Contents
Part 1: Schemes in Sigil
[image: The floating skull Morte welcomes some less-than-dead adventurers to the Mortuary]
Chapter 1: Grave Escape
The characters have died, but their adventures are far from over. Victims of a multiversal mishap, they awaken with hazy memories in the basement of the Mortuary, a foreboding monument to death located in the Hive Ward of Sigil (detailed in chapter 2 of Sigil and the Outlands). Headquarters of the Heralds of Dust, a faction of undertakers and Undead, the Mortuary is a living tomb where the dead are interred, cremated, or raised to serve the Heralds of Dust. Surely, someone in the City of Doors can help the characters learn about their pasts, but the characters must first escape their gloomy prison before its wardens lay them to rest.
Hey, Chief!
When you're ready to begin play, read the following text:
The talking skull is Morte (see his stat block in area M1), a curmudgeonly interplanar traveler plucked from his eternal punishment in the Nine Hells. Tormented by the lies he told in life, Morte masks his pain with a morbid sense of humor and an insufferable dose of sarcasm.
Talking with Morte
Morte is friendly toward the characters and does his best to answer their questions. In conversation, the skull addresses each character as "Chief" or some other inoffensive but still unflattering nickname.
As a result of the multiversal glitch affecting the characters (see this book's introduction), they don't remember much about themselves and don't know why they're in the Mortuary. Morte can answer the following questions or otherwise provide this information:
- Who Are You?. Morte describes himself as a debonair planes traveler who died too young. If asked about the whereabouts of his body, Morte quips he never really had a good head on his shoulders or claims to be the skull of the archlich Vecna.
- Where Are We?. The characters are in the Mortuary in Sigil, an interplanar hub at the center of the Outer Planes. If they ever see the light of day again, they're in for a real treat.
- How Did We Get Here?. To have wound up in the Mortuary, Morte reckons the characters must've died and been wheeled in, just like everyone else.
- How Do We Leave?. Morte doesn't know the way out, but he does know the Heralds of Dust, who run the Mortuary, don't take kindly to "fleshies" poking around. He tells the characters to "shake a leg" and make their escape while they still can.
If the characters ask Morte to accompany them, the skull declines, mentioning that he's waiting for someone else. He doesn't elaborate further.
The characters will have other questions. Seeking answers should drive them on.
Mortuary Basement
The basement of the Mortuary is a collection of musty chambers where the Heralds of Dust, also known as the Dusters, process Sigil's dead. Cheerless faction agents prowl its halls, wheeling corpses to embalming chambers or to the crematorium. The Heralds of Dust treat the dead with reverence and dignity, granting them last rites in accordance with the beliefs of the deceased whenever possible. Heralds of Dust abhor resurrection magic, decrying it as anathema to their work.
The Mortuary has other floors besides the one presented in this chapter. See chapter 2 of Sigil and the Outlands for details on the Mortuary.
Multiversal Glitch
The Mortuary is a dangerous place for 3rd-level characters. If a character dies, refer to the "Running Glitch Characters" section in this book's introduction. If all the characters die at once, they reappear back in the morgue. Morte heckles them on their return.
Mortuary Basement Features
Unless otherwise stated, the basement of the Mortuary has the following features:
- Ceilings. Ceilings are 8 feet high in corridors and 12 feet high in rooms. They are held aloft by walls of smooth stone.
- Doors. Doors are iron gates that squeak as they swing on their hinges.
- Lighting. The basement is dimly lit by sputtering continual flame spells cast on wall sconces grasped by iron skeletal hands.
Mortuary Basement Locations
The following locations are keyed to map 1.1.
M1: Morgue
The characters begin their adventure in the morgue, a sterile room where Heralds of Dust identify the dead. It is described in the "Hey, Chief!" section and contains no creatures other than the talking skull Morte (see the accompanying stat block).
Bolted into the floor are eight examination tables, and rusty furnishings—step stools, garbage cans, and metal gurneys—are scattered between them. Humanoid bodies, draped in dingy sheets flecked with blood, lie on any tables not occupied by the characters when they wake. Deceased commoners collected from Sigil, the corpses carry nothing of value.
Treasure
The shelf along the far wall contains a healer's kit with three uses remaining, several flasks of embalming chemicals, a polished scalpel that functions as a dagger, and any equipment the characters begin play with.
M2: Autopsy Room
Jex, a wispy-haired Heralds of Dust remnant (see Morte's Planar Parade), dissects a flesh golem in the autopsy room. The cold-hearted mortician is trying to locate a key she accidentally dropped inside the golem during a routine grafting procedure.
Becoming one of the faction's undertakers after a failed attempt at lichdom, Jex drank from a magical goblet that burned away her jaw. Her features have since been reconstructed with translucent wax.
If either creature becomes aware of the characters, the golem sits up—its exposed chest cavity on display—and the horrified mortician tells the characters they're supposed to be dead. Both creatures attack.
Treasure
The golem's chest contains the key to the locked drawer in area M4.
M3: Possessions Room
This storage room houses objects confiscated from the dead. Two poltergeists (variant specters) put on a macabre puppet show for an audience of three slack-jawed skeletons. The spirits hover behind a makeshift curtain, using their unintelligible wails to give a pair of eerie dolls the impression of speech.
The poltergeists are indifferent toward the characters, but if the characters disturb their performance, the poltergeists attack and the skeletons join in. If a character dies in this room and later returns, the poltergeists substitute the dolls for a dance routine featuring the character's limp corpse as its star.
A character can make a DC 14 Charisma (Performance) check to act alongside the puppets. On a successful check, the skeletons applaud, and the poltergeists reward the character with a potion of resistance (poison) from a music box on a high shelf.
Treasure
In addition to the potion of resistance (poison), this room holds three faction uniforms (your choice), a purse containing 30 gp, and three trinkets (determined randomly by rolling on the Trinkets table in the Player's Handbook).
M4: Cold Locker
Six mortuary stretchers, chilled drawers sized for Medium creatures, line the walls of this frigid chamber. The Heralds of Dust store members of their Undead workforce here.
