What is the Dream Realm ?

The Dream Realm (also known as the Dream Dimension, dreamscape, or the Realm of Chaos) is an extra-material realm known for being intensely unpredictable and chaotic. Where the Light Realm is the source of light and the Shadow Realm is a shadow of the Material Realm, the Dream Realm has been called a mirror of the Material Realm. But if it is a mirror, it’s a crazy funhouse mirror, which distorts and weirds everything it reflects.

IC scholars believe the realm itself is exists in part or in whole as a result of the dreams of some or all living creatures, primarily those of the Material Realm, but also of the inhabitants of other Realms0 as well. The result is a realm where literally anything and everything is possible, and where almost nothing ever remains the same from one visit to the next.

Scholars in the Vaxian world believe the realm itself is exists in part or in whole as a result of the dreams of some or all living creatures, primarily those of the Material Realm, but also of the inhabitants of other realms as well. The result is a realm where literally anything and everything is possible, and where almost nothing ever remains the same from one visit to the next.

Geography

• Like some other realms, the Dream Realm is infinite, having no actual boundaries. However, unlike the other realms, geography and direction have almost no value in the Dream Realm. Because this realm is partially composed of the dreams of living creatures, the geographic features of their various realms do occasionally become represented in the Dream Realm; however, these tend to be in a constant state of flux, their relation to one another may be completely incongruous, and elements of multiple entirely separate realms may be found side by side. Depending on how the dreamscape is being formed at any given moment, you may be able to walk directly from the heart of

Ramsalon

• to a rural fishing village in Shi Inkahan, or onto the slopes of a volcano in the heart of the fire corner of the

Elemental

• Realm. Those locations may or may not be accurate reflections of the other realms (as they are formed roughly how the dreamer remembers or interprets them), and are just as likely to disappear and become replaced by others while you’re standing there.

As a result, “navigation” in any typical sense has practically no meaning in the dreamscape, because navigation implies basing your location and direction on fixed elements of your environment, while the dreamscape has none. Any and all normal attempts to navigate the Dream Realm will undoubtedly only flummox the traveler; indeed, a visit to the Dream Realm is unlikely to involve an actual attempt to get “somewhere,” because in the Dream Realm there is no such thing.

Thought is an intensely powerful locomotor in the Dream Realm, more so than in any of the other realms; merely thinking of Kanestronia can transport you there, even if no living creature happens to be dreaming Kanestronia into the dreamscape at that moment. In that case, your own thought would be adding Kanestronia to the dreamscape and taking you there–though it would be based on your memories and your impressions of Kanestronia, not necessarily an accurate representation of the tower itself, and it would likely disappear as soon as you stop concentrating on its existence. If other people are dreaming about Kanestronia, the tower you visit might very well be in a constant state of flux, shifting between any or all of the conflicting visions of the tower. Oneiromancy is generally a more “reliable” method of moving through this realm, though even with oneiromancy one will still experience the Dream Realm as constantly changing.

Because of the way the dreamscape is molded and shaped, it is just as likely to find locations so fantastic that they do not and could not exist in any other realm. These fantastical dream environments may be found side-by-side with real places, or real places may take on properties that are completely incongruous with reality. They are truly limited only by the subconscious imaginations of the world’s collective dreamers.

Inhabitants

• The Dream Realm is perhaps the most sparsely populated of all the realms, at least in the sense of having very few “natural” inhabitants. It is, however, highly populated by the dream-selves of dreamers across the realms. In almost all cases, a person or creature currently dreaming in one of the other realms will inhabit the dreamscape in an insubstantial dreamlike state called a dream-self. This is the safest and most natural way to access the Dream Realm, as death in this form will only result in the forceful awakening of the dreamer. It is also possible to access this realm with one’s physical body through various means (see the section on traveling).

Creatures from any of the other realms may be found here, whether they are real and actually physically inhabit the dreamscape (a very dangerous prospect) or simply born from the dreams of the world’s dreamers. Fire Elementals may live side-by-side with humans in Ramsalon, hordes of Undead may rampage across the deserts of Candenord, or creatures unlike anything ever seen in any other realm may be given birth until the dreamers finally awaken.

Some of these creatures (or people!) may spontaneously obtain permanency, continuing to exist even after the dreamer has awakened. The mutable nature of the Dream Realm confuses these creatures, who become unpredictable and often violent as a result. Collectively, these permanent dreams are known as “nightmares,” frequently tormenting dream-selves all across the dreamscape. (A “nightmare” can also refer to any sudden shift in the dreamscape that frightens and/or causes harm to the dream-self, such as suddenly falling into a giant chasm.)

One of the dreamscape’s most notable inhabitants is a figure who refers to himself as the Dream Daemon, a tall, pale, winged creature with a personality as bemusing and unpredictable as the realm itself. His origins are completely unknown, but the Dream Daemon does possess unrivaled control over the Dream Realm to an almost omnipotent degree. He takes a surprising amount of interest in mortal creatures, whom he perceives as lesser beings worthy only of his curiosity, and occasionally takes interest in studying or interfering with their affairs.
The Dream Daemon takes an active hand in the affairs of the dreamscape, acting as its steward and guardian against those who would seek to manipulate it for their own ends. He possesses an intense distaste for oneiromancers bordering on vicious hatred, despite the fact that he has incredible skill in that very same sphere of magic; it is entirely possible that, for whatever reason, he believes only he has the right to alter the dreamscape.

The Dream Daemon is assisted in his work by several creatures he calls “dream sprites.” He treats these lesser demons as his children and is extremely protective of them, as they are of him; their origins are just as uncertain as his own. They are competent oneiromancers, but to a significantly lesser degree than the Daemon himself.

