Difference between revisions of "The Plane of Dreams"

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The Plane of Dreams

The Plane of Dreams is section of existence that is created, quite literally, by the minds of those who sleep. In any place where a being sleeps, from the simplest of animals to the deities themselves, the Plane of Dreams can be found. Each dream adds to it as a being goes to sleep, and each waking taking away from it. Within this plane, theoretically anything that can be conceived can happen. Those who are experienced in its ways have access to one of the least-traveled, yet farthest-reaching highways in existence.

Geography

The Plane of Dreams is often likened to the Astral Plane, by its near omnipresence throughout existence; in a sense, this is a very apt comparison. Much like the Astral Plane, the Plane of Dreams isn't confined to one place, and can be found virtually everywhere. It is spread over the rest of the universe like a thin veneer, yet out of phase with it. However, unlike the fairly consistent Astral Plane, the Plane of Dreams dreams changes constantly. Its shape and contents depend entirely upon who are dreaming.

The best model the describe the Plane of Dreams general layout is a tile roof. If the whole of the plane were a roof, each dream would be a single tile. When someone goes to sleep, their dreams become a part of the plane, or tiles of the roof. When the dreamer awakens, their dreams fade away from the plane, and the tiles fall or fade from the structure. While each dream is separate from the others--its own separate bubble reality so to speak--a dreamer can access the dreams of their neighbor; that is, the tiles next to them, to keep with the roof metaphor.

Where a dream appears in the plane has little connection to where the dreamer is in reality. A dreamer in Doma is just as likely to have his dreams neighbor those of a demon in the third circle as he is to neighbor the dreams of someone down the street. Also, one's dreams will appear in a different place each time, as the plane shifts and changes.

So what affect do the the dreams have on each other? Typically, none at all. Each dreamscape is like a self-contained world. However, without the proper magics being applied, objects made within one dreamscape cannot be taken into another dreamscape, or into reality. However, dreamers with the proper magics can leave their dreams, and explore the dreams of others.

Entering and Traveling in the Plane of Dreams

Entering the plane is as easy as falling asleep. However, while asleep, the vast majority of all dreamers are resting, letting their conscious mind recover from the rigors of waking life while their subconscious or unconscious mind shape their dreams.

There are two ways to travel though the Plane of Dreams. The more common way is for a dreamer to gain awareness that he or she is dreaming. This is often achieved by mental preparation, but sometimes a dreamer becomes aware by accident. After becoming aware, and letting his or her conscious mind take over, a dreamer may rove his or her dream and do essentially whatever comes to mind. Those who travel in this fashion are called dreamwalkers.

A dreamwalker's appearance and possessions and highly variable. Generally, the dreamwalker will appear as they see themselves. Thus, they may well be somewhat more (or less) beautiful than they are in reality, or may appear very different in the case of some deranged minds. Generally, they will possess what they consider important and meaningful to them. A favored sword may well appear with them (possibly even is the real blade has been lost or destroyed). However, a couple of off-the-shelf healing potions, no matter how useful, may well be entirely forgotten. (Note: a GM is free to disallow anything he or she thinks is unfair; no matter how treasured that suit of power armor is).

There are several advantages to dreamwalking. The most important one is that a dreamwalker is just dreaming. Should tragedy befall, a dreamwalker will awaken as though he or she simply had a nightmare. It takes highly advanced dream magic to physically hurt a dreamwalker at all. A side advantage to this is that when the dreamwalker awakens, it will always be at the location where he or she is physically, no matter how far away the dreamscape he or she was in happened to be.

However, there is another, significantly more dangerous way to enter the Plane of Dreams. That way is to enter it physically, bringing one's entire body along. This method naturally requires the proper dream magics to transpose one's body from reality into the Plane. People using this method are called travelers. Unlike dreamwalkers, who are merely dreaming, a traveler takes his or her life into his or her own hands, then tosses it to the caprices of the Plane of Dreams. Anything that happens to them will affect them as though it were reality, as the Plane of Dreams is now reality so far as they are concerned.

