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] There's No Burg
Like Home Ever noticed that just when you think you've seen it all, something else pops up to suprise you? Well, as planes go, the Outlands does this more than most. Maybe it's due to the strange nature of travel on the plane, or maybe it's just because when you're gawping at an infinite Spire you tend to misread your map, but when you travel between two burgs you can rely on finding something new in between them each time, no matter how many times you make the trip. ![]() [Please be patient while this chant loads. It's very long!] |
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![]() Black Walls (by Chris Murphy) Black Walls: Never heard of it? Not surprising. This little burg doesn't offer much to travellers, its just a military city that is almost as close to Baator as Ribcage. Or that's what most folks think. ![]() Bram's Folly (by Joshua Jarvis) Bram's Folly is a widely told cautionary tale. According to the story the earth genasi Bram went to buy land in the Outlands. He was told that he was getting the best land money can buy, tall pines, rugged hills, and untapped mineral wealth. In reality Bram was sold an apparently useless stretch of muddy marshes, tar pits, sparse forest, and hard packed flat land. Bram however was smart and he knew that the best thing to do is make the most of a bad situation. To do this bram set up a store selling the one thing he could here. The store is BRAM'S OOZES, MUDS, AND BRICKS. Here Bram sells what his land is good for: bricks, asphault, boiled tree resin, cement (his own secret formula of transmute mud to stone powder), and what he calls "beauty mud." ![]() Ceras (by Leir the Explorer aka Greg Jensen) "What's the character of this town? Sod off, berk! None of your sodding business, that's what! Now if I were you, I'd turn around and leave real quick before my mates here fill you full of crossbow bolts, and that's no bluff!" ![]() Cycle, the Eternal (by James O'Rance) ... learn more here (off-mimir) Those that speak of the near-mythical city of Cycle tell tales about portals that go to every point in time, or streets where the gods walk together as mortals, where the mightiest of magics are known, or where those few deities that possess no alignment choose to make their kip. ![]() The Drifting Stones (by Joshua Jarvis) Many have wondered about the drifting stones of the Outlands. These strange rocks seem to move under their own power, but no person has actually witnessed them moving. Even under magical observation all that seems out of the ordinary are the tracks in the sand made by the stones movements. Several facts are known however. Dur-Lance (by Martin Bourassa) Over-looked by the Dwarven Mountain, on the edge of the Dragon Lord realm, is the City of Crusades: Dur-Lance. Everyone here is dedicated to the Dragon Lord's will, and those who don't are flayed until they do. The city stands in the High Fangs Pass, the gateway between the dwarven gods's realm and the Dragon Lord's. The latter realm has borders also with Gezmid's realm, Xaos (or whatever it's called) and an expanse of uninhabited mountain. Curiously, the uninhabited border is the only heavily guarded by the folk of Dur-Lance, because the underground dwarves are the Lord's sworn enemies. The walled city is used mostly as a training ground for the Lord's armies of dwarves (converted), humans and Dragonmen (the Lord's proxies). The city is officially divided into four quarters by walls: the Believers' Quarter, the Crusaders' Quarter, the Temples Quarter, and the Unbelievers' Quarter. ![]() Equinox (by Rick Stokes) There is a town spireward from Xaos, in 8th ring of the Outlands called Equinox. Equinox began as a one building orphanage in the center of a wide valley which soon grew in to a small village. It was founded by Narina, a young Tiefling priestess of Mishakal, and her husband Gareth, a human warrior from Krynn. As a refuge half-breeds (tiefling, Aasimar, Genasi, etc.), Narina and Gareth raised these outcast children with love and acceptance, teaching them the skills needed to deal with the prejudice they might face outside the village. The large building quickly grew in to a small village. ![]() Eye of the Mountain (by Belarius) Character: Today is much like yesterday. I have my routine. I'll wake up, eat breakfast, go to work, work, go to my favourite bar, drink my favourite drink, speak to my friends, go home, go to sleep, repeat ad infinitum. Life is good when I follow my routine. It would be bad if I didn't. Then I'd miss my quota and the Lord would have me punished and I'd loose something I own to make up for my missed work. Then I'd miss be drink at my favourite bar and the barman's sales would go down, and he would miss his quotas and the Lord would have him punished. Life is good when I follow my routine. |
