conversations: human
conversations:  Sigil is located atop the Spire in the Outlands. It has the shape of a torus; the city itself is located on the inner surface of the ring. There is no sky, simply an all-pervasive light that waxes and wanes to create day and night. Sigil cannot be entered or exited save via portals; although this makes it quite safe from any would-be invader, it also makes it a prison of sorts for those not possessing a portal key. Thus, sometimes Sigil is called "The Cage". Though Sigil is pseudo-geographically located "at the center of the planes" (where it is positioned atop the infinitely tall Spire), scholars argue that this is impossible since the planes are infinite in all dimensions, and therefore there can never truly be a center to any or all of them; thus, Sigil is of no special importance. Curiously, from the Outlands one can see Sigil atop the supposedly infinite Spire.
  
  Sigil contains innumerable portals that can lead to anywhere: any bounded opening (a doorway, an arch, a barrel hoop, a picture frame) could possibly be a portal to another plane, or to another point in Sigil itself. Thus, the city is a paradox: it touches all planes at once, yet ultimately belongs to none; from these characteristics, it draws its other name: "The City of Doors". 
   
   Spoiler: Sigil  
  
  
  Interactive Map of Sigil:  https://nether-whisper.ru/rp/planescape/map-of-sigil/ 
  
  Population: Approximately 250,000. Representatives of nearly every race and monstrous kind can be found somewhere in the city.
  
  Government and Defense: The only being in Sigil who wields any real authority is the mysterious Lady of Pain, the uncaring guardian and protector of the city. The touch of her gaze causes wounds to spout blood, and her smallest gesture can banish someone or something into an endless maze spawned in a pocket dimension. Her presence is said to prevent deities, demon princes, primordials, and beings of similar power from entering the City of Doors, and the fear of her is sufficient to keep a modicum of order in the streets. Crime is common, but rebellion is unthinkable.
  
  Inns and Taverns: Sigil’s inns and taverns cater to diverse clientele. Efreets from the City of Brass can find flaming halls of sumptuous luxury. Devils can enjoy a night spent in unthinkable debauchery. A traveler might lodge in an inn whose interior is like a twilit fey grove or a sunless cavern, or eat in a place that’s virtually indistinguishable from Fallcrest’s Blue Moon Alehouse.
  
  Supplies: The Grand Bazaar, located in the city’s Market Ward, is a huge square overflowing into side streets, alleyways, and even nearby taverns. It is filled with caravan tents and market stalls. It pales in comparison to the bazaars and markets of the City of Brass, but deals in commerce appropriate to the size of the city. Other marketplaces spring up in many places throughout the city. Most appear during the day, but some appear only at night.
  
  Temples: Temples to all the deities—including evil gods whose shrines are rarely seen in civilized lands—can be found in the streets of Sigil. Most of them are small, and few claim any significant power in the city’s affairs.
   
  
  
  
  There is no sensation in passing through a portal. No tingle, no rush of air or sense of movement. You merely move through, and the world changes around you. From your home, to a warm and pleasant afternoon in the big city.
  
  The architecture looks strangely archaic. The buildings are almost all made of the same shade of gray stone, with balconies, walkways and railings made of elaborately wrought black iron. This makes it very difficult to tell when one building ends and another begins. There's no pattern to give a clue, save that the builings get narrower as you go up. Almost every roof is flat, and forms a balcony of some sort, and exterior doors seem almost as common on the higher floors as they are on the ground.
  
  The people are... varied. Humans are the most common species, and most of the crowd are humanoid, after that, outsiders are most common, with a sprinkling of stranger things, like giants and abberations.
  
  However, what is most strange is that the horizon curves upwards on two sides, rising almost to overhead before disappearing behind a bright light in the sky. Ahead, above, and behind you more city streets can be seen, rising into the sky. The city, it appears, is on the inside of a giant ring. To either side there is nothing but sky.
  
  More immediately, you have just emerged from an archway set into the side of a blank-looking building. All the windows and doors have been bricked up quite some time ago, including the archway you've just emerged from. It is apparently the 3 inches or so that the frame of the old arch extends from the brickwork that provides you with the frame for the portal. Watching one of the large wagons emerge from the portal is quite strange. Even when the portal is active, you can't see through it, so it looks like people are just stepping from the wall.
  
  The arch faces west. To the north the street forks to form two narrow lanes, running either side of a large pub. Scattered tables and stools fill most of the street, and have attracted a handful of creatures, most of them looking tired, more in need of a seat than a drink.
  
  Across the street to the west is a shop filled with wooden plates, bowls, candlesticks, and so on. It is partly obscured by a cart parked in front, filled with a single enormous barrel. The front, facing south, has a tap, and an illuman taking coins from a queue of people using the tap, each of whom seems to have their own mug. Near them, a group of assorted humanoids with faced painted scarlet with black stripes, are setting some clubs and seem to be about to give some kind of juggling performance, despite the press of the crowd. Beyond them, to the south, the market proper begins. There are four rows of stalls, featuring a wide variety of good, mostly in the cheap fairground vein. A few further stalls dot the east wall. To south of them you can just make out a cafe and a small reataurant, both of which seem to have an elven theme. To the east, past the jugglers, are a series of small booths showing puppet shows, and selling toys, dolls, and obviously fake weapons.
  
