Session 1: "Ka-Tet"

General Summary

The Hive The city appears to be formed into a giant ring, that arcs overhead and joins itself.
Morte tells TNO "it is called Sigil ‘The City of Doors’, ringed in shape and is sitting on top of an infinitely tall spire, but also at the centre of the Planes !?!"
Morte made reference to 'The Lady of Pain' – ‘Mistress O’Sigil’, and said her word was Law here, except she is actually dead silent! He also told me it is a bad idea to talk about her.
A dagger shaped black stone monument surrounded by 4 walls, had names inscribed on it by The Dustmen. By the monument is Quentin, who directed TNO's attention to a nearby dustman (Death of Names), inscribing names of the dead onto the memorials. Someone approached the Death of Names and mentioned a name, which he inscribes on a wall.
Quentin told TNO that the Collectors can often be found at the Gathering Dust Bar, where you can also sign up as a Contracted. They also can be found in Ragpicker's Square. He says to be wary of the Dogs that might be found near the Smouldering Corpse Bar.

Esme of the Flowers: A female Halfling stands near the monument, carrying a basket of flowers. She attracted the attention of Morte and she talks with him. She gave TNO a flower, but talked only in riddles and prose. She is Esme of The Flowers, and she offered to join TNO. She takes his hand and this makes one of his Tattoos flash.

A distressed wail is heard from a nearby lady, who states she no longer can cry. She seeks revenge for her 3 sisters were slain by the ‘Starved Dogs Barking’. She is Sev-tai from Irimitar. Her sisters - Ira, Imarie, and Vissa - came here on a sacred quest, but were branded clueless, and attacked by the dogs Quest ( Kill Starved Dogs Barking )

A lady panics at the sight of TNO. She is Ingress, and has a melted stump instead of her right hand. Her movements triggered a memory in TNO and he re-learned the Acrobatics skill.
TNO follows her, and she is terrified. Her teeth chattered, and were moving around in her mouth like a typewriter. She says there are doors and portals everywhere in the City, and to beware any space bounded on all sides. She says she is trapped in the city, after coming here through as portal 30 years before and can’t find one back.
She has tried many but they all go elsewhere. After having lost her hand in a portal, she is terrified of anything that might be another, so refuses to leave the square.
TNO promised to try and help her Quest ( Help Ingress )

A small lad calls out “Are you Craddock?? are you Craddock??” Baen the Sender carries messages and is looking for Craddock, an Overseer in one of the Hive’s markets. The message is “The shipment must be in Curst by the third-day or there will be a penalty.” Quest ( Find Craddock )

Near the Gathering Dust Bar a shrill voice calls out “looks like the Dusties lost one of their deaders”. Annah, a demonic (tiefling) redhead yells obscenities at the small party, and wanted us to move on. Morte and she exchanged unpleasantries until we decided to leave.

A zombie is near the entrance to the Gathering Dust Bar. It is being used as an undead bulletin board, with notices nailed to its head and chest. One of the notices indicates it is a crime to vandalise the ‘post’ (by order of the Hall of Speakers).
Quest notices:

Kill ‘brain’ (Cranium) rats! Office of Vermin and Disease Control SW to Mortuary gate – ask for the Respected Phineas T. Lort, XXXIX, and return tails for 3 coppers each.

‘Clear the Mausoleum’ - wanted, able bodies person to investigate Dusty matter! – seek initiate Norochi at the Gathering Dust Bar if interested

Mae, Morte, and TNO enter the Gathering Dust Bar. Most inside are Dustmen, but some are zombies. Asking for tea produces a drink that tastes ashy and bitter.
A woman nearby is Sere (she hisses at Pharod’s name), and says I should talk to Emeric.
We learn of the Dustmen Philosophy
An immortal is also at the bar drinking spiced mulled wine. He is Arvid, and meeting him has another of TNO's tattoos flash. He looks of Elven descent, but has totally black eyes. Esmae gives him a flower and he joins us.

We travel to the SE corner of the Hive towards the Smouldering Corpse Bar. Howling Dogs are nearby in the street. They look tough and imposing, no time to start a fight now!

We enter the Smouldering Corpse Bar. Drum and flute music grates the ears. The air is full of Ash and char, and is hot and humid. Fires under grills give an orange light to the room.
A creature is in one of the fires, wreathed in fire, emitting a great heat. This is Ignis, an imposing and potentially dangerous being. Next to his fire is Drusilla is a woman of ageing beauty that seems to own the bar. She in love with the living flame, and she looks to Arvid asking if he might be able to help. She wants the burning being to be brought back to life.
Esmae says something in prose to Drusilla, and she kisses her in response.
Drusilla says she thinks she has known TNO, "scarred in and out".

