Sigil

Once the crown jewel of a world-spanning empire, the city of Sigil has been shattered into tiny pieces by the wanderings of the verogods. It was from here that mankind survived the cataclysm through some means, passing through the deluge of Flow from above. Now, the Enclaves of the world are all that remain of the once proud Dragon Empire. The Confederacy of the Scale exists to protect, preserve, and record the mysteries of the Empire.

History

Before the cataclysm that introduced the Flows to Mondevai there was a grand empire that united the known world under one rule. The empire's capital, the city of Sigil, was a grand area far, far larger than any city in the world now, and within its center was the seat of the emperor Banikon. Magics beyond what the population of Mondevai knows now were common emplacements, and large portals connected the lands of the Dragon Empire to its heart. The three offspring of the emperor were given dominion over parts of the city and empire. Fierce in competition and great in power, the warrior Hlyn, the artisan Revannah, and the sage Orien fought behind thin facades for the inheritance of the throne.

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Enclaves

Enclaves are sections of an ancient city. Having gone through thousands of years of geological restructuring, they are often very small – only a single structure or two in size. Within these structures are every still life of ancient time one can imagine. Kitchens stocked with magically preserved meat, homes with the hearth still alight, and libraries with rotten books dusting on the shelves are such that most explorers find with the stone vaults.

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A frozen mountain enclave in the Marran Empire.

Once in awhile, however, a find may turn out to be especially significant. An arcanely protected book, a magical artifact, or some dangerous item may be trapped inside. It is for this reason that the Archeralds’ Guild exists and is given first entry into the Enclaves. Skilled enough to avoid pitfalls and educated enough to record the findings, they are an invaluable resource to the Confederacy.

With the innate value of an enclave, many hopeful explorers claim other ancient ruins to be enclaves. Much to their dismay, It is only the many-thousand-year-old Sigilite ruins that qualify. Ancient Turath, the Kingdom of Crease, and other long-dead civilizations are relegated to modest archaeological interest, as these kingdoms are from a period long after the fall of the Dragon Empire.

Famous Enclaves

The Great Shipyard

Vaumark, the capital of the Marran Empire, is founded upon the remains of the ancient shipyard. Largely intact, the many channels and tools for construction remained in places for thousands of years.

The Vineyard

Sealed casks of wine and preserved seeds of specialty vines were discovered by early settlers of the Mirelands. The capital of the Zantaashi is located over the enclaved cellar.

Aqueducts of Isamarr and Tamarr

Water purification is no easy task in Mondevai, with many inland people forced to drink the often foul water of the rivers. Isamarr, one site of the Aqueduct, was not originally on the coast, instead occupying a stretch of the Banik River west of Tamarr. The presence of arcane purification devices brought great opportunity for irrigation and settlement, and the cities rapidly grew.

Hlyn’s Drawing Room

The City-State of Arkhosia stands as a bastion of security due to the well-guarded fortification plans found within a drawing room on the city’s site. Legend has it that this was the very table that Hlyn used to draft plans for the defense of Sigil.

Conclave

The secretive Turathi Empire held a mysterious Enclave beneath the city of Bael. The contents are unknown and popular rumor holds it to be the reason the Empire refused to sign the Treaty of the Scale.

Rumored Enclaves

The Great Library

The holy grail of Archeralds world-wide, the Great Library of Sigil would presumably hold the collected lore of the ancient world, if it hasn’t broken up and rotted away by modern day…

Muericho

The mythical city of the dead at the center of the world is said to hold the throne room of Sigil, the seat of Banikon and the last remaining piece of his empire.

Transportation Circles

Beyond its historical significance, Sigil is particularly notable for its ubiquitous teleportation rings. These rings, found in many important city locations as well as near to the homes of the rich or powerful, facilitate instantaneous transportation between them by means of Fahrstone and a specific series of code-chords. The Cosmic Church is often the native religion of Archeralds, and as such has a deep-rooted choral tradition, recording and preserving the chords of each enclave’s gate in the halls of both the Archeralds and monasteries, convents, and libraries of the various orders.

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A resurfaced, restored teleportation circle in Tiban.