The drawers and their contents are as follows:
- Drawer 1. This drawer is jammed shut. A human commoner—a pasty-faced Herald of Dust named Fruth who fell asleep on the job and was mistakenly pronounced dead—bangs on the door from the inside, begging to be freed. The door can be opened with a successful DC 15 Strength check. If released, the shivering Herald of Dust is friendly toward the characters. However, it's his first day, and he doesn't know the way out of the Mortuary other than the way corpses come in: the chute in area M6.
- Drawers 2–4. Each of these drawers contains a zombie worker that groans and shields its eyes if exposed to the light. If a character disturbs an occupant further, all three of the drawers swing open, and the zombies attack.
- Drawer 5. This drawer is empty.
- Drawer 6. This drawer is locked. Opening it requires a successful DC 18 Dexterity check using thieves' tools or the key located in the autopsy room (area M2). Inside are a jeweled goblet worth 100 gp, a manifesto of the Heralds of Dust's philosophies, and a spell scroll of animate dead.
[image: The zombie Maurice dutifully attends one of the Mortuary's deluxe-sized crematoriums]
M5: Crematorium
Centrally located, this crematorium is a 30-foot-long, 5-foot-wide chamber accessible by Undead workers on both ends. Miniature blowtorches are located in the mouths of stone faces that dot the walls of the chamber.
Safety Lever (Blue)
To prevent flames from escaping into the hallway, a safety lever ensures the crematorium's two entrances—iron doors with reinforced windows of heat-resistant glass—are shut while its flame spouts are active.
When triggered, the safety lever causes both doors to slam shut and lock for 1 minute, during which time the bright-red furnace lever flips upward and can be triggered (see below). The doors can't be opened from either side for the duration, and both levers flip to their original orientations when the doors unlock. The furnace lever won't budge unless the safety mechanism is active.
Furnace Lever (Red)
When pulled, the furnace lever causes the torches set into the walls to erupt with gouts of flame. Creatures inside the fire-filled crematorium must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 44 (8d10) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Zombie Worker
After the characters enter the crematorium for the first time, a human zombie wearing a name tag that reads "Maurice" appears in the window of the opposite door and triggers the safety mechanism, trapping any characters inside the crematorium for 1 minute.
Maurice then places its moldering hand on the red lever, preparing to trigger the furnace. The characters can try to distract the zombie from its task with magic or theatrics and by making DC 14 Charisma (Performance) check. On a successful check, the zombie gurgles contently and loses interest in the lever. It shuffles along when the doors unlock. On a failed check, the zombie pulls the furnace lever.
M6: Corpse Retrieval
Corpse collectors deliver bodies to the Mortuary in exchange for paltry sums, dumping them into 10-foot-square chutes overseen by Herald of Dust guards. The bodies slide down the steep chutes to retrieval rooms, occasionally colliding with unsuspecting occupants.
Shortly after the characters arrive, a corpse tumbles down the chute and lands with a splat, disgorging a hostile black pudding. As the ooze accosts the party, bodies continue to spill from the chute.
Falling Corpses
On initiative count 20, creatures within 10 feet of the chute must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage and have the prone condition. The chute stops ejecting corpses after 3 rounds.
Escape
After dealing with the ooze, the characters can climb up a corpse chute to the surface. Doing so requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. The chute opens into Ragpicker's Square (see the "Surfacing in Sigil" section later in this chapter).
M7: Dining Hall
Heralds of Dust enjoy their last meals in this lavish hall before undergoing necromantic rituals. The table is set for the number of characters in the party.
Kingsley, a lawful evil ghost butler, has prepared a meal, tailoring dishes to each character's tastes. If a character removes a platter's lid, it reveals their favorite food, masterfully prepared. Let each player describe what meal awaits their character.
The dinner is laced with poison. A creature that partakes in any food or drink in this room must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Treasure
The silverware on the table is collectively worth 200 gp.
M8: Burial Grove
Bodies undergo a slow, natural decay in this funereal thicket. Three spindly dryads oversee the decomposition, ensuring no one disturbs the process. The dryads allow the characters into the grove, mentioning that though the characters walk as the living do, they stink of death.
A Gulthias tree (see the "Blights" entry in the Monster Manual), surrounded by brambles, rises above the thicket. It bears a single, bone-white fruit resembling an apple. A creature that eats half or more of the fruit takes 70 necrotic damage. The dryads don't stop characters from picking the fruit.
M9: Records Room
The records room is the lair of Thaeziagnuz, a demilich poet tasked with eulogizing Sigil's dead. Thaeziagnuz can speak, read, and write Common. Once a tabaxi bard of great renown, Thaeziagnuz has a case of writer's block. Piles of crinkled obituaries surround the skull's desk.
The cranky demilich is initially indifferent toward the characters. When the characters enter, the Undead poet laments its situation and asks them to help it complete a brief epitaph for a member of the Doomguard who drowned in a bathhouse yesterday. A character can try to improve Thaeziagnuz's epitaph by making a DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion or Performance) check. On a successful check, the demilich becomes friendly toward the characters; on a failed check, it howls in frustration. If the character fails this check a second time, the demilich attacks until the characters retreat from the room.
Pigeonholes
Death certificates fill a network of cubbyholes around Thaeziagnuz's desk. A character can locate their own death certificate by searching for it and succeeding on a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check. Curiously, one field remains blank on each of the characters' death certificates: their cause of death.
M10: Hallway
The stairway in this musty hallway ascends to a cellar door at the edge of the Mortuary's grounds near the Hive Ward (see the following section). An iron gate at the south end of the corridor leads to other areas in the Mortuary, but they are beyond the scope of this adventure.
Surfacing in Sigil
When the characters exit the Mortuary, read or paraphrase the following description:
Here ends chapter 1. Each character should gain a level before starting the next chapter.
Chapter 2: Philosophers with Clubs
The characters emerge from the Mortuary and find all of Sigil before them. Before running this part of the adventure, review Sigil and the Outlands. Use this chapter to familiarize characters with Sigil and get a taste for what it has to offer. After meeting the tout Parisa, the characters can explore as they please. When you're ready for the adventure to proceed, run the "Harmonium Officers" encounter.