However, even with the threat of random and ignoble death, there are some benefits to visiting the Plane of Dreams physically. The immediate benefit is that navigation becomes easier, granting the traveler a +5 bonus to his or her rolls to find something. The other major benefit is that a traveler need not leave the plane where he or she entered it. Thus, by plotting a survivable path, a traveler may roam a thousand of miles or across the dimensions in a comparatively short time. A lesser benefit is that it is easier to bring in non-living objects.

Actually leaving a dreamscape requires the wayfarer to find a way out. In theory, a wayfarer may simply pick a direction and take it. If they travel far enough, they'll reach the border and may transcend it to reach another dreamscape. However, the borders between dreams are never simple straight lines. The borders are wending and intertwined to the point that the most twisted national border seems a perfect line in comparison. As such it is quite possible, even likely, that an untrained wayfarer to pass inches by the border, and walk forward for miles before finding the way out.

However, simply roaming the Plane of Dreams seldom accomplishes more than an odd trip. In order to find anything, one needs some training in dream magic. A properly trained dream mage may try to sense beyond his or her dreams, seeking whatever they desire. The actual likelihood of finding what they seek, however, is based on how well they know the subject and how far away the subject is in reality. It is much easier to find a loved one than a total stranger, and finding a loved one who is next door in reality is much easier than finding a loved one who is in another dimension.

Once the dream mage focuses on its target, he or she will sense the fastest way there. If needs be, he or she can shift focus to find a slightly (or significantly) longer path in hopes that it will be easier. If the dream mage wants, he or she can lead others along this path. So long as one can sense the way, a goal may be found. But those who get separated are on their own.

However, sometimes a person without dream magic will get physically stranded on the Plane. In virtually all cases, unless some comes to save him or her, that person is doomed. Without dream magic, they will be unable to remove themselves from the plane. However, if the victim has the presence of mind to figure out where they are, they may try to navigate. This is a very difficult task for the untrained; they may only seek those whom they know and value very closely; parents, spouses, children, decades long friends, and the like. (in PS terms, it is the equivalent of making a dream magic check without the skill ranks to support it). However, even if they find their way to somewhere, unless they find their way out, they will almost certainly be destroyed by the rigors of the Plane.

Around the edges of the Plane of Dreams, there is a sort of borderlands where waking dreams and thoughts manifest. This ethereal realm of waking dreams is where the minds of those who are not dreaming manifest. The Plane is at its most chaotic here, constantly churning with nonsensical imagery created by the waking. Traditional navigation and dream magic have a very hard time reaching this place. A traveler coming to this realm, even an experienced one, is likely doomed.

This part of the plane manifests the thoughts and musings of waking people. Generally, it will be full of random voices (thoughts) and images from daydreams. What makes this realm so dangerous is that change is a constant here, even more than in the other parts of the Plane, as waking thoughts are faster and less focused than dreams, and are greatly influenced by outside stimuli. A dreamwalker canny enough to get here can view and hear these, serving as a sort of slow and highly inefficient telepathy. However, the person hosting the dreamwalker will instantly be aware of the intruder. Even someone with no capacity for mental combat is likely able to smite the dreamwalker. However, this takes a great deal of concentration, which a waking person will generally find difficult to achieve in normal surrounders. As such, a concentrated offensive is likely to be anything but flawless. However, combating the host is futile; the dreamwalker can do no harm to it.

There is some value in a dreamwalker coming to this part of the Plane. If a possessing entity has a hold over someone, a dreamwalker can try to combat it. While the entity may have some control of the thoughts of the host, they have to divert at least some attention from suppressing the thoughts of the host. The interference of a dreamwalker can lead to distracting the possessor enough to allow the host to free itself.

Aside from this, there is little reason to come. Waking dreams are difficult to reach, and unsuitable in use for traveling from one place to another. Very little lore exists on the place as a result. It is known that only the minds of those who dream will manifest in realm of waking dreams.