Additionally, pure chaos elementals] are known to roam the Realm. It is not known whether they are truly native to the Dream Realm or if they’re simply inter-Realm Travellers who find the amorphous nature of the Dream Realm ideal for their tastes. If they are natives, then they (like the Dream Daemon) are an exception to the rule that things from the Dream Realm usually can’t leave and, if they do, don’t retain their powers in other Realms. Chaos elementals have been known to occasionally travel to and cause havoc in every Realm.

Traveling to the Dream Realm

• The vast majority of the time, traveling to the Dream Realm is accomplished simply by dreaming. When a person dreams, his or her “dream-self” may be projected into the Dream Realm, and the dream-self’s interactions and experiences there are what constitutes a dream. In this way, most living creatures have interacted with the Dream Realm many times before. In this form, visitors to the Dream Realm are usually shielded from the dreams of other dreamers; there can be significant bleeding of dreams onto other dreams, however, which may be why dreams often include elements that make absolutely no sense to us, though we don’t realize it at the time. This is the safest way to access the Dream Realm, as one’s dream-self cannot be seriously injured or die–this would only result in the forceful awakening of the dreamer, and it usually occurs after an experience with a nightmare.

Oneiromancy can be used to force a person’s dream-self into the dreamscape even when the person is not sleeping. This is like a form of astral projection, and the consequences can be extremely unpredictable. In some cases it may act simply like dreaming, with the person’s physical body falling asleep; any negative consequences to the dream-self would result in awakening the dreamer. If instead the magic is used to forcibly keep the dream-self in the dream, negative consequences could be more permanent, severing the mental dream-self from the physical body and thereby damaging the mind of the dreamer or rendering him comatose.

Some forms of oneiromancy (or transportation magic) can also be used to travel physically to the Dream Realm. This is an incredibly dangerous place for one’s physical body to reside; because the realm is always changing and aggressive nightmares (or temporary dream creatures) may be encountered at any time, danger is constant, and death or dismemberment in this state is permanent since it is happening to your actual physical body. Many unwary mortals who wander into the Dream Realm physically are never seen or heard from again.

Magic

• One of the most curious things about the Dream Realm is that almost all forms of magic are completely and totally unpredictable here, because they are constantly subject to the whims of the dreamers that make up the dreamscape. A fireball spell may function properly, or it may explode in the caster’s face, or the fireball may become a sentient creature to roam about the dreamscape as it pleases until the magic fades. Most magics will function this way. Thought-based magics are no different: the thoughts of the caster are in constant conflict with the thoughts of the dreamers, so their spells may function properly or go completely awry. All these forms of magic are also more difficult to cast in the Dream Realm.

The only magic that can be truly relied upon in the Dream Realm is oneiromancy, which is significantly easier to cast here. In fact, a competent level of oneiromancy is practically a requirement for safe travel within the Dream Realm. Not only does it allow safer and more predictable navigation, it is also a powerful form of protection against the extreme dangers that the chaotic dream realm presents. Like the dreamscape itself, oneiromancy in this realm is limited only by the imagination of the user: it can take on any form and manipulate any aspect of the dreamscape in any way if the user is powerful enough. Temporary aspects of the dreamscape can be made permanent, and permanent aspects can be banished; the dreamscape itself can even be altered, essentially creating realities as the caster desires. In the dreamscape alone, oneiromancy could theoretically be used to destroy enemies, heal wounds, or travel, completely unlike its applications in the material realm, which are considerably more limited.

Chaos magic is as close to a natural phenomenon in the Dream Realm as anything can be, roughly on par with oneiromancy. It is extremely easy to cast here, though its effects are no more or less predictable than they would be anywhere else, as there are no “degrees” of unpredictability to chaos magic. The effects of chaos spells do, however, have a much greater tendency to become permanent in the dreamscape, whereas in the material realm they usually fade when the spell wears off.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Time intersects as chaotically with the Dream Realm as anything else does. A moment in this realm may span hours in the Material Realm, or vice versa. While in the Dream Realm, a person might experience visions of the past or shades of the future. This is likely the mechanism by which certain people can have dreams predicting the future (though there is no guarantee that the future they dream of will actually come to pass). However, it does not seem possible to actually travel through time via the Dream Realm.

It is theoretically possible to intentionally travel into a specific person’s dream while in the Dream Realm. To do this requires oneiromancy, a strong connection with or understanding of the target, or both. It is much easier to accomplish by using oneiromancy on a sleeping dreamer outside the Dream Realm, rather than trying to find it from within the chaos of the Dream Realm.

The one near-constant in the Dream Realm is that, in almost all cases, things originating in the Dream Realm cannot travel to any other Realm, and in the rare event that they do, they lose all their amorphous/chaotic properties and become solidly one thing when they leave the Dream Realm. Chaos elementals and the Dream Daemon (and items created by the Dream Daemon) are the only known exceptions to this rule.

When a person is dreaming, they may or may not retain access to all their items. A character’s conception of himself may include all his items, and thus increase the likelihood of having them in the Dream Realm. However, most characters wear few, if any, of their items to bed, thus decreasing the likelihood of having them in the Dream Realm. This can vary from dream to dream, and is up to SH discretion.

Similarly, it is possible, though rare, for characters to lose access to skills or have temporarily altered Stats while dreaming. This fact should be used sparingly, if at all, and World should be consulted before running a session where this occurs.

Dreams have always been very interesting to me  , so real at times gets a bit confusing and I know I am trying to spiritually evolve and learn things . So much is stored up in our brains and we need to reach these realms of knowledge and self awareness.  Relax and try ! Happy Quarantine !

Love and Regards,

Thank You,

Nancy Thames

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