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![]() Gehhenom (by Chris Nichols and Jon Winter) A tiny valley a couple of days from Torch, Gehhenom is a wasteland of burning garbage. All the worst refuse an infinite place could generate seems to collect here. A thriving community of Lower Planar refugees make a home among the refuse, from fiends dodging their stint in the Blood War to petitioners who've escaped from the tortures of their afterlives. Like Torch, this town hosts a gate to Gehenna. By all rights, this town should slide into the Fourfold Furnaces, but it stubbornly stays put. Some reckon it's a previous incarnation of Torch, or perhaps it's the next burg due to be the Gehennan gate-town when Torch takes the slide over. ![]() The Gith Confederacy (by Simson Leigh) A planewalker blood is never lost, but they may become detached form their sense of direction. Fortunately for me, I have a strong sense of direction. But fate one day determined that I found myself in a place I did not recognise whilst traveling across the Land. After wandering for a couple of hours I came across an unusual burg. My relief at seeing a Gith burg not far from the Dwarven Mountain and Illsensine's Caverns was short-lived however.... ![]() Great Ring (by David Whitley) While many cutters dismiss this town as a mere legend, its name is mentioned often enough that there might be some fire behind the smoke after all. The name of the burg just about defines its nature, it is literally a miniature model of the Great Ring. The burg, situated very close to the Spire is divided into 17 segments, and has a Spire-shaped palace in the middle to represent the Outlands and 16 outer sections each arranged to represent one of the outer planes. The Elysian section of the city is calm and restful with gentle fountains and soft music floating on the breeze, whilst the Carcerian section is a damp and dark labyrinthian prison, with screams being heard every minute although there never seems to be anyone actually making them. ![]() Kallisti (by Chris Nichols and Jon Winter) Near Glorium and Sylvania, this burg surrounds a grove of golden apples guarded by pixies and faeries. The inhabitants argue constantly, and generally promote an atmosphere of good-natured randomness with occasional destruction aided by bands of bacchae who crash through portals every so often. The burg's name means "for the fairest", and derives from an ancient legend that the golden apples grow only when Sune, the most beautiful creature in the Multiverse, is happy. It's also said that eating on of the apples makes a body feel younger, look more attractive and softens the mood. Well, since it's forbidden to eat 'em (on pain of being slung through a nearby portal to Carceri), nobody really risks it. ![]() Mountainhold (by Belarius) Character: Law is only the first step. We must also hold true to the tenants of good. A city exists that perverts law, making it a painful, forceful thing, rather than a communal brotherhood. We are the champions of our peoples, and swear, to ourselves and each other, to free this city from oppression. ![]() Never Leave Home Without It (by Katclaw) This walking castle is home to Angelica The Uncorruptable, an aasimaric paladin, and her mother, a retired Krynnish warrior. It can be seen trotting about the Outlands when not rooted in place. It has also made numerous appearances on the first layer of Arcadia, and the Beastlands. Where most walking castles use magic, or technology, but this uses both. Its legs work on a gnomish design, that believe it or not actually works! It penetrates planar barriers with the aid of powerful magic enchantments. The tower is used by the paladin mainly for spreading the will of her power, Torm, or simply for personal jaunts across the planes, ad it still boasts a small burg on the lower courtyard level of the castle, mainly consisting of small shops for the castle's inhabitants. Angelica is very caring of those less fortunate and lets cutters down on their luck use the many rooms in her castle free of charge. She is known for her enlightened view on reformed people, giving them every chance to turn to the ways of good, partially because of her adopted cambion brother KatClaw. ![]() Oak Island (by Brian) The Outlands is one of the few places in the Multiverse where magic and psionics is fully disabled. That makes it an excellent place to build protective structures, or hide items of value. Magic can't be used to find or retrieve such items if they are deep enough into the Outlands. That doesn't make it impossible though, so a smart cutter will still look into protecting what ever it is he wants hidden. Some build vaults, fortresses, etc. Others hide their goods. The preverbal buried treasure. Some just dig and hole through it in, fill up the hole but others take far more drastic measures. There is an island near the Spire called "Oak Island." It's the site of one of the most well engineered anti-theft systems ever imagined. Well that's at least what some say. |
