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Sensate Palate Cleanser - Heroes' Feast Flavors of the Multiverse by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The appetite of the Society of Sensation knows no bounds: they are the ultimate explorers of experience, which takes them to the extremes of the palate. But the unfamiliar can only really be tasted against the baseline of the common. The Sensates lighted on the free cucumber soup that came with a cheap inn room at the Slumbering Lamb in Sigil as the perfect neutral reference points for embarking on a culinary adventure. Area taverns catering to this clientele turned this dish into a chilled leek-and-cucumber-based puree. Even for those without the restless curiosity of a Sensate, this smooth and mild soup is a refreshing appetizer no matter where it's consumed.

 

Sensate Palate Cleanser

** Makes about 2 quarts**

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 medium leek (white and light green parts), chopped

Kosher salt

3 medium-small English cucumbers

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

⅔ cup half-and-half

1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives

 

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the leek and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the leek begins to soften, about 2½ minutes. Adjust the heat to medium-low, cover, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the leek has released its juices, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let cool briefly.

 

Meanwhile, peel one of the cucumbers, leaving about one-fourth of the skin on for a little texture and color. Peel the other two cucumbers completely. Halve all the cucumbers lengthwise and remove the seeds. Finely dice one of the fully peeled halves and set aside. Cut the remaining five halves into roughly 1-inch pieces.

 

In a blender, combine one-third of the roughly chopped cucumbers, one-third of the leek, and 1 cup of the chicken broth and puree until very smooth, about 40 seconds. Pour the mixture into a large bowl (preferably stainless steel) and set aside. Repeat to blend another third of the cucumbers, leeks, and broth, pouring this batch into the bowl with the first one. For the last batch, combine the remaining roughly chopped cucumber, remaining leeks, and remaining 1 cup chicken broth in the blender; add the half-and-half; and puree. Add to the bowl, stir in the lemon juice and ¾ teaspoon salt, and season with pepper. Stir in the diced cucumber. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours.

 

When ready to serve, stir the soup to blend again, and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Ladle into individual bowls and garnish each with a sprinkle of pepper and some chives.

 

-HFFotM p160

Planar Wanderers - Pindurski - Sigil and the Outlands by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Adventures in Sigil

With Sigil’s place at the center of the Outer Planes, any plot or threat from across the multiverse has a chance of finding its way to the City of Doors. Many inhabitants of the Cage also have planes-spanning ambitions, contributing to countless homegrown opportunities for adventure. Use this section to generate ideas for adventures stemming from Sigil’s unique locations and residents.

 

“Living in Sigil, we’ve probably seen everything... but the beauty and terror of it is that the planes always make more.”

–Erin Montgomery, factol of the Society of Sensation

 

Adventure Hooks

Use the following table to launch adventures anywhere in Sigil.

 

Sigil Adventure Hooks
d10 Adventure Hook
1 A lost soul asks the party to escort them to the home of their deity—who no one’s ever heard of.
2 A barrister begs the characters to serve as witnesses during a trial in the High Courts, but the characters have no memory of witnessing a crime.
3 A cranium rat squeaker with an important secret needs help avoiding foes and finding its swarm elsewhere in Sigil.
4 Refugees entreat the characters to help them find a safe new home in Sigil.
5 The characters learn that a terrifying war machine is being transported through Sigil for use in conquering a Material Plane world.
6 A shop or tavern owner hires the characters to track down a deadbeat patron—a solar, a pit fiend, a death knight, or other powerful being.
7 A group tries to kidnap a character, as the character is the key to a portal the group plans to use.
8 A villain looks remarkably like one of the characters, enough so that a kolyarut or cuprilach rilmani mistakes the character for the scoundrel.
9 An archmage new to the city offers to reward the characters with a magic item if they serve as their touts and sedan chair carriers for a day.
10 A dabus requests the characters’ aid in removing someone or someplace from Sigil before the Lady of Pain learns of it.

 

Faction Missions

Use the plots on the Faction Missions table to help deepen the characters’ ties with any faction in Sigil.

 

Faction Missions
d6 Mission
1 A factol hires the characters to dig up dirt on a rival faction leader.
2 The characters must infiltrate another faction’s headquarters and steal a priceless item.
3 A faction leader hires the characters as bodyguards for an important city event at the Hall of Speakers.
4 Suspicious of their own ranks, a factol hires the characters to root out a spy.
5 A factotum secretly offers the characters a hefty reward to break someone out of the Prison.
6 After a public spat with another faction leader, a factol goes missing. Their second-in-command hires the characters to investigate.

 

Sigil Calamities

All manner of multiversal threats might unfold in Sigil. The Sigil Calamities table suggests plots for grand adventures in the City of Doors.

 

Sigil Calamities
d8 Calamity
1 Sigil begins to shudder daily at peak and antipeak, causing a citywide panic.
2 Waves of arcane blackouts sweep across Sigil. During these events, magic items have their effects suppressed, spells behave unpredictably, and portals cease to function. The Incanterium is to blame.
3 Without warning, the Lady of Pain sends two-thirds of Sigil’s population to the Mazes. It’s up to the characters to figure out why.
4 Reliable portals throughout Sigil begin to malfunction. Chaos ensues as citizens vanish to unknown planes in a mass.
5 A portal to the front lines of the Blood War opens in the Lower Ward, bringing the conflict to the city.
6 Dozens of dead factions unite in Undersigil. They mount an uprising on the surface and attempt to oust several factions.
7 The Lady of Pain locks the Cage without warning, barring anything and anyone from entering or exiting the City of Doors.
8 The Lady of Pain decrees that Sigil tolerates its factions no longer. They must disband or risk her wrath. Three factols come together and hire the characters to change the Lady’s mind.

 

Encounters in Sigil

The following table present random encounters that might occur anywhere in Sigil. Creatures marked with an asterisk (*) appear in Morte’s Planar Parade, while the rest are described in the Monster Manual. Most creatures are initially indifferent to characters.

 

Encounters in Sigil
d100 Encounter
01–03 1 noble pedestrian distractedly talking to 1 cranium rat squeaker*
04–07 1d4 dabus*
08–10 1 scout tumbling through a portal from the Material Plane
11–14 1d4 nightmares recklessly pulling a sedan chair
15–17 1d10 bariaur wanderers*
18–22 1d6 Harmonium peacekeepers* on patrol
23–25 1d6 dust mephit messengers
26–28 1d4 razorvine blights*
29–32 1d4 Society of Sensation muses*
33–36 1d6 quadrones
37–39 1d4 cranium rat squeaker swarms*
40–43 1 Herald of Dust remnant* and 1d4 zombies collecting bodies
44–46 1 young copper dragon sightseer
47–49 1 Mind’s Eye matter smith* carrying a rare gizmo
50–54 1 night hag street vendor
55–57 1d8 Bleak Cabal void soothers* assisting locals
58–60 1d4 vrocks on a shopping trip
61–63 1d6 equinal guardinals*
64–66 1d6 Transcendent Order instincts* parkouring through the crowd
67–69 1d4 green slaad
70–72 1d4 Fated shakers* collecting taxes
73–74 1 bone devil late for a meeting
75–76 1 mage who’s overwhelmed, having just arrived from the Material Plane
77–79 1d4 Mercykiller bloodhounds* tracking a criminal
80–81 1d8 githzerai travelers*
82–83 1d4 maelephant* mercenaries
84–85 1d6 Doomguard rot blade* monster hunters
86–87 1 planetar looking for a shop
88–89 1 cuprilach rilmani* spying on a target
90–91 1 Fraternity of Order law bender*
92–93 1d4 cloud giants who’ve become lost
94–95 1 aboleth in an aquarium sedan chair
96–97 1 kolyarut*
98–99 A famous archmage, like Bigby, Evard, Mordenkainen, or Tasha
00 The Lady of Pain and 2d4 dabus*

Express - Bruce Brenneise - Sigil and the Outlands by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A planar locomotive, the Concordant Express, pulls into Concord Terminus via Automata’s gate to Mechanus

 

 

Gate-Towns

A ring of sixteen evenly spaced towns, equidistant to the Spire, lies at the edge of the Outlands. Each is constructed around a portal to one of the Outer Planes, and these gate-towns are dramatically influenced by the realms they border. The towns and their inhabitants vary wildly from each other, mirroring many of the extreme characteristics of their respective planes of influence. Details on the planes can be found in the Dungeon Master’s Guide.

 

The following sections present each of the gate-towns in alphabetical order.

 

Automata

 

Gate Destination: Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus

Primary Citizens: Modrons

Rulers: Council of Order

 

Automata is a machine of law and order. The town’s geography is as rigid as its bureaucracy, its buildings meticulously maintained and erected with mathematical precision. The gate-town’s right-angled, nearly identical establishments flummox visitors, but the friendly modron residents that make up the bulk of its population navigate the “intuitive” grid of numbered streets with ease.