A Tout to Help You Out
After leaving the Mortuary, the characters emerge in Ragpicker's Square in the Hive Ward. There they meet their first local, an irritable tiefling commoner with devilish hooves who bumps into them in the street. Flustered and clearly in the wrong, the tiefling spins around and berates the characters:
The tetchy pedestrian might be either a planar wanderer spouting nonsense or a Sigil resident embellishing their speech with local slang. Before the exchange can escalate, a spunky bariaur wanderer (see Morte's Planar Parade) named Parisa intervenes and tells the tiefling to scram; the commoner continues along their way with a sneer.
Parisa scrapes a living in Sigil as a tout, a guide to the City of Doors. Brazen, street savvy, and a little mischievous, the bariaur knows all the local hot spots and the portals that lead to them. She offers her services to the party for just 3 gp per day. If they refuse, the characters can explore the city on their own or find another guide. Alternatively, you can have Parisa reappear later in this chapter.
"It's daunting, isn't it? The sudden feeling that everything and everywhere are now at your fingertips. Don't worry; I won't lead you astray. Where do you want to go first?"
Exploring Sigil
Chapter 2 of Sigil and the Outlands describes life in Sigil and the locations on the poster map. Use this information, along with the random encounter table in each ward's section, to bring the multiversal hub to life. Sigil is a metropolis with manifold attractions; feel free to add in adventuring sites of your own creation.
How long the characters spend in the City of Doors is up to you, but they should have enough time to take a long rest before the Harmonium spoils the fun (see the "Sigil Encounters" section).
Map of Sigil
If the characters accept Parisa's services, show your players the poster map of Sigil to guide their characters' exploration. The map simulates the tout's extensive knowledge of the city's layout, wards, and noteworthy sites.
If the characters decline the guide, they can purchase a map of the city (use the poster map) for 10 gp in any shop that caters to visitors. However, without a guide, the characters might be unfamiliar with some, if not all, of the locations denoted on the map.
Sights and Wonders
Parisa or any other unofficial guide can recommend the following activities to the characters:
- Eat Planar Grub. From the eclectic street foods of the Grease Pit to the posh cuisine of the Gastrognome, Sigil offers a taste of the multiverse.
- Get Ink at Fell's Tattoos. A dabus (see Morte's Planar Parade) named Fell runs a tattoo parlor in the Hive Ward. For 10 gp, Fell can give a character a magic tattoo that functions as a nexus feature (see "Glitch Characters" in the introduction). He can later remove it for the same amount.
- Rest at the Ubiquitous Wayfarer. Accessible via dozens of planar portals, the Ubiquitous Wayfarer is a friendly, three-story tavern in the Lower Ward. Its proprietor, Riaen Blackhome, rents rooms for 2 gp per night.
- Say a Planar Prayer. No power is too obscure to worship in the Lady's Ward, where demonic cultists and goodly priests erect temples side by side.
- Send a Squeak. A guide introduces the characters to the pervasive rodents called cranium rat squeakers (see Morte's Planar Parade) and explains how to communicate using them.
- Shop at the Great Bazaar. Anything and everything is sold in the bustling avenues of the Great Bazaar: equipment, food and drink, even magic items.
- Visit a Faction's Headquarters. Sigil is home to twelve ascendant factions, which perform important city functions. Some are friendlier than others, but characters who have the Planar Philosopher background and their comrades enjoy easy access to their factions' headquarters and amenities.
Who Am I?
The core mystery of this adventure surrounds the characters' identities and the nature of their deaths. While the characters retain vague, surface-level details about themselves, they're likely to seek more information in places such as the Hall of Records in the Clerks' Ward or the Institute for Intellectual Excellence in the Market Ward. Ultimately, the answers they find are either unsatisfying or nonexistent, and no one knows how the characters died.
Despite their predicament, the characters can learn minor details about themselves through experiences in Sigil. They might discover they have a fear of needles after visiting Fell's Tattoos or realize they have more refined tastes after partaking in cheap food or drink. Consider awarding inspiration (see the Player's Handbook) whenever such observations happen.
[image: Parisa the bariaur tout guides visitors wherever they want to go in Sigil]
Sigil Encounters
The following encounters can be introduced anywhere in Sigil. While the first two are optional, the "Harmonium Officers" encounter marks the end of the exploration portion of this chapter and moves the adventure's plot forward.
Sensory Experience
A Society of Sensation muse (see Morte's Planar Parade) in a flowery gown approaches the characters, eager to record a new sensation in their sensory stone (see Sigil and the Outlands). Roll on the Sensory Stone Sensations table and consult the entries below to determine the muse's desired sensation and how the characters can help them elicit it.
Sensory Stone Sensations
| d6 | Experience |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Fear |
| 3–4 | Joy |
| 5–6 | Serenity |
- Fear. A character can cause fear in a passing commoner with a successful DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation) check accompanied by a threatening gesture or ominous interaction. On a failed check, the characters record the citizen's contempt instead.
- Joy. The Sensate points the characters to a sobbing child (noncombatant) holding a broken toy. A character can brighten the child's spirits with a successful DC 15 Charisma (Performance) check or by repairing their toy. On a failed check, the characters record despair instead.
- Serenity. To record serenity, the Sensate directs the characters to a satyr musician nervously preparing for a street-side performance. A character can calm the satyr's nerves with a successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check or the calm emotions spell. On a failed check, the characters record anxiety instead.
If the characters record the Sensate's desired sensation, the muse rewards them with a sensory stone of their own. Otherwise, the Sensate recommends the characters get better in touch with their emotions and departs.
Planar Philosophers
Intellectuals from three factions—the Athar, the Bleak Cabal, and the Mind's Eye—are locked in debate in a public forum, such as the Trianym outside the Hall of Speakers. The quarrelers consist of a strident Athar null, an apathetic Bleak Cabal void soother, and an uplifting Mind's Eye matter smith (see Morte's Planar Parade for these stat blocks). Their dispute concerns the legitimacy of gods in the grand scheme of the multiverse. Their bombastic arguments have drawn a small crowd of spectators.
Three Arguments
The crux of their arguments are as follows:
The Athar vigorously asserts that the gods are false powers, pointing to their dead husks in the Astral Sea as evidence that they're unworthy of worship.
