Sigil Shape 2 and Ward connections

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Biff the Understudy's picture
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Sigil Shape 2 and Ward connections

I'm trying to figure out the shape of Sigil and how the wards actually connect to each other. This is probably a common question but the only clarification I was able to find was this old thread which didn't quite answer it for me yet.

Apparantly the original Planescape materials depicted Sigil as a torus with the inner half cut open - so depictions of a fully closed torus could therefor be considered non-canonic, right? (The way the streets are drawn on this map from the Dungeon Master's Guide 2 for example suggests a closed torus...)

What I still don't get looking at the 2d maps is how exactly the Wards connect to each other. What's this about upper half and lower half? Is each ward directly adjacent to two other wards only (e.g. left & right on the original PS map) or to three (left, right & above/below)?

Let's say a cutter
a) leaves the Market Ward in opposite direction of the Guild Hall Ward - will he end up in the Lady's Ward or in the Hive?
b) travels through the Market Ward while always keeing the same distance from the Guild Hall Ward - will he always stay in the Market Ward until he reaches the city's 'border' / 'rim' or might he also end up in the Lady's Ward?

Thanks for your help!

Azure's picture
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Factol
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Re: Sigil Shape 2 and Ward connections

The wards are laid out linearly. The upper and lower halves of the old 2e map are opposite sides of the torus (which, as you've guessed, is not complete, ending both 'spireward' and 'anti-spireward'). If you look carefully you can identify buildings that lie on the edges of both upper and lower sections. The only trick is that the maps actually show Sigil as if the 'donut' was cut in half and opened on a hinge. Thus towards the bottom of the bottom map and top of the top map is the 'spireward' direction. The edges of each respective map adjacent to each other is the 'anti-spireward' direction (i believe this is right, not the opposite, but ripvanwormer will correct me if i'm wrong)

ripvanwormer's picture
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Re: Sigil Shape 2 and Ward connections

It's an open torus, correct. Here's an older thread with other Sigil maps.

Sigil's edge should be lined with buildings; any roads you see illustrated there will dead-end into shops or residences; they won't simply trail off into oblivion, since that would be a safety hazard. I believe there's a fan-created street called Suicide Alley that does lead to the edge with no buildings in the way, but that should be unique.

The wide end of the Ditch reaches the edge of the city (it doesn't terminate in the middle of the city). A massive portal there should allow ships to come in.

None of the roads connect with the others along their left and right sides. Though they look like they might line up, this should be regarded as coincidental.

If you're in the Market Ward and you continue past the bottom of the DMG2 map, you'll end up in The Lady's Ward (in the Nobles' District). The top side of both columns in the DMG2 map is the Hive Ward; they connect to one another (the Marble District touches the Madhouse District).

If you're in the Market Ward and you travel toward the left or right sides of the map (in that column), you'll eventually end up at the edge of the city.

The wards are arranged in a circle with no beginning and end:
The Lady's Ward <--> Lower Ward <--> Hive Ward <-->Clerk's Ward <---> Guildhall Ward <--> Market Ward <--> The Lady's Ward again.

ripvanwormer's picture
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Re: Sigil Shape 2 and Ward connections

Here's how the map connects.


Here's how the two halves of the Hive Ward line up.


Here's how the Market Ward lines up with The Lady's Ward.

Biff the Understudy's picture
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Re: Sigil Shape 2 and Ward connections

Thanks for your insightful replies, Azure and ripvanwormer! Actually that was how I had always imagined it before but I recently got a bit confused by newer depictions and maps. Now I'm confident again - you saved me from the Madhouse. Smiling

ripvanwormer's picture
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Re: Sigil Shape 2 and Ward connections

Here's the source of Suicide Alley.

Calmar's picture
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Re: Sigil Shape 2 and Ward connections

Is there any connection between Suicide Alley and Suicide Falls?

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ripvanwormer's picture
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Re: Sigil Shape 2 and Ward connections

Nope. The creator of Suicide Alley was inspired by something else. They aren't in the same ward, and Suicide Falls heads into the Ditch rather than over Sigil's edge.

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