Planescape Femslash (Inerest Check)

Started by Dhi, March 13, 2013, 03:07:12 PM

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Dhi

More Information:
Sigil, City of Doors
(The planar city where the story begins)
Character Sheet
(What I need from you if you want to join)


I have it in mind to run a freeform Planescape game centered around a plot involving the Society of Sensation, intrepid women (human or otherwise) pursuing the faction's mandate to experience the multiverse, and villains both foul and lovely. This is primarily a lesbian game, with a greater than normal number of lesbian NPCs and an emphasis on the sexually liberated atmosphere of Sigil. I'm looking for players with a sense of wonder, a love of exploration and discovery, an interest in the philosophical side of Planescape, and dirty minds. Any and all player genders are welcome.

So what is Planescape?
Beyond the safe and familiar of the earthly Material Plane, through the silvery veil of the Astral, fantastical worlds await. The heavens of Mount Celestia, holy home of the angels, may lie through one gate; the clockwork of Mechanus, hive of the studious Modron automatons through another; through a third, volcanic Gehenna, eternal battlefield of the fiends' Blood War.

Connecting all of these places and untold more is the city of Sigil. Some call it the City of Doors, for there are hidden gateways to all other realms of existence, and a constant traffic of extraplanar creatures passes through this trade nexus. Some call it the Cage, for these gateways often move and close, leaving visitors stranded and at the mercy of fifteen powerful factions all vying for power. But if Sigil is a Cage, then it wasn't built for mere mortals- the Cage, it's said, is prison for the Lady of Pain.


The Lady of Pain is not a woman and she isn't human- nobody's quite sure what she is. The Lady (as she's called) does not speak and does not govern, though her power is absolute. She doesn't have a house, a palace, or a temple, and she does not tolerate being worshiped, under pain of death. The Lady is absolutely removed from the everyday life of Sigil, and yet none of it would be possible without her. It's the threat of the Lady that keeps the peace, it's the Lady who insulates Sigil from the dangers of the planes, and it's the Lady who ultimately allows Sigil's powers that be to flourish.


The Factions consist of fifteen major groups commonly known as "philosophers with clubs." Because the planes can be shaped by belief, Sigil's factions aggressively recruit new members to their philosophies, protect their own, and pursue their own agendas both in Sigil and beyond while opposing the goals of rival factions.

It's assumed the PCs will belong to the Society of Sensation. Also described are their closest ally, the Sign of One, and greatest opponent, the Doomguard.


To a Sensate, the multiverse is known by the senses- the only proof of existence. Without sensation, a thing isn't. The only way to know anything for sure is to use the senses. The meaning of the multiverse is elusive until everything has been experienced- all the flavors, colors, scents, and textures of all the worlds.

From their headquarters in Sigil's resplendent Civic Festhall, the Sensates explore the planes and one another, striking out on missions of sensory experience and self-discovery. Those who return alive to tell the tale have their experiences recorded in the Sensoriums, huge complexes where experiences are stored among millions of small stones called recorders, which can then be replayed by anyone seeking the experience stored within. In this way, the Sensates hope to catalog a complete library of sensation, for the purpose of ultimate enlightenment- but in the meantime, the huge 20-story complex of the Public Sensorium is a great attraction and moneymaker.


To a Signer, every person, every individual, is unique. This is the greatest glory of the multiverse- that each creature living (and dead) is different from all others. It's obvious, then, that the multiverse centers around the self.

The world exists because the mind imagines it. Without the self, the multiverse ceases to be. Therefore, each Signer is the most important person in the multiverse. Without at least one Signer to imagine it all, in theory nothing may exist.

The Hall of Speakers is the base of operations for the Signers in Sigil, where congress between factions debate, and disputes are mediated. The Speaker, always a Signer, oversees public sessions, presiding over the debates regarding statutes, decrees, and Sigil law. After sufficient public hearings, the Council retires to chambers to vote the proposals into law- or vote them down. The most mysterious chamber within the Hall of Speakers is the tomb of the faction founder Rilith. This impressive vault bearing an urn carved from a colossal ocean pearl is watched by Signers day and night, all the while pondering their founder. Should their attention lapse for a moment, Rilith might disappear from history. And without its founder present in the mind of at least one Signer, the faction itself might vanish, no longer to exist.


