Sigil: City of Doors

As told by Fallon Widdershins, noted Gnomish artificer and rumermonger:

Ya hearin' the new scuttlebutt on the Red Deathers? No? Well lemme tell ya wha' they don' want gettin' out, friend. O' course, I'm gettin' mighty thirsty here. Dunnae 'ow much longer I can go on talkin'.

Well my thanks on ye, tall friend! So like I was sayin', seems two odd things are 'appenin'. Firstwise, seems 'at the public hangin's won't be occurrin' fer the next few days. An' at the same time, them folks wit' loved-uns locked up down below aren't bein' let in ta see 'em either. Word from the Swan is that they's doin' some sort o' work on the in-fer-structure, but I'm hearin' different. Dark from an insider is 'at just today, they found 'em a dozen prisoners dead, an' Alisohn and her lackeys ain't tellin' the low-downs what from.

What do the Deathers say? Now 'at's the thing, ain't it? Talked ta one think it might be that plague was runnin' through the city the other day or somethin' like it. 'Nother said somethin' old and nasty came up from the grotto, lookin' fer blood an' souls. 'Course, could be somethin' else too. But soon as it's in my ears, well... I'll be righ' back here in this chair with a tale to tell, and don't you forget it!

As told by Escetla Blue, Hive Ward jinkskirt and wife of the notorious thief Gentevlius Blue, currently serving a fifteen-year sentence in the Prison, holding court with the other "ladies" of the Night Market:

So's like, I goes ta see ol' Gent, give 'im his monthly sight o' me so's he knows I'm still thinkin' o' him, an' the damn Red Death say I can't see 'im. Now that ain't the rules, you girls know that well as me, so's I start makin' a stink 'bout it, righ' there in the middle o' the Lady's wehre everyone could hear.

An' then who do ya think shows up? The Swan's Son 'imself! 'At's right, and he's as damn pretty a fella as they say. He weren't a pally and whatnot, I'd give him half off. Ah, what am I sayin? He'd get it for free. But that ain't the point. No, he pulls me aside an' starts explainin'. Ol' Gent's alright, but seems th'other prisoners ain't. There's somethin' walkin' 'round the cells, an' it's been killin' prisoners and guards. Guess I ain't supposed to share this, but oh well. He tells me they've closed off the cells, and the inmates are sleepin' in the yard for safety. Waitin' for some big bad demonhunter to arrive in Sigil ta go in an' do somethin' 'bout it.

That's it, gals. Now I got a corner wit' my name on it, and some pleasurin' ta do. Wha's that? No, Hild, you don' need a damn cleric. Cold sores go away on their own.

The word carries quickly. Three Mercykillers found dead this morning, literally torn limb from limb, beside a private back entrance to the Prison, one rumored by those who venture guesses with ale in hand to be a quick route to the cells.

Speaking of venturing guesses with ale in hand, the only "witness" to the killings was a rather intoxicated dwarf making his way home from a late-night bender involving multiple taverns. Judging from his stories of "a being of shadow and darkness, glowing eyes within a cloud of evil," he could have drunk half of what he did and stell been too addle-pated to be reliable.

Regardless, the Red Death have requested the help of their allies, the Harmonium, who are currently on the lookout for any rumors. It's unknown what caused these murders, but without a doubt something hideously dangerous is abroad on the streets of Sigil.

The Harmonium officer leans on the bar at the Bottle & Jug, for once not having to worry about sneers or thrown food as he shares the tale with those surrounding him...

Seems that dwarf weren't as addle-pated as we thought. The troops have brought in stories of red eyes in a cloud of shadow half a dozen times today, y'hear? An' one o' those was down an alleyway, our boys show up to investigate an' find four corpses, like. Dead as doornails, an' not a mark on 'em.

Hey, I don' know what 'tis either. I'm just sayin', you see this thin', ya don't stop an' gawk. Watch yerselves, an' find yerself a Harmonium officer. We'll be gettin' this thing, and stickin' it back in the Grotto where it belongs, like.

'Course it's from the Grotto! How else could somthin' like this wind up appearin' in the Prison, killin' Red Deathers on its way out? Seems to me the Mercies need ta have a bit more protection from that place than "ey look, it's a deep pit!". Place was there afore the Prison were built, who knows what kind o' crap might be down there? It ain't like anyone's ever come back got dropped down there, after all.