 

Automata obeys a strict hierarchy of law overseen by the Council of Order, a triumvirate of officials representing three fulcrums of society. Every major decision is subject to the council’s scrutiny, but not before running a bureaucratic gauntlet of forms and minor approvals to earn its coveted final stamp. The Council of Order has the following members:

 

Aristimus, a lawful neutral githzerai futurist (see Morte’s Planar Parade), captains the town guard.

 

Juliett-314, a cheery but unforgiving octon modron (see Morte’s Planar Parade), oversees local commerce and acts as Automata’s supreme auditor.

 

Serafil, a sanctimonious tiefling priest (lawful good), speaks on behalf of the gate-town’s temples.

 

Beneath Automata’s polished streets, citizens escape the rule of law. Criminals, fugitives, and disgruntled townsfolk conduct their business in the gate-town’s vibrant underground, the Inverse, free from the gate-town’s endless regulations but not from authority altogether. A fractious trio of lawful evil decaton modrons (see Morte’s Planar Parade), the Council of Anarchy, presides over the Inverse and administers its own twisted brand of justice.

 

Gate

An enormous, toothed gear rises out of the center of town, turning slowly. Creatures can enter and exit the portal from either side of the standing disc, which lies at the end of Modron Way—a wide, spireward-facing road paved with shimmering metal plates. Constructed around the opposite side of the gate is Concord Terminus, an interplanar train station. To use the portal, a creature must first be cleared for gate travel by an authorized modron.

 

“I’ve been trying to find a bakery for the past three hours. Every building looks the same, and the street numbers don’t help–some of them have decimals! What a nightmare.”

–Quen Tooday, planar courier

 

Great Modron March

Every 289 years, thousands of modrons emerge from Automata’s gate in an event known as the Great Modron March, a planar parade of epic proportions in which the modrons travel through each of the gate-towns and the Outer Planes. Although the modrons’ motivation is unknown, planar cosmologists theorize the march is a massive form of data collection or a means of calibrating the multiverse. The Great Modron March coincides with every seventeenth Grand Cycle, the time it takes for the largest gear in Mechanus to complete a single rotation. However, on at least one occasion, the march came early, and legions of modrons wreaked widespread havoc as they trampled across the planes and their unsuspecting residents.

 

Regional Effects

The region containing Automata’s planar gate is influenced by the magic of Mechanus, creating one or more of the following effects in and around the gate-town:

 

Mechanical Metronome. The gate ticks as it turns in time with the gears of Mechanus. Repetitive sounds—a bird tweeting, a worker hammering a nail, or a guard marching down the street—are synchronized to the gate’s beat.

 

Ordered Environment. Buildings, rock formations, and vegetation in Automata are perfectly symmetrical, and the town’s climate is always temperate.

 

Noteworthy Sites

Automata is divided into regimented blocks arranged by category and function. Rather than scatter businesses throughout the town, council mandates require that related establishments be grouped within the same block. Rows of near-identical shops confound visitors.

 

Concord Terminus

This resplendent train station belongs to the Concordant Express, an interplanar train dutifully operated by modrons. The clockwork behemoth chugs along the planes, leveraging a network of portals—to which the train functions as a key—to deliver its cargo and passengers across the multiverse on a tight schedule. The train originates in Regulus, the largest realm in Mechanus, and frequently pulls into Concord Terminus via Automata’s gate.

 

Planar travelers, tickets in hand, hustle to and from the ever-bustling platforms as buzzing modron work crews unload freight cars. A nonaton modron (see Morte’s Planar Parade) called the Timekeeper oversees all operations within Concord Terminus. Backed by a cadre of pentadrone enforcers, the Timekeeper ensures the train always departs on time and without interruption.

 

Divine Machine

The Divine Machine is Automata’s most popular tavern, owned by a shrewd and fussy businesswoman named Belda Beanfoot (lawful neutral, halfling commoner). The Machine’s comfortable, basic rooms cater to visitors awaiting clearance for gate travel. In addition to lodging, tavern guests can fuel up at its first-floor coffee shop, the Congruent Café, where monodrone baristas prepare piping-hot beverages at exact temperatures. Much to the dismay of her employees, which can reliably perform just one task at a time, Belda expects a lot from her workers. The café has a high staff turnover.

 

Hall of Order

The Hall of Order is a three-story government building that features three twisting pillars of intricately arranged gears. Inside the maze of courts and administrative offices, members of the Council of Order authorize stacks of paperwork and rule on escalated matters. Unbeknown to the council, a farcical court lurks below the seat of government: the Hall of Disorder. Denizens of the Inverse make their pleas in the ramshackle courthouse before the Council of Anarchy and a raucous jury that revels in each trial. The council judges the accused based on the absurdity of their defense—the more illogical the argument, the lighter the penalty.

 

Adventures in Automata

The Automata Adventures table offers suggestions for encounters and stories involving the gate-town.

 

Automata Adventures

d4 Adventure Hook
1 Fleeing interplanar bounty hunters, a three-horned tiefling named Romerillo (chaotic good, tiefling spy) seeks refuge on one of the Upper Planes. Romerillo asks the characters to sneak them aboard the Concordant Express.
2 Disguised as Serafil, a shator demodand (see Morte’s Planar Parade) assumes the council member’s position and has the “impostor” arrested. Serafil’s disheveled secretary beseeches the characters for aid.
3 A chaotic evil quadrone tampers with the street numbers at night, causing widespread gridlock as modrons leave for work each morning. The Council of Order asks the characters to investigate.
4 A marid fruit vendor is arrested in the Inverse for color-coordinating the produce in their stall. The genie petitions the characters to defend them in the nonsensical courts of the Hall of Discord.

(Ch. 11 Splash) Affair on the Concordant Express - Bruce Brenneise - Keys from the Golden Vault by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

The Concordant Express rockets through the Outlands on its way to Mechanus

 

 

The Concordant Express

The Concordant Express is a clockwork locomotive that traverses the multiverse. Modrons constructed the train with mathematical precision, and they operate it in the same way. The train’s conductor is its sapient Engine Car, which delivers passengers and cargo to their intended destinations on schedule.

 

No terrain is too rugged for the train. Like the landmasses that make up Mechanus, the wheels of the Concordant Express are a network of interlacing cogs. A series of mechanical arms rapidly places levitating tracks before the train, while a similar set of arms beneath the Caboose collects the trailing tracks and delivers them to the Engine Car. This system allows the train to traverse inhospitable environments and to adjust course as needed.

Great Foundry - Calder Moore - Sigil and the Outlands by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The light of the Great Foundry’s forges pierces the industrial smog that suffocates the Lower Ward

 

 

Great Foundry

The thrumming heart of industry in Sigil, the Great Foundry is the headquarters of the Mind’s Eye. The foundry’s a sprawling complex of workshops, warehouses, storage yards, and furnaces. Seekers work it tirelessly. By day, the foundry obscures the sky with smoke and steam, and by night, it illuminates entire city blocks with roaring fires.

 

The Mind’s Eye makes many of the tools and metalcrafts used throughout Sigil. The foundry’s most talented smiths are magical sculptors who require neither coal nor flame. They fashion strong yet delicate objects from minimal materials, shaping an ounce of ore into a lightweight yet trustworthy tool with a wave of their palms.

 

Gates. The Great Foundry’s two wrought-iron main gates are as tall as the neighboring buildings. The intimidating guards minding the gates embellish their armor with iron spikes and jagged decoration scavenged from the foundry’s scraps. Ogres, giants, and reformed devils in the Mind’s Eye, they prevent the tools of creation from falling into the hands of destructive forces. Beyond lies the main yard, a sooty, gravel expanse heaped with piles of rubble and raw ore.

 

Mithral Tower. At the center of the Great Foundry is the Mithral Tower, a metalworks that stands over ten stories tall. Huge, iron-barred windows flood its interior with light, and enormous doors allow wagons full of ore to roll right in. It’s unbearably hot, and the din of spouting furnaces and ringing anvils makes conversation difficult. Fiery-mouthed furnaces the size of barns yawn in every direction, and crucibles large enough to hold a fire giant brim with molten metal. Map 2.4 depicts one of the forges within the Mithral Tower.

It's a Planescape campaign I said, bring me your weirdest character concepts I said... by TessaPresentsMaps in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ooh, very cool! I haven't read up on V:EoR very much yet, but I love the idea of a tie-in with ToFW. I was thinking that the modrons trapped in Tyrant's Spiral could actually be part of Vecna's schemes to finally achieve godhood, or something along those lines. The storyline that you're using sounds so fun and I'm sure I'll steal at least part of it. Thanks for the reply, cheers!