General Nature of the Plane of Dreams

Ever-changing is the best word to describe the Plane of Dreams. Each dreamscape is controlled by the mind of the dreamer, playing out the dream. About the only thing a dreamscape will really have in common with other dreamscapes is that they likely will have little in common. A dreamscape may have quite literally any terrain that the dreamer can conceive. They may be an ordinary forest, the pits of hell, a city of gold that has never existed in reality, the cold depths of space, or things so bizarre as to make the above seem mundane. Nor is a dreamscape bound in size. They may be mere feet across, or they may encompass entire worlds. The borders of a dreamscape are invisible, only a sufficiently skilled dream mage can detect them at all. To the naked eye, there is no indication that boundaries exist at all. The scenery of the dreamscape often seems to continue on past the border as though it were not there.

The most important feature within a dreamscape is the dreamer. The dreamscape is a direct reflection of the dreamer's mind. As such, a dreamer within his or her dreamscape is as a god. Anything they can imagine and desire to happen will happen. Generally, a dreamer will be at the mercy of whatever his or her subconscious mind conjures, going through whatever images his or her mind creates. It's quite possible for a dreamwalker to pass in front of them and never really be noticed. An aware wayfarer on the plane may well try to attract the attention of a dreamer, if they so choose, and try to make the dreamer cognizant that he or she are dreaming. Presuming this doesn't cause the dreamer to wake up, he or she will become aware and have conscious control over his or her dreamscape.

An aware dreamer may shape their dreamscape however he or she desire, only his or her whim as a limit. Trying to act against an aware dreamer will be dependent upon how much the dreamer is aware of the threat, and how creative or quick-witted he or she can be. If the dreamer can be convinced he or she is defeated, he or she will be; however all they need do is picture some way to counter this defeat and it shall happen. It is suicidal for a traveler to even think of trying to face a dreamer within their own domain. Given this power, It is not unheard of for a dream mage to permanently slip away and live as a tyrannical deity within their dreams; satisfying their every desire. The worst of such may permanently deny that there ever was a reality, choosing to live within their own dreams until age or misfortune claims their physical bodies.

Should a dreamer be 'killed', or should their time to sleep simply be up, the dreamer awakens. The dreamscape then vanishes, and any wayfarers inside will be taken with it. Dreamwalkers will simply awaken, none the worse for wear, a wased evening is the greatest loss. A traveler, however, is in far more dire straits. In 90% of cases, he or she is simply destroyed along with the dream. Sometimes, if they are close to the edge of the dreamscape, the victim may be ejected into a neighboring dreamscape. Nine percent of the time, the victim is ejected into reality near the dreamer as though he or she left the Plane normally. One percent of the time, however, they are absorbed into the dream. They will lay dormant in the dreamer's mind until the dreamer sleeps once again. Then, that shall reappear and may carry on as normal.

Wayfarers on the Plane typically take pains to avoid meeting the dreamer. At the best, meeting a dreamer involves working to avoid notice. At worst, it costs a dreamwalker time, and a traveler his or her life. However, given the general vastness that Dreamscapes tend possess, it is not impossible to spend months wandering the Plane and never meet a dreamer. But a dreamer need not present, or even aware, to be a threat. Creatures or people created by the dream may well attack the wayfarer, perhaps in defiance of all logic. In theory, just about anything could be a threat. Generally, however, some sort of real world logic survives in a dreamscape. How much and what sort tends to be quite unpredictable.

Time seems to work oddly in the Plane of Dreams. While it is perceived to pass, a traveler will not age or grow tired enough to need more than a momentary rest; nor will he or she grow hungry or thirsty. In a sense living in the Plane of Dreams imparts a sort of immortality; presuming one can survive the rigors of it.