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![]() Presence of the Master (by Tom Bubul) Shield the innocent, and you shall be rewarded in the afterlife by the Master. Help those in true need, and the rest can pike it. Presence of the Master is a rather simple town of thatched huts on the river Ma'at, nestled in a little valley between Fortitude and Thebestys, closer to the latter. The town reflects the 'Givers out-look on life, give and you shall receive. Presence of the Master takes this philosophy a step further and a step back: the residents (mostly tribal hunters and priests) only give to those who really need it, and they believe they will be rewarded in the afterlife (as opposed to this life) by a power they call the Master. They live in relative peace, except for the marauding bands of Minions of Set, the village's hated enemies. ![]() Ril' Town (by Joshua Jarvis) Tanber Downs, a Guvner eavesdropper, lanned me some fascinating chant about a Spire-town: ![]() Skytarlin (by Gothenem) Greetings Travellers, If you are reading this, than you've managed to find my most secret operative (or some berk who found him). I am Krainius Talfar, leader of Dair's Mercenaries. Let me tell you bashers about an interesting burg I found in the Outlands. See this city found me while I was going around on the Outlands. Yep, the soddin' city came looking for me. I don't just mean the addle coves in the city came looking, I mean the entire city, walls, streets, buildings people...everything. I nearly went barmy with that sight. Then the ruler of the city came to talk with me. The ruler of the city was the most soddin' big tiger I've ever seen. It stood about 70' tall. So I was invited into the city. I looked around. most of the inhabitants were humans, but there were some tieflings, aasimar, and other planar races here too. I was lead to the palace, when I was finally give the name of the burg: "Skytarlin". ![]() Snakescale (by Belarius) Character: Welcome to the nexus of purest Law and most individual Chaos. Here, the laws are solid as fangbone and as flexible as a viper. The Blue God above orders his will, and it is done. We do what we will. Blue God says scour the land, and no living thing survives. Blue god says stay at home, and we are happy with full larders. Law is not as restrictive as one would think, when given the freedom of Chaos. |
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![]() The Stalagmites Last known entry of Explorer and Geologist Rola Cello (Guvner). ![]()
![]() The Dark: There is a belief that at a certain point the Spire reaching a new state and passes out of this Multiverse and pierces in to another. It is said that Sigil floats just below this point and the closeness of a border between realities, is the reason for the high number of inter dimensional holes or portals in Sigil. ![]() The Steam Park (by Joshua Jarvis) One of the more interesting sites on the Outlands is the Outlands "steam park". Drimward, a steam mephit discovered this place awhile ago and claims it to be 'a bit of the inner planes somehow drifted into the Outlands." Anyone with half a brain knows that this is all screed. The "steam park" is a strange, steep walled valley filled with hot springs that bubble up from the ground. The temperature and pressure vary and they are hottest and most pressurised around mid day. ![]() Sylvan Glade (by The Lord of the Shadows, and pZane) Sylvan Glade, located on average one day's walk from Sylvania towards Faunel, is a seed of a burg more than a burg. Three adventures discovered an inn here which fell into the Outlands from the prime world Oerth. The adventurers decided that the place would be a good business venture and built additions, found employees (mostly Sylvanians who fancied a calmer lifestyle) and set up shop. They renamed the inn "The Sylvan Moon" and a crescent shaped moon symbol lit with continual light shines over the entry. ![]() Two-Face (by Puck) Two-Face is a burg filled with twisted mentalities. See, some leatherheaded berk found a way to split his brain-box into two separate personalities, and then the plane decided to make the whole flaming town the same way! Now every petitioner a body stumbles across has two moods that alternate between two moral and ethical extremes. If the sod's first personality is lawful and evil, the other is chaotic and good, so that they equal out to the true neutrality of the plane. Most strangely of all, considering the Outlands is supposed to be a neutral sort of plane, is that neutral types ain't welcome here at all! ![]() Wanderlust (by Jon Winter) Never rest, never sleep, never remain the same. Let your mind wander the roads of philosophy, thinking in all directions and never becoming complacent with an idea. Question all things, never take anything at face value. ![]() Wild Valley (by Joshua Jarvis) The Wild Valley is located in the Outlands, just outside Faunel, the gate town to the Beastlands. The Wild Valley is unusual in the fact that it gets warmer the deeper down you go. The top of the valley is as cold as a mountain's peak while the bottom is tropical. The petitioners here are everywhere, you just have to realise what they are. The most notable of the petitioners are the animals, like in the Beastlands themselves these animals can talk and cast spells, but unlike the Beastlands these animals do not contain the touch of goodness. They live by rules of nature, the fit survive, eat or be eaten, etc. Like other petitioners in the Outlands they balance out good with bad. |
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art by Jeremiah Golden and Jon Winter |