An asexual succubus, a compassionate illithid, a deceitful toy robot, an artful plasmoid and chivalrous rabbit live together in the House of the Griffin, an old tenement building they call home in the poorest neighborhood of Sigil. Life is hard in the Hive, where many Outsiders of the City of Doors toil to legitimize themselves to gain access to the other parts of town. On this rainy day, a strange looking letter arrives, bearer of bad news.