An interesting phenomenon sometimes encountered in the Plane of Dreams is a conjoined dreamscape. When two (or, rarely, more) people who are especially close or connected to one another happen to be asleep at the same time, their dreamscapes may be drawn together, forming a single dreamscape. Control of this combined landscape tends to determined on a case by case basis; but generally each dreamer will have a half. The main effect of this is that sometimes, dreams caught up in their dreams can meet.

Inhabitants of the Plane of Dreams

Figments

Despite the Plane's nature as reflection of the waking world, some things do manage to survive there. The most common creature to be found is simply known as a figment. Figments are aspects of a recurring dream that garnered so much attention from the Dreamer that they have managed to achieve an aspect of independence. A figment is no longer under the control of the dreamer, and may rove as it wills. This includes the capacity to leave the dreamscape and travel. However, Figments are not common. It is not unknown for a dreamwalker to go years without seeing one.

A figment can be anything. They may be the half-seen shapeless shadow of a nightmare, the idealized form of an unrequited love, an imaginary friend or pet given the gift of intelligence, or potentially anything else. All that is required is that they were once the focal point of someone's continued dreams. Depending on their role, a figment may be little more than an animal, or they may be almost passable as a human being. Figments lack souls, and most tend to have fairly shallow minds given their previous roles. Those that manage to avoid being slain by the rigors of the Plane of Dreams may go on to develop more complex and independent personalities, but in times of stress a Figment will always fall back on its more basic personality. Prolonged questioning will also reveal telling gaps in a Figment's mind that it never seems to be able to fill.

A figment cannot leave the Plane of Dreams. It may well want to leave, if the role it played leaves it with the belief it has a home elsewhere. But to actually leave is impossible. Attempts to remove it will fail. Should a Figment be caught in a dreamscape as a dreamer wakens, they will always be absorbed. Figments may realize that they are with the Plane of Dreams in some sense or another, but they will never realize or acknowledge their own dream nature, no matter what evidence is shown to them. Old tales sometimes speak of a dreamwalker meeting a figment based upon themselves, and the arguments of sorting out who is who that follows.

The Goccio

The other major inhabitant of the Plane of Dreams are the Goccio. The Goccio are a nomadic culture of Gypsy-like humans whom, via means lost to history, have come to reside on the Plane of Dreams. Physically speaking, Goccio tend to have olive skin and black hair that naturally winds itself into ringlets. All Goccio are without magic potential. They live in groups of up to fifteen families, constantly on the move. Many live in horse-drawn wagons, while others wander on foot.

The Goccio are completely unaware that they live in the Plane of Dreams. Their belief is that some tragedy has befallen their world (the old world, as they call it), changing it into the chaotic place that is the Plane. Some believe that things have always been that way. As such, the Goccio are completely unaware of the existence of any place outside of the Plane of Dreams. Given that their lives are filled with so many illusions and deceptions on a daily basis, it is all but impossible to convince them otherwise.

As one would expect, the Plane of Dreams profoundly impacts the culture of the Goccio. They are islands of permanence in a world that changes constantly and without warning, where anything could be a threat. As such, the Goccio have an outlook on life that is fairly bleak. They are used to having virtually no power over their environment, and thus are very apt to resign themselves to the caprices of the universe. There is seldom bitterness or angst involved; the Goccio have lived so long in the Plane of Dreams that they cannot truly conceive that there could be a place where things are different.

The Goccio do not sleep, due to the nature of the Plane. However, they do stop and rest from their wandering every so often, if only to let their minds have a break. They do not need to eat or drink, but typically do so out of habit if they believe the food and drink are safe. They are fond of music and dance, as these are one of the few things that they can reliably create in the Plane of Dreams.

The necessity of survival in the Plane of Dreams makes the Goccio live as nomads. By this same necessity, the Goccio are extremely possessive of any physical goods that they own. When the entire realm is impermanent, what few permanent goods they possess become treasured artifacts. A Goccio will go to great lengths to avoid wasting anything. Sometimes they will manage to find something permanent, and will take great lengths to secure it. Typically, this involves stealing some material that has become a Figment to some dreamer.

