[Planescape] Questions about Sigil

[Felon]

I have a few questions about Sigil that I hope can answered more quickly here than by sifting through a ton of data over at Planewalker.

1) If Sigil is built around the interior of a hollow torus, does a person looking up see a bunch of buildings hanging upside-down overhead, or are there clouds or something in the middle?

2) Supposedly Sigil can be seen atop the Spire in the Outlands. Magic doesn't work near the spire, but has anyone just tried using mundane methods to check out the torus up-close (e.g. natural flight, climbing)?

3) I read on Wikipedia that the late god of portals, Aoskar, once resided in Sigil. Is that correct? If so, did that predate the Lady's god-ban?

4) I also read that the Lady is sometimes spotted going about her business. Does she walk, fly, glide through the air, ride a carriage, or what?

 

[Deekin]

I have a few questions about Sigil that I hope can answered more quickly here than by sifting through a ton of data over at Planewalker.

1) If Sigil is built around the interior of a hollow torus, does a person looking up see a bunch of buildings hanging upside-down overhead, or are there clouds or something in the middle?

On a clear day, you can see the other side, but it is usually obscured by the smog.

2) Supposedly Sigil can be seen atop the Spire in the Outlands. Magic doesn't work near the spire, but has anyone just tried using mundane methods to check out the torus up-close (e.g. natural flight, climbing)?

You missed the fact that it is an infinitely tall spire.

3) I read on Wikipedia that the late god of portals, Aoskar, once resided in Sigil. Is that correct? If so, did that predate the Lady's god-ban?

Hell, some speculate that he was the reason for the god-ban

4) I also read that the Lady is sometimes spotted going about her business. Does she walk, fly, glide through the air, ride a carriage, or what?

She Glides around a few feet above the ground.

 

[IcyCool]

1) If Sigil is built around the interior of a hollow torus, does a person looking up see a bunch of buildings hanging upside-down overhead, or are there clouds or something in the middle?

I believe the answer is yes, but there is a haze/smog that floats above the city that conceals most of the view. Apparently the "night" sky is rather pretty though.

2) Supposedly Sigil can be seen atop the Spire in the Outlands. Magic doesn't work near the spire, but has anyone just tried using mundane methods to check out the torus up-close (e.g. natural flight, climbing)?

Well, given that Sigil sits atop an infinitely tall spire, you'll be climbing for a while.

3) I read on Wikipedia that the late god of portals, Aoskar, once resided in Sigil. Is that correct? If so, did that predate the Lady's god-ban?

I believe the Lady is post-Aoskar, but I could be horribly mistaken about that.

4) I also read that the Lady is sometimes spotted going about her business. Does she walk, fly, glide through the air, ride a carriage, or what?

Floats over the cobblestone streets, much like the Dabus, I think.

 

[Felon]

You missed the fact that it is an infinitely tall spire.

Didn't miss it, it's just not clear how that's reconciled with it being perceivable by beings whose vision does not extend to infinity. Is it basically some kind of optical illusion/spatial distortion effect where you can keep moving towards it forever but never seem to get any closer?

 

[Toras]

That would be something of the case, though I suspect a Rilmani would push you off before it really became an issue. And trying to go off the other way is bad for you, so presumably it would be ill advised.

Aoskar attempted to enter Sigil, and for that among other things, the Lady slew him and his clergy down to the last. (Sparring only a walking Dabus named Fell). Technically he resided in sigil for all of an eye blink, so it is technically correct.

 

[Dragonbait]

Didn't miss it, it's just not clear how that's reconciled with it being perceivable by beings whose vision does not extend to infinity. Is it basically some kind of optical illusion/spatial distortion effect where you can keep moving towards it forever but never seem to get any closer?

You are correct. I think, actually, that if you were to start climbing the spire, it would look like you reached the half-way point, then never get any further.

1) If Sigil is built around the interior of a hollow torus, does a person looking up see a bunch of buildings hanging upside-down overhead, or are there clouds or something in the middle?

As others have said - You will most likely see smog. At night, you might see a strip of "stars", which are actually the lights in the city over you. I saw one image of Sigil in a recent D&D book that showed a clear sky, white puffy clouds, and the builds wrapping over the sides of the ring. What bizzaro world Sigil is that one from?

3) I read on Wikipedia that the late god of portals, Aoskar, once resided in Sigil. Is that correct? If so, did that predate the Lady's god-ban?

Yes, and... Was Aoskar the god that resided in what is now called The Shattered Temple (it's been about 5 years since I GMed or read PS-related stuff, so keep that in mind)? If he is, then some people think that the Lady actually killed him when she destroyed his main temple.

4) I also read that the Lady is sometimes spotted going about her business. Does she walk, fly, glide through the air, ride a carriage, or what?

Floats, and pity those that fall under her shadow or look at her as she floats by..

edit post: If you are planning on using Sigil, don't forget these fun little facts (again, it's been 5 years): There is no accurate time in Sigil; it's either Light or Dark. Inferring that someone draws the attention of the Lady ("May the Lady smile upon you" for instance) is NOT a compliment or a blessing but more like a threat (contrary to what PS: Torment showed). Razorvine is the only plant that lives in any great abundance in Sigil. It rains in Sigil.

