Sign of One
Table of Contents
Who We Are
When something needs changing in Sigil, the reluctant truth is that it’s going to have to be debated. Most things can be resolved through bureaucracy or bribes, or just doing it yourself without telling anyone. However, there always exists a series of escalations that ends in one place: the Speaker’s Podium. Here the most important of Civic matters are debated and decided upon, facilitated by a Signer who takes the role of Speaker.
The Signers are responsible for maintaining the halls, the agenda and the security of its guests. Once public debate is done or the Speaker is fed up, the committee retires to one of the two council chambers to continue the discussion in private. These chats are facilitated by “The Speaker” (with a capital S), an elected Signer whose power of imagining and dedication are second to none. This blood is responsible for seeing these discussions reach a final vote in a reasonable amount of time - and to ensure none of the faction delegates end up killing each other.
Why exactly the Signers were lumbered with this role is anyone's guess - it's certainly not any reason people can recount. Most widely accepted reason is that they just love the sounds of their own voices so damn much.
It's not an entirely unfounded theory.
A word from your Factol...
Belief and Will are what shape the multiverse. They are the most powerful forces out there, capable of writing reality in accordance with one’s will.Your mind dictates how you experience the world. We all know that belief shapes the planes, correct? That the will of collected nations and gods can cause the very cosmic ordering of the multiverse to change.
People do not realise that the truth goes far deeper than that: even but one person’s mind can shape reality.
Your belief shapes the world around you. Your immediate surroundings. Your immediate future. Your immediate reality.
So here is a thought experiment. Imagine a button came off of your favourite shirt. You are a crafty blood, so you acquire your kit and set to fixing it.
Try this: before you thread the needle, imagine that you cannot do it. Picture your hands are shaking, the thread is fraying, and the hole just never quite faces right. Think real hard about this, then open your eyes and try it.
You cannot, correct? Just like you imagined, it is hard going but that damn needle won’t thread.
Now try this: close your eyes. Imagine threading it again. Only this time, your hands are steady, and the thread finds the hole without issue. Open your eyes and try this again.
It works, correct?
See, folks do not put enough stock in the power of the mind. Our will is what actions the multiverse. We make things happen. We birthed the gods, forged the tools of our society, and wrote countless stories. And we did all this with the power of our minds.
And that is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more that we can accomplish. We Signers devote ourselves to honing this power… learning how best to shape reality to our desires. We call this power “Imagining”.
You have that power. You just have to want to use it - and we are the only sods who can show you how.
A Signer's Journey (My Mind is Your Reality)
Signers have a variety of members, though they tend to be far more of the Chaotic bent than anything. The whole faction is built on the law of mutability and subjectivity, which tends to grate on those with a more orderly mindset. No-one is barred from entry of course, as the Signers are very big on personal freedoms and acceptance.
More worldly Signers are currently forming a new clique, trying to revive some of the old faction practices of preaching self-care and positivity, though in a much less offensive way than what pissed off the Bleakers initially. The more selfish members are going about doing their own thing, enjoying the power and prestige that comes from fully harnessing one’s own mind.
Initiate (Namer)
“We are the elect. We admit into our ranks only those bloods who can sculpt reality.”
This line is written in the front page of the Prediction Ledger - an enormous book that contains every formal prediction from the Sign of One, complete with names and dates. Course, the Hardheads would love to get hold of this book for evidence - no doubt hundreds of cold cases could be solved from a single page of this book. No Signer would permit this of course, claiming Faction immunity and threatening to deal with them as they did with Nobey should they push the matter.
Advancing through the ranks is a simple case of making a grand enough prediction to go in the book… and have it come true. There is no formal process of ascension - simply thinking yourself into a higher position should be enough to get you there, after all. It’s all a matter of whether or not you’re recognised as such… all Signers know very well the events in the book and whether or not they have come to pass.