There are two positions of particular importance among the Goccio; the Pattern Watcher, and the Keeper. The Pattern Watcher is the leader of a Goccio group. His task stems from a belief that virtually all of the Goccio cling to desperately: that the constant changes in Plane of Dreams follows a pattern. It is the Pattern Watcher's job to learn the patterns, and employ this knowledge in leading to people to safety. It is not certain how accurate pattern-watching really is, for whenever the pattern seem to fail, the Pattern Watcher will attribute it to missing an important aspect of it. If nothing else, the Pattern Watcher does give his or her fellow Goccio some measure of precaution; and those who have studied the Goccio cannot deny that they have managed to survive for a long time. Curiously, Pattern Watchers seem to be able to detect a dreamer controlling the dreamscape the Goccio happen to be in upon sight.

If the Pattern Watcher provides leadership and ensures the survival of the Goccio, the Keeper gives them reasons beyond mere survival. The Goccio have no way of recording their history, nor does the Plane allow them to give their dead a permanent resting place. Thus, it is the Keeper's task to remember who the fallen members of a group are, and what became of them. They also remember the important meetings that the group has had, and events in general. The remembered history of the Goccio is invariably tragic. Old age cannot claim them, only the violent nature of the plane ends their lives; thus any group's history will include a long lists of accidental deaths and murders by non-Goccio. A Keeper's task is to survive and remember; if things seem hopeless, a Keeper will flee and hope against hope to find other Goccio, so that the group's memories can be passed on. Seldom does a Keeper risk his or her life in combat or exploring.

One of the most striking effects the Plane has had upon the Goccio is how they label other people, whom they call giorgios. The Goccio have learned from lifetimes of experience that most of the 'people' they meet are just creations of the dreamscapes. Still others are the dreamers themselves, called Centers by the Goccio, whose control of the dreamscapes can spell doom for them. It is a very rare event that the Goccio meet another that does not fall into those two categories. Thus, they tend to classify all outsiders as being creations of the Plane of Dreams, and not real. The only stable beings, to their minds, are the Goccio. Everything else may fade or change within a moment's notice.

However, the Goccio usually do accept outsiders into their camps, if only for the reason that non-hostile giorgios can provide a pleasant diversion from normal life. However, most Goccio will do not take their first encounter with any outsider lightly; the first response is generally to prepare for a pitched battle; after having dealt with too many nightmares. If the outsiders don't react with force, the pattern watcher will question them, to determine how rational their minds are. These questions invariably involve logic, such as basic mathematics, and questions about what happens when someone is stabbed, to make sure the outsiders are aware that Goccio do die if stabbed. In the case of a dreamer, the Pattern Watcher will sense it, and signal the group to flee. The Goccio will run, leaving all their things behind. A dreamer can destory an entire group with ease, and the Goccio are very aware of this. However, if the Pattern Watcher feel it is safe later, they will try to return for their things.

If the outsider answers satisfactorily, the Goccio will accept it into into their camp. If not, the outsider is probably quite heavily outnumbered by people who have determined it a threat. Once a giorgios is accepted, the Goccio will treat it with general goodwill, so long as such is reciprocated. However, the Goccio will treat it like something of a child; they have learned not to underestimate any potential shortcoming a dream being may possess. When an outsider leaves, the Goccio will never expect to see it again. No matter how much a figment, a dream, or a wayfarer may promise to return, Goccio can go for centuries without seeing the same being twice; such events will always been noted by the Keeper.

In the rare times they meet other Goccio, it is a time of rejoicing. The two groups will merge and travel together for some time, sharing tales and songs. When the two part again, many will have switched from one group to the other, happy to have new friends (and potential spouses). Such meetings are memorized meticulously by the Keepers.