  In the middle of press of stalls is a large booth piled high with mirrors. Standing next to it is a pale faced lady dressed in figure-hugging velvet corsetry and dress and silver jewelry.
  
   
   Spoiler: OOC 
  Just a bit to get going
   
conversations: Darth Ultron:
conversations: human
conversations:  Leigh pauses for a moment to take in her new environment.  While she had read a few dusty old tomes about the City on the Spire, seeing the spherical city continue into the horizon was still breathtaking.  Not knowing exactly where the portal was going to drop her when she entered, Leigh wore her finest clothing, something given to her by a wealth merchant as payment for information regarding his rival business associate.  He had been so please with her "corporate espionage" that he even through in a few hundred gold worth of fine jewelry. The finely crafted dark blue dress fit her perfectly and gave her a bit of confidence.
  
   Perhaps that is why the similarly dressed woman in the velvet dress caught her attention... or perhaps it was something... more.  Nonetheless, Leigh approaches the woman with mirrors all around and decides to strike up a conversation.   "A fine day, eh?  Seems the entertainer has everyone's attention?  Any chance you could give me directions, maybe help me get my bearings?" 
conversations: The BBEG:
conversations: human
conversations:  The woman looks you over for several seconds in silence.
  
   Verezza Tanijar   "Open Door, I'm Verezza Tanijar, Lady of Shared Dreams.  The day is fine....but then they all are.  Directions?  Bearings? You sound lost, in more ways then one.  What help do you need?
   
conversations: Darth Ultron:
conversations: human
conversations:  Leigh thinks for a moment knowing what she says next could have a cascading effect on her future in Sigil.  She planned never to reveal her true identity in Sigil, going only by aliases and monikers.  Yet, for some reason she feels compelled to be truthful to this woman; the first person she meets.  Was Leigh growing soft?  Or was it something more?  Fate perhaps?  Leigh decides to be truthful... though perhaps not fully... not yet.
  
  Call it intuition, but Leigh is certain that if she lies to this woman she will know.   "You are correct Verezza.  I am lost, in more ways than one.  I am trying to find my bearings and how to be successful in a new, exotic place.  I've had many names in my time; some of them were even my own.  The name I hope to be know by again is the Whisperbroker."   Leigh steps in close to Verezza and softly speaks.   "Perhaps you can tell me what you think I need.  It seems that you are quite insightful and I would hope to learn from and about you." 
   Sense Motive:   (1d20+8)[ 20 ] 
   Diplomacy:   (1d20+12)[ 29 ] 
conversations: The BBEG:
conversations: human
conversations:  Verezza Tanijar   "Well, the Cage is full of lost souls...some even for sale...so you will fit right in.
  
  Whisperbroker?  Sounds more like a title then a name...and it's not every lady-like.  But to each her own.
  
  I would have no idea what a whisper person would need....you might look for someone who does that and may hap become their apprentice.
  
  You do seem like a fine lady yourself, and I can always use another ring in my circle of friends.  And my dreams do give me much wisdom, something I'm more then happy to share.
  
  I take it you need a place to stay?  I have a guest room at my home.  You could stay there, and I'd only ask you for a dream to share."    
   
   Spoiler: Sense Motvie 
  
  Verezza Tanijar does have a basic sense of trustfulness about her...but maybe not 100%
   
conversations: Darth Ultron:
conversations: human
conversations:  The Whisperbroker smiles and nods in thanks to Verezza.   "I accept your terms, as they are more than fair.  Whisperbroker is a title, the only thing I bring with me from my past life.  A new life deserves a new name, don't you think?  I think I will go by Hope.  If you wish, I would be happy to share a recent dream with you.  I stand at the foot of an enormously high mountain.  As I look up, all I can see is it stretching impossibly high into the heavens.  I begin climbing.  I climb and I climb, for what seems an eternity without making progress.  I continue.  Eventually I look down and their are clouds below me, and above I see the peak nearly within reach.  I continue and finally I have the end in sight.  I pull myself up to the top of the peak and turn to look at what I have accomplished, only to find I am back at the bottom, exactly where I started.  Then I woke up." 
conversations: The BBEG:
conversations: human
conversations:  Verezza Tanijar    "That does sound like a lovely dream.
  
  But I meant share in a more intimate sense.  I have a Dream Sphere at home.  I can share in your dream through it." 
conversations: Darth Ultron:
conversations: human
conversations:  "Lead the way.  Or do you wish to meet up later?" 
conversations: The BBEG:
conversations: human
conversations:  Verezza looks around rolling her eyes.
  
   Verezza Tanijar   "Might as well be now.  It's not like I'm doing anything.  And would not want you to get more lost." 
  
  Verezza leads away down the street.  The street is fairly crowded both with people and various items, but not so much that it's impassible.
  