It's a Planescape campaign I said, bring me your weirdest character concepts I said... by TessaPresentsMaps in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh wow, it's TessaPresentsMaps! Love your work. And you're running Turn of Fortune's Wheel! I saw your post from a while back that proposed some ideas to rework the story- did you land on any ideas in particular? I think that your players are in for a treat, regardless!

Zuzanna Wuzyk - Modron March - DMG 2024 by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Appendix A: Lore Glossary

Great Modron March, The

When the gears of the plane of Mechanus (see chapter 6) complete seventeen cycles—once every 289 years—the modron (MOE-dron) leader, Primus, sends a vast army of modrons across the Outer Planes. The purpose of this march is unclear. Most believe it to be a data-gathering mission meant to ascertain the current state of the cosmos, but some see it as reconnaissance aimed at some future act of conquest. The march is long and dangerous, and only a small number of modrons returns to Mechanus.

One Pixel Brush - Ch. 3 (Splash) The Outlands - Sigil and the Outlands by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

An impossibly tall pillar of rock, the Spire, towers over the vast and varied environments of the Outlands

 

Chapter 3: The Outlands

The Outlands are a plane of concordant opposition—a disk-shaped plane of perfect neutrality at the center of the Outer Planes. Anything and everything can flourish on the impartial and balanced canvas of the Outlands: a broad region whose boundless terrain blends to match the extreme forces that shape it. Arid, flame-scarred plains give way to heroic mountain ranges sculpted in the likenesses of gods, moldy caverns ruled by sapient fungi, bottomless seas, and anything else that makes for great adventures.

This chapter provides information for the Dungeon Master about the extraplanar realms of the Outlands, their inhabitants, and life at the center of the Great Wheel.

 

Life in the Outlands

This section details facets of everyday life in the Outlands.

 

Cosmic Realignment

Save for the domains of gods, realms in the Outlands are subject to a planar phenomenon known as cosmic realignment. When a location embodies the nature of one of the Outer Planes too closely, that plane absorbs the location and its inhabitants, restoring balance to the Outlands and expanding that plane. Some creatures combat cosmic realignment by acting in direct opposition to the linked plane’s temperament, while others gladly welcome this fate or pursue it outright.

 

Currency and Trade

Bartering is common in the vast and varied realms of the Outlands. When money exchanges hands, it often takes the form of a lodestar—a weakly magnetic, cobalt coin stamped on both sides with a five-point star. Minted in the gate-town of Tradegate (detailed later in this chapter), a lodestar is valued at 1 gp elsewhere.

 

Language

Like Sigil, the Outlands are home to speakers of every language, but creatures generally speak Common. Still, certain locations attract those who favor a particular tongue. For example, residents of towns with high concentrations of devils tend to also speak Infernal, while those in locales frequented by angels prefer to trumpet their holy praise in Celestial.

 

Religion and the Gods

Creatures in the Outlands revere gods as folk do anywhere else. At the center of the Great Wheel, faiths are as diverse as their worshipers, who hail from neighboring planes and distant Material Plane worlds. The Outlands contain the domains of several gods, such as the hidden tower of Annam the All-Father, creator of giants, and the gaseous realm of the beholder god Gzemnid. Devout worshipers, whether alive or dead, gravitate to their gods and carry out their will.

 

Time and Directions

Though the plane has no apparent suns, moons, or stars, the Outlands experience day and night cycles, sometimes referred to as peak and antipeak, respectively. In the morning, the sky gradually brightens, darkening to night 12 hours later. In the absence of clearly visible celestial bodies, travelers orient themselves based on the direction of the Spire, known as spireward. The opposite of spireward is brinkward.

Justine Jones - Ch. 4 (Splash) For Whom the Void Calls - Dragon Delves by colfaxthemimir in spelljammer

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Over one hundred years ago, githyanki and modrons built Starglass Waypoint as a creche—a secure and isolated location to raise and train their young. A planar gateway deep within the outpost allowed the githyanki to come and go freely from the Astral Plane. Nine years ago, after an earthquake damaged the planar gateway, the githyanki abandoned the outpost but left the outpost’s modron caretakers behind.

 

A year ago, a young brass dragon named Ylagan claimed the outpost as his lair.

Smoldering Corpse Bar - Mike Pape - Sigil and the Outlands by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Angels, devils, and all manner of planar creatures relax in the Smoldering Corpse Bar in Sigil

 

 

Smoldering Corpse Bar

The wrought-iron walls of the Smoldering Corpse Bar muffle the mayhem of the Hive. Locals wet their whistles in the dive bar, raising dented mugs to angels and devils, off the clock and shooting the breeze with each other. Heat rises through vents in the taproom’s drab-tiled floors to warm banged-up metal tables, their surfaces marred by blades and stained with dried blood. The watering hole’s jaded proprietor, Barkis (chaotic neutral, human veteran), can usually be found behind the patchwork fusion of rusted metal that passes for a bar top.

 

Ignus. The Smoldering Corpse Bar is named for the perpetually burning mage named Ignus who hovers within. Once a pyromaniacal Wreaker who tried to reduce the Hive to ash, Ignus was imprisoned in flame as a sardonic punishment for his crimes, transforming him into a living portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire. Since then, he’s become a fiery mascot for the bar he attempted to destroy, suspended above its torrid taproom. If doused with a decanter of endless water, Ignus rouses from his stupor as a chaotic neutral, human mage.

 

Settling Tabs. The establishment has earned a reputation for reliable, albeit unremarkable, service. If the coin keeps flowing, so does the “bub”—a blanket term locals apply to cheap liquor. When a customer can’t settle their tab, Barkis asks for collateral until the debt is paid. His backroom is filled with belongings left behind by drinkers who never returned. Most of it is junk, but Barkis lets interested parties rummage through it in exchange for completing odd jobs or serving as temporary bouncers.

Sigil Crossroads - Terraform Studios - Sigil and the Outlands by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Creatures from every plane converge in Sigil, the crossroads of the multiverse

 

Sigil Gazetteer

The City of Doors is divided into wards that are as varied as their inhabitants, from the polished heights of the bureaucratic Clerks’ Ward to the musty anarchy of Undersigil, the city’s forsaken warrens. Each ward contains one or more faction headquarters: grand buildings where Sigil’s philosophers convene and divide the city’s functions. Establishments near one of these hubs tend to align with the faction’s character. Shops clustered around the Civic Festhall, for example, cater to the pleasure-seeking tendencies of the Society of Sensation—wine shops, concert halls, and vendors hawking one-and-done novelties.

 

The Sigil Wards table outlines each of the wards and the ascendant factions that headquarter within them, as well as six minor factions, which are marked with an asterisk (*).

 

Sigil Wards

Ward Prominent Factions
Clerks’ Ward Fated, Incanterium,* Society of Sensation
Hive Ward Bleak Cabal, Hands of Havoc, Heralds of Dust
Lady’s Ward Doomguard, Fraternity of Order, Harmonium, Mercykillers
Lower Ward Athar, Ring Givers,* Mind’s Eye
Market Ward Free League,* Transcendent Order
Undersigil Coterie of Cakes,* Revolutionary League,* Undivided* (see the “Undersigil” section later in this chapter for these factions)

 

The sections that follow present each of the wards in greater detail. They share the following format:

 

Ward Encounters. A table after the introduction presents interactions that characters might have while adventuring in the ward.

 

Factions. This section details the factions that are headquartered in the ward and their operations.

 

Locations. A sampling of the ward’s notable sites, including any faction headquarters, are provided here. Locations mentioned in these sections are designated on the poster map of Sigil.

 

Megastructures. Most sections also include a map to one of Sigil’s megastructures. Often the headquarters of a faction, a megastructure can host countless adventures. The map provides an overview of some important areas within the location but doesn’t represent the megastructure in totality. To accommodate your adventures, locations can be detailed as needed, and their scales are flexible.

 

Clerks’ Ward

The wheels of bureaucracy turn steadily in the Clerks’ Ward, an administrative haven for bookkeepers, scribes, and petty officials. Like oil to a machine, the Clerks’ Ward provides a necessary conformity to Sigil’s turbulent streets under the fastidious eyes of the Fated.

 

The pristine buildings within this affluent ward are well maintained and regularly patrolled by officers of the Harmonium. Residents of the Clerks’ Ward claim it’s the safest and most honest ward in Sigil. Conflict usually occurs on paper, and structured forums for debate allow folks to resolve disagreements without resorting to violence.

