Plaque-Mort the Undead

Ambiance: Be a tool after your life, like you've been one during it. Your death and life are but non-events in a game of which you are the pawn. Don't expect things to change for the best, you're in the Abyss, now.

Ruler: Arkach the laughing (pl/♀tief/M(necr)17/fated/CE) is the only living mortal in town, and the creator of the undeads that now walk it's streets. As the archlector of the former Outland's gatetown of Plangue-Mort, she worked and succeeded toward bringing the town into the Abyss. Once the town had slid and the inhabitants were dead, she was there, left to herself surrounded by a sea of corpses. Anyone would have fled to start a new life somewhere else. She was not anyone. She was a necromancer. And she stayed.
The last name Arkach has been given by wonder-knows-who does not reflect a humorous or happy laugh, which would seem quite inappropriate for such a sinister character, but a nervous, almost hysterical laugh. Though some denizens of Pandemonium seem to express the same kind of frightening hilarity, Arkach is not mad. She laughs because she's powerful and evil, a survivor in the Abyss. She laughs caus' she wants to seem secure and sure of herself, for the weak doesn't last out here. She laughs too because knowing there's always some bored Tanar'ri lord in search of something to destroy makes one a bit nervous. Maybe also she laughs because she's totally, perfectly alone for centuries, and there needs to be someone laughing at her jokes.

Behind the throne: Plague-Mort is the market of the Abyss, the only town around where Tanar'ri and other fiends of the place can trade for Outlandish goods without having to fight for it; so every lord of in the plane of Finite Portals is ready to destroy the one who attacks it. Never would Arkach have been able to keep the town standing otherwise. However, if the lords can't attack for fear of reprisals, they can pressure. Every decision the archlector takes has been influenced by a demonic lord, and is sure not to contradict the will of any other. Let's say she's got very little space for manoeuvres.

Description: A few miles from the portal to the Outlands, one among the line of ruined previous gatetowns going by the name of Plague-Mort, is Plague-Mort the Undead, the Abyssal Market. Here, the powerful Tanar'ri can get a supply of Outlandish goods coming in from the Gatetown of the same name on the Small Ring. Market is held by armies of zombies and animated skeletons, commanded by a few more intelligent, yet still controllable undeads, like ju-ju zombies and skeleton warriors. Deals are ratified by quasits and mephitis ONLY (for any more powerful fiend approaching town will be considered an invader) Deals are paid in advance and delivered by undeads. The client damaging the "delivery men" is never delivered again (until proper reparation) This whole game is playing nicely, and jink flows in vast quantities toward the pocket of Arkach, which some believe to be one of the richest mortals in the Multiverse.
The city is neat and tidy, yet awfully silent, and shows no special evidence of wealth, with the exception of the archlector's palace, overgrown and overly opulent. Since non-sentient undeads do not need a home (they work 24/7), all the other buildings have been converted to storage, but one.

Interesting sites: "The Palace of Wonders and Eminences" is an inn held by Ignoroth, a quasit Akrach received in payment for a minor deal. It provides rest, food and entertainment for the little emissaries dealing here. And, incredible thing on this cursed plane, all for free. Akrach makes her jink out of trade, not hostelling. Of course, the service is far from wondrous, the place is in some kind of disrepair, due to the quite undisciplined hosts (the undeads otherwise keep the city in good shape) and the food is not exactly fine. Yet the place has some prestigious looks, as it used to be the manor of the richest merchant in the city (now a zombie deliverer, like every other former mortal inhabitants of the city) Huge halls, luxurious furniture, statues and fountains, the place is truly beautiful; a bit tacky maybe. The thing is only the least powerful adventurers will be let in town, and then only if they have a large scale order to deliver. But for the one who gets in, the place is absolutely safe, as long as his nerves can withstand the constant noise, fighting, and other disagreements caused by the mephits and quasits fellow customers. The visitors generally do not stay long, and they never get involved with the town's matters in any way other than the deal they're here to conclude. Ignoroth himself stays unacknowledged of the whereabouts of the town and it's mistress. He perfectly knows that his life is at this price, for no good fated likes to share it's secrets with anyone, Arkach less than any other.

The militia: The town's best protection is the vigilant eyes of abyssal princes. Yet a cutter knows that having a back-up is no luxury in this plane. So the few more powerful undeads in the city (skeleton warriors, mummies, ju-ju zombies and the like) are well armed and armoured with magical equipment. But of course, the main line of defence is Arkach herself, who's quite a challenge (he berk, she did survive - and prosper - in the Abyss for centuries) And of course she 's got to have a plan C, and D , and probably E and F too. Top of this, a cutter should remember there is about five thousands animated skeletons in the place, all commanded by one master.

Current Chant: In a city where every inhabitant is dead , mindless and mute, not much changes. Yet, some packages are being stocked in former barns ,unusually close to the palace, and undead horses can be spotted through town, fact that never happened before. Seems like the laughing necromant is planning some expedition. If there was anyone to spread rumours, you could hear that she's going to deliver long-distance for high value goods from now on. Or that she's gained enough jink, and his moving away, back to some more populated plane. Of course, there's no one, so you won't hear nothin'.