Falling into the Void - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Falling into the Void

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
choleric_psion
Nov 11, 2004 10:20:14 With the way gravity works in Sigil is it possible to jump into the Void?
#2
zombiegleemax
Nov 11, 2004 10:28:38 It's possible to climb over the edge (i.e. over the roofs of buildings near the edge) and jump off; the effect is that you either end up falling for eternity towards the Outlands or get hurled into a random Outer Plane. The gravity of Sigil only applies to the inside of the city (I think).
#3
Shemeska_the_Marauder
Nov 11, 2004 12:33:07 It's speculation that you end up falling forever or get bumped to a random plane. Nobody has ever jumped over the edge and returned to tell anyone else what actually happened, though the Fraternity of Order will pay the family of people who attempt to commit suicide in exchange for them reporting back what happened if they ever show up again.

Looking over the side you certainly don't see anything. In fact you see what's best described as -nothing-, or the concept of absolute nothingness. Just like The Matrix, you can't have it described to you, you have to see it for yourself. It's said to be particularly unnerving to people capable of flying from one side of the city to the other since if they look in either direction from their path of movement across the ring they see that. You certainly don't see open space, or clouds, or the spire or the outlands far below. You see Nothing.

What happens if you jump in is anyone's best guess. My own personal treatment of the effect is effective oblivion for any character jumping over the side. Even if it's not utter annihilation for them, they won't be popping up in the campaign anytime in the near future. Though I do have a short story in the works involving a man clambering over the side of Suicide Alley, from the other side, white as a sheet and horrified at something, perhaps what he saw from where he came from, or perhaps because of Sigil stretching out before him. The story aint finished yet.
#4
zombiegleemax
Nov 11, 2004 14:20:02 Well, I'm just repeating what it says in the Campaign Setting.
#5
ripvanwormer
Nov 11, 2004 18:34:03
Well, I'm just repeating what it says in the Campaign Setting.

"Humans being a particularly curious type, it's natural that some of the barmies have tried stepping off into the nothingness. Everybody who does so just vanishes. It's said that a few are seen again, too. Apparently, crossing that border hurls a sod into a random plane. Considering the conditions of some of these destinations, it's no surprise that only a few make it back."

- Sigil and Beyond, page 59.

My interpretation is that since every bounded space in Sigil is a portal, and since Sigil itself is a gigantic bounded space, both "edges" of the city are in fact portals, and pretty often they'll send those who step into them someplace else. It depends on what kinds of keys they're carrying with them. Sometimes, if they don't have anything the city chooses to consider a proper key, the emptiness just eats them alive.

I don't really consider "hurtling toward the Outlands" to be a viable option in most cases. That close to the Spire, things work completely differently from how they do in the Outlands proper. Gravity, time, space, mass, energy, thought - none of it works like you'd expect it to. The Spire eats it all up, balancing it so hard that none of it does anything at all.
#6
choleric_psion
Nov 12, 2004 10:02:12 Cool. I'm hoping to start writing fiction about somebody who jumps into the void. I was just wondering if it was possible.
#7
diebdazar
Nov 26, 2004 1:08:59 I've always liked the thought that stepping into the void shunts you into the far realms myself. . . :D
#8
gray_richardson
Nov 26, 2004 9:53:17
My interpretation is that since every bounded space in Sigil is a portal, and since Sigil itself is a gigantic bounded space, both "edges" of the city are in fact portals, and pretty often they'll send those who step into them someplace else. It depends on what kinds of keys they're carrying with them. Sometimes, if they don't have anything the city chooses to consider a proper key, the emptiness just eats them alive.

Ahhh, but what if, in anticipation that you might need a key, the berk carries a sack filled with all sorts of possible keys--a brass ring, a pastry fork, a trilobyte fossil, an egg-beater, a lump of coal, a barnacle from Valkur's ship, a Shemeska action figure, etc. What happens if, in his enthusiasm, he is carrying more than one of various appropriate keys to different destinations? What happenes then?
#9
ripvanwormer
Nov 26, 2004 11:42:50
Ahhh, but what if, in anticipation that you might need a key, the berk carries a sack filled with all sorts of possible keys--a brass ring, a pastry fork, a trilobyte fossil, an egg-beater, a lump of coal, a barnacle from Valkur's ship, a Shemeska action figure, etc. What happens if, in his enthusiasm, he is carrying more than one of various appropriate keys to different destinations? What happenes then?

He splits into various alternate versions of himself, going to every destination at once.
#10
dndgameupdate1
Nov 27, 2004 6:18:24
He splits into various alternate versions of himself, going to every destination at once.

Kind of like that Dr Who episode where the creature splinters when his space craft crashes while trying to time travel.