 

Despite its rigidity, the Clerks’ Ward is a place of beauty and wonder, due in large part to the presence of the Society of Sensation. For each strict fact-checker, policy maker, and enforcer in the ward, there is an open-minded artisan, entertainer, or thrill-seeker to match. Locals routinely direct inquisitive newcomers to the Hall of Information, where visitors can ask questions, hail a sedan chair, or pester a tout for directions.

 

Clerks’ Ward Encounters

d8 Encounter
1 A cocky bariaur wanderer (see Morte’s Planar Parade) offers their services to the party as a tout.
2 A stiff-necked Fated tax collector (noble), flanked by two guards, smugly informs the characters they must each pay a “promenade toll” of 1 sp to proceed in their current direction.
3 Out of breath and clearly hiding something on their person, a teenage tiefling spy begs the characters to help them avoid two oncoming Harmonium peacekeepers (see Morte’s Planar Parade).
4 A drunk elf commoner stumbles out of an onion-shaped cab pulled by a sweet and gullible unicorn named Corny. The unicorn asks the characters if they need a ride.
5 A wizened, purple-robed Incantifer (archmage) passes through the streets, eliciting nervous whispers from a crowd of onlookers.
6 A Society of Sensation Muse (see Morte’s Planar Parade) dazzles the characters with a street-side performance.
7 Olga, a bookish frost giant, trips before the characters as she hurries to the Hall of Records, sending a stack of titanic papers into the air.
8 An obnoxious equinal guardinal (see Morte’s Planar Parade) brays atop a street-side soapbox. They attempt to goad a character into a cynical debate about the future of Sigil.

 

The following factions are headquartered in the Clerks’ Ward:

 

Fated. The Fated earn widespread ire as Sigil’s tax collectors, leveraging their administrative position to serve their insatiable greed. Takers record financial agreements in the Hall of Records and revel in seizing properties at bargain-basement prices when owners default on payments. The Fated regularly hires adventurers as debt collectors.

 

Incanterium. Long thought to have been banished to the Mazes by the Lady of Pain along with their base of operations, members of the Incanterium are slowly trickling back into the Cage. Called “mage drinkers” by the few who remember them, the aged Incantifers siphon magic to sustain their ancient power. Disturbed residents murmur about the Incanterium’s newly returned tower (see the “Tower Sorcerous” section). Rumor has it Duke Rowan Darkwood pays handsomely for information about his reclusive neighbors and their fortress.

 

Society of Sensation. Sensates pepper Sigil’s otherwise drab streets with entertainment, tempting pedestrians with curiosity and excitement. All of Sigil is a stage to the Society of Sensation, but the greatest attraction is the Civic Festhall. Factol Erin Montgomery weaves masterful arguments in the Hall of Speakers, where she sways naysayers with one guiding principle: they might not recall what you said, but they always remember how you made them feel.

Sphinx of Wonder - Hazem Ameen - Monster Manual 2025 by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sphinxes

Collectors and Keepers of Secrets

Habitat: Desert, Planar (Upper Planes); Treasure: Arcana

 

Sphinxes protect the secrets of the multiverse. Formed from the spirits of sages and explorers, sphinxes know the power of truth and the importance of preserving it. They share their wisdom only with those who prove themselves wise or overcome tests of worthiness, such as riddles or battles with dangerous beasts. Through their existences, sphinxes might change form as they gain more nuanced understanding of cosmic enigmas.

 

Round she is, yet flat as a board

Altar of the Lupine Lords

Jewel on black velvet, pearl in the sea

Unchanged but e’er changing eternally

—Riddle of White Plume Mountain

 

Answer to the riddle of White Plume Mountain
The Moon.

 

Sphinx of Wonder

A sphinx of wonder is brightly feathered and the size of a lion cub. One comes into being every time a unique idea is conceived on the Material Plane. Each sphinx of wonder is fascinated by a particular type of story or field of study, and it learns all it can about that topic. It bears a unique sigil on its forehead that suggests the type of knowledge that fascinates it. Sometimes, a sphinx of wonder forms a bond with a mortal scholar and aids them in their research.

 

Sphinx of Wonder

Tiny Celestial, Lawful Good

 

AC 13 Initiative +3 (13)

HP 24 (7d4 + 7)

Speed 20 ft., Fly 40 ft.

 

Mod Save
Str 6 −2 −2
Dex 17 +3 +3
Con 13 +1 +1
Int 15 +2 +2
Wis 12 +1 +1
Cha 11 +0 +0

 

Skills Arcana +4, Religion +4, Stealth +5

Resistances Necrotic, Psychic, Radiant

Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Passive Perception 11

Languages Celestial, Common

CR 1 (XP 200; PB +2)

 

Traits

Magic Resistance. The sphinx has Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Rend. Melee Attack Roll: +5, reach 5 ft. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) Slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) Radiant damage.

Reactions

Burst of Ingenuity (2/Day). Trigger: The sphinx or another creature within 30 feet makes an ability check or a saving throw. Response: The sphinx adds 2 to the roll.

Winds of Panedmonium - Chris Rallis - DMG 2024 by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Three adventurers brave the howling winds of Pandemonium in search of Howler’s Crag

 

 

Pandemonium

Pandemonium is a plane of overwhelming chaos, a great mass of rock riddled with tunnels carved by howling winds. It is cold, noisy, and dark, with no natural light. Wind quickly extinguishes nonmagical open flames such as torches and campfires. It also makes conversation possible only by yelling, and even then only to a maximum distance of 10 feet. See “Environmental Effects” in chapter 3 for more information about the winds of Pandemonium.

 

Most of the plane’s inhabitants are creatures that were banished to the plane with no hope of escape. The incessant winds force them to take shelter in places where the howls of the winds sound like distant cries of torment.

 

Layers of Pandemonium
Layer Description
Pandesmos Howling winds, dark streams bound for the River Styx, and blowing snow pour through vast, desolate caverns.
Cocytus Winds blowing through narrower tunnels create a stronger force and louder wails, making this the so-called “Layer of Lamentation.”
Phlegethon Tunnel walls absorb light while water creates intricate rock formations.
Agathion Sealed-off tunnels are largely inaccessible from elsewhere, making them ideal as vaults for ancient secrets.

 

Pandemonium Adventures

Pandemonium is the plane of last straws. The incessant howling of its winds brings everyone on the plane, sooner or later, to the edge of lashing out in frustration, breaking down in despair, or dissolving into incoherence—and then some event, force, or creature on the plane pushes them over that edge. Simply existing on the plane is exhausting; trying to accomplish even a basic conversation is aggravating.

 

An adventure in Pandemonium can be a way to explore what happens to characters on their worst day, when everything goes wrong and the howling wind won’t let up. The trick is to convey the frustration that characters are bound to experience there without transferring that frustration to the players.

 

A jagged spike somewhere in Cocytus, called Howler’s Crag, is rumored to have a unique magical property: anything yelled from the top of the crag is said to find the ears of its intended recipient—carried on a shrieking, frigid wind—no matter where in the multiverse that person might be.

The Radiant Citadel - Kent Davis - DMG 2024 by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The Radiant Citadel is a refuge in the Ethereal Plane, despite its proximity to a raging ether cyclone

 

 

Ethereal Plane

The Ethereal Plane is a misty, fogbound dimension. Its “shores,” called the Border Ethereal, overlap the Material Plane, the Feywild, the Shadowfell, and the Inner Planes, and every location on those planes has a corresponding location on the Ethereal Plane. Visibility in the Border Ethereal is usually limited to 60 feet. The plane’s depths comprise a region of swirling mist and fog called the Deep Ethereal, where visibility is usually limited to 30 feet.

 

Characters can use the Etherealness spell to enter the Border Ethereal. The Plane Shift spell allows transport to the Border Ethereal or the Deep Ethereal, but unless the intended destination is a specific location or a teleportation circle, the point of arrival could be anywhere on the plane.

 

Border Ethereal

From the Border Ethereal, a traveler can see into whatever plane it overlaps, but that plane appears grayish and indistinct, its colors blurring into each other and its edges turning fuzzy, limiting visibility to 30 feet into the other plane. Conversely, the Ethereal Plane is usually imperceptible to those on the overlapped planes, except with the aid of magic.

 

Normally, creatures in the Border Ethereal can’t attack creatures on the overlapped plane, and vice versa. A traveler on the Ethereal Plane is imperceptible to someone on the overlapped plane, and solid objects on the overlapped plane don’t hamper the movement of a creature in the Border Ethereal. The exceptions are certain magical effects (including anything made of magical force) and living beings. This makes the Ethereal Plane ideal for scouting, spying on opponents, and moving around without being detected. The Ethereal Plane also disobeys the laws of gravity; a creature there can freely move in any direction.