A Sinker revels in the entropy of the multiverse. Things are meant to crumble, and it's the Doomguard's job to keep the meddlers from messing it up too much. What right do mortals have to deny the natural existence of things? Don't get the faction wrong- isn't not like somebody builds a house and they tear it down. That building's part of the whole decay: the stonecutter chips the rock, the logger cuts the tree, and later the termites chew the beams until the whole case comes down on its own. There's a long view to this, and that's what the Doomguard is all about.

Although the Doomguard maintains citadels on each plane where entropy is strongest, their home in Sigil is the Armory, a forge and storehouse of weapons of devastation and mass destruction. The Armory is dedicated to the buying and selling of all types of weapons, small or large, magical or mundane. Guarding these weapons is a powerful, highly intelligent and highly evil demon- because what could be better for the goal of entropy?

And the rest...

Crash

Count me in Dhi, though I am not familiar with Planescape very well.  I may need a little help getting oriented.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Kunoichi

I've certainly got some interest, though I'm not sure if my schedule will permit me to participate in a full game. ^^;

Dhi


Crash


"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Crash

#5
What races are you allowing?  I'm not familiar with planescape races.  How crazy can we go?  :D

I know this is free form what about starting level.  I can think of so many wonderful things my Lady of Sensation could do with Polymorph Self and Polymorph Other.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Ershin

Expressing my interest in this, though does it matter that my only experience with the Planescape setting is the computer game Planescape: Torment?

Dhi

You have the usual fantasy fare- humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, gnomes, halflings- but Planescape is a very diverse place where denizens of many planes, some of them polar opposites, are forced to live together. A unique race should be reasonable, there oughtn't be a big power gap between PCs, but some common sights around Sigil include bariaur, eladrin, genasi, aasimar, tieflings (left) and succubi (right), modrons, githyanki, and githzerai.

Characters should be organic and not limited by the scope of the game rules, but if it helps you to visualize, Planescape characters usually start out at level 4-6. Since polymorphs start to show up a little later than that, we could say that she's in the process of honing this next level of mastery and can polymorph passably well, or that she's focused on transmutation and learned polymorphs without generalizing into a bunch of unrelated spells.

Dhi

Quote from: Ershin on March 13, 2013, 08:06:40 PM
Expressing my interest in this, though does it matter that my only experience with the Planescape setting is the computer game Planescape: Torment?
No, not at all! Torment deserves high praise for doing justice to the setting.

Kunoichi

Hmm.  I've got a Modron character who would work pretty well for this game, I think. ^^ She's got a more humanoid form than standard Modrons, and she's both very curious and very naive.  I even drew a picture of her at one point, though it'll probably take me a little bit to track it down...

Dhi


Kunoichi

Alright. ^^ Having found that picture I mentioned and refreshed my memory a bit, I can add in that the character's name is Harmony, and that she's an Exiled Modron, rather than a rogue Modron.  I can provide more details, if you'd like.

I also won't be posting the picture I drew of her here, both because it's NSFW and because, looking at it now, I can't help but notice all the embarrassing technical flaws in the image. >>;

Crash

Quote from: Dhi on March 13, 2013, 08:18:04 PM
You have the usual fantasy fare- humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, gnomes, halflings- but Planescape is a very diverse place where denizens of many planes, some of them polar opposites, are forced to live together. A unique race should be reasonable, there oughtn't be a big power gap between PCs, but some common sights around Sigil include bariaur, eladrin, genasi, aasimar, tieflings (left) and succubi (right), modrons, githyanki, and githzerai.

Characters should be organic and not limited by the scope of the game rules, but if it helps you to visualize, Planescape characters usually start out at level 4-6. Since polymorphs start to show up a little later than that, we could say that she's in the process of honing this next level of mastery and can polymorph passably well, or that she's focused on transmutation and learned polymorphs without generalizing into a bunch of unrelated spells.

That works for me.  I was always a fan of the genasi but will look into all races.

