MovieChat Forums > Planescape: Torment (1999) Discussion > Ages in Sigil?

Ages in Sigil?

posted 17 years ago by geniusloci
8 replies | jump to latest

Do humans in Sigil have much greater life spans than normal humans?
I noticed some odd things in the game which seem to lean in that direction.
For instance, when you meet Deionarra's father in the Clerk's Ward, he talks about the incident of her death as if it happened fairly recently, and he doesn't look all that old. But we know from accounts of the Paranoid One's incarnation that he existed around 50 years ago, which would mean that Deionarra would've died more than 50 years ago (and we have no idea how much time passed between the death of the Practical incarnation and the Paranoid one). Of course, it's possible that this was a timeline error, but something similar happens with Ingress. Ingress is quite young, but was apparently waiting by the Dustman's memorial for 30 years...

[–] Grafknar 17 years ago

In the original 2E tabletop D&D Planescape Setting, no, humans age as they do normally in the real world and other D&D Settings.

As far as Planescape: Torment, I imagine it would be the same as the tabletop RPG.

Not sure if that helps or not, though...interesting dilemma.

[–] shen-nung 17 years ago

I dont think you can really judge the characters age by looking at the character model. Did you read the description given?

Deionarra's father may have been pushing 90. Or it might have been closer to 40 years, I can't really remember the exact text you are referring to.

Remind me how you know he was around during the Paranoid One's incarnation. If you mean the really old journal you claim then that could have been left there before Ian (i think thats Deionarra's father's name) worked there. I always assumed that you were the immediate incarnation after the one who tricked Deionarra into dying.

Saying that I always assumed he had made it to the fortress of regrets but that couldnt be true because annah found your body elsewhere, and if he did make it to the fortress he should have been trapped there, along with morte and dakkon who I was led to believe are somewhat permanent travelling companions.

Man I need to play that game AGAIN.

[–] geniusloci 17 years ago

But the description of Deionarra's father describes him as being in either his late forties or early fiftes (or was it fifties and sixties?). And he says that his daugther died only a few years ago. He could be mistaken in his grief, of course...

But...
The Paranoid Incarnation came after the Practical Incarnation, which was referenced several times. The Paranoid Incarnation was haunted by Deionarra's ghost, for one thing. But among other things, in the Maze of Reflection he discusses destroying the Practical Incarnation's journal, and remodeling the Tomb that Practical Incarnation left to make it more deadly. Aelwyn tells us that the Paranoid Incarnation tried to kill her 60 years before the events of the game.

[–] shen-nung 17 years ago

Fair point but my thinking is that there would be many incarnations that are paranoid in a similar way.

[–] barlowe2003 16 years ago

Do humans in Sigil have much greater life spans than normal humans?

No. But the Nameless One, obviously, is a special case. The incident with Deionarra occrued some 50 years ago, so her father must be terribly old. His avatar is the old advocate. Ingress is quite old too.

Githzerai like Dak'kon age considerably slower than humans, however.

However, I think the game designers probably screwed up with their description of Deinoarra's father. Perhaps it was written early on in development, and not edited later.

[–] Gypsy_Luck 15 years ago

I am fairly certain the Paranoid Incarnation was BEFORE the Practical one.

This is because he is "the strangler". He is the one who can speak the language of "Uyo". He is the one who strangled that linguist's father all those years ago.

Deionarra died recently, so you are the incarnation right after the practical.

[–] NaoNoisen 15 years ago

It would be more logical that the Practical was the last incarnation before the beginning of the game, but indeed at the end of the game, the Paranoid incarnation clearly confirms he came after the Practical one.
I don't remember any proof, though, that the Paranoid incarnation was the same who was killed 50 years ago by Aelwyn. There have been thousands of incarnations, so it probably was just another paranoid version of TNO.
A perfect timeline doesn't matter much, though. What matters most is the quality of P:T's writing. It is unmatched in a video game, AFAIK. (I can only remember Xenogears' Japanese version as another ambitious game in that respect.)

[–] feather_jammed_gears 13 years ago

Most of the 'native' people in Planescape were 'Petitioners' basically a dead soul from the prime material plane waiting to be aborbed by the plane of it's previous life's alignment. Or somesuch were the tabletop game mechanics as I remember. So this 'second life' probably would not follow aging by normal biological mechanics but by wisdom. IE the higher your wisdom the longer you put off being absorbed (aging and dying) by the outer plane you were destined to become a part of. Remember everything on the Planes was based on strength of belief or faith. The tension between freewill and fate.