The Bleak Cabal agrees with the Athar but goes on to say that nothing has meaning, not even this debate—the multiverse is a cruel existence.
The Mind's Eye disagrees with both of the others, claiming that the gods are legitimate and that every individual can become one. True potential lies within; it's an ingot waiting to be forged.
What Do You Think?
Having reached an impasse, the philosophers turn their attention to the characters, asking them to weigh in. The debate resolves in one of three ways:
- One of You Is Right. If the characters side with one of the three philosophers, that debater rejoices. Afterward, the agent invites them to tour their faction's headquarters: the Shattered Temple (Athar), the Gatehouse (Bleak Cabal), or the Great Foundry (Mind's Eye).
- Another Faction Is Right. If the characters disagree and instead support another faction in Sigil, the philosophers dismiss the characters. Shortly afterward, a spectator in the crowd approaches the characters as a representative of that faction and invites them to the faction's headquarters.
- None of You Are Right. If the characters conclude that no faction is right, or support two or more arguments, the philosophers groan and disperse. A few stragglers hang around afterward to voice support for the characters' new philosophy.
If the characters visit a faction headquarters, they're provided details on the faction's philosophies and welcomed to join, if they so choose. See Sigil and the Outlands for details on the factions.
Harmonium Officers
Sigil's tripartite of justice—the Fraternity of Order, the Harmonium, and the Mercykillers—has learned of the character's multiversal glitch, whether from the Heralds of Dust or a creature that witnessed the characters' spontaneous resurrection. The Guvners deploy a cadre of Harmonium officers to place the characters under arrest.
When you're ready to end the exploration, read or paraphrase the following text:
The three Harmonium peacekeepers (see Morte's Planar Parade) command the characters to drop their weapons and come quietly. The officers have been ordered to bring the characters before the High Courts of Sigil, where the characters must stand trial for supposed crimes against reality.
Parisa distances herself from the characters on seeing the Harmonium officers. She apologizes to the characters, briefly mentioning she "can't go back to the Prison" before fleeing the scene.
The Harmonium officers attempt to detain the characters with their pincered polearms and walk them to the city courts. Failing that, they try to knock the characters unconscious and place them in shackles.
Development
Whether they evade the Harmonium pursuers or get caught, the characters eventually meet Farrow, detailed below. The circumstance of this introduction depends on whether the characters escape or are captured, as detailed below:
- Escape. If the characters defeat or evade their pursuers, they quickly run into Farrow, who helps them lie low in a nearby establishment as Harmonium backup arrives on the scene.
- Capture. If the characters are bested, Harmonium officers detain them with manacles that function as dimensional shackles. The manacles' magic fades if they are opened or destroyed. As the characters are taken to the city courts, Farrow arrives disguised as a Harmonium officer named Josbert Plum. After unlocking their manacles, "Josbert" helps the characters flee the guards to a safe place nearby.
[image: Farrow and Their Alter Ego Josbert Plum]
Farrow, Shadar-kai Spy
Farrow was once a member of a covert network of shadar-kai—elves shaped by the magic of the Shadowfell—on a Material Plane world known as Mystara. Hurled into the Cage after a failed mission on their home world, Farrow has since acclimated to the City of Doors and put their talents to use. They have curly white hair, ashen skin, and a purplish birthmark on the right side of their face.
The shadar-kai serves the arcanaloth Shemeshka as one of her most reliable agents, using a magic ring that functions as a hat of disguise to infiltrate the many factions of Sigil. Farrow has a disguise for each ascendant faction, along with a few others. When Farrow dons a disguise, they become a new person entirely, losing themself in the role until the spell wears off. Each alter ego pledges fealty to Shemeshka, but only she knows Farrow's many faces are one and the same. Farrow's signature birthmark persists across their disguises.
Faces of Farrow
In addition to their true form (a neutral, elf spy), Farrow regularly dons the following disguises, replacing their game statistics with those of a Sigil faction agent (detailed in Morte's Planar Parade):
Aza Dowling, a self-indulgent tiefling Society of Sensation muse.
Josbert Plum, a belligerent human Harmonium peacekeeper with a blonde buzz cut.
Kal the Crisp, a freckled gnome Hands of Havoc fire starter with a penchant for destruction.
If reduced to 0 hit points while disguised as an alter ego, Farrow reverts to their true form. Any excess damage carries over to that form.
Mysterious Patron
Farrow has been observing the characters from afar. The shadar-kai understands the characters' identity crisis and believes Shemeshka can help, but the spy doesn't disclose their employer's name due to Shemeshka's dire reputation; Farrow hopes they've done enough to earn the characters' trust in the meantime.
Farrow offers to guide the characters through Undersigil, a maze of tunnels beneath the city, to their patron's safe house. It's too risky to travel the streets—before the characters know it, every Harmonium officer in Sigil will be looking for them.
If the characters accept Farrow's guidance, Farrow leads them to the closest entrance to Undersigil, a boarded-up archway in the basement of a nearby building. If the characters decline, Farrow tells them it's their funeral; the Harmonium will continue to return in greater numbers until the enforcers succeed, and next time, Farrow might not be there to bail out the characters.
Undersigil
Farrow knows a path through Undersigil to Fortune's Wheel, a casino owned by Shemeshka. Though the shortcut avoids the Harmonium officers, the tunneled realms beneath Sigil bring their own dangers, as detailed by the encounters in this section. For more information about Undersigil, see chapter 2 of Sigil and the Outlands.
On entering Undersigil, Farrow cautions the characters to keep their wits about them.
Stuffed Rat
Soon after the characters begin their travels in Undersigil, read the following description:
The speaker is a cranium rat squeaker (see Morte's Planar Parade), a scout for a cranium rat collective known as the Us, which is scouting new territory. The rat uses the pronouns "we" and "us" when referring to itself. Overwhelmed by the sweet scent of dessert, the rat abandoned its mission and gorged itself on cake here moments ago. Its belly full, the rat has the incapacitated and prone conditions and is indifferent to the party.
If the characters leave the defenseless rat in peace, it gives them a cryptic warning about the tunnels beyond: "Beware the scent of strawberry." If the characters harm it, the rat lets out a telepathic shriek, and a hostile cranium rat squeaker swarm (see Morte's Planar Parade) pours out from nearby cracks to avenge it.
