps different times-or both).
The general consensus around the multiverse is that the monolith is a relic of the Sleeping Ones (as discussed in the chapter on the paraplane of Ice). The truth of the matter, however, is that no one has any clue as to the origin or purpose of the structure. 
==Oolan's Laboratory==
One of the most unusual beings in the Inner Planes is a fiendish creature named Oolan. Born centuries ago on the prime-material world of Oerth, Oolan is a Sue! lich. Although most of his kind try to hide their true nature from the outside world, Oolan takes no such precautions.
His laboratory is small, but it is said that this undead creature knows more about magic than some lesser deities. Whether or not this statement contains truth, a wise man would probably not challenge him on the matter. After all, even the least-powerful Sue! lich is still a mighty foe.
The exact nature of Oolan's research is unknown. Apparently, he plans to keep it that way, for his laboratory is guarded by no fewer than a dozen burning men. These smoldering golems are relentless in their duty to keep out all intruders-by any means necessary.
==Targath's Tower==
The rogue Targath Reniume (Pl/♂ human/T 12/Free League/N) commissioned a number of powerful wizards to construct a tower for him in the paraplane of Magma, paying them with the loot of a fabulous theft (some say it was the moaning diamond taken from the minotaur lord Guyn). The wizards made the entire tower out of permanent, invisible walls of force.
The structure rises from the sea of molten rock, with a number of levels below the surface. The whole thing anchors upon a huge chunk of submerged basalt, and it connects to the lava tube network. The magical walls keep out the heat and the toxic gases so Targath can rest otherwise unprotected within his abode.
For a thief, Targath extends a great deal of generosity toward travelers seeking shelter-particularly to planars who share his faction-related views. (Thus, he's not too friendly to the Harmonium. Also, the fact that the Free League has recently officially disbanded means little to him.-the Editor) For a bit of news, he provides a night's rest away from the heat, and even a fine meal. However, since the fabulous food and furnishings of the tower must come from somewhere, most folks agree that Targath possesses a secret planar travel device. It could just be that the tower's built around a natural portal or two, but more than likely, the thief has acquired a cubic gate or something similar.
One fact is for certain: The pleasant, relaxed atmosphere within the tower presents a strange counterpoint to its bubbling, boiling surroundings, which are visible through the transparent walls.