Sigil (Campaign Seed)

Existence in a Sigil campaign is refereed to as the Spheres. There are an infinite number of different Spheres and each one is similar to "planes" in other campaigns. All of the Spheres float in a vast nothingness simply named the Void, which may be traveled only by stable portals or very high level magic(such as the gate spell as plane shift does not exist). Almost no information exists about the other Spheres as not even the most powerful mages can explore safely.

There is one piece of existence that does not follow the normal(if the word can even be applied to this topic) rules of Spheres, it called the Ith. Purely divine in its nature the Ith represents the impenetrable barrier between Gods and mortals. It is also where the souls of the dead are said to cross over. With few rare exceptions, there is no return from death. It is however possible to briefly touch its barrier in order to "sidestep" physical objects(this is where ethereal beings reside). It should be noted however that the only things visible are on the Spheres, everything else is cloaked in white fog.

Geography

Sol

Sol is commonly refereed to as the Sun and is responsible for many Spheres light. Great primal elementals dwell here but little else is known about this Sphere as nothing has ever survived contact with it.

Sigil

Sigil is the Sphere upon which most of the game will be played. It is named after its main continent and is considered the norm in comparison with other Spheres.

The continent of Sigil(for which the plane itself is named) is vast and made up of three major areas.

The Westweald

As the name suggests the Westweald is located on a vast peninsula on the western side of the continent. Its trackless wilderness contains two separate kingdoms and Numeca(one of the four Holy Cities). Most of the Westweald has been split into two kingdoms, but large tracks of cold graze lands to the north of Brellach still remain uninhabited. The kingdoms of Brellach and Conrath use to be one country, but a dispute over the city of Numeca has resulted in a civil war

Brellach comprises most of the Westweald north of Conrath. It is an extremely hostile realm that constantly seeks to expand its borders. Although it has grown much in the north, Brellach never been able to hold so much as an inch of Conrathian soil since the civil war begain.

Located on the southern half of the Westweald, Conrath is one of the mightiest human kingdoms in Sigil. Despite its many conflicts with its northern neighbor, Brellach, the kingdom is relatively peaceful and is on good relations with many realms across the Breach.

Mistcliff Plateau

This Mistcliff Plateau is a wide region that comprises most of the Kingdom of Conrath. As its name suggests, the Plateau is shrouded in mists most of the time which is often perilous to unwary travelers. The general theme of the land is that of British Scotland during their occupation of the Scottish Highlands. The land is overseen by a Duke who controls the smaller areas through use of local Lords. The Lords usually control a few villages and own all of land surrounding them. They generally live in castles or estates in one of these towns.

The Plateau is divided into three main sections:

The Witching Wood

The Witching Wood is a large forest that covers roughly an eighth of the Plateau. It is a heavily superstitious place, said to be full of strange creatures and ancient Druidic magic. Many townsfolk speak of entire villages that vanished overnight, villagers simply disappearing without a trace.

Emberis a small village on the outskirts of the Witching Wood. It is like most other.

West Hanari is a small village located on the western boarders of the Witching Wood just south of Ember. It is a very quiet town and has no reason to draw attention to itself except the constant pressure from nearby Bloodeye Gnolls. It is in fact due to the Bloodeye Gnolls that the town is named "West" Hanari, as a particularly brutal raid forced the survivors to evacuate the area around the now ruined Castle Humbart and settle on the outskirts of the Witching Wood. Like other small settlements in Conrath, West Hanari is under the lordship of a local noble.

The Flats of Darshale

The Flats encompass the majority of the plateau taking up about 60% of the landmass. Despite its name however, the Flats contain a large number of mountainous and forested regions. This is also where the main city of the Mistcliff Plateau is located and houses Duke Shelloth, after whom the city is named.

Mont. St. Huegress is the holy eternal resting place of Saint Huegress. It is located near the center of the plateau on the Flats and its snow capped peaks can be seen for hundreds of miles in every direction. Originally the peaks of the mountain belonged to a White Dragon, a beast so great that it had begun to attract worshipers. These fanatical men and women burrowed deep into the mountain and created grand hallways for the creature. After a while the Dragon began to demand sacrifices for its glory, and only grand sacrifices would do. The fanatics came down from the mountain and raided a small village close to the base of the mountain. None of the villagers were seen again. Eventually the disappearance of the village started to attract notice and before long a small army was formed. The army, led by a noble named Lord Huegress, marched up the mountain to do battle with the dragon. What exactly happened is unknown as Lord Huegress was the only person to survive. Upon his return he ordered a monastery built in place of the vile creatures lair and took up the lifestyle of a monk. It is said that the lord was blessed by the Aspects themselves and during the Umu Anoron the peaks shine like a star, guiding those who dwell in darkness to the light.

Shattered Coast

The Shattered Coast is a barren land said to have been created during a battle between Crosis and an ancient god of disease; The battle took place on a mountain top, cracking and eventually shattering its peak all across the coast. The coast is a barren land, but it is also the most valuable resource in Conrath. The entire seaside is flushed with diamonds and abandoned mines can be found marring the coastline. It is also a place heavily populated by Heathen slaves. More than once a mining facility been overrun, causing the owners to take harsh precautions in order to keep their property in line.