It is not certain how the Goccio came to the Plane of Dreams, or how long ago it was. Their measure of time is basic, being divided into heartbeats (gained by measuring their own pulse), rests (Simply counting how many times they've stopped to rest), and trips (one thousand rests). Many Keepers have tales that happened thousands of trips in the past. However, the Goccio do share a tale about how the world fell apart. As is common, there are many variations. Many revolve around an alchemist named Karul, who in times of old did some sort of experiment that caused the world to collapse. Others say that Karul foresaw the end of the Old World, and gave the Goccio a potion to allow them to endure when everything else fell apart. Other Goccio will call the entire story rubbish.

None of these stories take into account that the Goccio are on the Plane of Dreams. Wayfarers with any experience with the Goccio are at a loss to explain them. However, it is agreed they originally came from reality; their horses, carts, and tools had to come from somewhere. A few have no doubt tried to bring a Goccio into reality, something that the Goccio will see as a kidnapping attempt and try to fight it tooth and nail. It is known that a Goccio who is caught in a dream when the dreamer awakens is always destroyed.

The Plane of Dreams and Reality

The Plane of Dreams and Reality, ideally, run parallel to each other and never intersect. However, exceptions always happen. There are no naturally occurring gates to the Plane of Dreams (the Plane's impermanent nature quickly destroys any true artificial gates, as well). Most planeshifting abilities will not allow one to enter the Plane of Dreams. The only way for the vast majority of beings to enter is by sleeping, or via Dream Magic.

However, sometimes the actions of sentient beings, especially mages, can result in the fabric between Dreams and Reality wearing thin. When this happens, dreams within the physical proximity of the damage become more realistic. The chance of having lucid dreams is greatly increased, as is the chance of conjoined dreamscapes. Conversely, the influence of reality makes it much harder for the dreamer to control their dreams consciously. It is quite possible, under these circumstances, for a dreamer to become lucid and not know he or she is dreaming.

If the damage is severe enough, the Plane will start to affect reality as well. People within a mile of the damage may start to hallucinate. These hallucinations may or may not be shared; it is perfectly possibly to separate people to perceive or not perceive entirely different things. Hallucinations on the outer part of the damaged region tend to be subtle and fairly easy to see though. As one draws closer to the damage, the hallucinations grow harder to resist and may become less subtle. However, these hallucinations are just that; unreal imagines conjured by the mind. But, as one comes closer to the epicenter, the hallucinations grow more realistic, and harder to ignore. At the epicenter of the damage and its immediate surroundings, the Plane of Dreams overwhelm reality. A hallucinated ladder can be climbed, even though no one else may be able to perceive it and thus see their companion climbing thin air.

It is not known whether such damage can repair itself. Certainly, it can be done by artificial methods, but whether or not gaps between dreams and reality can repair itself naturally is unknown. Observations of rifts in the short term have not revealed any natural restoration. Thus, if it can occur it would take some time; weeks at the least. It is important to note these rifts are not gates to the Plane, the epicenter is still in reality.

Beyond the Plane of Dreams

By its nature, the Plane of Dreams is a place of potential. Anything that can be conceived by any being that has ever slept; from the lowest insect to the highest Creator deity; can manifest there. The only true limit is the imagination of the dreamer.

However, some things are still completely alien to combined potential of the Plane, things that the summation of the senses of all that have slept are unable to conceive. In a sense, this too manifests in the the Plane. More accurately, it manifests outside and beyond the plane. Much as Reality and the Plane of Dreams never cross, so too do the Plane and what lies beyond never cross. While dream magic can allow one to cross between the Plane and Reality nearly at a whim, it is all but impossible to reach beyond the Plane of Dreams by any means. Until recently, its very existence was simply an esoteric theory. A breach to this place was torn as an accidental side-effect to done by the only known native-born Gaeran dream mage. The breach was repaired, but no one has been able understand how it was open, save for perhaps one insane dream mage who has demonstrated an ability to create rifts of his own. No one has been able to replicate his work, to the frustration of several malicious or suicidally daring souls.