Twisted Tea Party
Farrow's shortcut takes the characters through the territory of the Coterie of Cakes, a dwindling faction of bullies and bakers who believe the multiverse is a giant, multilayered cake. Forced into Undersigil when their faction didn't quite take, the Cakers aggressively knead nonbelievers into members of their cake-based contingent.
Eventually, the characters happen on a Caker tea party in a flooded chamber, emerging from the tunnel to the north. Map 2.1 depicts the area. When the characters arrive, read the following text:
Four Cakers—chaotic evil, human thugs whose maces are rolling pins—prattle on about the "misguided" surface factions of Sigil over cake and tea. The Cakers are initially indifferent toward the characters. Normally, the Cakers don't take kindly to interruptions, but the struggling coterie is eager to recruit new members.
When the characters make themselves known, the troop's ringleader—a pink-haired Caker named Gertrube—invites them to take a seat and join the absurd celebration. If the characters can endure 10 minutes of teatime without offending their hosts, the Cakers allow them to proceed unimpeded. However, if the characters decline their offer or otherwise insult the Cakers during the meal—to refuse a slice of cake is an unforgivable blunder—the Cakers politely ask to be excused, push in their chairs, and attack.
[image: Gertrube invites visitors to a Caker celebration in Undersigil]
Cursed Cake
Unable to secure fresh ingredients in Undersigil, the Cakers prepped this pastry with the blood of a vargouille. A successful DC 16 Intelligence (Arcana) check reveals the wings have black blood; they don't belong to a bat or any other Beast.
Creatures other than Constructs, Fiends, or Undead that partake of the cake are cursed. Over 1d4 hours, a cursed creature's head takes on fiendish aspects. At the end of this time, the creature dies, and its head tears from its body as a hostile vargouille reflection (see Morte's Planar Parade). Casting greater restoration, remove curse, or a similar spell on the target before this transformation completes ends the curse and undoes its effects.
Cursed Cakers
The Cakers have eaten the cursed cake. Makeup masks their languid complexions, but a character who succeeds on a DC 14 Wisdom (Insight or Medicine) check determines the Cakers aren't well. If a Caker is reduced to 0 hit points, a hostile vargouille reflection sprouts from their corpse.
Portals
Each of the lettered sewer pipes on map 2.1 contains a portal to one of the others in this room. The pipes are large enough for a Medium or smaller creature to pass through without squeezing. A creature that enters a pipe emerges on the other side of the pipe with the matching letter on map 2.1. The Cakers know the destinations of each pipe and use them to their advantage in combat.
Treasure
Among the Cakers are two stale baguettes, three mincemeat pies, and a lemon tart. Additionally, Gertrube carries a portal compass (see Sigil and the Outlands).
To Fortune's Wheel
After the characters deal with the Cakers, the remainder of the journey through Undersigil is uneventful. They emerge from Undersigil in the Lady's Ward, about a block from Fortune's Wheel.
When the characters arrive, read the following:
Here ends chapter 2. Each character should gain a level before starting the next chapter.
Chapter 3: Fortune Favors the Bold
The characters arrive at Fortune's Wheel, a planar casino in the Lady's Ward owned by the Shemeshka the Marauder. As they wait for the arcanaloth to arrive, the characters experience the gambling hall, its games, and its colorful clientele. At the end of the evening, Shemeshka promises to investigate the characters' pasts if they agree to do her a favor.
Warm Welcome
The door of Fortune's Wheel opens into the Dragon Bar. When the party enters, a polite, snappily dressed tiefling bellhop (commoner) named Valek delivers a letter to them that reads as follows:
Valek shows the characters to their rooms: luxurious suites fit for royalty on the second floor. A clean set of fine clothes awaits each character.
Valek caters to their basic needs, offering to shine equipment, answer questions about the casino, or provide a short tour. Valek expects a tip of at least 1 sp for each service. If the characters fail to tip Valek, he remains courteous but becomes faintly aloof.
With the characters in Valek's capable hands, Farrow wishes the characters good luck and departs the casino.
"Come on, mama needs a new octet of shoes!"
Planar Proprietor
Shemeshka's reputation precedes her. Characters who question Farrow, Valek, or other locals about her might learn the following details:
- Arcanaloth. Shemeshka is an influential arcanaloth who takes pride in her appearance. She owns Fortune's Wheel and appears in the casino regularly.
- Influencer. She's fantastically wealthy and an information broker par excellence.
- Spy Master. Powerful in her own right, Shemeshka also commands a loyal web of spies that could bring the city's factions to their knees overnight.
[image: Wealthy and daring gamblers from across the planes mingle at the Fortune's Wheel casino]
Fortune's Wheel
Fortune's Wheel is a casino where risk-takers from across the multiverse place bets.
Tracking Time
The characters have enough time to finish a long rest. After this, they have 3 hours before Shemeshka arrives on the casino floor. They can use this time to explore Fortune's Wheel, play games, and interact with fellow gamblers. Use the games detailed in the following sections and the encounters in the "Timed Events" section to fill the time. Don't worry about managing things to the minute. If the players are having fun, give them time to enjoy the casino.
Casino Games
Games of chance are scattered throughout the casino. Most involve the elements here.
Razorleaves
Due to the infinite currencies in Sigil, the games in Fortune's Wheel use razorleaves: gambling chips unique to the casino. A razorleaf—or simply a "razor"—looks like a gold-hued token inscribed with stylized razorvines. Each razorleaf is worth 10 gp.
Most games cost 1 razorleaf to play. Characters can exchange their earnings for gold or purchase additional razorleaves at a casino cage (detailed later in this chapter).
Gamblers
The Fortune's Wheel Gamblers table details NPCs the characters might encounter in the casino. Use these individuals to bring Fortune's Wheel to life through social interactions or by including them as quirky rivals for characters playing casino games.