The Burning Lands

The Burning Lands are the remains of a great empire. During the height of its power the empire controlled the entire eastern half of Sigil. As they were about to begin the conquest of the west, an unholy curse was placed upon the land. The earth grew hot and the air lost its moisture causing the heartland of the empire to crumble into a vast desert. The remaining hospitable land was torn into four distinct kingdoms. The land also holds Shakara, Urajh and Braxis, three of the four holy cities.

Argonia

Argoina is the main center for trade in Sigil, but unlike many cities of trade the word of law is strongly enforced and many who cannot pay their fines go to the Labor Guild until their debt is paid.

Phyrexia

The Eastern most realm in Sigil, it is a land of rocky crags and broken valleys with little natural resources. It is home the the Xephs, the only known humanoid wielders of psionic power.

Deyja

The land of Deyja is one of vast badlands and horrible monsters. It is located to the north of The Shield-Wall at the bottom of the vast Archnoch Desert, it is also home to the masters of mechanically enhanced evolution - the Illithids.

Braxis

The city of Braxis is one of the four Holy Cities and is home to Crosis' Temple of the Ebon Storm. The most unique part about the city is that it is positioned high in the mountains and has a standing army of ten thousand.

The Heathen North

The Heathen North is the largest and least hospitable land in all of Sigil yet it is home to several nations of humanoids. Being primarily dominated by the orcs has given southern civilizations the impression that all who dwell in the north are dumb brutes. It is also the primary source of slaves for the Labor Guild, encompassing almost 90% of their "assets".

Deities

Though many realms may worship a single god as their patron deitiy, the Grand Divines are recognized as almost universally as the ultimate divinities. A major difference between most gods and the Divines is that they are extremely aloof. As such many different cultures respect them in different ways, and more than a few wars have occurred due to these differences.

The Twin Aspects of Light

The Twin Aspects of Light are by far the most revered God in any land save for the Heathen North. There is little factually know about the Aspects except that it is a powerful force of benevolent good. A common belief is that the Aspects are a manifestation of the purest souls across the Ith. The aspects each represent a different face of the Light. One portion represents the healing aspect of the Light while the other represents the cleansing aspect. Both however are strongly tied to the protection of the innocent and the righteous.

Crosis

Crosis is the lawful god of lightning and vengeance. He is known as the Purger and his followers are among the most zealous people in the world. He is revered by many and respected by all. His Temple of the Ebon Storm lies at the crossroads of the great kingdoms.

Dromar

Dromar is the god of unbridled magic. She represents magic at its purest form and encourages morals to let passion fuel their power. Despite being a Grand Divine, Dromar is a very controversial being because many of those in power have no desire for her to influence the populace but do not wish to incur her wrath. To this end many of her shrines and temples are kept in out of the way places and receive little attention from common folk(some do not even realize what she represents).

Julianos

Julianos is the god of order and calculated magic. He teaches that all aspects of life must be carefully controlled and studied in order to have any meaningful outcome. He is the patron lord of the Order of Julianos.

Balthor

Balthor is the god of honorable war. He represents chivalry even in the face of death and unflinching bravery in combat. Balthor is almost exclusively worshiped by the kingdom of Conrath but many knights pay homage to him.

Organizations

The Order of Julianos

The Order is the official clergy of Julianos, and imposes his divine will upon the world. The Order recognized as the highest form of law in almost every realm(even lords may come under scrutiny); it is important to note however that the Order only serves to uphold the law of that region and does not actually influence the creation of them(at least offically). Due to their oppressive nature and rigid application of laws, many members of the Order are often at odds with local members of The Ethelius.

The Ethelius

Named after the wizard who discovered how to create gateways to the Ith, The Ethelius teaches that there are no boundaries to the passionate mind and experience is the best teacher. Members of The Ethelius are the primary worshipers of Dromar but they are almost strictly wizards. They tend to operate outside regional laws and as such are generally branded as criminals. Due to their flagrant experiments and often careless application of power members of The Ethelius are consistently at odds with members of the Order.

The Labor Guild

The Labor Guild is a pretty name for the largest slaving organization in all of Sigil. They have almost an exclusive monopoly on slaves from the Heathen North. Dispite a slightly dark reputation the Labor Guild sells to almost every kingdom and is heavily entrenched in the politics of Sigil. They are famous for "renting" out slaves for a project or a season of harvest and recalling the slaves after completion. It is this practice that keeps many of the smaller realms fed, granting the Labor Guild enormous power within those kingdoms.

Races

Humans

The humans of Sigil encompass most of the population and are fairly "standard".

Xephs

Found commonly in the eastern portions of Sigil. Xephs are the only humanoid race capable of manifesting psionic powers.

Half-Orcs

Rarely seen outside of the Heathen North other than as slaves, half-orcs are considered an abomination in many kingdoms.

Wood Elves

Despite having no official kingdoms, Wood Elves are common throughout Sigil dwelling in forests they claim for themselves. They do not permit trespassing and have harsh penalties for those who violate their privacy. "One bone broken for every twig snapped underfoot" is a common punishment.

Mountain Dwarves

Almost all Dwarves in Sigil come from a large chain of mountains south of the Archnoch Desert in the east. There they continually war with Illithed from the north.

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