Humanoid Settlement #1347-b
Location: Mechanus
Humanoid Settlement #1347-b (or as the natives call it, “Hope”) has been around for the past three hundred cycles or so. From the outside Hope appears much like any other town in Mechanus, its appearance having been dictated by Settlement Code 1.4.5-b [Appearance and construction of humanoid settlements, agrarian]. And from within the borders, Hope indeed appears much like any other town—with one exception, there is no visible law enforcement. While Hope does have a Code of Laws, in accordance with Settlement Code 4.5.2-b [Laws and law enforcement in humanoid settlements, agrarian], it also has some very unique laws. According to Hope’s charter, every member of the town is a full fledged constable, militia member, and judge. As such the citizens are empowered to deal with any law breakers as they see fit (and amazingly this power is almost never abused).
Hope is a small settlement of 560 people that makes its living from farming. There is no trade with other villages, there is no effective economy, people here don’t even really understand the concept of money—they simply share and barter for what they need. People here are unusually friendly and open, even with strangers (who tend to be a very rare occurrence here).
Hope is something of a planar myth. There are currently stories circulating in the Anarchist underground about a “city of freedom, right under the modrons’ noses!” If the Anarchists ever came to Hope they would be sorely disappointed, however—rather than the bastion of resistance that their screed makes it out to be, it is actually full of people who would never dream of trying to force their views on someone else.
Hope is a very hard burg to find; it’s said that no-one knows just how to access it via the Labyrinthine Portal, nor are there any known portals from Sigil. Or at least if someone does know, they aren’t telling. Touts in the Lower Ward have recently started selling ‘gate keys to Hope, guaranteed’ but these are invariably fakes. The ‘loths have refused to say anything about Hope (leading to some interesting rumours), as have the celestials. The Modrons on the other hand are more than willing to help people find Hope; as long as they fill out forms 11.24.6.0-c [Requisition for basic information], 23.6.8.9-g [Directional assistance request], 5.62.4.7-* [Plane of origin form, replace * with appropriate plane abbreviation], 5.76.3.0-a [Destination plane form, Mechanus], 4.2.55.1-f-a [Destination in Mechanus form, humanoid settlement, agrarian], and 3.5.66.7-e [Information request form, directional, Mechanus, humanoid settlement, agrarian]. In triplicate. Needless to say, no one has ever gotten help from the modrons.
Hope is dark and will probably stay dark—it is so unlike the fabled ‘City of Freedom’ that even if the Anarchists found it, they might not even recognise it.
Source: James Sinks