The Outlands (PWH)

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Sigil sits at—above, really—the Spire at the center of a plane called the Outlands, or the Land. Technically, the Outlands are part of the Great Ring, but since they exist at the Mcenter" of the Ring, nobody ever thinks to include them in it. As things count on the Outer Planes, the Outlands are realms of true neutrality, but most folks think of them as places with no alignment at all. The Outlands serve as meeting places and common ground for any berk from the Outer Planes. Oh, the Land has its share of natives, and a good number of powers, but most folks steer clear of actual Outlander settlements except for the gate-towns (see below).
The realms and towns of the plane all follow the same basic precept: The closer a body gets to the Spire, the more things cease to work. As a cutter travels spireward, spells begin to fail, psionics cease to function, and eventually even the powers' might dwindles. The plane is organized into nine rings surrounding the Spire, and as a body passes through each ring, more magic and abilities vanish. Leaming these borders isn't a valuable way to spend a body's time, however, 'cause they move and change all the sodding time. Chant is, a race of unknown creatures lives near the base of the Spire. These mysterious gray folk remain hidden because of their isolated location. Due to obvious reasons, they don't use magic, and have some other (more neutral) force at their disposal.
The realms of the Outlands mostly belong to powers of neutrality, so most of 'em don't care one way or another about casual visitors. But other powers lair here too, and not all of them are friendly. Plenty of small Outlands towns thrive here also, some of them attached to realms, some of them standing on their own. And then, of course, there are the gate-towns, which see more traffic than most of the rest of the Outlands put together.
Tarsheva Recomends: Any basher with a strong sword arm or command of a few spells can make a quick pile of jink guarding the constant trade caravans (like those belonging to the Planar Trade Consortium) that crisscross the Outlands.
==The Gate-Towns==
Situated about the Outlands are burgs that contain gates leading to the various other Outer Planes. Each gate-town opens onto the first layer of its respective plane. The areas around the gate-towns, as well as the burgs themselves, take on various aspects of the plane to which the gate leads. So the area around the gate to Mechanus is extremely orderly, while the town around the gate to the Abyss is sinister and foul.
The gate-town of Automata leads to Mechanus. It's full of lawful, orderly, overly organized bashers who can't strap on their own boots without filling out a form. In short, watch out for the red tape. But it's the only place outside of Mechanus that a body can find the strange new clockwork weapons that've been developed on the planes of law. Crossbows that fire more than one bolt (and more accurately, too), armor with built-in dart-throwers, and even stranger things can be found here, as long as the buyer's extra-generous with the jink (and is willing to fill out all the proper forms).
Bedlam's the gate-town to Pandemonium, and it's a barmy place that doesn't look quite right to a body wandering about the streets. Don't assume anyone here's completely sane, but don't think they're all deranged sods, either. If possible, contact a bariaur here named Thrist. He's a little touched, but more lucid than most, and for a price he'll keep a sod out of the blinds.
Curst leads to Carceri, and like that plane, is full of exiles and refugees. There's said to be a slaver ring here that has ties all the way into the Inner Planes.
Ecstasy holds the gate to Elysium. The town's known as the City of Plinths for the tall stone and iron monuments that dot the burg. Here, bashers sit idly and contemplate the multiverse. Everyone else in town is equally as motivated—they do what they want, when they want, and generally enjoy life. This isn't a bad place for a planewalker to take a break, but don't look for much from the local folks—they're busy with their own cares.
In Mount Celestia's gate-town, Excelsior, the streets are paved with gold-flecked brick and floating castles of paladin lords keep the perimeter safe. In fact, a body can't swing a dead vrock without hitting a paladin in Excelsior. If that's not something a basher appreciates, she should just avoid the place.
Although it looks like a ruin, Faunel is actually the gate-town to the Beastlands. This burg's been overgrown by plants and is populated by more beasts than people. Here's a fact some leatherheads can't tumble to: The place is supposed to be wild. Berks trying to fix the place up and establish a real city wind up in the dead-book. The dark is that something here lurks in the shadows, championing the wild side, killing anyone that opposes it.
Fortitude is the gate-town to Arcadia, although some bashers call it the Egg because the town's wall makes a perfect oval shape. The burg's a beautiful place, but it's an ordered beauty. The trees line the parks in neat rows, the grass is uniformly clipped, and the streets are polished to a shine. An intolerant lot of berks live here—beware showing too much individuality.
Glorium's got two gates to Ysgard. One's on the water, big enough for ships to sail through, while the other is actually part of Yggdrasil (see page 12). The town's a very small anthill and there's not much to see. Look for a blacksmith named Thumur who makes a nasty chiv for not a lot of jink. Some say he enchants his wares, but Thumur denies it.
Hopeless is built in a spiraling pit with the gate to the Gray Waste at the bottom. The burg's a depressing place with only one street—the one that spirals down into the pit. The Lonesome Fear inn caters to planewalkers, particularly those who've spent a lot of time on the Lower Planes and know the dark of the nether regions.
The ramshackle town of Plague-Mort leads to the Abyss. Here, might makes right, and the strongest rule the day—rather ruthlessly, too. The shacks that make up the city surround a huge, ornate iron keep where the ruler makes his case. The current chant is that the burg's ruler has a group of plane-touched en- forcers called the Hounds—and they're always looking for new recruits. Tieflings beware, 'cause these folks don't take "no" for an answer.
The fortress city of Ribcage, nestled under the curving "ribs" of the Vale of the Spine mountains, protects the gate to Baator. The people are a peery bunch who work hard and keep their eyes open. Fail in either, and there'll be music too harsh to pay.
Even more of a military camp is Rigus, the gate- town to Acheron. The gate itself lays far underground, and a basher's got to get through guards and protec- tions too numerous to catalog, but rumors say there're other, secret ways to get to it.
Sylvania (which surrounds a gate to Arborea) is a burg for the party-loving planewalker. There're more taverns than in any other gate-town, and that's not even the beginning of the sensual delights to be found here. But beware of partying too hard, 'cause plenty of cony-catchers and cross-trading scum wait to peel and bob the unwary bubbers who fill the streets. For safer entertainment, the Sensates run the God Bar, where powerful illusions temporarily give a basher the appearance and faux abilities of a known power so that he can fight other, similarly enchanted takers in an arena. These "god battles" are popular with the Athar (who enjoy debasing the powers), as well as the Godsmen and the Signers, both of whom like the idea of being powers themselves.
The horrible town of Torch is built amid volcanic spires and surrounded by a blood-red marsh. The gate to Gehenna hovers high off the ground, making it a real challenge to get to it. Torch is full of spivs and knights of the cross-trade, many of them well-lanned about the Outlands and the Lower Planes. For information, look for the top-shelf blood Badurth in the Festhall of the Falling Coins.
Bashers hoping to get to Bytopia might try Tradegate, but the gate's real hard to use 'cause a berk's got to find a cutter named the Master Trader first. Most folks just come here to buy and sell, since this is the center of Outlands commerce.
Barmy's the best way to describe Xaos, the gate-town to Limbo. There's so much chaotic energy here that the town shifts and changes in an eyeblink. The folks here can handle it—lots of travelers can't.
Tarsheva Recommends: Gather a batch of newly grown razorvine for the Cilenei brothers in Curst and have 'em tum it into a bottle of heartwine—it's delicious!