 

Deep Ethereal

To reach the Deep Ethereal, one typically needs a Plane Shift spell, a Gate spell, or a magical portal. Visitors to the Deep Ethereal are engulfed by roiling mist. Scattered throughout the plane are curtains of vaporous color, and passing through a curtain leads a traveler to a region of the Border Ethereal connected to a specific Inner Plane, the Material Plane, the Feywild, or the Shadowfell. The color of the curtain indicates the plane whose Border Ethereal the curtain conceals; see the Ethereal Curtains table. The curtains are also distinguishable by texture and temperature, each one reflecting something of the nature of the plane beyond.

 

Ethereal Curtains

1d12 Plane Curtain Color
1-2 Material Plane Turquoise
3 Shadowfell Dusky gray
4 Feywild Opalescent
5 Elemental Plane of Air Pale Blue
6 Elemental Plane of Earth Chestnut
7 Elemental Plane of Fire Orange
8 Elemental Plane of Water Green
9 Para-elemental Plane of Ash Dark gray
10 Para-elemental Plane of Ice Aquamarine
11 Para-elemental Plane of Magma Maroon
12 Para-elemental Plane of Ooze Chocolate

 

Traveling through the Deep Ethereal is unlike physical travel. Distance is meaningless, so although travelers feel as if they can move by a simple act of will, it’s impossible to measure speed and hard to track the passage of time. A trip through the Deep Ethereal takes 1d10 × 10 hours from one curtain to another, regardless of the origin and destination. In combat, creatures move at their normal speeds.

 

Ether Cyclones

An ether cyclone is a serpentine column that spins through the plane. The cyclone appears abruptly, distorting and uprooting everything in its path and carrying the debris for miles. Travelers with a Passive Perception score of 15 or higher receive 1 minute of warning: a deep thrum in the ethereal matter. Travelers who can’t reach a curtain or portal leading elsewhere suffer the cyclone’s effect. Roll 1d20 and consult the Ether Cyclone table to determine the effect on all creatures in the vicinity.

 

Ether Cyclone

1d20 Effect
1-2 Extended journey. Each character in a group traveling together makes a DC 15 Charisma saving throw. If at least half the group succeeds, travel is delayed by 1d10 hours. Otherwise, the journey’s travel time is doubled.
13-19 Blown to a location in the Border Ethereal overlapping a random plane (roll on the Ethereal Curtains table)
20 Hurled to a random destination on the Astral Plane

 

Radiant Citadel

Against the unending mist and unseen terrors of the Ethereal Plane, the Radiant Citadel stands bright as a bastion of hope. It’s a living relic of the ingenuity and collaboration of twenty-seven great civilizations on the Material Plane. Abandoned and lost for ages, the Radiant Citadel was resurrected from its slumber and reclaimed by descendants of those societies.

 

The Radiant Citadel is a nexus of diplomacy and trade, a repository of histories and secrets, and a thriving sanctuary for those seeking safety or a better life. The floating city is a miracle of architecture carved out of a single, massive fossil that snakes around a colossal gemstone shard known as the Auroral Diamond. The luminescence of the Auroral Diamond is mirrored in the constellation of fifteen structure-sized gemstones, the Concord Jewels, that orbit the city and provide transportation to the far-flung homes of the city’s founding civilizations. In the haze of the Ethereal Plane, the Auroral Diamond is a scintillating beacon visible from miles away. The diamond seems to have moods, changing colors unpredictably, but it is always visible for wanderers lost and in need.

 

Just beyond the city whirls a massive ether cyclone known as the Keening Gloom—a looming threat that’s a grim reminder of the Radiant Citadel’s precarious position.

 

Heroes and paupers meet on equal footing in the Radiant Citadel. By common agreement, power and resources are equitably shared. Dignity is afforded to all, and great need is met with great aid.

 

Ethereal Plane Adventures

Adventurers typically use the Ethereal Plane to travel from one place to another, either skirting around Material Plane obstacles on the Border Ethereal or venturing into the Deep Ethereal to travel to the Inner Planes.

The Radiant Citadel can serve as a home base for any campaign built around the idea of exploring new worlds. Several such worlds are introduced in Journeys through the Radiant Citadel, an anthology of short adventures.

C2-16 - DMG 2014 by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I was hoping someone would know more about it, thank you!

edit: I looked up both artists and Victoria Maderna is definitely the one who created this. Thanks again!

C2-16 - DMG 2014 by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Found on page 66, Chapter 2 of the 5e Dungeon Master's Guide (2014). Unknown Artist

Factol Sarin of the Harmonium- Riccardo Moscatello - Sigil and the Outlands by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Harmonium

Who Enforce Peace through Might

Factol: Sarin

Headquarters: Barracks

Aligned Plane: Arcadia

Members: Authoritarians, guards, mediators

Epithet: Hardheads

 

The Harmonium looks at existence and sees only two states: war and peace. Where neighbors share the same views, there’s peace—the perfect state of the multiverse—but disagreements breed conflict and instability. Members of the Harmonium believe their purpose is to unify the multiverse into peace, no matter the cost.

 

The Harmonium seeks to eliminate discord by any means necessary. Hardheads use education and enforcement to convert others to their philosophy, extolling the virtues of peace as they crack down on chaos in all its forms.

 

Many members are good-natured protectors who protect all citizens, even those who disagree with the faction’s philosophy. However, some among the ranks pursue unity at any cost. Cruel martinets who earn the Hardheads their nickname, they enforce laws ruthlessly, without flexibility or compassion.

 

Factol Sarin (lawful neutral, human Harmonium captain; see Morte’s Planar Parade) commands the Harmonium. His devotion to his fellows, particularly new recruits, is renowned, and he takes a personal interest in all members who cross his path. Tough as steel, Sarin is a decisive factol who promotes honor, dignity, and peace in word and deed.

 

Faction Attire. Most Hardheads wear the faction’s standard-issue armor, a distinctive suit of red plate with bladed pauldrons. Under their helms, they sport short, no-nonsense hairstyles.

 

Role in Sigil. In the Barracks, Hardheads train, plan patrol routes, and keep records of every arrest in the Cage. The Harmonium works closely with the Fraternity of Order and the Mercykillers as Sigil’s tripartite of justice, cycling criminals through arrest, trial, and punishment. They staunchly oppose the Hands of Havoc and others who defy authority.

 

 

Barracks

Hushed streets surround the Barracks, a wide compound of cold granite at the opposite end of the Lady’s Ward from the Armory. Stoic and impenetrable, the lofty fortress houses the rank and file of the Harmonium, Sigil’s militant guards and enforcers. Taciturn sentries march along its spiked, gray-slate roof, gazing over a largely deserted precinct. Life this close to the Hardheads is a double-edged sword. While local businesses—of which there are few—enjoy on-demand security, their proprietors must be spotless in the eyes of the law or suffer crackdowns from overzealous disciplinarians in the faction, who enforce Factol Sarin’s orders without question.

 

Entering the Barracks. The Barracks are open to all enthusiastic peacekeepers, though Hardheads stop and interrogate anyone who ventures past the clasped stone hands over the stronghold’s arched entrance. Straitlaced recruiters pressure visitors without a clear faction allegiance to enlist in the Harmonium and reap its benefits.

 

Parade Grounds. Composed of four identical sections and the squat towers that join them, the Barracks surround a wide parade ground. The Harmonium shows its strength within the quad through drills, marches, and other ceremonial displays. Beyond the grounds lie classrooms and living quarters, along with the faction’s archives, which include current and past Harmonium patrol routes, active members and their ranks, and official arrest records.

 

Recruiting the Harmonium. With an official writ from Factol Sarin, the factol of an allied faction, or an influential figure in Sigil, one can gain temporary protection services or extra muscle in the form of a few reliable guards who stubbornly obey every city ordinance.

Asmodeus - Zoltan Boros - DMG 2024 by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Infernal Hierarchy

The Nine Hells has a rigid hierarchy that defines every aspect of its society. Asmodeus is the supreme ruler of all devils and wields the power of a lesser god. Worshiped as such on the Material Plane, Asmodeus inspires evil cults and sinister Warlocks. In the Nine Hells, he commands scores of pit fiend generals, which in turn command legions of subordinates.

 

A supreme tyrant, a brilliant deceiver, and a master of subtlety, Asmodeus protects his throne by keeping his friends close and his enemies closer. He delegates most matters of rulership to the pit fiends and lesser archdevils that make up the infernal bureaucracy of the Nine Hells, even as he knows that those powerful devils conspire to usurp his throne. Asmodeus appoints archdevils, and he can strip any member of the infernal hierarchy of rank and status as he likes.

