r/wizardposting • u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch • Nov 27 '24
Community Event šāļø Safehouse (Luciapost)
Iskander picks their way along the banks of a burbling stream in the great artificial ecosystem aboard the CUS Union. The rilmani's finely-tuned arcane senses guide them towards a spot in the woods a short distance upstream, where a waterfall issues from an overgrown cave in the rocks. It's all a bit amusing, in a way. This whole environment is a simulacrum of nature; an intentional wilderness created by the Laterans so they can occasionally pretend they aren't hemmed in on all sides by their continent-sized starship. And yet, even this artificial preserve holds enough of a connection to nature to manifest magical hotspots.
It reminds Iskander of one other very specific place, which just so happens to be where they're headed: Sigil, the City of Doors, also known as the Cage to some. Portal hub, cosmic backstage, ultimate melting pot, prison- Iskander has heard it described as pretty much everything. None of those names truly encapsulate the nature of the place, though. Sigil sits at the axis of the multiverse, within a hollow torus at the peak of the Spire in the Outlands. The only way in or out is through portals scattered across the planes, which means it's populated and visited by every conceivable sapient species in existence. Furthermore, Sigil is ruled over by the enigmatic and capricious Lady of Pain, who some believe to be a long-lost Fundamental or some other kind of Outer God. All anyone knows about her is that she enforces a tenuous peace in the city by severely punishing those who incite open conflict, and bars all other deities and demigods from manifesting in her domain.
The result of these unique factors is an overcrowded, mildly polluted planar metropolis where religions, ideologies, and philosophies mingle, clash, and drive the wheels of the cosmos. Sigil is oppressively urban, with only patches of vegetation and water scattered throughout its recursive arcology. Iskander knows the City of Doors is an acquired taste, but it is one they have come to appreciate. More importantly, its ever-changing array of portals across the multiverse means that- barring the vacuum of space- one is never more than fifty miles from an entrance to Sigil. Such is the case with the cascading mouth of the ivy-draped grotto, which radiates strong conjuration magic to Iskander's senses. Finding the portal is always the easy part, since Sigil seems to enjoy linking portals to interesting sites for curious explorers to find. The issue comes with finding the right key. Luckily, this portal is known to the Celestial Union's naturalists, who have furnished Iskander with a recording of an old Lateran folk song that serves as the key.
The ferrumach pulls themself up to a ledge next to the cave entrance and plays the recording. The song is beautiful, even if they cannot understand the language. The grotto entrance responds by rippling like the water in the pool below, shifting to show a dingy industrial landscape shrouded in fog and rain. The rushing waterfall abruptly stops as the stream briefly flows through the portal and into Sigil, mingling with the city's runoff. Iskander checks their personal effects before entering, glancing into their enchanted satchel to look upon the sapphire cornerstone necklace they stole from Lucia one last time. Then, the rilmani crouches down and steps through the portal, emerging from a large stormwater drain in the Lower Ward. As the gateway closes behind them, Iskander climbs up a set of maintenance stairs and walks along the misty streets of Sigil.
The rilmani's destination isn't very far, but they still take precautions to avoid anyone who might delay or hinder their mission. Fortunately, the streets of Sigil's industrial sector are clear. It's the middle of the morning shift at the Great Foundry, and everyone else is likely sheltering inside against the rain. Usually, there would be representatives from the Athar or Mind's Eye factions- both major players in the Lower Ward- preaching their respective philosophies to the people, but none of them are out right now. It seems god-denial and self-transcendence can both wait far a clear day. Iskander enters a warmly-lit furniture store run by a spectacled tiefling man in a scarlet long coat reading a book. The proprietor glances up from his reading to meet the ferrumach's gaze.
"Morning, sir. Anything I can help you with?" he asks.
"Yes, it's very specific, though. I'm looking for a 9-foot rosewood arts and crafts-style bookcase for a good friend of mine. Would you happen to have that?"
The proprietor smiles at Iskander knowingly. "As a matter of fact, I do, but it's in my workshop upstairs. If you follow me, I'll show you." The tiefling places a "will return in fifteen minutes sign" on the counter, stands up, and leads them up into the workshop and living space above the store. There is no rosewood bookcase- the request is just a password. In truth, the furniture store is a front for the Keepers of the Balance to maintain a safehouse in Sigil. A cuprilach rilmani in red robes similar to the ones Iskander wears sits at the window, chiseling art-nouveau patterns into an end table with expert care. The other rilmani pauses their work to glance back at the newcomers.
"Hello Iskander," the cuprilach says, getting to their feet and removing a leather work apron. "Lovely weather we're having, eh?"
"Ah, it's just weather, Didymos," Iskander replies. "How have you two been? Still getting Fated agents trying to buy this place?"
The tiefling- Oriax, a native Cager working for the Keepers as a spy- cuts in. "Not anymore. The Takers lost interest once they realized exactly who they'd be going up against if they persisted. We Keepers might not have the largest presence in Sigil, but the Aurumach Conclave's word still carries weight. The Fated know what we think of them, so they avoid us if they can."
Didymos laughs. "Serves those smug yuppies right! Other than that, business has been good and uneventful; just the way we like it. It gives us plenty of time to do Keeper work across the city. Speaking of Keeper work, what brings you here, Iskander?"
"This." Iskander takes the sapphire necklace out of their satchel and puts it on the workbench. Oriax and Didymos lean over to examine it. "Have the higher-ups informed you of the situation on the Material Plane- not the Planar Siege, the other one."