 

[Dragonbait]

Aoskar attempted to enter Sigil, and for that among other things, the Lady slew him and his clergy down to the last. (Sparring only a walking Dabus named Fell). Technically he resided in sigil for all of an eye blink, so it is technically correct.

And almost everyone avoids Fell like the plague, unless they want one of his cool tattoos.

Finder Wyvernspur (a young FR god) DID enter Sigil after the god-ban, but he had to temporarily give up most, if not all, of his divinity to do it. If the Lady knew about this, she didn't seem to care.

 

[Ulrick]

In the last few days I've been digging through my old Planescape boxed set and modules.

The way I understand it, the dark of it that a berk can't climb or reach The Cage on the outside. Portals are the only method to enter Sigil.

Only an addle-cove would want to reach the Outlands by jumping into the nothingness outside of the Sigil. Because that's all there is to see. Nothing. If their is such a thing as "down" the The Cage you still can peer out and see the Outlands below.

A few graybeards claim they've known a few bashers who've done the jump. Instead of falling infinitely to the Outlands they end up in a random plane.

As for the Lady of Pain, I saw an interesting of her picture in one of my books. She was floating along the street with a smirk like Mona Lisa. A bunch of sods where kneeling at her feet, trying to give her things, jink, flowers whatever. As she floated by, her shadow would pass over these poor sods...and put them in the dead book.

Those in front of her seemed to be too awed by The Lady's presence to see the trail of bloody bodies behind her...

 

[cmrscorpio]

I have a few questions about Sigil that I hope can answered more quickly here than by sifting through a ton of data over at Planewalker.

1) If Sigil is built around the interior of a hollow torus, does a person looking up see a bunch of buildings hanging upside-down overhead, or are there clouds or something in the middle?

2) Supposedly Sigil can be seen atop the Spire in the Outlands. Magic doesn't work near the spire, but has anyone just tried using mundane methods to check out the torus up-close (e.g. natural flight, climbing)?

3) I read on Wikipedia that the late god of portals, Aoskar, once resided in Sigil. Is that correct? If so, did that predate the Lady's god-ban?

4) I also read that the Lady is sometimes spotted going about her business. Does she walk, fly, glide through the air, ride a carriage, or what?

1) Yes

2) There is a phrase in the Cant, "Climbing for Sigil", which synomynous with "a fool's errand". The Spire is believed to be infinitely tall. Even if a being could climb to the "top", they'd be disappointed because conventional belief is that Sigil floats above the spire and doesn't actually have physical contact with it.

3) Seeing as how those events occurred almost 3000 years ago, few documents and fewer beings around that could answer whether that statement is correct. Some sources say that The Lady created Sigil and that the god-ban has been in place since it was created. Others say that Aoskar originally ruled it, and that The Lady killed him and took his place. Some say that The Lady is Aoskar. Some say that The Lady is a projection of the Dabus. Some say that The Lady is a swarm of intelligent squirrels who occasionally fill out a costume and float around the streets of Sigil from time to time.

4) Yes, The Lady has been seen moving around Sigil, but sages can only speculate what Her business would be. She usually floats around in the same way the Dabus do. She floats around alone. When Vecna entered Sigil and took up temporary residence in the Armory, The Lady was seen outside the Armory observing the unfolding events with an entourage of Dabus.

 

[Ambrus]

1. As others have said, yes, though only when the sky is clear. Oftentimes smog from the city's countless hearths and the Great Foundry blot out the sky overhead.

Didn't miss it, it's just not clear how that's reconciled with it being perceivable by beings whose vision does not extend to infinity. Is it basically some kind of optical illusion/spatial distortion effect where you can keep moving towards it forever but never seem to get any closer?

2. It's not "reconciled" at all. The spire is indeed infinitely tall, and logic would dictate that the infinitely distant top could not be perceived by normal means, and yet everyone in the Outlands can see the top of the Spire as well as the round Torus shape floating above it (again, the fact that something can be located "above" infinity is a nonsensical contradiction) which they assume is the city of Sigil (there's actually no way to prove that the torus is indeed Sigil, but it seems like a safe bet. Trying to apply geometry (by measuring the distance to the base of the Spire and and the angle of ascent to the top also doesn't seem to work since the results always differ. It's a fact that doesn't make any sense, but that's the way it is. Thinking about it too hard is what drives the poor clueless barmy.

Climbing or flying towards the top is a futile effort since there's no way to reach it. It's said that a God once tried to climb the Spire but failed to reach the top. Some say he's still up there somewhere, endlessly climbing.

3. Aoskar did have a great temple located in the Lower Ward and his worship at one time became synonymous with the City of Doors, but the god himself never resided there. There is no record of any God (aside from Vecna, Finder by his own admission wasn't a God when he entered the city) having ever entered the city just as there is no record of the city ever existing without the Lady of Pain. It's possible that Aoskar may have tried to enter the city (when one of the Lady's dabus became a priest of Aoskar) which is what led to the destruction of both the God and his temple, but there's no evidence to support it.

4. She appears suddenly and floats serenely a few feet above the ground without acknowledging anyone until she finally just disappears.