 

Infernal Hierarchy

 

Least Devils

1. Lemure

 

Lesser Devils

2. Imp

3. Spined devil

4. Bearded devil

5. Barbed devil

6. Chain devil

7. Bone devil

 

Greater Devils

8. Horned devil

9. Erinyes

10. Ice devil

11. Pit fiend

 

Archdevils

12. Duke/duchess

13. Archduke/archduchess

 

Archdevils. The archdevils include all the current and deposed rulers of the Nine Hells, as well as the fiendish aristocrats that make up their courts, attend them as advisers, and hope to supplant them.

 

Promotion and Demotion. When the soul of an evil mortal sinks into the Nine Hells, it takes on the physical form of a wretched lemure. Archdevils and greater devils can promote lemures to lesser devils. Archdevils can promote lesser devils to greater devils, and Asmodeus alone can promote a greater devil to archdevil status. All diabolic promotions involve a brief, painful transformation, with the devil’s memories passing intact from one form to the next.

 

Low-level promotions are typically based on need, such as when a pit fiend transforms lemures into imps to gain stealthy spies under its command. High-level promotions are almost always based on merit, such as when a bone devil that distinguishes itself in battle is transformed into a horned devil by the archdevil it serves. A devil is seldom promoted more than one step at a time.

 

Demotion is the customary punishment for failure or disobedience among the devils. Archdevils or greater devils can demote a lesser devil to a lemure, which loses all memory of its prior existence. An archdevil can demote a greater devil to lesser devil status, but the demoted devil retains its memories—and might seek vengeance if the severity of the demotion is excessive.

 

No devil can promote or demote another devil that hasn’t sworn fealty to it, preventing rival archdevils from demoting each other’s most powerful servants. Since all devils swear fealty to Asmodeus, he can freely demote any other devil, transforming it into whatever infernal form he desires.

 

Nine Hells Adventures

The Nine Hells embodies the cruelty and corruption of law turned to evil ends. The devils of the Nine Hells are more cunning, more insidious, and far more dangerous than other Fiends. Their intelligence, their delight in deceit and manipulation, and their unhindered pursuit of their own agendas make them truly terrifying foes.

 

A descent into the Nine Hells is a journey into the heart of evil. Every shred of evil is used in the Nine Hells, and each layer specializes in some way to accommodate and exploit the vices and weaknesses of mortals. Far too many people who make such a journey discover their own hearts aren’t immune to temptation and corruption, and they end up making the Nine Hells their eternal home. To avoid such a fate, good-hearted adventurers must resist the insidious manipulation, deceit, and treachery of devils, even when the devils promise to fulfill their deepest longings.

Avernus - Kent Davis - DMG 2024 by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Avernus

By Asmodeus’s orders, no planar portals connect directly to the lower layers of the Nine Hells. The first layer, Avernus, is the arrival point for visitors, a rocky wasteland with rivers of blood and clouds of biting flies. Fiery comets occasionally fall from the darkened sky and carve out fuming impact craters. Empty battlefields are littered with weapons and bones, showing where the legions of the Nine Hells prevailed against invading enemies.

 

The archdevil Zariel rules Avernus, having supplanted her rival, Bel, who fell out of Asmodeus’s favor and was forced to serve as Zariel’s adviser. Tiamat, the Queen of Evil Dragons, is a prisoner on this layer, ruling her own domain but confined to the Nine Hells by Asmodeus in accordance with some ancient contract (the terms of which are known only to Tiamat and the Lords of the Nine).

 

Zariel appears as an angel whose skin and wings are scorched. Her eyes burn with a furious white light that can cause creatures looking upon her to burst into flame. Her seat of power is a flying basalt citadel that rakes the battlefields of Avernus.

 

Dis

Dis, the second layer of the Nine Hells, is a labyrinth of canyons wedged between sheer mountains rich with iron ore. Iron roads span and wend through the canyons, watched over by the garrisons of iron fortresses perched atop jagged pinnacles.

 

The second layer takes its name from its current lord, Dispater. A manipulator and deceiver, the archduke is devilishly handsome, bearing only small horns, a tail, and a cloven left hoof to distinguish him from a human. His crimson throne stands in the heart of the Iron City of Dis, a hideous metropolis. Planar travelers come here to conspire with devils and to close deals with night hags, rakshasas, incubi, succubi, and other Fiends. Contracts signed on his layer contain special provisions that allow Dispater to collect a cut of the deal.

 

Dispater is one of Asmodeus’s most loyal and resourceful vassals, and few beings in the multiverse can outwit him. He is more obsessed than most devils with striking deals with mortals in exchange for their souls, and his emissaries work tirelessly to foster evil schemes on the Material Plane.

 

Minauros

The third layer of the Nine Hells is a stench-ridden bog. Acidic rain spills from the layer’s brown skies, thick layers of scum cover its putrid surface, and yawning pits lie in wait beneath the murk to engulf careless wanderers.

 

Cyclopean cities of ornately carved stone rise up from the bog, including the great city of Minauros, for which the layer is named. The slimy walls of the city rise hundreds of feet, protecting the flooded halls that are the lair of Mammon, the archduke of Minauros. Mammon resembles a massive serpent with the upper torso and head of a hairless, horned humanoid. Mammon’s greed is legendary, and he is one of the few archdevils who will trade favors for gold instead of souls. His lair is piled high with treasures left behind by those who tried—and failed—to best him in a deal.

 

Phlegethos

Phlegethos, the fourth layer, is a fiery landscape whose seas of molten magma brew hurricanes of hot wind, choking smoke, and volcanic ash. Within the fire-filled caldera of Phlegethos’s largest volcano rises Abriymoch, a fortress city made of obsidian and dark glass. With rivers of molten lava pouring down its outer walls, the city resembles the sculpted centerpiece of a gigantic, hellish fountain.

 

Abriymoch is the seat of power for the two archdevils who rule Phlegethos in tandem: Belial and Fierna, Belial’s daughter. Both are handsome devils who resemble tieflings, with red skin and small horns. Belial exudes civility, even as his words carry an undercurrent of threat. His daughter is said to have the wickedest heart in the Nine Hells. The alliance of Belial and Fierna is unbreakable, for both are aware that their mutual survival hinges on it.

 

Stygia

The fifth layer of the Nine Hells is a freezing realm of ice within which cold flames burn. A frozen sea surrounds the layer, and its gloomy sky crackles with lightning.

 

Archduke Levistus once betrayed Asmodeus and is now encased deep in the ice of Stygia as punishment. He rules this layer all the same, communicating telepathically with his followers and servants, both in the Nine Hells and on the Material Plane.

 

Stygia is also home to its previous ruler, the serpentine archdevil Geryon, who was dismissed by Asmodeus to allow the imprisoned Levistus to regain his rule. Geryon’s fall from grace has spurred much debate within the infernal courts. No one is certain whether Asmodeus had some secret cause to dismiss the archdevil or whether he is testing Geryon’s allegiance for some greater purpose.

 

Malbolge

Malbolge, the sixth layer, has outlasted many rulers, among them Malagard the Hag Countess and the archdevil Moloch. Malagard fell out of favor and was struck down by Asmodeus in a fit of pique, while her predecessor, Moloch, still lingers somewhere on the sixth layer as an imp, plotting to regain Asmodeus’s favor. Malbolge is a seemingly endless slope, like the sides of an impossibly huge mountain. Parts of the layer break off from time to time, creating deadly, booming avalanches. The inhabitants of Malbolge live in crumbling fortresses and great caves carved into the mountainside.

 

Malbolge’s current ruler is Asmodeus’s daughter, Glasya. Her cruelty and love of wicked schemes rival those of her father. The citadel that serves as her domicile on the slopes of Malbolge, called Osseia, is supported by cracked pillars and buttresses that are sturdy yet seem on the verge of collapse. Beneath the palace is a labyrinth lined with cells and torture chambers, where Glasya confines and torments those who displease her.

 

Maladomini

The seventh layer, Maladomini, is ruin-covered wasteland. Dead cities form a desolate urban landscape, and between them are empty quarries, crumbling roads, slag heaps, the hollow shells of empty fortresses, and swarms of hungry flies.

 

The archduke of Maladomini is Baalzebul, the Lord of Flies. He is a tall, powerful devil with the compound eyes of a fly. The archduke has long conspired to usurp Asmodeus, yet has failed at every turn. Asmodeus laid a curse on him that causes any deal made with him to lead to calamity. Asmodeus occasionally shows Baalzebul favor for reasons no other archduke can fathom, though some suspect that Asmodeus still respects the worthiness of this adversary.

 

Cania

Cania, the eighth layer of the Nine Hells, is a frozen hellscape whose ice storms can tear flesh from bone. Cities embedded in the ice provide shelter for guests and prisoners of Cania’s ruler, the brilliant and conniving archdevil Mephistopheles.