Imagineer (Factotum)
Factotum-worthy prediction examples:
- A fully-grown oak tree is going to appear in the noble Jim’s garden.
- The Harmonium are going to execute Xcfty’haab for the murder of a Signer.
- One of the Airdocks portals will suddenly lead somewhere new.
Superior (Factor)
Factor-worthy prediction examples:
- The current King of Hell will be replaced by Zariel.
- The Factol of the Consortium will vanish overnight.
- A new technology will allow long distance communications without the aid of magic.
- The dead god Asmodan will rise again.
- The Cult of Bhaal will be no more.
Factol
Getting to be the Factol is another matter. Your powers of imagining must be so strong that the Factol willingly names you successor and steps down. You should just be able to think it hard enough and you’ll have it! Course, were a cutter to hire a few bloods to give them the shake down, no-one need ever know.
Faction Mechanics & Character Options
Those raised within the ranks of the Signers are taught to harness their mind to its fullest potential. In return, they help out around the Hall of Speakers, performing menial chores and tasks that give plenty of time for the mind to wander and imagine. They tend to be very Charismatic individuals, with very assured personalities and force of presence.
If you are creating a character who has been a member of the Signers for a while, you may pick one of the following backgrounds at character creation. A list of suggested bonds within the faction and philosophical ideals is also presented below.
Backgrounds
Argumenteers work the various debates within the Hall of Speakers, taking up position as either adjudicator or as “argumenteers for hire”. They view debate and argument as an excellent way of perfecting their powers of imagining, imagining things, then using their words and charisma to make other people make it want to happen.
- Skill Proficiencies: Any two from: Deception, Insight, Performance or Persuasion
- Languages: Any two (you may replace either language with a gaming set or musical instrument of your choice)
- Equipment: A pocket book of Sigil laws, a set of bone dice or ivory playing cards, a set of fine clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gp
Feature: Silver Tongue
You can use your powers of imagining to weave your words into nonsensical, yet powerful, arguments. You may add 1d4 to any Charisma (Perform or Persuasion) ability checks made as part of a formal debate or petition.
Cataloguers are Signers who work the Hall of Clerk’s various offices and stations. They thrive on repetition and organisation, using their time spent doing mundane activities to contemplate reality and hone their will. They imagine things, then perfect them in secret before the dramatic “big reveal”.
- Skill Proficiencies: Any two from: Arcana, History, Investigation or Religion
- Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher’s supplies, forgery kit
- Equipment: A fancy quill, nice ink and luxury parchment paper, a forgery kit, a stress ball, a set of fine clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp
Feature: Transcription
You’ve learned all sorts of tricks for cutting down the work needed to transcribe things. You may add 1d4 to any ability checks involving your Forgery Kit. Furthermore, provided you are unobserved for the duration, you can use your imagination to create these forgeries with lightning speed - 30 seconds for something the size of a sheet of paper or 30 minutes for an entire book. Just don’t ask how… that’s all in the mind!
Expeditioneers are those Signers who spend most of their lives outside the Hall of Speakers, perfecting their imagining skills out in the wild rather than behind a desk or in arguments. They tend to be the wildest and most erratic of imagineers.
- Skill Proficiencies: Any two from: Athletics, Investigation, Sleight of Hand or Stealth
- Tool Proficiencies: Vehicles (land or water)
- Languages: Any one
- Equipment: A magnifying glass, a dull marble, a set of artisan tools (one of your choice), a shovel, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp
Feature: Versatile Imagining
Your powers of Imagining might be less potent than other Signers, but they are far more variable and creative. Once per long rest, you may add your proficiency bonus to any one ability check with a set of tools that you are not proficient in.
