HMS APOLLYON - Planning a 2nd Campaign

While my Megadungeon project - HMS APOLLYON is currently still on hiatus, I am thinking of starting up a second campaign in a few months.  There will be rule changes and some design changes seeking to create a more dangerous dungeon where the setting's "life is cheap" ethos will actually have some effect on the PC's.  Perhaps this can be viewed as moving the game into higher level play, or simply adjusting the denizens of the hull a bit to increase the challenge to a party equipped with firearms. Below is a list of some potential plot hooks I've been tossing around for one shots.  Prior to renewing the campaign I may run a series of "Big Score" one shots - with very high risk and rewards for undertaking special missions on behalf of the Vessel's denizens.

Lost Technology Awaits (by zeo-x of deviant art)

HMS APOLLYON - Updated Rumors and Possible Expeditions.

1) An anonymous group (presumably a family of social climbers amongst the Factor class) has been offering a flat reward of 10,000 Gold Coins to anyone who can clear out the Haldvar Mansion in uptown.  They'll get your group a temporary pass to uptown (if the reward is reduced to 8,000 GP), and then it's a simple break in and clear the place of automatons and servitors for the presumably extinct family.

Proving that there are no Halvar heirs, or other proper occupants and making the location safe is the commission, but it's also likely that the mansion is stuffed with art objects and other valuables.  The Haldvars are known to have been a vengeful and nasty family that employed malign pacts with powerful outsiders and didn't trust human servants, so the danger involved is considered high. 

A group of Flying Monkey guards from the neighboring families tried to clear the place after no one was seen leaving for a few months, but they did not return.  Since the place is not an active menace the Stewards won't act. Any squatters discovered within may be killed. 

2) The Church of the Ship Spirits has been having a considerable amount of success in keeping the recently reclaimed mushroom farm, cathedral hall and auxiliary power protected against the undead massed in the buried vault beyond, but are always looking for scouts, or an assassination squad, to take the fight to the dead beyond the new frontier.

It is claimed that besides the Salt Haints and some more functional revenants a mysterious figure in a leather mask and surgeon's coat has been seen directing the fortification of the buried vault and probing attacks against Ship Spirit positions.  More information about or the destruction of the War Dead leader(s) would be well compensated.

3) The Marines are looking for a group to enter their defensive works, "the Sigil Maze" and find out whats been disturbing and destroying the protective Sigils.  They believe it's some kind of extra planar beast.  As always they don't have much to offer in cash, but will give gifts from their artifact stores.  Additionally the Maze is full of the remains of those who have been trapped or destroyed by it: undead, stewards, outsiders, fishmen and whatever else thought sneaking into the back door of Sterntown was a wise idea.  The expedition might also be a good cover to meet with the Baron of Hell - Malchris, who says he always has work for able bodied adventurers and who controls (at least partially) the vessel's spinal railway.

4) The Factors are getting desperate, because recent expeditions have proven that the hull can be entered without serious attack on Sterntown, yet no effort has been made to properly discover and exploit new resources for their benefit. They have offered a standing 35,000 Gold Coin reward to anyone who can chart/clear a safe way to the machine shops on Deck 5 (to the fore and port of the Rust Gates).  The way must be open to at least one hundred soldiers with some heavy weapons and cannot be submerged or blocked by entrenched enemies/entities.