I can see the tradegy of the "18 Man" and how an epic quest would be to reunite all the splinters so the guy could just die and get it over with.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 choleric_psion Nov 11, 2004 10:20:14	With the way gravity works in Sigil is it possible to jump into the Void?
#2 zombiegleemax Nov 11, 2004 10:28:38	It's possible to climb over the edge (i.e. over the roofs of buildings near the edge) and jump off; the effect is that you either end up falling for eternity towards the Outlands or get hurled into a random Outer Plane. The gravity of Sigil only applies to the inside of the city (I think).
#3 Shemeska_the_Marauder Nov 11, 2004 12:33:07	It's speculation that you end up falling forever or get bumped to a random plane. Nobody has ever jumped over the edge and returned to tell anyone else what actually happened, though the Fraternity of Order will pay the family of people who attempt to commit suicide in exchange for them reporting back what happened if they ever show up again. Looking over the side you certainly don't see anything. In fact you see what's best described as -nothing-, or the concept of absolute nothingness. Just like The Matrix, you can't have it described to you, you have to see it for yourself. It's said to be particularly unnerving to people capable of flying from one side of the city to the other since if they look in either direction from their path of movement across the ring they see that. You certainly don't see open space, or clouds, or the spire or the outlands far below. You see Nothing. What happens if you jump in is anyone's best guess. My own personal treatment of the effect is effective oblivion for any character jumping over the side. Even if it's not utter annihilation for them, they won't be popping up in the campaign anytime in the near future. Though I do have a short story in the works involving a man clambering over the side of Suicide Alley, from the other side, white as a sheet and horrified at something, perhaps what he saw from where he came from, or perhaps because of Sigil stretching out before him. The story aint finished yet.
#4 zombiegleemax Nov 11, 2004 14:20:02	Well, I'm just repeating what it says in the Campaign Setting.
#5 ripvanwormer Nov 11, 2004 18:34:03	Well, I'm just repeating what it says in the Campaign Setting. "Humans being a particularly curious type, it's natural that some of the barmies have tried stepping off into the nothingness. Everybody who does so just vanishes. It's said that a few are seen again, too. Apparently, crossing that border hurls a sod into a random plane. Considering the conditions of some of these destinations, it's no surprise that only a few make it back." - Sigil and Beyond, page 59. My interpretation is that since every bounded space in Sigil is a portal, and since Sigil itself is a gigantic bounded space, both "edges" of the city are in fact portals, and pretty often they'll send those who step into them someplace else. It depends on what kinds of keys they're carrying with them. Sometimes, if they don't have anything the city chooses to consider a proper key, the emptiness just eats them alive. I don't really consider "hurtling toward the Outlands" to be a viable option in most cases. That close to the Spire, things work completely differently from how they do in the Outlands proper. Gravity, time, space, mass, energy, thought - none of it works like you'd expect it to. The Spire eats it all up, balancing it so hard that none of it does anything at all.
#6 choleric_psion Nov 12, 2004 10:02:12	Cool. I'm hoping to start writing fiction about somebody who jumps into the void. I was just wondering if it was possible.
#7 diebdazar Nov 26, 2004 1:08:59	I've always liked the thought that stepping into the void shunts you into the far realms myself. . . :D
#8 gray_richardson Nov 26, 2004 9:53:17	My interpretation is that since every bounded space in Sigil is a portal, and since Sigil itself is a gigantic bounded space, both "edges" of the city are in fact portals, and pretty often they'll send those who step into them someplace else. It depends on what kinds of keys they're carrying with them. Sometimes, if they don't have anything the city chooses to consider a proper key, the emptiness just eats them alive. Ahhh, but what if, in anticipation that you might need a key, the berk carries a sack filled with all sorts of possible keys--a brass ring, a pastry fork, a trilobyte fossil, an egg-beater, a lump of coal, a barnacle from Valkur's ship, a Shemeska action figure, etc. What happens if, in his enthusiasm, he is carrying more than one of various appropriate keys to different destinations? What happenes then?
#9 ripvanwormer Nov 26, 2004 11:42:50	Ahhh, but what if, in anticipation that you might need a key, the berk carries a sack filled with all sorts of possible keys--a brass ring, a pastry fork, a trilobyte fossil, an egg-beater, a lump of coal, a barnacle from Valkur's ship, a Shemeska action figure, etc. What happens if, in his enthusiasm, he is carrying more than one of various appropriate keys to different destinations? What happenes then? He splits into various alternate versions of himself, going to every destination at once.
#10 dndgameupdate1 Nov 27, 2004 6:18:24	He splits into various alternate versions of himself, going to every destination at once. Kind of like that Dr Who episode where the creature splinters when his space craft crashes while trying to time travel. I can see the tradegy of the "18 Man" and how an epic quest would be to reunite all the splinters so the guy could just die and get it over with.