Detect Portals and Sigil - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Detect Portals and Sigil

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Sep 29, 2003 22:29:07 It is said that every bounded space on Sigil is a portal, which would open if you had the right key. The ring of Sigil is a very large bounded space. There are PrC's and spells in the MotP that detect portals and determine their keys.

Do you see where this is going?
#2
Shemeska_the_Marauder
Sep 29, 2003 22:55:30 I've mentioned that idea here before, that Sigil itself is a giant bounded space. But as far as portal detecting spells inside Sigil, while every bound space can be a portal, not all of them always are.

Portals appear and flit about at the whim of The Lady, and a great deal of jink is passed from palm to palm over the location and details of those stable and permenant portals within The City of Doors.

Other spaces exist as portals only under certain conditions or at certain times, and otherwise don't appear as anything special under such magics. As well, the scope of Sigil in its entirety being a portal seems beyond the scope of most divination magics.
#3
zombiegleemax
Sep 30, 2003 4:12:09 Every bounded space in sigil is a gate. This is one of the things that makes sigils sewers so very very dangerous.

Spells like detect portal would, in my opinion, not function, or overload the caster with so much information that he would either go barmy, or not see anything.

All portals are locked, and can only be opened with a specific key. This key could be a specific item, action, emotion, thought, time or combination of the above.

Now, what destination the biggest portal of sigil might have? who can tell?

It may lead to the birthplace of the first god. Or it's father.

Perhaps it is a gate that can only be opened at the end of time, and leads back to time's beginning.

Perhaps it is the gate that traps the lady inside her cage. The only one who can open it is the lady herself, and only from outside the cage.

Perhaps the key is her happiness. Or the death of happiness?

And perhaps the key is a simple ring. A ring of levitation worn by a squirrel.
#4
sildatorak
Sep 30, 2003 18:08:59
Originally posted by puk
Spells like detect portal would, in my opinion, not function, or overload the caster with so much information that he would either go barmy, or not see anything.

If that were the case, we planars would have trouble seeing in Sigil, as well. Unlike primes, we can spot portals with ease, and I assure you that Shemeska (always the wise and beautiful source of knowledge) is quite right; a portal that is "dormant" doesn't seem to be any more than a door, window, or what have you. This doesn't mean that inactive portals (those that aren't open at the moment, but could be opened) can't be spotted or sensed, just that those that are temporarily (or permanently) inaccessible due to the Lady's whims effectively don't exist. I haven't been able to confirm this for shifters that aren't there at the moment, but I would suspect it is the same.
#5
zombiegleemax
Oct 02, 2003 2:02:03
If that were the case, we planars would have trouble seeing in Sigil, as well. Unlike primes, we can spot portals with ease, and I assure you that Shemeska (always the wise and beautiful source of knowledge) is quite right; a portal that is "dormant" doesn't seem to be any more than a door, window, or what have you.

even though that may be true in 2e, I see no reference to this ability in 3e. Neither in the core books nor in the ps3e races chapter.

I would also like to point out there is a difference between a gate (which is, in essence a doorway to sigil) and a portal (which is, well, not).

and, of course the lady's whim is the most potent gatekey of them all.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Sep 29, 2003 22:29:07	It is said that every bounded space on Sigil is a portal, which would open if you had the right key. The ring of Sigil is a very large bounded space. There are PrC's and spells in the MotP that detect portals and determine their keys. Do you see where this is going?
#2 Shemeska_the_Marauder Sep 29, 2003 22:55:30	I've mentioned that idea here before, that Sigil itself is a giant bounded space. But as far as portal detecting spells inside Sigil, while every bound space can be a portal, not all of them always are. Portals appear and flit about at the whim of The Lady, and a great deal of jink is passed from palm to palm over the location and details of those stable and permenant portals within The City of Doors. Other spaces exist as portals only under certain conditions or at certain times, and otherwise don't appear as anything special under such magics. As well, the scope of Sigil in its entirety being a portal seems beyond the scope of most divination magics.
#3 zombiegleemax Sep 30, 2003 4:12:09	Every bounded space in sigil is a gate. This is one of the things that makes sigils sewers so very very dangerous. Spells like detect portal would, in my opinion, not function, or overload the caster with so much information that he would either go barmy, or not see anything. All portals are locked, and can only be opened with a specific key. This key could be a specific item, action, emotion, thought, time or combination of the above. Now, what destination the biggest portal of sigil might have? who can tell? It may lead to the birthplace of the first god. Or it's father. Perhaps it is a gate that can only be opened at the end of time, and leads back to time's beginning. Perhaps it is the gate that traps the lady inside her cage. The only one who can open it is the lady herself, and only from outside the cage. Perhaps the key is her happiness. Or the death of happiness? And perhaps the key is a simple ring. A ring of levitation worn by a squirrel.
#4 sildatorak Sep 30, 2003 18:08:59	Originally posted by puk Spells like detect portal would, in my opinion, not function, or overload the caster with so much information that he would either go barmy, or not see anything. If that were the case, we planars would have trouble seeing in Sigil, as well. Unlike primes, we can spot portals with ease, and I assure you that Shemeska (always the wise and beautiful source of knowledge) is quite right; a portal that is "dormant" doesn't seem to be any more than a door, window, or what have you. This doesn't mean that inactive portals (those that aren't open at the moment, but could be opened) can't be spotted or sensed, just that those that are temporarily (or permanently) inaccessible due to the Lady's whims effectively don't exist. I haven't been able to confirm this for shifters that aren't there at the moment, but I would suspect it is the same.
#5 zombiegleemax Oct 02, 2003 2:02:03	If that were the case, we planars would have trouble seeing in Sigil, as well. Unlike primes, we can spot portals with ease, and I assure you that Shemeska (always the wise and beautiful source of knowledge) is quite right; a portal that is "dormant" doesn't seem to be any more than a door, window, or what have you. even though that may be true in 2e, I see no reference to this ability in 3e. Neither in the core books nor in the ps3e races chapter. I would also like to point out there is a difference between a gate (which is, in essence a doorway to sigil) and a portal (which is, well, not). and, of course the lady's whim is the most potent gatekey of them all.