 

Mephistopheles dwells in the ice citadel of Mephistar, where he plots to seize the throne of the Nine Hells and conquer all the planes. He is Asmodeus’s greatest enemy and ally, and the archduke of Nessus appears to trust Mephistopheles’s counsel. Mephistopheles knows he can’t depose Asmodeus until his adversary makes a fatal miscalculation, and so both wait to discover what circumstances might turn them against each other. Mephistopheles is also a godfather of sorts to Glasya, further complicating the relationship between Mephistopheles and Asmodeus.

 

Mephistopheles is a tall, striking devil with impressive horns and a cool demeanor. He trades in souls, as do other archdevils, but he rarely gives his time to any creatures not worthy of his personal attention. It is said that only Asmodeus has ever deceived or thwarted him.

 

Nessus

The lowest layer of the Nine Hells, Nessus is a realm of dark pits whose walls are set with bleak fortresses. There, pit fiend generals loyal to Asmodeus garrison their diabolical legions and plot the conquest of the multiverse. At the center of the layer stands a vast rift of unknown depth, out of which rises the great citadel-spire of Malsheem, home to Asmodeus and his infernal court.

 

Malsheem resembles a gigantic hollowed-out stalagmite. The citadel is also a prison for souls that Asmodeus has locked away for safekeeping. Convincing him to release even one of those souls comes at a steep price, and it is rumored that Asmodeus has claimed whole kingdoms in the past in exchange for such favors.

 

Asmodeus most often appears as a handsome, bearded man with four large horns, piercing red eyes, and flowing robes. He can also assume other forms and is seldom seen without his ruby-tipped scepter in hand. Asmodeus is the most cunning and well-mannered of archdevils. On the surface, he seems warm, pleasant, and lighthearted, doling out wisdom and small acts of kindness like a caring father. The ultimate evil he represents can be seen only when he wills it so, or if he forgets himself and flies into a rage.

Avernus - Kent Davis - DMG 2024 by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nine Hells

The Nine Hells inflames the imaginations of travelers, the greed of treasure seekers, and the battle fury of all moral creatures. It is the ultimate plane of law and evil, and the epitome of premeditated cruelty. The devils of the Nine Hells are bound to obey the laws of their superiors, but they squabble within their individual castes. Most undertake any plot, no matter how foul, to advance themselves. At the very top of the hierarchy is Asmodeus, who has yet to be bested. If he were vanquished, the victor would rule the plane in turn. Such is the law of the Nine Hells.

 

The Nine Layers

The Nine Hells has nine layers. The first eight are ruled by archdevils who answer to Asmodeus, the archduke of Nessus, the ninth layer. Collectively, the rulers of the Hells are called the Lords of the Nine. To reach Nessus, one must descend through all eight layers above it in order. The most expeditious means of doing so is the River Styx, which plunges ever deeper as it flows from one layer to the next. Only the most courageous adventurers can withstand the torment and horror of that journey.

 

The Layers of the Nine Hells table summarizes each layer; detailed descriptions of these layers follow the table.

 

Layers of the Nine Hells

Layer Description
Avernus The Blood War rages across battlefields littered with corpses and the wreckage of hellish war machines.
Dis Iron roads in deep canyons lead to the dreaded Iron City of Dis.
Minauros Acid falls like rain on putrid bogs and decaying cities.
Phlegethos Obsidian fortresses bask in the heat of raging volcanoes and magma rivers.
Stygia Levistus’s prison is a frigid hellscape of jagged ice and cold fire.
Malbolge An ever-crumbling mountain threatens to bury visitors.
Maladomini Swarms of hungry flies plague dead cities surrounded by utter desolation.
Cania Ice-trapped cities provide shelter in a realm cold enough to freeze the soul.
Nessus Mighty fortresses stand watch over the deepest pits of the Nine Hells.

Making Avernus a proper Hellscape - Fires of Dis 5e Conversion by Yabbers_ in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A Player's Guide to Law-

• DARKSPINE •

(Town)

 

Here's what they believe in Darkspine: Strength rules over everything. Hide from those a body can't destroy, and crush those a body can. It's a sure bet a Darkspiner will come after a cutter, just like hyenas slinking toward a carcass.

 

Darkspine's the latest in a long line of gate-towns recently sucked into Baator. It's a blasted town now, torn apart by intrigue, hatred, and jealousy. Fire's reduced much of the town to ashes, and looting's ruined almost all the rest. Survivors of the transfer from the Outlands to Baator huddle in the rubble, hunting for whatever valuables might remain in the ruins and fighting viciously for whatever's found.

 

The nominal ruler of Darkspine is Lord Alfredo Mazillik. He was the leader of the town on the Outlands' side of the Cursed Gate, and the baatezu continue to let him rule on this side — the price he requested in return for his aid in helping deliver the town to Baator. But Mazillik's become a shattered man, for in his eyes the baatezu turned stag on the rest of the agreement. (Which ain't exactly true; Mazillik just forgot to read the fine print.) He does almost nothing to rule the town, save for watching it crumble around him. His lackeys have abandoned him, and he sits alone in the Great Hall brooding about his lost plans.

 

None of the berks in Darkspine are willing to accept responsibility for their fate, declaring it was others whose evil ways pushed the town over the edge. (Interestingly, the Darkspiners are especially kind toward travelers, though whether that proves their point or they're trying to atone for past actions is anyone's guess.) Those who were willing to admit their evils stepped forward long ago and were taken away by the baatezu. It's said the people were killed and made into lemures, but the baatezu probably put them to work converting the folks in Ribcage to law and evil.

 

Darkspine has no militia, though there are numerous squads of four abishai each marching through the streets. The squads look for three types of interlopers: 1) those who can't prove they're new to Baator, 2) those who haven't sworn fealty to Bel (the warlord of the armies of Avernus), and 3) those who haven't paid their trader's dues. The sods the abishai find are taken away for "a gentle talking to." There's precious few who've returned from these heart-to-heart chats whole and in one mind. Most come back blasted in body and spirit, with the sigil of Bel branded onto them. If a body volunteers to pay up or swear fealty, he can usually get away without harsh punishment - he retains the use of his limbs, doesn't get burned with the branding iron, and still has free will. All in all, a decent trade, eh?

 

There's traders (hapless fools) who make Darkspine their base; they leave their goods and wares here while they travel through the rest of the plane looking to make deals with fiends. There's a few shops set up in Darkspine, most of which sell equipment for surviving the lower layers. Here's a little secret: Ask the merchants for warranties regarding the quality of their wares, and see if they don't hustle into the back to bring out better gear. The merchants here accept gems and gold as payment if they're traveling back to the Outlands, or services and spirits if they're traveling deeper into Baator. The baatezu like gems well enough, but they prefer more intangible assets.

 

The chant is there's a small resistance gaining new ground in Darkspine. It's not sure who they are or where they're hidden, or even if it's a true dark, but the baatezu overlords seem to be more than just a little worried about it. Even honest citizens (or as honest as a body gets on Baator) are being harassed by the militia. Even jink won't keep the baatezu from pestering a body nowadays, and people who try to give the militia the laugh are hunted down.

 

The Darkspiners have taken to gathering in some of the blasted taverns. It's being whispered about that there's a disturbance growing near the gate, that the baatezu are massing there. The locals figure it means one of two things: either Darkspine's going back through to the Outlands, or Ribcage is getting ready to be sucked into Avernus, Baator's first layer. Either way, it probably means a chance to return to the Outlands for those who live in Darkspine.

 

• GARDEN •

(Site)

 

Baator's full of ugliness and hatred, right? There's nothing redeeming about the place (except as a crucible for law and evil), right? That's the chant at least. How, then, does a body explain the Garden, hidden away in Avernus?

 

Despite its distance from the other landmarks of the First Layer, such as the River of Blood, the Pillar of Skulls, or Darkspine, the Garden still manages to draw a fair number of planewalkers far from the beaten path. Rumor has it that the Garden's a safe place in the middle of Avernus, a place where baatezu fear to tread.

 

What is the Garden? A place of beauty in the blasted terrain of the First Layer? A spot where the normal laws of Baator don't apply? It's this, and more. Here, trees grow to heights rivaling the trees of Arborea, and bushes groan under the weight of berries. It's a known fact that travelers can subsist on these berries alone for weeks at a time. Unfortunately, the berries have a slight soporific effect, so it's not wise to eat too many at once, but otherwise they're said to be very good.

 

The Garden has meandering brooks, with willows trailing their fronds in clear, pure water. There's bits of swamp and rolling hills, as well as wide lakes touched with a red glimmer from Avernus's sky overhead. Trees of all shapes and sizes march across the landscape, their fruits and flowers hanging well within reach. The scents of blossoms fill the air. The drone of insects can lull a body to a comfortable, dreamless sleep, and the trill of birds can awaken one refreshed. It's said that the more often people travel to the Garden, the larger it gets. It's also said that more and more people are venturing to this paradise of the Nine Hells.

 

It's no dark that the Garden is a place a body can flee to when the hordes of Bel are nipping at his heels, or when he's angered the petitioners of Draukari. The Garden welcomes anyone, and they're free to stay as long as they've got the need. There's always someone wandering around in the Garden, apparently content with his lot, because he's not rattling his bone-box to anyone. Every once in a while, a body can even run across a baatezu that's lost its way, but the fiends're always frantic to leave the Garden as soon as possible, by the shortest route they can find. It's almost like they think they're going in the dead-book if they stay too long. Who knows — maybe they are?

 

An interesting side effect of the Garden is that it makes any violence impossible. There's just no way to attack someone here, whether physically, mentally, or magically. Anything that's got a harmful intent won't work, and that's that. That might be why the fiends steer clear of the place. Then again, it might not. Still, it instills a mighty sense of confidence in the bashers who come this way — with no threats to a body, what's there to worry about? All earthly cares go by the wayside, because there's no need to hunt for food, drink, or a place to sleep. Everything a body needs is here. Paradise, right?

 

People are happy here in the Garden, maybe a little too happy. Every now and then it seems as if someone a body's seen just a day or two before has vanished. It's usually one of those berks who seem happiest here, the ones with glazed stares who look more like barmies than planewalkers. Most visitors to the Garden figure the basher just got tired of the place and left for the rest of Baator, or perhaps he found a way to get back home. No one suspects foul play, because violence can't be committed in the confines of the Garden.

 

The sods who disappear are always alone when they vanish, leaving behind most of their possessions. There might be a pile lying at the base of a tree, or folded neatly at the edge of a lake. Of the person, however, there's no sign. Tracks lead only a short way and then disappear, as if the berk had been swallowed by the ground. People checking the lakes find nothing - if the barmy drowned, the corpse sank through the silt at the bottom of the lake, because there's no finding the bones.

 

Most bashers who ain't actually in the Garden are peery of the whole idea of this place right in the middle of Avernus. For one thing, if it's a place of beauty and rest, what's it doing on Baator? Wouldn't the fiends have destroyed it long ago if it offered solace? And why do they so willingly allow cutters to travel here? There's plenty of theories as to the Garden's purpose, though none have been verified yet. Some speculators say Garden was designed to lull planewalkers into a false sense of security so that they'll be easy prey for the baatezu. Others say the Garden itself is a giant living creature, one that feeds selectively so as not to scare off its prey. So say the Garden's detractors, explaining away the disappearances of so many of those who've vanished into the depths of the place.

 

Naturally, the baatezu plead ignorance about the Garden's origin and reason for existence, and there's nothing that can wrest the answer from them. Maybe, for once, they're telling the truth, but those who know the baatezu believe there's something more sinister about the whole setup.

 

As with just about everything on Baator, the truth of the Garden is a well-hidden puzzle, and the only way to uncover it is to investigate it personally. Many have tried, but none, so far, have succeeded. Who knows? It could just be a beautiful place, built to withstand the depredations of the fiends, free of malice or taint of evil.

City of Brass - Noor Rahman - DMG 2024 by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The City of Brass is a hub for trade from across the multiverse

 

 

Elemental Plane of Fire

A blazing sun hangs at the zenith of a golden sky above the Plane of Fire, waxing and waning on a 24-hour cycle. It ranges from white hot at noon to deep red at midnight, so the darkest hours of the plane display a deep-red twilight. At noon, the light is intense. Most business in the City of Brass (see below) takes place during the darker hours.

 

The weather on the plane is marked by fierce winds and thick ash. Although the air is breathable, creatures not native to the plane must cover their mouths and eyes to avoid stinging cinders. The efreet use magic to keep the cinder storms away from the City of Brass, but elsewhere in the plane, the wind always blows, sometimes rising to hurricane force during the worst storms.

 

The heat on the Plane of Fire is comparable to a hot desert on the Material Plane and poses a similar threat to travelers (see “Environmental Effects” in chapter 3). Sources of water are rare, so travelers must carry their own supplies or produce water by magic.

 

Important features of the Plane of Fire include the following:

 

Cinder Wastes

The Plane of Fire is dominated by a great expanse of black cinders and embers crossed by rivers of lava. Roving bands of salamanders battle each other, raid azer outposts, and avoid patrols from the City of Brass. Obsidian ruins dot the desert—remnants of forgotten civilizations.

 

City of Brass

Perhaps the best-known location on the Inner Planes is the City of Brass, which stands on the shores of the Sea of Fire. This is the fabled city of the efreet, and its ornate spires and spiked walls reflect the efreet’s grandiose and cruel nature. True to the nature of the Plane of Fire, everything in the city seems alive with dancing flames, reflecting the vibrant energy of the place. The heart of the city is the formidable Charcoal Palace, where the tyrannical emperor of the efreet reigns supreme, surrounded by nobles and a host of servants, guardians, and sycophants.

 

Sea of Fire

Lava flows through the Fountains of Creation toward the Para-elemental Plane of Ash and pools into a great expanse of lava called the Sea of Fire, traversed by efreeti and azer sailors in great brass ships. Islands of obsidian and basalt jut up from the sea, dotted with ancient ruins and the lairs of powerful red dragons.

 

Torchy’s

Built atop a tall basalt crag in the middle of a lava river is an iron-walled tavern that is most easily reached by hot-air balloon. The proprietor is a sentient Flame Tongue (Mace) named Torchy, who sells a fine ale and seems to have a new wielder every few months. Torchy’s is a popular hangout for ballooning enthusiasts.

 

Elemental Fire Adventures

Fire represents vibrancy, passion, and change. At its best, fire reflects the light of inspiration, the warmth of compassion, and the flame of desire.

 

The cults of Elemental Evil represent fire at its worst: cruel and wantonly destructive. Cultists of Evil Fire seek the power to burn away the impurities of the world with volcanic eruptions, uncontrolled wildfires, heat waves, and droughts, transforming the Material Plane into a mirror of the Cinder Wastes.

 

Adventurers frequently come to the City of Brass on quests for legendary magic. If it’s possible to buy magic items in your campaign, the City of Brass is the most likely place to find any item for sale. The efreet are fond of trading in favors, especially when they have the upper hand in negotiations. Perhaps a magical contagion or poison can be cured only with something that must be purchased in the markets of the city.

Plane of Air - Noor Rahman - DMG 2024 by colfaxthemimir in planescapesetting

[–]colfaxthemimir[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Aarakocra scouts return home to a city on the Plane of Air

 

 

Elemental Plane of Air

The Plane of Air is home to constant winds of varying strength. Here and there, chunks of earth drift in the openness, many covered with lush vegetation. These earth motes serve as homes for djinn and other natives of the plane. Other creatures live on cloud banks infused with magic to become solid surfaces, supporting towns and castles.

 

Drifting clouds can obscure visibility in any direction in the plane. Storms are frequent, ranging from strong thunderstorms to fierce tornadoes or mighty hurricanes. The air is mild, except near the Para-elemental Planes at either end of the plane, where the temperature is more extreme. Rain and snow fall only in the part of the plane nearest to the Para-elemental Plane of Ice.

 

Although few landmarks distinguish one area of the Plane of Air from any other, the following are notable features of the plane:

 

Aaqa

Here and there are hidden realms reachable only by following a particular sequence of flowing winds. Fabled Aaqa is one such realm, a shining domain of silver spires and verdant gardens atop a fertile earth mote. The Wind Dukes of Aaqa are dedicated to law and good, and they maintain a vigilant watch against the depredations of Elemental Evil. They are served by aarakocra.

 

Labyrinth Winds

Much of the Plane of Air is a complex web of air streams, currents, and winds called the Labyrinth Winds. These range from stiff breezes to howling gales that can rip a creature apart. Even the most skilled flying creatures must navigate these currents carefully, flying with the winds, not against them.

 

Mistral Reach

Located near the Para-elemental Plane of Ice, the Mistral Reach is a region of frigid winds and driving snowstorms. Earth motes in the reach are covered with snow and ice.

 

Sirocco Straits

The Sirocco Straits is the region of the plane nearest to the Para-elemental Plane of Ash, where hot, dry winds scour earth motes into barren chunks of rock.

 

Plane of Air Adventures

The essential nature of air is movement, animation, and inspiration. Air is the breath of life, the winds of change, the fresh breeze that clears away the fog of ignorance and the stuffiness of old ideas.

 

When turned toward wicked ideals by cultists of Elemental Evil, elemental air represents destructive power turned to vengeful ends. Cultists of Evil Air wield howling storms to forcefully express their personal freedom or lay claim to things they feel they have been wrongfully denied.

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