"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Empyrean

I'd like to express interest in this. A succubi sensate who's looking to leave the cut-throat world of the Abyss behind and just explore her own sensations and pleasures is the idea I had.

frost rose

I would definitely check my interest as well! I mean, both femslash and Planescape? The biggest problem I'll have is narrowing down all the things I'd want to play.
There was a SIGNATURE here.

It's gone now.

Crash


"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious

Dhi

Very cool and Planescape-y!

I will endeavor to have something to fill out for character sheets this weekend. I'll also explain a little more about characters, and hopefully that'll help with choosing a concept if you're having difficulty.

Galactic Druid

I'm very interested in this, assuming I can keep up with the expected posting rate. I can be pretty busy sometimes, especially on weekends.
A/As last updated 11/27 - Halfway past busy season!

meikle

I enjoy Planescape!  I would like to be involved in this thing.  I have this image in mind of an Aasimar with a body-modification tendency (think lots of tattoos, piercings, and other fun stuff like that) who has an illusionist/rogue kind of bent.  That is a brief summary, but it is where I am right now! 
Kiss your lover with that filthy mouth, you fuckin' monster.

O and O and Discord
A and A

MdG

Am expressing a strong interest in principle. I love the PS setting and its possibilities.

Any ideas re: plot/tone and character types to orient the thought process?

Dhi

I'll have some more details on characters today or tomorrow. The plot is going to be based in the Society of Sensation, a faction that your characters are assumed to belong to, with the eventual goal of cataloging all sensation in the multiverse. The role of characters like yours is to go out and experience, and return to the Sensorium to upload those experiences for others to enjoy. Both good and bad experiences are needed for a complete catalog of sensation, but it's the really good ones that sell tickets, so the Sensates have no problem with you going out and having a raucous orgy with dryads in the Beastlands. They'll fund that!

Maybe your characters are on a path of self-discovery. Maybe this is all about making money. They'll be thrust into new experiences and expected to take an interest in them. Some of them are naturally going to be adult, but it won't just be a greased slope to smut- in tone I'm thinking 1970s swingers, the decadence of something like Great Gatsby.

But while fulfilling your duties as Sensates, there will also be an adventure! There'll be mystery and exploration, with optional perfunctory violence. I run a pretty combat-light D&D game already, and for something like a quest for sensation I think a minimal number of goals can be met by ending somebody's life.

Does that help?

MdG


Dhi


Sigil, the City of Doors
The City of Doors is an important planar city, hosting perhaps a million sentient creatures, most of them transient. Some have arrived in Sigil by accident, after stepping through unknown portals. Others have come to Sigil to trade, or for information, or as a waypoint from one plane of existence to another. Only a small minority counts Sigil as a permanent home.

Sigil is a self-contained city in the shape of a torus. Like many places on the planes, it doesn't follow the same rules as the "normal," or Prime Material, world. The city curves across every interior surface of its ring shape, with up and down relative to where a body's standing. There is no sun or sky, but a light that waxes and wanes in cycles of day and night. On a clear day you can look straight up and see the streets of the city above you, but it's rarely clear in Sigil. It's a wet, dirty place, full of noise and brawling, slippery stone and razorvine. When the native poets write about their home, it's not about glowing sunsets or walks through sweet-scented parks. They write about the things that shouldn't be seen in the dark alleys, about the way the shifting streets rumble like a dying beast, or about the decay that cleanses the bones of the city.
Though you wouldn't know it from the inside, Sigil hovers high atop an Outer Planar structure known as the Spire. Though the Spire is in theory infinite, its end can be perceived, and the barren outer surface of Sigil can be seen there, forever out of reach. The only way into or out of Sigil is through portals- there is no known way to approach it from the outside, since it is always an infinite distance away. Rumors tell of breaches in the bowels of Sigil, deep in the Hive Ward, where one can stand and look down from the infinite Spire. It's said that one who falls from one of these breaches will fall forever through infinity, or else become one with oblivion, erased from memory. But for all its terrifying possibilities, this is far from Sigil's most compelling mystery.

