Hello everybody Jorphdan here the PH is silent.
Welcome.
I make lore videos for the worlds of Dungeons
and Dragons, from Forgotten Realms, to Eberron,
to Planescape thanks to my generous patrons
on Patreon.
If you enjoy D&D lore and the history of the
Forgotten Realms please subscribe.
I have over a hundred videos about Dungeons
& Dragons and it’s mythology.
In this video I’m going to discuss the Lady
of Pain, who is part of the Planescape setting
which has become part of D&D 5e canon.
The Lady of Pain is not a deity, but is possibly
just as strong.
She has no worshipers or followers, but protects or presides over the city of Sigil.
Basically it’s complicated.
Let’s dive in.
I have to start by saying this: no one knows
how the Lady came to be, or what her true
purpose is.
She was created with the Planescape Campaign
Setting, and her face is featured on all the
setting books and accessories.
She is said to be a being as old as the gods,
perhaps older.
It is unknown if she protects Sigil, simply
resides in it, or if the city is her prison.
Sigil I’ve spoken about before (incorrectly
pronouncing it) but if you’re curious about
that video there is a link in the description
or in the top right corner.
Sigil is known as the City of Doors.
It is the axle of the great wheel, the center
of the planes, the hub.
A large donut shaped mass sitting atop a needle-shaped
mountain that rises into the sky at the center
of the Outlands.
Now the Outlands is the plane between the
outer planes.
All the other planes in the Great Wheel (again
see my previous videos on the planes of existence)
fit into one of the several alignments that
are part of Dungeons & Dragons.
So Chaotic Good, Neutral Evil, and so forth.
There isn’t really a neutral plane though,
except for the Outlands.
Which is fitting because it lies in between
all the rest of these very alignment defined
outer planes.
The Outlands are circular like a disc, and
because this has been observed by scholars
it is generally assumed that the planes are
arranged like a “Great Wheel.”
Hence the Great Wheel Cosmology.
Although the Outlands is a circular disc it
has not been fully proven that the planes
are arranged around this disc.
However for our mere mortal minds it is the
easiest way to comprehend it… for the moment.
At the edge of this disc are sixteen settlements
known as gate towns that guard portals leading
to each of the sixteen outer planes.
The Outlands are considered safe for the most
part and it most resembles the Prime Material
Plane.
Conceivably it is possible to ride a horse
from the Nine Hells to Mount Celestia via
the Outlands.
Many travel around the edge of the Outlands
because getting closer to the spire everything
ceases to work.
Spells will fail, psionics cease to function,
everything becomes neutral.
Mentioned earlier the center of the Outlands
is the spire shaped mountain that ends in
a point.
Or it might be infinite, never ending.
Mathematically perhaps it is forever becoming
smaller and smaller.
There upon rests Sigil, the City of Doors.
This is considered very strange because at
the center of the Outlands magic ceases to
function.
Yet here is a magical floating city in the
shape of a torus.
From the outside Sigil looks like a floating
ring, a torus.
The color of it varies with artist interpretations,
but inside this structure is a rich and busy
city.
Known as the City of Doors because within
Sigil are portals that go anywhere and everywhere.
Some of these are known, but most are hidden.
Some will only open with the right key.
Portal keys are required to enter and leave
Sigil, which gives it another nickname “The
Bird Cage.”
For some they will never be able to leave.
Sigil is a trader’s paradise, the ease of
access to bring goods into and out of the
city via portals is wonderful.
The entire city is full of travelers looking
for a deal on their way to somewhere.
Sigil is neutral but essentially touches all
planes, access to portals is controlled by
the Lady of Pain.
All who visit Sigil eventually hear about
the Lady, and quickly stay clear.
She is enormous and hovers above the ground
when visible in the city.
Not much is known about her but there is no
doubt that she is real.
Few see her and those who do never speak to
her or about their experience.
The Lady never speaks or answers to anyone.
She is a power, and it’s best to think of
her as that.
She might not even be a she because nobody
is sure what “she” is.
Those who try to interfere with her or speak
to her erupt with horrid gashes.
A casual glance of the Lady could kill you.
Nobody worships her, and those who have tried
say during prayers their skin becomes flayed
and falls off.
This has discouraged others from praying to
her.
Natives of Sigil fear her and respect her,
they will get out of her way as she floats
throughout Sigil till, eventually, she disappears
into nothingness.
This character is an unknown, which really
makes the Planescape Campaign Setting shine.
Her purpose is unclear but some believe she
is True Neutral and resides in Sigil to keep
it safe from other aligned creatures.
Deities, Devils, Celestials, Modrons, or Demons;
all are kept in check.
In fact Deities are forbidden to enter Sigil.
She is a mystery but presumably makes all
things possible within Sigil.
She controls all the portals to and from Sigil,
she blocks certain powers from entering the
city, and she shields Sigil from the Astral
Plane.
She has the power to create what are called
mazes.
These are reserved as the greatest punishment
for Sigil's enemies.
The Lady creates a demiplane and banishes
a creature to it.
Part of the Deep Ethereal this demiplane grows
into an endless twisting maze that has no
beginning or end.
It is believed the Maze doubles back on itself
much like Sigil.
Her spell is so powerful it only functions
one-way.
You can enter the maze and other things may
also enter; but few leave if any.
It is not known if one could leave the Maze.
Those that do are able to via the the good
graces of the Lady of Pain, or your Dungeon
Master.
In the Planescape Campaign Setting it says
that the Lady of Pain is an icon for the campaign.
She represents a great unknown that the Dungeon
Master, or even the author does not understand.
Player characters should never deal with her,
she should never give out missions or grant
powers.
She has no temples to rob nor followers to
seek out.
She is there to reinforce the wonder and mystery
that is Sigil and the Great Wheel.
The Lady of Pain does have agents though.
They might be an extension of the Lady, or
perhaps Sigil itself.
Dabus as they are called, are servants of
Sigil.
They are not found anywhere else in the multiverse
and maintain infrastructure within Sigil.
They keep sewers and catacombs from crumbling.
They cut back vines and patch streets.
They do show up when the Lady is under threat,
which usually means a new Maze is about to
appear.
In the adventure Die Vecna Die!
It’s written that The Lady of Pain is part
of the Ancient Brethren.
What exactly that is we don’t know.
She is an entity like that of the Raven Queen
only more isolated, powerful, and mysterious.
Your game might feature the Lady of Pain,
and if it does you should think about why
you’re showing her to your players.
Do you wish to frighten them, give them a
sense of awe?
Perhaps the Lady is there to remind the players
they don’t have everything in Dungeons and
Dragons understood.
The Lady of Pain could be anything in your
campaign setting, perhaps you’ll find a
unique way to utilize her.
Thanks so much for watching, thanks again
to my patrons for keeping these videos going.
If you’d like to know more about the planes
consider this playlist.
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I’ll see you all in the next video.
