The Infinite Staircase

X Worldbuilders:

GM James R

"The Staircase is the goal of every longing heart, the road to every dream." -Unknown

The Infinite Staircase' is a myth, an invaluable treasure, or the imaginings of fools, depending on who you ask. But whether you believe in it or not, the mystery remains, tantalizing or terrifying to those who would come across it.

History/Mystery

"Here and there other staircases come into view, some of which appear to be upside down or at odd angles to the traveler's perspective. All are part of the same massive expanse, which bends and folds in on itself in a manner unperceivable by the traveler but no less real because of it." - Unknown

The Infinite Staircase as seen during several Tales of Quelmar set in the Outer Planes

This enigmatic Staircase supposedly leads to all places in the planes of the multiverse via its extradimensional spiral pathways, though the trick is to actually find an entry and an exit. A link to The Infinite Staircase usually appears as a nondescript doorway or arch. Beyond the opening lies a small landing with an equally nondescript stairway leading elsewhere. Typically, this link hides behind an old door that no one pays any attention to in, say, the cellar or through an archway in an abandoned house. Very rarely are the entrances to the Infinite Staircase commonly known.

Travelers on the Staircase see its appearance vary from simple stairs of wood or stone, to a chaotic jumble of stairs hanging in radiant space where no two steps share the same gravitational orientation. It is said that one can find one's heart's desire somewhere on the Staircase if enough landings are searched. But one never knows what else lurks on the Stairs - from monsters, to the remains of other travelers, to esoteric doorways into unknown places, to something no living being has ever laid eyes on.

Time, space, and magic work strangely in this extradimensional realm, its laws and rules of behavior never consistent. It seems to exist outside of the magic Weave, so arcane and divine casters may find themselves unprepared for unpredictable effects (if any at all), as well anyone attempting to Fly or Teleport. Oddly enough, bardic magic seems to be bolstered on the Stairs, as if whatever Creator(s) have an affinity for music.

The origin and purpose behind The Infinite Staircase remain unknown, nor does anyone know if it truly is infinite or simply unfathomably large...

Inhabitants

As one might expect inside a realm that connects to everywhere, a traveler can potentially encounter any creature from anywhere in the multiverse. Needless to say, this can certainly present additional dangers on top of survival in this inhospitable, alien realm. But there are at least two anomalies in this regard among its steps, according to scant reports:

The Masons

These are seemingly the only true denizens of The Infinite Staircase, but it is unknown whether they are the original architects or simply the caretakers. There are no records of any conversation with one, but evidence of them is clear: signs of repair, tools left behind, doorways moved, indecipherable symbols etched onto landings as some kind of communication amongst themselves, and - in extremely rare occurances - a fleeting glance of a hooded figure on a stairway well out of reach. Little else is known about these enigmatic beings.

The Nowhere Inn

Reportedly the only settlement anywhere on the Stairs. Most travelers will find themselves eventually expelled from the Staircase in one way or another, so it's unusual to find anything of permanence. But some say you may find the Nowhere Inn on a wider landing somewhere within the Staircase, which is a community of tents and other haphazard structures, populated by merchants, misfits, and lost travelers. If one finds this "Inn," it may be a welcome respite, but be wary of so-called Survivors that live here, their scruples long since vanished.