d4 | Faction Draw (Ideal) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Narcissism, my mind is incredible - think of the things I could do once I’ve perfected it! |
| 2 | Tagalong, I’m a spider collector, and happened to attend a Signer luncheon once. I don’t know why, but I’m convinced they’re right |
| 3 | Fear, I’m convinced I imagined an accident into being once. I need to know how to control my abilities so this doesn't happen again |
| 4 | Pushover, someone imagined me into being their mentee |
d4 | Faction Friend (Bonds) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lunt Gobstruck, a shaman with a cohort of friendly spirits |
| 2 | Llydlyali Sayla, a snazzy fashionista |
| 3 | Torok Wells, an artisan who imagines more and more complicated pieces |
| 4 | Taithzay, a tomb raider with a seemingly endless supply of good luck |
Faction Restriction
Signers reject materialism, focusing on the power of the mind and of belief above that of anything else.
Material needs serve only to further facilitate a Signer's training in mental gymnastics. They believe that nothing is impossible - that the mind can overcome all obstacles.
Roleplaying a Signer
Style and Flair
Faction colours are purples and white, though often members splash a little blue in there for good measure. The flair of most Signers can best be summed up as ‘dramatic’, with each member striving to stand out among the crowd and show off as much of their awesome personality as they can.
Old faction symbols revolved around dragons, though more contemporary Signers have begun to adopt a new symbol - one large central eye, surrounded by a further seven (as an homage to their first Factol… some even fear they’re trying to will her back into life now).
A "Good" Signer...
Signers tend to be quite self-assured, and in addition to rejecting materialism they:
- Make and record predictions in the ledger on occasion.
- Have no doubt in their own self-importance.
Faction Powers
Your Imagining has instilled in you great force of will and potential, which you can harness to mimic certain spells and magical effects. Choose one of: Druidcraft, Prestidigitation or Thaumaturgy. You learn this cantrip and may cast it at will, using your existing casting stat (or Charisma, if you don’t have one).
Your imagination evolves to be able to mimic more powerful effects. You learn one first level spell from one of the relevant lists below:
- Bard or Sorcerer spell list (if you chose Prestidigitation as your Imagining cantrip).
- Cleric or Warlock spell list (if you chose Thaumaturgy as your Imagining cantrip).
Druid or Ranger spell list (if you chose Druidcraft as your Imagining cantrip).
The spell must not involve a focus or material component with a gold piece cost. You may cast this spell once per long rest, or by spending inspiration. You cast this spell without components. Use the same ability as your Imagining for your casting stat for this spell.
Your imagination evolves to be able to mimic more powerful effects. You learn one second level spell from one of the following spell lists: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, or Warlock.
The spell must not involve a focus or material component with a gold piece cost. You may cast this spell once per long rest, or by spending inspiration. You cast this spell without components. Use the same ability as your Imagining for your casting stat for this spell.
The Chant
History
The name of the first Factol of the Signers is still spread around the Cage to this day: Rilith.
Rilith had a thing for spiders, and would collect arachnids from all corners of the Multiverse. The deadlier the better, and she particularly favoured the brightest and most iridescent of spiders. Her collection was boasted far and wide, and the “museum of mostly-eight-legged critters” that she set up is still going strong in the Clerk’s Ward.
Rilith’s life almost came to an abrupt end when she was bitten by a particular orange-speckled recluse. As her breathing slowed, she watched the venomous blue mottling spreading its way up her arm. The pain grew and grew as she drowned in her own sweat, her heart beating faster and faster till it felt ready to blow.
But she kept calm. She closed her eyes, and refused to watch the venom spread in her mind's eye.
“Healthy Arm, Easy Breathing, Clear Vision”, she repeated.
And what do you know? She survived. No other intervention. Just sheer Force of Will. She should have died. But she didn’t. That was the point she knew that she was power incarnate.
Soon enough, she was willing into being the rarest and most exotic of specimens for her collection. She’d just think of them, and they’d appear before her. Experts from all over came knockin’ at her case, just hankering for a glance at her many-legged friends, and soon enough, she’d a small group of friends at her disposal.