Another in the bar looks familiar to TNO. He is old, with dried yellow skin, pointed ears, black eyes and wearing a loose orange tunic, a strange shimmering blade on his back and rings or armour on his robe.
He is a Githzerai and a traveller from the plane of Limbo on that plane ‘knowing’ is how you exist.
He is Dak'kon, and again a tattoo flashes. He states that his path is mine.

Sitting with Dak’kon is a man with imposing eyes, deeply set in his skull, like eyes of the multiverse looking back at us.
He says he sees me as a fly buzzing around and failing as I approach truth. He is O, and when he says his name it seems to have a resonance to it. Something immortal.
We perceive a portion of the infinite (grants insight to PCs), and TNO gain the calligrapher’s supplies tool skill.

At another table are four people wearing red heavy armour, and as we approach TNO feels fear.
Arvid feels they might be part of a faction
One of the four says he has seen one like The Nameless One in the past, who was at that time with Balor, and was a great criminal. He says they are Mercykillers, one of the 15 factions in Sigil permitted by the Lady of Pain.
One of the four is a lady called Eilana. We greet her and she agrees to join with us, and when she does, five symbols around a central tattoo on TNO's chest flash. They form a symbol, the Symbol of Torment.
Eilana is tasked by Ilsidon, one of The Mercykillers to Find Pharod and bring him to justice.
We discuss the Mercykiller philosophy, and their role as administrators of justice and bounty hunters.

Barkis is the barkeeper of the inn. He serves TNO ‘the usual’ which turns out to be smoking sulphuric brandy. It tasted like fiery regret! He then offers TNO his own eye that is housed in a jar behind the bar. The price, 500 jinks, far in excess of TNO's current wealth. Quest ( Purchase Eye )

There are two devils in the room that resembled Dragonborn. They were generals in the army of the ‘blood war’ raging between demons and devils across the lower planes. They claim they are on leave from the blood war (but might be A.W.O.L.)
Eilana recalls fighting alongside them, which she finds distressing. They are playing chess and cards which has Eilana recall dragon-chess and Arvid remembers his cards skills.

Elsewhere in the bar is Ebb Creakknees (Third Measure of the Harmonium). He is a grizzled veteran and an expert on the topic of Sigil. He tells us of the 15 factions of Sigil.
Ebb tells TNO that Pharod can be likely found in Ragpickers’ square, where he has assembled a Collectors faction of sorts. He is likely not wanting to be found.
He describes Sigil, and explains it is divided into 6 wards, with the Hive being squalor to contrast the rest of the city’s grandeur.
About The Lady of Pain, he offers an opinion that she is not evil, but she is mysterious, silent and deadly.
People who try to penetrate the mystery are often mazed, and transported to an extra-dimensional pocket maze, that can only be escaped via a secret portal inside it.
It is not likely to meet her unless you do something really bad like hurting a lot of people, worshipping her, killing a Dabus or interfering with its work, or challenging her rule – in this case you are likely dead as soon as her shadow passes over you.
The Lady has powers to control portals, and teleportation, and can keep the Gods out of Sigil.

Sitting at his table is Candrian Illborne (whom has wandered all of the planes and has survived, including the Negative Material Plane ). He tells TNO of the structure and nature of the planes
He gives The Nameless One a ring that enchants his woodworking hammer to create Jingizu, a magical rod / quarterstaff that also dark-vision.
Candrian might also be able to help Ingress with her injured arm.

We return to the Northeast of the Hive and get jumped by a group of thugs. We take a bit of a beating but eventually win.

Cant Dictionary

Report Date

11 Mar 2023

Primary Location

The Hive - Northeast

Secondary Location

The Hive - Southeast

• Quests - Sigil
  • Find The Nameless One's Journal
  • Help Reekwind
  • Ignis - Return him to life
  • Unlock the Unbroken Circle of Zerthimon
  • Obtain Decanter's Password
• Completed Quests - Sigil
  • Find Pharod
  • Find and Bring Pharod to Justice
  • Help Ingress
  • Kill Starved Dogs Barking
  • Find Craddock
  • Clear the Mausoleum
  • Purchase the Eye
  • Free Angyar from the Dustman Contract
  • Iron Nall's Secret
  • Free Esmae from Moridors box
  • Find Former Drunk Companion of TNO
  • Find Eliath
  • Who is Killing the Barmys
  • Return the Prayer Beads to Porphiron
  • Convince Nestor to Leave
  • Find Pharod's source of bodies
  • Find Amarysse
  • Learn Magic
  • Return his Name
  • Retrieve Knife
  • Find Necklace
  • Kill Rotten William
  • Kill or Drive off Blackrose
  • Bring His Body to the Surface
  • Retrieve Bronze Sphere
  • Obtain the Decanter from Drowned Nations
  • Discover where Annah found The Nameless One