A Brief History of the City of Glass
By Créthien of the Brook
Sigil edition, 2nd printing
The City of Glass is truly a wondrous place. But before describing its gleaming dome and sleek inhabitants, I would be remiss if I did not thank my blessed patron, the Honorable Keog Ströhmner. Noble by nature if not by blood, Master Ströhmner financed the humble tome you now hold in your hands. If foresight were coin, then my patron would be the wealthiest man in Sigil. Now, let my narrative commence, lest I embarrass myself with paeans to a gentler man than I. The origin of the justly famous City of Glass is one of the great mysteries of the Inner Planes. When the mine ponders the power and vision needed to seal an immense bubble of air under a glass dome on an eternal iceberg, all within the boundless water of the Elemental Plane, there can be no true understanding of how such a wonder came to be. Many of the races that now call the City of Glass home claim it was one of their patron deities who formed this marvel, as either a place of refuge or a prison. One popular story claims that a planetouched of evil lies entombed in the iceberg beneath the city. Another affirms that the city was once a cruel weapon used to exterminate an ancient race of water-breathers; according to this tale, all that unknown race were trapped beneath the dome, which was then filled with air (an element, may I remind my gentle readers, that is poison to those who live beneath the waves). While these stories are certainly colorful, their veracity has yet to be proven. But enough idle chatter, I hear you say—tell us what is truly known of this marvelous City! Never may it be said that Créthien of the Brook fails to please; let me address the topic forthwith. This mysterious artifact was discovered by the marids, genies of the Bottomless Deep, in the distant past. With their magical powers and command of the elements, the marids built a city on the ice beneath the dome. They called the city 'P'un'kâr', and it was ruled by a shah (which I'm told is akin to a prince). Now the marids, as you may know, rule an empire called the 'Padishahate on the Plane of Water, and P'un'kâr was but one jewel in its crown. The shah ruled the city for centuries, and so it grew and prospered. Many other beings found their way to the gleaming dome and petitioned the shah to live under his benevolent governance. He, being a genie of legendary greed, was won over by the gifts of his supplicants and allowed them to settle under the dome. As long as they paid tribute to the shah and re-framed from fighting amongst themselves, all races were welcome in P'un'kâr. In this way sea elf, sahuagin, iku-toa, and merfolk all learned to live together. As decades of peace stretched into centuries, the shah's subjects came to know discontent. They outnumbered the marids, yet still they paid tribute. The great merchant houses of the city wanted the shah to share his power, but the noble marid laughed at them. The very idea of human or nixie mufi in the Padishalate was preposterous! Around this time one Jalal Draghoul, scion of elf and gold dragon, visited the city and the obdurate shah. He impressed the shah with his storytelling. After an evening of entertainment, the potentate asked the how he might repay Jalal. The half-dragon replied, "Your Eminence, I ask you to accept a wager. Within seven days I will attempt to make the sun shine on the City of Glass. If I succeed, you will name me your control of the City to the merchants. If I fail, I will stay at with you as long as I live and tell you stories every night." The shah was amused by Jalal's arrogance and agreed. "I will see you in seven days," he said, "and you had best have new stories to tell me." Jalal took his leave and vanished. Word of the wager spread through town, and townsfolk looked up expectantly as the week drew to a close. On the seventh hour of the seventh day, Jalal appeared above the city on the back of a dragon, flying through a portal from the Plane of Radiance. Though the glare of powerful a single minute, for that time unbribled glory illuminated the city. No one dared speak while the light shone, fearing that secrets might spill from their unwilling lips, for not only light but truth shone across them. In the face of such power, the shah bowed his head and honored his promise. Thus did the merchant houses rise to rulership of the City of Glass.
Sigil edition, 2nd printing
The City of Glass is truly a wondrous place. But before describing its gleaming dome and sleek inhabitants, I would be remiss if I did not thank my blessed patron, the Honorable Keog Ströhmner. Noble by nature if not by blood, Master Ströhmner financed the humble tome you now hold in your hands. If foresight were coin, then my patron would be the wealthiest man in Sigil. Now, let my narrative commence, lest I embarrass myself with paeans to a gentler man than I. The origin of the justly famous City of Glass is one of the great mysteries of the Inner Planes. When the mine ponders the power and vision needed to seal an immense bubble of air under a glass dome on an eternal iceberg, all within the boundless water of the Elemental Plane, there can be no true understanding of how such a wonder came to be. Many of the races that now call the City of Glass home claim it was one of their patron deities who formed this marvel, as either a place of refuge or a prison. One popular story claims that a planetouched of evil lies entombed in the iceberg beneath the city. Another affirms that the city was once a cruel weapon used to exterminate an ancient race of water-breathers; according to this tale, all that unknown race were trapped beneath the dome, which was then filled with air (an element, may I remind my gentle readers, that is poison to those who live beneath the waves). While these stories are certainly colorful, their veracity has yet to be proven. But enough idle chatter, I hear you say—tell us what is truly known of this marvelous City! Never may it be said that Créthien of the Brook fails to please; let me address the topic forthwith. This mysterious artifact was discovered by the marids, genies of the Bottomless Deep, in the distant past. With their magical powers and command of the elements, the marids built a city on the ice beneath the dome. They called the city 'P'un'kâr', and it was ruled by a shah (which I'm told is akin to a prince). Now the marids, as you may know, rule an empire called the 'Padishahate on the Plane of Water, and P'un'kâr was but one jewel in its crown. The shah ruled the city for centuries, and so it grew and prospered. Many other beings found their way to the gleaming dome and petitioned the shah to live under his benevolent governance. He, being a genie of legendary greed, was won over by the gifts of his supplicants and allowed them to settle under the dome. As long as they paid tribute to the shah and re-framed from fighting amongst themselves, all races were welcome in P'un'kâr. In this way sea elf, sahuagin, iku-toa, and merfolk all learned to live together. As decades of peace stretched into centuries, the shah's subjects came to know discontent. They outnumbered the marids, yet still they paid tribute. The great merchant houses of the city wanted the shah to share his power, but the noble marid laughed at them. The very idea of human or nixie mufi in the Padishalate was preposterous! Around this time one Jalal Draghoul, scion of elf and gold dragon, visited the city and the obdurate shah. He impressed the shah with his storytelling. After an evening of entertainment, the potentate asked the how he might repay Jalal. The half-dragon replied, "Your Eminence, I ask you to accept a wager. Within seven days I will attempt to make the sun shine on the City of Glass. If I succeed, you will name me your control of the City to the merchants. If I fail, I will stay at with you as long as I live and tell you stories every night." The shah was amused by Jalal's arrogance and agreed. "I will see you in seven days," he said, "and you had best have new stories to tell me." Jalal took his leave and vanished. Word of the wager spread through town, and townsfolk looked up expectantly as the week drew to a close. On the seventh hour of the seventh day, Jalal appeared above the city on the back of a dragon, flying through a portal from the Plane of Radiance. Though the glare of powerful a single minute, for that time unbribled glory illuminated the city. No one dared speak while the light shone, fearing that secrets might spill from their unwilling lips, for not only light but truth shone across them. In the face of such power, the shah bowed his head and honored his promise. Thus did the merchant houses rise to rulership of the City of Glass.
Medium
Glass / Stained Glass
Location
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