Site: Halfway, the Center-of-All

The Populace: The population of “Halfway” varies from day to day, depending on the number of planar doors that happen to go shifty. The last estimated amount of residents was counted at 200, including the visitors, these numbers date back from: the first Lady of Regula of the year 155 of Hashkar’s Reign.

The Town: What happens to a cutter when she goes through a portal that goes shifty, you ask? Or when the gate leads to a non-existing place? Well let me be the one to fill you in, cutter. All those sods end up in the same place. You guessed where already? Well, aren’t you a canny bugger. Aye that’s right, they end up in “Halfway”!

Now, you’re probably wondering what in the Lady’s name “Halfway” is, right? Heh, I thought so! Well, “Halfway’s” a burg that connects all the loose ends. Imagine having a rope, now that said rope gets cut in half for some reason or the other. Instead of leaving the ends hang loose, we fasten them together through a knot. That’s what “Halfway” is, cutter, it’s the knot that keeps the planar pathways connected in case of a malfunction.

How this is done is another bag of beans, which I won’t get into the details of, seeing as I don’t know the dark of it myself! The chant goes that it has something to do with that strange gate we have. You must have seen it when you ended up here; it’s that stone halo in the Temple of Doors. Many greybeards have attempted to unravel the mysteries of that Pandora’s Box, so to speak. Needless to say they were all unsuccessful, but in all fairness .. the last one didn’t look like he had the worms for the job, heheh. Whatever it is, it keeps the burg running; “Halfway” wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for that halo.

What, now you want to hear the history of this burg? Ugh, you’re really starting to grow annoying, cutter. But you provided the jink, so I’ll do the chattering. As I said earlier, “Halfway” thrives because of the halo, as we call it. According to the greybeards it was a number of centuries ago when a pair of planewalkers first arrived here. A strange couple they were, an ambitious human and his Modron companion. A burg like “Halfway” is the result when such a couple gets a brilliant idea and manages to realise it. Hats off to both of them, powers how I love this place. Anyhow, they started small with just an inn where cutters could rest their legs or have a grab to eat. Of course it wouldn’t stop with that, oh no. The burg expanded as more folk arrived through the halo. The dream soon became reality and after a few decades “Halfway” was what it is now. That’s the tour then cutt- .. the names of the founders you ask? Ugh, their names were Christian Expandus and Cesium-I, you aren’t paying me enough for this, basher!

The Gate: Keep up with the tour, basher, I’m not going to repeat this nonsense again, unless you give me some more jink! Now, “Halfway’s” gate is made out of a yet identified mineral; it’s shaped in the form of a great halo, a ring that stands vertically, allowing one to step through it. When a basher appears on our side of the gate it’s always a spectacle to behold, you see, the gate erupts much like a volcano does, but horizontally not vertically, and instead of fiery lava you see all the colours of the rainbow bursting from it! Should you be looking for the thing, then head over to the Temple of Doors, you’ll be sure to find it there. Aye, it’s the place where you found me.

Sages dare to argue that the halo appeared at the same moment that Aoskar, the power of Doors, was cast from Sigil. Their theory goes that Aoskar once held the treads of planar travelling together, when his power diminished he created a substitute, something that kept holding the treads together while he could not, our halo is that replacement.

The chant goes that the burg’s gate will cease to work when the name of the god of portals is forgotten, if that were to happen, then one could only imagine the consequences this would have on planar travel; planewalkers and explorers alike would disappear from the face of the multiverse. Such fear would keep the common basher from engaging in a planar journey, trade routes would fall, it would be the end of travelling as we know it!

The Hoi Polloi: Our burg doesn’t have a ruler, cutter, and why would it need one? We all seem to manage to do just fine without a leatherhead telling us what to do! Although hrm, the closest we have to a monarch, in the spiritual sense, would be the high priestess of the Temple of Doors, a follower of Aoskar.

Let me tell you, those Aoskian priests are a special breed, the first one of their kind arrived here shortly after the gate appeared, he was the one who founded the Temple of Doors. Now you’re probably wondering why we “Halfwayers” treat those folk with such an amount of respect? It’s simple really; they’re the only ones whom possess the required talent to control the halo, if it weren’t for them we’d probably be stuck here forever!

Oh, should you have the time, I’d recommend paying a visit to the Temple of Doors, cutter. The high priestess is a real looker, not only that, but if you told her I sent you; she might consider giving you a discount on some of her services!

Current Chant: Believe it or not, but a few weeks ago an Arcanaloth by the name of Herakkis opened the Silver Spoon, the first bistro, ran by a Yugoloth, in “Halfway”. Whatever the ‘Loth’s intentions are, the tavern seems to be constantly filled. Is this another ploy from the Yugoloth or is he indeed a sincere entrepreneur? Only time will tell.

On side notes there has also been an influx of Monodrones in the burg. The cause to this is still unknown, though the residents suspect that one of the Modron processions passed through a shifting portal. Needless to say the authorities are having their hands full with the confused Modrons; who seem to be clueless as to where they are.