A very detailed map of Sigil and its wards can be found at
http://k005.kiwi6.com/hotlink/1vld01b4zd/sigilmap.png
(Warning, it's huge, 4800x3300, 25 MB in size)

Factions of Sigil
In addition to the Society of Sensation, the Sign of One, and the Doomguard, Sigil is run by a dozen other major factions. The Fraternity of Order run the city courts and enforce its laws. The Harmonium serve as the city's police, detaining criminals and preserving social harmony. The Mercykillers complement this triad as deliverers of justice, as jailors and executioners. The Bleak Cabal are a fatalistic organization dedicated to caring for the city's poor and ill and insane. The Dustmen handle the business of the city's dead, running its mortuary and records of death. Other city records are kept by the Fated, who collect taxes and balance the city's budgets. The Believers of the Source educate the city's public so that they might reach their true potential. The Transcendent Order, among the least bureaucratic, run the city's Great Gymnasium and emphasize unity of mind and body. The Free League serve as the city's merchant guild. The Revolutionary League, the Xaositects, and the Athar are all rebels in their own right: the Revolutionary League opposes the structure of the city's factions and authority at large; the Xaositects embrace chaos and systematically tear down the established order for new growth; finally, the Athar achieve a balance with all Sigil's hundreds of faiths and thousands of street preachers by opposing all religion equally.

The Dabus
The dabus are both servants and lords of Sigil. They're unique to the Cage, never found anywhere else in the planes. In other words, the dabus never leave Sigil. This fact, coupled with their tireless work maintaining the infrastructure of the city, leads some to believe they are actually living manifestations of the city.

Most of the time the dabus are found repairing what's broken in Sigil. They keep the sewers and catacombs beneath the streets from crumbling, they cut back the razorvine when it grows too rampant, they patch the cobblestone streets, and they repair the crumbling facades of the city's buildings. To most, the dabus are nothing more than cryptic workmen.

And they are cryptic. Their thoughts literally fill the air when they pass, for the dabus' speech is illusion shaped into pictures- the dabus communicate not by word, but by the complicated structure of the rebus. These are the ultimate in thought-pictures, where symbols are chosen for the sounds made in a language, and the sounds are strung togther to form words. Of course, many languages are spoken in Sigil, and a dabus' illusory thoughts are always suitable for the observer, perhaps not existing at all until a linguistic mind tries to comprehend them.

Sigil's Sexual Revolution
Though Sigil may be called The Cage, for some this melting pot of culture and philosophy is very liberating. As a city under the mercy of a beautiful, terrifying, and amoral woman, as a city with a large transient population, as a city encouraged to expand its horizons by factions such as the Society of Sensation, as a city without gods or religious prejudices, Sigil is a fashionable place to defy sexual norms. In the last decade, lesbianism has become very fashionable thanks to publicly, even competitively homosexual leaders such as Factol Erin Darkflame Montgomery of the Society of Sensation, Factol Darius of the Sign of One, and Factol Rhys of the Transcendent Order.

A second wave of alternative lifestyles has ignited more recently among younger Factols Nilesia of the Mercykillers and Pentar of the Doomguard. The city's thriving red light district sees a frequent business of those looking for a homosexual experience with no strings attached, and the Society of Sensation's Public Sensorium provides an outlet for those simply looking for the raw physical or emotional sensation, without need for human (or nonhuman) involvement.

As of the current year (127 H.R.) it's estimated that more than half of the women in Sigil have had some sort of gay experience. Niche taverns, brothels, and flyers advertising all sorts of goods with sapphic imagery have all tapped into this phenomenon. The undercurrent of sexual experimentation is so pervasive that a counter-culture promoting traditional man-and-wife relations has begun to gain traction. Since Sigil is a questionable place to try to raise a family, the movement has been met with mixed reception.

Kunoichi

Hmm.  I'm thinking I'll probably have Harmony as a factotum within the Society who is more true to the faction's base philosophy, and thus who has an equal fascination with both negative and positive sensory experiences.  I'm also tempted to have her not really understand the whole 'importance of clothing' thing yet, or perhaps deliberately choose to reject it for some reason...  Still on the fence about that one, though.

MdG

Incidentally, I wrote an article for Planeswalker (which carried on the PS franchise after D&D was bought by WoTC) on gay/lesbian/bi life in Sigil, which (I hope) you may find interesting since it's on topic: http://www.planewalker.com/080923/the-alternative-guide-city-doors