A Faction is Born
The Signers soon began life as Rilith’s collectors’ society. Her friends flocked to her, eager to know her secrets… and she told them. She gathered all the amateur spider collectors she could muster, and showed them how to harness their minds to bring back extinct species and the rarest of creatures.
Then some bright spark saw the broader applications. It was soon discovered that you could imagine things that weren’t spiders! This was immensely popular for all manner of reasons, and they soon realised they had to branch out their society into something more generic. No longer were they ‘just spider collectors’. They were something more.
The Sign of One.
Some Unhappy Ciphers
It wasn’t long before the Transcendent Order barged into their case. See, the Signers entire premise of “thought controls the multiverse” was at direct odds with the Ciphers’ own philosophy that action without thought is the purest existence.
So the Ciphers came round, hounding the faction near to death. They picketed, they instigated fights, and they did all they could to disprove their theories. Unfortunately, the more they tried to suppress the Signers, the more the Signers ballooned in popularity. Confrontations got more and more heated, and a faction war loomed on the horizon.
But in the Cage, belief is a powerful thing. The war ended before it could really even begin. Signers say they all got together and willed the Ciphers into backing down. Ciphers say that they just felt that they should stop one day, and so just stopped. The other factions were just grateful for a bit of quiet.
Some Unhappy Bleakers
Not content to be left alone after this recent show of power, the Signers took to the Cage on what can best be described as a “crusade”. They had unlocked the potential of the mind - a bit of positive thinking, some mental effort, and you had all that you needed! They needed the whole of the Cage to join them, so took to aggressive campaigning.
Whilst most berks just shrugged and took a pamphlet they never read, one Faction got a bit pissed off about the whole thing: the Bleakers.
See, the Bleakers took exception to the idea that a bit of positive thinking could fix everything. They knew damn well that ‘good vibes’ weren’t enough to be content. Things needed effort. Things needed external intervention. Things needed help sometimes, and that was okay.
They were pissed, to say the least - and that was just the Bleakers who thought things even needed fixing in the first place. Those other Bleakers who thought the multiverse was just a jumble of messes and problems took just as much offence… they wanted their messes. So the Bleakers struck back against the Signers. Over, and over, and over.
So what stopped the war this time? Well, the Signers took to demonstrating the sheer power of their collected minds, and loudly announced at the Speaker’s Podium that they were going to envision the death of the Bleaker Factol Nobey. They were quite literally going to think him to death.
Well, Nobey was found dead in his bed not long after. No Dustman could find anything wrong with him… he really had just stopped. Sure it happens sometimes, but it couldn’t be a coincidence, right?. Regardless, the Bleakers backed down, and the Signers took to leaving the Hive largely alone out of “safety concerns” and “inconsistencies in the thought-stream”.
So… what now?
With the death of Nobey, things calmed down somewhat for the Signers. They also had a new favourite pastime: making predictions in honour of the event. Members of the faction would keep a ledger in which they could note down their predictions about things that would happen, and keep track of any successes. Very quickly this ledger was used to keep track of each member’s prestige within the Faction - how grand your prediction was and how accurately it came to light.
That’s not to say they’re not without controversy these days. Far from it. Many Signers find that their powers of ‘imagining’ are lacking and look for shortcuts to glory, taking less scrupulous means to ensure their predictions come true; such as hiring assassins, fiddling with books, or dispatching adventuring parties to get the job done on the quiet.
Then a small sect known as the Will of One had the gall to go and resurrect a dead god. Aoskar, to be precise. Led by a clone called E and the dabus Fell, they took to the Astral and put him back together. Many said it couldn’t be done… but it was. Course, the second E came back to Sigil to brag about said accomplishments ey were immediately flayed by the Lady.
Now Aoskar is out there... waiting.
Having a once-dead god owe the Signers a favour sure isn't helping other factions feel more at ease.
References & Inspiration
- Mimir's Signer page - General reference and inspiration
- Font Awesome - For the (placeholder) icon