Fortune's Wheel Gamblers
| d4 | Gambler |
|---|---|
| 1 | Anisa (chaotic good, human noble) raises money for the poor. A member of the Ring-Givers, a philanthropic Sigil faction, she gives the characters a free casino chip in a charitable yet patronizing gesture. |
| 2 | "Lu," a kindly tiefling archmage and secret Incantifer (detailed in Sigil and the Outlands), is celebrating her birthday. She never discloses her age. |
| 3 | Rule-of-Three, a cryptic cambion disguised as a githzerai, always wagers three chips. |
| 4 | Ignatius Inkblot (lawful neutral mind flayer), an undercover detective, investigates the casino for fraud. |
Fortune's Wheel Features
The casino has the following features:
- Casino Ambiance. The casino floor drums with the sounds of shuffling cards, loudmouthed patrons, ratcheting clockwork slot machines, and live performances emanating from its grand stage.
- Lighting. Gaudy chandeliers with magic orbs keep the entire casino brightly lit.
- Security. Six well-dressed mezzoloth bouncers patrol the casino. The bouncers investigate suspicious activity and respond to aggressive guests. At your discretion, they also investigate if the characters win too often at any one game.
Fortune's Wheel Locations
The following locations are keyed to map 3.1. The compass and cardinal directions on the map are provided for ease of use.
F1: Dragon Bar
The Dragon Bar is an extravagant reception area where gamblers gather before hitting the casino proper.
When the characters enter, the ghost of a washed-up stage magician known as the Great Stephen Amber is performing sleight-of-hand tricks for an audience of a few dozen low-stakes noble gamblers and three gnoll hecklers.
At the southeast corner of the bar is a simple door minded by an oni bouncer named Vez. The oni ensures that only those who meet Shemeshka's thresholds for wealth and interest are admitted to area F3. He has orders to welcome the characters.
F1a: Bar
A sculpture of a red dragon head protrudes from the wall above this mirrored bar, which is tended by a dead-eyed, lawful neutral equinal guardinal (see Morte's Planar Parade) named Brayson. He is taciturn but friendly.
F1b: Hotel Access
A staircase near the main entrance ascends to a carpeted hallway of numbered, five-star suites. These accommodations exist in demiplanes accessible by guests and casino staff, or anyone else in possession of a room's portal key.
F1c: Kitchen
Five steam mephit chefs prepare meals for guests in this hectic kitchen.
F1d: Stage
Opening acts take place on a small, curtained stage. Between shows, performers can be found in a dressing room adjacent to the stage.
F1e: Wheel
This room, reminiscent of a museum exhibit, houses the original fortune's wheel: an eye-catching, vertical iron cartwheel. Gilded payouts decorate its weathered surface, including one coveted gold square that once paid out ludicrous sums. This roulette has since been decommissioned, replaced by the one in area F7.
F2: Casino Cages
Here gamblers can cash out their winnings or purchase razorleaves for 10 gp apiece. An attentive imp cashier sits behind each barred window, retrieving chips and funds from secure portals only they can access. There are two cages in Fortune's Wheel: one in the Dragon Bar with two cashiers and a slightly larger office in the casino proper with three.
Welcome Gifts
When the characters first visit one of the casino cages, a teller gives them each a black satin bag containing 10 razorleaves. If the characters aren't already aware of the casino beyond the Dragon Bar, an imp encourages them to speak with Vez the oni.
F3: Illusory Fountain
This golden statue depicts the casino's owner, Shemeshka. The coins are an illusion. Physical inspection of the fountain, a detect magic spell, or a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals them as such.
Scrying Statue
Creatures in the security room (area F10) can see and hear through the statue as if they were standing in its place. A detect magic spell reveals an aura of divination magic around the statue.
Treasure
The statue is worth 5,000 gp, but damaging any part of it draws the immediate ire of two mezzoloth bouncers in the crowd nearby.
F4: Slot Machines
The first time a character approaches a slot machine, read or paraphrase the following text:
[image: Duodrone Slot Machine]
Putrice, a friendly night hag, just hit it big on the slots, a maze of gambling machines. Most of the slot machines are clockwork cabinets of gnomish construction, but four are stationary, indifferent duodrones that work for the casino. As she pockets the worms for use in dark rituals, Putrice is happy to explain how the luck-based machines work.
A game of slots costs 1 razorleaf to play. When a participant inserts a chip into the machine, roll three d6s. Each number on the die corresponds to a symbol displayed on the slot machine's reels and its prizes, as shown on the Slot Machine Results table. Prizes are dispensed from a slot at the base of the machines.
There are four possible outcomes when playing slots:
- One of a Kind. If the reels display three different symbols, the participant doesn't win a prize. The slot machine produces a sad trumpet noise.
- Two of a Kind. If the reels display two identical symbols, the participant wins the two-of-a-kind prize listed on the Slot Machine Results table for that symbol.
- Jackpot. If all three symbols match, the participant wins the jackpot prize listed on the Slot Machine Results table for that symbol. Each jackpot can be won only once. Subsequent jackpots for a given symbol result in a two-of-a-kind prize.
- Modron Time!. If the reels display a tooth (2), a gear (4), and a pitchfork (6) in any order, the four duodrone slot machines do a coordinated jig, and the participant gains the ability to reroll one or more of the d6s on their next pull of a slot machine lever, as fortune tilts in their favor.
Slot Machine Results
| d6 | Symbol | Prize (Two of a Kind) | Jackpot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Worm | 1d3 wriggling, indifferent, Tiny larvae (see the Dungeon Master's Guide) | Dimensional shackles |
| 2 | Tooth | 1d4 + 1 teeth from various animals and strangers | Spell scroll of polymorph |
| 3 | Ring | Gold ring worth 15 gp | Ring of protection |
| 4 | Gear | Toothed copper gear worth 25 gp | Mace of smiting |
| 5 | Heart | 1d10 temporary hit points given to the participant | Potion of healing (supreme) |
| 6 | Pitchfork | 1d6 fire damage dealt to the participant | Necklace of fireballs |
F5: Table Games
Various games take place at velvet-lined tables in this open area. Three games are detailed below; at your discretion, Fortune's Wheel might contain other table games of your own creation. The buy-in for a table game is 1 razorleaf per game unless anyone is feeling lucky and wants to up the ante.
The dealers at each table game are indifferent toward the characters. Dealers abstain from combat but defend themselves if threatened. A mezzoloth pit boss watches over each group of tables, keeping an eye out for cheaters and troublemakers.
[image: Dare to test your luck with a spin of fortune's wheel]
Dead Hand's Dice
A vampire croupier coalesces from a cloud of mist to conduct dead hand's dice, a dice game popular among spacefaring pirates in the Astral Sea. The rules are as follows:
- Each participant's player chooses any number of d6s (known as "bones") and shakes them in a cup.
- You choose any number of d6s as well, and roll for the dealer and participating NPCs.
- Everyone rolls and reveals their dice at once.
- The participant with the highest total wins, but anyone who rolls a 1 automatically loses.
Olidammara's Bounty
Named after a god of revelry, this game is played on a long table embroidered with a flat pattern of an unfolded, twenty-sided die. The game's dealer is also its deciding piece: a spectator shaped like an icosahedron that rolls itself on the table once all bets have been placed to determine the outcome. The rules are as follows:
- Participant Bets. Participants bet on one or more numbers between 1 and 20. To place a bet, a participant places at least 1 razorleaf on that number's triangular space on the game table. There's no limit to how many numbers a participant bets on, but they must wager at least one chip for each number.
- Dealer's Roll. After all bets are placed, the dealer rolls itself. Roll a d20; if the number on the die matches a number on which the participant bet, the participant collects five times the amount of chips they wagered. Chips wagered on any other numbers are lost.
F6: Big-Ticket Prize
This area displays a gilded apparatus of Kwalish, a prize that can be won by spinning the fortune's wheel in area F7. If the characters take the apparatus for a joyride, two mezzoloth bouncers arrive in 3 rounds and demand the characters vacate the apparatus or be escorted to their room by force.
F7: Fortune's Wheel
Fortune's wheel is the casino's signature experience: an exciting game of chance where fortunes are won or lost. The fortune's wheel consists of three concentric spinning wheels and measures 10 feet in diameter. It occupies its own roped-off stage.
Spinning the Wheel
Fortune's wheel costs 5 razorleaves per spin, and a creature is allowed only one spin every 24 hours (the wheel doesn't function if more spins are attempted). To play, the participant sits in the chair, inserts the chips into a slot in the pedestal, and pulls the lever. To determine the result, roll a d10 and consult the Outer Wheel column of the Fortune's Wheel Results table, following its instructions or comparing the result to the entries below. The game always starts on the outer wheel and ends with a single result.
The wheel is magical. Any physical prize winnings appear before the stage after each game.
Fortune's Wheel Results
| d10 | Outer Wheel | Middle Wheel | Inner Wheel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No prize | Roll again on outer wheel | Roll again on middle wheel |
| 2 | No prize | No prize | Letter |
| 3 | No prize | Key | Crown |
| 4 | Stein | Feather | Fox |
| 5 | Coin | Two coins | Three coins |
| 6 | Tunic | Sword | Ghost |
| 7 | Flask | Four-leaf clover | Big-ticket prize |
| 8 | Tentacle | Bag | House |
| 9 | Trinket | Compass | Tongue |
| 10 | Roll again on middle wheel | Roll again on inner wheel | Star |
Bag
The participant wins a bag of holding.
Big-Ticket Prize
The participant wins the gilded apparatus of Kwalish in area F6. The apparatus remains in Fortune's Wheel for the evening. At your discretion, Valek can arrange for the apparatus to be delivered to the characters in the Outlands during part 2 of the adventure.
Coin
The participant wins 50 gp.
Coins, Two
The participant wins 500 gp.
Coins, Three
The participant wins 5,000 gp.
Compass
The participant wins a portal compass (see Sigil and the Outlands).
Crown
The participant becomes a quasi-deity with a petty portfolio, such as dust mites, scheduling conflicts, gazebos, or three-toed sloths. Celestials and Fiends acknowledge the participant's godly status, but with no followers to boast, the participant is divine in name only. At your discretion, the winner might gain additional minor abilities related to their portfolio, such as controlling dust mites or understanding sloths. The Lady of Pain and other figures who seek to oust gods from Sigil pay the winner no attention.
Feather
The participant wins a Quaal's feather token (bird).
Flask
The participant wins a flask of holy water.
Four-Leaf Clover
The participant wins a stone of good luck.
Fox
The participant wins a citrine figurine of wondrous power (onyx dog) that becomes a Medium fox (mastiff) when its command word is spoken.
Ghost
The participant wins a bottle containing the soul of an unknown creature. Removing the stopper frees the soul inside, allowing it to proceed to the afterlife.
House
The participant wins a property deed to a modest home in a gate-town of your choosing.
Key
The participant wins a random portal key.
Letter
The participant wins a letter of recommendation (see the Dungeon Master's Guide) penned by Shemeshka.
Star
The participant gains a boon of luck (see the Dungeon Master's Guide).
Stein
The participant wins a drink at the Ice Lounge (area F8).
Sword
The participant wins a +1 weapon of their choice.
Tentacle
The participant wins the still-writhing tentacle of a mind flayer. It's sticky.
Trinket
The participant wins one random trinket (roll on the Trinkets table in the Player's Handbook).
Tongue
The participant gains the ability to speak one language of their choice.
Tunic
The participant wins a tunic sized for them that reads "I spun Fortune's Wheel, and all I got was this lousy tunic."
F8: Ice Lounge
Chilly fog emanates from the Ice Lounge, a bar chipped from a magic glacier. Its bartender is Phiwi, a warm-hearted yeti who speaks Common. The mixologist's specialty is a face-numbing cocktail called the Abominable Yes Please.
[image: One of the Dubious Vecna Impersonators Who Perform at Fortune's Wheel]
Sulking Dragon
Winter's Bite, a piteous young white dragon, sits at the bar with his head hung, fidgeting with a single gold piece as he drowns his sorrow. The coin is all that remains of the dragon's hoard—he gambled the rest away in a single night. Worse yet, the foolhardy dragon has racked up a 100 gp bar tab he can no longer afford. If a character pays off the dragon's debt, Winter's Bite thanks the character, calling them a "friend of dragonkind" before he departs the casino, never to return.
F9: Stage
A lofty, curtained stage rises at one end of the hall. Each evening, it boasts an assortment of acts. Behind the stage, performers prepare for the next act. A high-strung satyr stage manager, Grigsby, roves between storage spaces and a dressing room strewn with makeup and bewitching costumes.
Three acts take place on the stage:
- Beyond Reality with Bimdom Baffletrick. A charming illusionist in glittery, purple robes, Bimdom Baffletrick (chaotic neutral, gnome mage) performs arcane feats. His assistant is a friendly, white-furred weretiger named Felix.
- Star Performer. A silver-haired singer of great renown named Estrella (chaotic neutral, elf noble) brightens the stage each night in a shimmering sequined dress.
- Tombstone Troubadour. An icon from the faraway land of San Citlán, Cecilia Tlapaya (chaotic good ghost) takes the stage dressed in a sharp suit. The short-haired troubadour haunts a pearl-white guitar and is accompanied by a brassy band of ten lawful good skeletons.
F10: Security Room
Three nothics sit in this dim room, staring at screens connected to invisible sensors spread throughout the casino. The nothics can hear and see through the sensors as if they were there, but they can't move them. In addition to their observation capabilities, the sensors extend the range of each nothic's Weird Insight action, allowing the Aberrations to probe the minds of suspicious patrons.
The sensors are located in the following areas:
- In front of the stairway in the Dragon Bar (area F1b)
- Inside the statue of Shemeshka (area F3)
- Directly above the participant's seat at the fortune's wheel (area F7)
If the nothics observe any questionable activity, they raise an alarm heard only by the mezzoloths throughout the casino, directing them to the scene.
F11: Private Rooms
These lavish rooms are used for private meetings or exclusive table games. In one room, three hound archons (see Morte's Planar Parade) are playing dead hand's dice (see area F5).
F12. Portal to the Platinum Rooms
This unremarkable alcove stands in a back hall used by casino staff. Within is a portal that opens for creatures carrying an exceptionally rare platinum razorleaf chip. Those who brandish such a chip and step into the alcove emerge into the Platinum Rooms, which are detailed in chapter 14.
Timed Events
The following events occur at the end of each hour.
Hour 1: Identity Thieves
Three amicable Vecna impersonators—doppelgangers mirroring the archlich of the same name—walk the casino floor doing inaccurate but amusing impressions. The trio approaches one of the characters and begins to recite cheesy one-liners, asking the party to "give a lich a hand."
The impersonators are pickpockets who prey on the casino's patrons. While one Vecna impersonator distracts their target, another rummages through the mark's pocket for valuables.
A character who succeeds on a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check catches the impersonator in the act. The doppelgangers attack if they equal or outnumber the characters present. Otherwise, they attempt to break line of sight with the characters and assume new identities. Characters have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to notice the doppelgangers as long as the impersonators are still wearing their Vecna costumes.
While the impersonators were hired by Shemeshka's staff, the house doesn't condone their thievery.
Hour 2: Disgruntled Patron
If the characters didn't pay the bar tab of Winter's Bite, the young white dragon in the Ice Lounge (area F8), the dragon finally snaps. The dragon wreaks havoc as he heads for the stage to bully the current performer, who retreats into the dressing room. If the characters don't intervene, four mezzoloths arrive after 3 rounds and subdue the dragon, who continues to cause a scene as he's removed from the casino. A character who spends an action and succeeds on a DC 14 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check can convince the dragon to stop attacking and leave the establishment.
Hour 3: Shemeshka Arrives
Read the following text when Shemeshka (see Morte's Planar Parade) makes her appearance:
Roleplaying Shemeshka
Shemeshka is dignified and dangerous—a gregarious yugoloth who emanates an aura of grace and royalty. In conversation, she is composed and cordial, exuding confidence and sophistication without appearing pretentious or insincere. However, her smiles are hollow—a placid veneer that masks her ruthless nature. To Shemeshka, the multiverse is a chessboard. She moves her pawns deliberately across the planes, using them to further far-reaching schemes. She views her enemies the same way she does her allies: unworthy, easily manipulated, and disposable.
Talking with Shemeshka
As Shemeshka's guests, the characters can easily secure an audience with the casino's owner, who suggests they speak privately in area F11.
Once settled, the arcanaloth asks the characters if they've enjoyed themselves in her casino. If the characters respond positively, she's happy to hear it; otherwise, she smiles and tells them Lady Luck has finally found them. Shemeshka then inquires about the characters' unique plight, listens to their response, and proposes a deal.
Shemeshka's Offer
The arcanaloth promises to dig up information on the characters' pasts in exchange for a favor. She asks the characters to locate R04M, a monodrone that vanished into the Outlands some time ago and hasn't returned. She's too busy with the casino to track him down herself.
Shemeshka claims the modron is a rogue accountant that knows sensitive information about her enterprise and her powerful associates. This is a lie. In truth, the modron is a loose end in one of Shemeshka's untold plots—a massive scheme involving a legion of lost modrons. Shemeshka's plans are further detailed in part 3 of the adventure.
If a character doubts the arcanaloth's intentions, she commends them on their caution; it's rarely wise to trust a Fiend. Shemeshka assures the characters that her line of work thrives off mutual distrust and that her intentions with the modron don't concern them. What difference does it make if both parties get what they want? To sweeten the deal for hesitant characters, Shemeshka offers an immediate payment of 300 gp per character.
Distraction
The arcanaloth's mission is largely a distraction. Shemeshka doesn't expect the characters to return from the Outlands anytime soon, if at all. The wheels of a grand scheme are in motion, and she wants the characters out of her affairs.
To the Outlands
If the characters accept her deal, Shemeshka gives the characters a piece of lapis lazuli shaped like an eye. She explains that it's a key to a portal, located in the Clerks' Ward near the base of a gigantic statue of a rearing, three-eyed horse. The portal stands in an archway and leads to the Outlands (detailed in chapter 4).
After providing this information, Shemeshka excuses herself, supposedly to set her agents to work hunting down details about the characters and their situation. She welcomes the characters to continue to enjoy Fortune's Wheel. The characters can explore the casino further or Sigil as they please, so long as they avoid the Harmonium.
This chapter ends when the characters use the portal to head to the Outlands. Each character should gain a level before starting the next chapter.