Lokitar’s Column
After-effect of the Xaositects
Extract from Kan Segal’s “Effects of Multiversular Forces on Matter and Non-Matter”
One sometimes called Lokitar, a powerful Xaositect mage, once created a column of reverse gravity in Sigil, a mile high. It was, of course, invisible to the naked eye, and what’s more it changed location throughout the city with no apparent rhyme or reason. One would be walking down a broad promenade, and then suddenly swept high into the air.
The top of the column terminated exactly where at the place the Fraternity call the ‘nexus of gravitational force’ — that is, the point centre of the torus that is Sigil. At this point, it has been proven by some more intrepid members of our esteemed Order that the strength of the ‘pull’ or gravity from all sides of Sigil is equal. However, it has been found that it is impossible to balance matter at the central point as the strength of one force will always overcome the others.
A body ‘falling upwards’ in Lokitar’s Column (as it came to be known) is propelled by his own momentum across the nexus, and thus starts falling towards the other side of Sigil. Rumour has it that Lokitar envisioned that the target would be propelled towards a randomly located part of the torus, but did not have the time to complete this part of the spell due to leaks to the Harmonium.
“I’ll from you two get kill within you, out within me feet not do seconds of get five if!”
—Xarxan, evil Xaositect, to a prime
Amazingly enough, almost all of the ‘victims’ of the column landed with no more hurt than a few bad bruises and minor abrasions, with the perplexing and notable exception of a factor of the Mercykillers, who had once sought to prosecute Lokitar. She, by uncanny mischance, fell directly into an ooze puddle in the Hive Ward.
Perhaps even more amazing was the fact that the inventor, Lokitar, escaped the Lady’s wrath. It is conjectured that the wily rogue set the spell as a contingency and left Sigil before it activated.
Though the Column was thought to have been cancelled by the Lady’s power, it has reappeared several times, as much as two years after its first appearance. This resulted in many converts to the Chaosmen’s cause, not least because of the popular chant that not a single one of that Faction had been affected by the magic.
Although there are no reliable sources, some chant points to Lokitar disappearing to Pandesmos in search of great and wild power.
“That way!”
– Xaositect pointing in two directions when asked where the Clerks’ Ward was
Source: Shelaam
