Sigil
Sigil (also known as the Cage, the City of Doors, or the City of Secrets) is a floating city located in the centre of the Outlands. As the self-proclaimed centre of the multiverse, Sigil is a major interplanar trade and travel hub, as it contains portals to every single plane, and numerous portals to many different locations within the Material Plane.
Government
The Lady of Pain is the one and only ruler of Sigil. That said, her only goal appears to be maintaining her own power at any cost. She is remarkably powerful, capable of preventing deities from entering the city. She is served by the dabus, who maintain the city and occasionally suppress riots or rebellions. Due to a lack of formal governance, the city often feels like it's on the verge of anarchy.
During the 14th century DR and prior, the city was divvied up between a number of factions who all vied for dominance. However, following the Faction Wars, the Lady of Pain herself appeared and gave a rare statement: all factions had to leave the city or die. Since the dissolution of the factions, three organisations have appeared to provide some semblance of governance to the city: the Sigil Advisory Council, the Sons of Mercy, and the Mutual Trade Association.
Industry & Trade
Although one of the most important and valuable trading locations in the multiverse, Sigil is not its mercantile centre - that honour belongs to the City of Brass on the Plane of Fire. Instead, Sigil's largest trade is information and secrets. Its incredible variety of denizens from all corners of the planes, strict neutrality, and lack of governance has lead to many an unscrupulous sort finding refuge as an information broker.
Aside from information, Sigil is still a major interplanar trading hub. Virtually any kind of good or service can be found in the Grand Bazaar in the Market Ward. Individuals and businesses from all over the planes find business in Sigil fairly easy due to its fixed portals leading to known locations in various planes, as well as a lack of regulation and commercial streamlining by the Mutual Trade Association.
Accomodation is a particularly interesting service in Sigil. Many different inns and taverns cater to specific races, such as oversized construction for giants or dimmed lighting for drow. Inns usually provide more services than taverns, but the latter often has better or more meals.
Markets in Sigil are divided into two types: day markets and night markets. Day markets cater to more mundane purchases like food, clothing, weapons, and housewares. There are of course more exotic items for purchase at all times of the day, but day markets focus on goods purchases. Night markets, by contrast, focus on providing services. However, night markets are usually more dangerous than day markets - but sometimes that's part of the appeal.
Geography
Sigil is located at the very centre of the Outlands, and hovers above the massive mountain known as the Spire. The city itself is shaped like the interior of a torus, or donut. The total diamater of the city is 6.4 miles, with a circumference of 20 miles. The ring has a thickness of 1.5 miles. However, these measurements could be changed at any time to any size by the Lady of Pain.
Magic does not function at the centre of the Outlands, but functions normally within Sigil itself, with the exception of spells that involve planar travel, which do not function at all. The city itself is constructed on the interior of the ring, with gravity pulling directly down relative to the position on the interior of the ring. The edge of the ring does not drop down to the Spire, but instead deposits any falling material to a random plane of existence.
Due to the geometry of Sigil, the city has no sky. Instead, the city is lit by the intrinsic luminescence of its air, which brightens and darkens to create the appearance of a 24-hour day-night cycle. There are six hours of night and six hours of dark, interspersed by twelve hours of twilight. At night, lanterns on the opposite side of the ring create the appearance of stars in the "sky".
Alternative Name(s)
the Cage
the City of Doors
the City of Secrets
the City of Doors
the City of Secrets
Type
City
Population
50,000 (permanent)
250,000 (total)
250,000 (total)
Inhabitant Demonym
Cager
Owner/Ruler
Comments