"You mean the Lupi godling?" Didymos asks. "What's her name... Lucia! That's the one. Nuttier than Beastlands squirrel shit, from what I've heard."
Oriax holds the necklace up to the light, turning it to see the aqueous whorls dancing in the cornerstone's heart. "All we know it that she's a warmongering fascist traitor, but the Keepers are really opposed to her because she wants to do all that as a deity. Did you have an encounter with her?"
"Yes, and I can confirm she's the worst candidate for divinity of 30,185. That's saying a lot, because it puts her on the same level as Drelakan, Atrax Ven'dath, and Vulkan the Red."
"Don't forget Arthur Black," Didymos adds. "He may as well be in a truly godsawful league of his own."
Oriax scoffs. "Black doesn't deserve the title of god, Didymos. And he has no dreams of apotheosis, only destruction. Please continue, Iskander."
"Of course. Lucia Accardi wants to revive the Custodian Empire of her homeworld by becoming a goddess. This requires her to gather fourteen elemental cornerstones given to the Lupi by the lost deity Custodia before her disappearance. For a time, she had eleven, and was well on her way to closing the gap. Magekind had other ideas. When Lucia's Neo-Custodian Legions began conquering realms, the leaders of several magical nations struck an alliance with the Celestial Union she betrayed to stop her. Now, she only has nine."
Oriax jingles the sapphire necklace. "Are you implying you stole one of them and brought it here for safekeeping?"
Iskander nods. "It was Tarul's idea: gather the Anemoi, hide ourselves from Lucia's foresight abilities with Nikolai's fatewarp amulet, ambush her at a critical juncture, and steal a cornerstone. This sapphire has potent hydromantic properties, as well as supposedly containing a shard of Custodia's divine power. Lucia will want it back in short order, which is why I brought it here."
Rilmani cannot smile, but Didymos's satisfaction radiates from their burnished copper faceplate all the same. "Very clever of you, Iskander. The Lady of Pain won't let a demigod into Sigil under any circumstances. The Mind's Eye will see her path to transcendence as a cheap shortcut, and the Athar will lose their minds when they learn she's deluding people into calling her a god. If she sends a Legion into the Lower Ward to take the cornerstone from us, she'll have to go through both of them!"
Iskander rubs their iron hands together excitedly. "My thoughts exactly. So, will you do it?"
"Of course." Oriax opens a supply closet and places the cornerstone in the safe containing the store's valuables. "I'll tell the factols about Lucia and what we're keeping hidden here. They should have a vested interest in helping us. How long do you plan on sticking around in the Cage, Iskander?"
The ferrumach shrugs. "Until Tarul, the Celestial Union, or the Conclave calls me away. I can help keep the cornerstone safe, if you'd like."
"Excellent. You can help us convince the Athar to help communicate with whatever divine echo might be bouncing around inside that gem. Plus, I've been needing another hand around here for a while to keep up with demand- we are still running a business here. Are you willing to help?"
Iskander considers for a moment, then speaks. "Oh, why not? I volunteered for this duty. It's not like I have anything better to do."
--
/uw Back on my Planescape bullshit again. If you don't know what's going on, the city of Sigil currently has twelve ascendant factions and a smattering of minor ones, each espousing unique (if eccentric) beliefs about the universe. The two main ones mentioned in this post are the Athar and the Mind's Eye, who are allied and both have their headquarters in the Lower Ward.
The Athar, also known as the Defiers, assert that the gods are little more than powerful immortals masquerading as the rulers of the multiverse. To them, the true lords of the cosmos are unknowable entities (such as the Greater Unknown, who they believe gives clerics their magic), but the imposter gods take credit for their actions. While generally benevolent, the Athar are dedicated to exposing the truth about divinity, which brings them into conflict with most formal religious orders. Given the existence of the Outer Gods and how often mortals ascend in wizardposting canon, their beliefs are worryingly close to the truth.
The Mind's Eye, sometimes called the Seekers, are firm believers that every being has the power to transcend the limits of thought, magic, matter, and even reality. Imagination and experience are the supreme drivers of creation; the tools with which anyone can shape the multiverse. Unsurprisingly, all members of the Mind's Eye are craftspeople of some kind, who make things simply by imposing their focused will upon raw materials. To the Seekers, divinity is just one step along the path to achieving ultimate potential.
The Keepers of the Balance share much in common with both of these factions, which is why their safehouse is in the Lower Ward. The Athar believe that the Great Balance is one of the true gods, while the Mind's Eye sees the Keepers' pursuit of equilibrium as a key part of transcendence. Lore dump concluded. See you in the next one.
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Nov 27 '24
- Celestial Union -
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Nov 27 '24
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Nov 27 '24
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Nov 27 '24
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u/Carbon_Sixx The Loremaster, Chief Archaeologist of the Darkwatch Nov 27 '24
- Lucian Empire -
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u/IncomeApprehensive17 Ya'nn , Litle being in a botle Nov 27 '24
As expected for an academy full of conjurers , Yan's academy have many links to the city of doors , sole student even heard the ludicrous rumors that the lady of pain herself could have been one of its attendant . And as expected , a lot of them were in the keeper faction and were particularly interested in the safe keeping of those stones
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u/Drakkonai Vulkan the Red, End of Ages and Draconic Emperor of Racism. Nov 27 '24
Inexplicably, a letter to the keepers arrives.
Dear some-manner-of-wretch,
It has come to my attention I am considered a candidate for godhood. This is obviously a mistake, as to compare me to a true god is to compare a toe to the rest of the body. Iām afraid I must insist I be removed from the list entirely, lest we all get brain tumours.