  Turning down a narrow street of much more plain gray stone buildings, Verezza turns and enters a narrow row house.  The house is also very simple on the inside, with only small functional furniture.
  
   "Your room is upstairs, the whole third tier.  " 
  
  Verezza directs you over to a room, with a large glass orb, set into a gold holder
  
   "It's simple enough.  Just touch the Dream Sphere and think of your dream...it will make a share." 
conversations: Darth Ultron:
conversations: human
conversations:  The woman, once known as Leigh, now going by Hope shrugs and follows.  She nods when told the third tier is hers.  She squints a bit at the Dream Sphere, but complies, touching it as she thinks of the previously verbalized dream.
conversations: The BBEG:
conversations: human
conversations:  After you touch it and think of the dream, the Dream Sphere glows your a second.  You don't feel anything.
  
  
  Verezza Tanijar walks over and touches the Dream Sphere and it glows  "Ah, Dreaming with my eyes open" 
  
  
  Verezza Tanijar wlaks away from the orb   "That will do nicely.  Anything else I can help you with?"" 
conversations: Darth Ultron:
conversations: human
conversations:  Hope thinks for a moment.   "Is there a nearby orphanage in need of help or funding?"   The Whisperbroker knows it may sound altruistic, and to an extent it is, but she expects a certain quid pro quo for any help she may provide.  In the past she has provide the children with clothes, food, candy, toys, a few coppers, or just spending time with them.  In turn she has a small army of spies who can see and hear everything without drawing attention to themselves.  She hopes she can do that here.  She only has a few gold coins, but she may be able to leverage that into more if she can start gathering information.
  
  She is open to how that information is used.  Whether she sells it to local crime syndicates to increase their presence, whether to the city guard to take out said syndicates, or to a merchant looking for a certain item, it matters not.  Only that they pay for her information.
conversations: The BBEG:
conversations: human
conversations:  Verezza Tanijar   "Well, a lot of the temples have kid workers.  Most lost kids become servants or apprentices.  I guess the closest thing is the Night Playground....they keep unwanted children.  It's run by a coven of night hags.  Is that what your looking for?"   
conversations: Darth Ultron:
conversations: human
conversations:  Hope grimaces at the thought of earning the ire of hags so soon.   "How do they treat the children?  Would the be offended if I gave the children food, clothing, bits of coin and the like?" 
conversations: The BBEG:
conversations: human
conversations:  Verezza Tanijar   "I guess they treat them like kids....I'm not so sure.  The average hag is not so nice, you know.  Though I doubt they care about the kids that much.
  
  If your looking for a job, they might hire you.
  
  Or if its your thing, maybe you can start your own home for kids.  Save up some money, rent a house, gather up some kids." 
conversations: Darth Ultron:
conversations: human
conversations:  The girl calling herself Hope just smiles.   "We'll see.  I have to be able to provide for myself before I can worry too much about a bunch of kids."   Hope then sets off towards the haggery... er orphanage.  Once she is a little way from the house she will find a hidden alcove or somewhere with a bit of privacy and change to her cheap dress and dark wig.  Once it is on she makes her way towards a market or bakery that might have some day old bread or other rather cheap food.
  
  Disguise:  (1d20+9)[ 18 ] 
  Appraise:  (1d20+10)[ 20 ] 
conversations: The BBEG:
conversations: human
conversations:  It's easy enough to find a small halfling run bakery just a street over.  All the backed goods are cheap in prices, but also fairly cheap in quality.  There is a pile of small baskets with a sign 'fill a basket, one gold coin'.
conversations: Darth Ultron:
conversations: human
conversations:  Though low on coins, she looks at it as a potential investment.  She drops a coin and fills her backpack with the cheap bread.  She then makes her way to the orphanage.
  
  OOC
   
   Spoiler 
  Sorry for the post delay.  I spoke with a friend who is deployed overseas via skype and had the opportunity to play games via internet for a bit yesterday and I lost track of time.
   
conversations: The BBEG:
conversations: human
conversations:  The Night Playground is a tall building of dark stone with several sharpened stone points, and a lot of gargoyles.  It has few windows, but those few are closed with iron shutters and iron bars.
  
  The front doors are open, leading in to a small waiting room.  A younger dark haired human looking woman sits behind a dark wooden desk here, reading a small back book.  She looks up as you come in and raises an eyebrow,
conversations: Darth Ultron:
conversations: human
conversations:  The Whisperbroker smiles at the woman.    "Hi, I'm Elenore.  I had some extra bread.  I was hoping I could deliver it to the children and maybe speak with them, or even tell them a story?"  
  
  Bluff:  (1d20+9)[ 16 ] 
conversations: The BBEG:
conversations: human
conversations:  The woman at the desk looks over 'Elenore'.
  
   
   Spoiler: Sense Motive 
  
  Sense Motive Roll  XX 
   
  
  
  Woman at desk: "Sure, right through the green door over there.  Don't hurt any of them.  The walls have eyes." 
  
  The green door at the end of the hallway opens on it's own.
conversations: Darth Ultron: