City of Doors

Dr. Mary Crowell

City of Doors was inspired by a field trip for our D&D characters that happened during a gaming campaign of Wesley Crowell's called Uncomfortable Civility (2005-2007). To translate a verse from the Book of Halav, one of us needed to be able to read a language called Thothian - a language that one could literally not learn on our particular plane ofreality. Through various divinations and bits of intelligence gathering our characters learned of someone we could learn it from, but we would have to find a way to get to the city of Sigil.

Those of you familiar with the Planescape Material which came out in the mid nineties, would recognize the name of the "City of Doors" - which can only be accessed through portals from different cities in the various prime material worlds. These are all one-way portals, so one can get trapped in Sigil.

We eventually figured out how to get there from our world. The portal in our city was in an orphanage run by Priestesses of Loviatar. We had to walk between two of the statues in one of the Halls there and throw a fishhook over our left shoulder. We ended up in the ladies bathroom at a bar in Sigil. Because it was a one-way portal, if you tried to go the other way through the door you simply ended up in the bathroom. The bar was full of characters and personalities from a wide variety of realities. (There was no Star Wars Cantina band there, but the lead singer on stage in this tavern would kick your butt!)

In my song, there is a mention of a bard named Bernard. He is not in the Planescape material, but was a follower of Moxie's (my character.) He stayed behind in Sigil and said he would find his own way back home eventually. He has made appearances in various campaigns since then as a representative of The Red Board. (And that is another story.) Wesley has commented recently that he has started to be more conscious of what he names NPCs as he never knows if they might end up in a song later.

City of Doors

Music & Lyrics: © 2007 by Mary Crowell
Used by permission - All Rights Reserved

CHORUS
Come in. Come in!
Come into the City of Doors, of Doors.
Stick around the city; you have time to explore.
You can't leave by the way you came in.

Come in. Come in!
Come into the City of Doors, of Doors.
Saints rubbin' shoulders with the lowest of whores.
They can't leave by the way they came in.

If you crack a door open who knows where you'll be?
With your best friend or your worst enemy?
Sooner or later you may find your Connect.
It's in the place that you least expect, so

Come in. Come in!
Come into the City of Doors, of Doors.
Dark angels winkin' while the beggars implore.
They can't leave by the way they came in.

[Instrumental]

There's a little old man a-keeps watch with a drum,
Plays it all day, and he plays with his thumb.
'Searching; he's looking for the door to go home.
Now it's the place he's content to roam. So,

Come in. Come in!
Come into the City of Doors, of Doors.
You've traveled farther than you've ever before.
You can't leave by the way you came in.

[Instrumental]

When the little old man a'
Wandered down here,
'Found our fine bar, and he
Ordered a beer.
Sang us a song and said his
Name was Bernard.
'Smiled as he tipped; then he
Gave his card. So,

Come in. Come in!
Come into the City of Doors, of Doors.
You listen close! He's a master of lore.
He can't leave by the way he came in.

[First verse Reprise]