What lies beyond the Plane of Dreams is a place immicably hostile to existence as it is known. Senses cannot comprehend what lies in a rift to what lies beyond; the eyes see a blackness that is painful to even look at, whilst one's senses of smell and taste begin to experience random sensory flares. Actually touching a rift will invoke a myriad of sensations at once, many of them immensely painful. Generally, one can expect to lose at least some use of the affected region; whilst all color is drained away, leaving the flesh a chalky white. Some who have been near this rifts report hearing abnormal sounds around them as well. Astrally, the things are simply black unreadable spots that are painful to look at. All other senses are similarly confounded. Simply put, senses cannot deliver accurate information; that which cannot be perceived cannot be understood. However, the mind will try to process the information if it is exposed to it. This has been compared to forcing a square peg through a round hole with a hammer; as it causes irrevocable damage to everything. Madness, or neurological failure, will result from too much exposure to a rifts leading beyond the Plane. It is the dreamer whose dreamscape hosts the rift who is in the most danger. If the rift is not quickly sealed, the exposure will drive the dreamer insane, and eventually lead to catatonia, then death.

However, from the presence of rifts, it is has been proven that there are inhabitants beyond the Plane of Dreams, in a sense. The creatures that emerge from it are twisted things, whose bodies seem to defy logical purpose. They are neither living, dead, undead, or constructs of any sort; still they move. Some react to the presence of life, proving that at least some of them can recognize it. It is almost impossible to classify these creatures; labeled horrors by those who have had to deal with them; as it seems that few are alike in any way.

One of the few things that they have in common is that touching them is harmful to anything but their own kind. The effect is very similar to touching a rift; all the color is leeched from the afflicted area, whilst a number of sensations vie painfully to understand alien tactile information. Most seem to possess sensory organs of some kind, such as eyes, but their placement and apparent ability to function normally without these organs indicates that the horrors do not rely on them at all. Aside from this, horrors have little in common. No known natural need determines the shape of their bodies, or the capabilities that they would have. Some may have myriad limbs, others may have none. They may be roughly human shaped, or like nothing that could hope to survive in nature. They can be the size of rodents, or rival dragons. Some have been known to absorb magic, others cannot abide the presence of astral manipulation. Horrors can theoretically possess just about any sort of weakness or ability. However, they universally cannot exist in the waking world. Exposing them to it, even if filtered through the plane of dreams, drives them into a bloody rage; they are likely to tear into their own bodies as those of an attacker. It is theorized that actually dragging one into the waking world would be fatal for it.

While the existence of the realm beyond the Plane of Dreams is much theorized, very few individuals know that it has been proven to exist. While no one has ever tried to enter a rift, it is certain that such an act would be fatal; no known benediction can protect from the effects of beyond. So far, attempts to replicate the magics to expose it have failed; leading those who have tried to conclude there is some unique, perhaps imperceptible, element to doing. It has been proposed that it may well be an inborn ability, but evidence doesn't seem to support this. While rifts themselves are so rare that they are singular events, there have been stories of dreamwalkers finding horrors unexpectedly in the wilds of the Plane. It is believed these horrors have escaped from the original rift (the one that stood open longer than any other), and have been wandering ever since. It is believed that the presence of horrors in ones dreamscape for more than a brief time will affect one as a rift does. Woe betide the dreamer who awakens and entraps a horror within his dreams.

Dream Magic

Dream magic is the art of traveling through and manipulating the stuff of dreams. At its most basic level, dream magic allows one to lucidly dream at will. More advanced knowledge of dream magic can allow a dream mage to navigate the plane, manipulate the dreamscape in subtle ways, or invoke the plane's powers within reality.

Within Gaera, Dream Magic is a lost art. Once, in times forgotten by history, the art flourished. While it was never widespread or influential, it was existent. However, it began to wane; the reason why also forgotten by history. Sources were lost, the knowledge of the art of dream magic guttered and died away. Some historians, looking into the matter of late, believe that any organizations that existed to foster dream magic may have been too secretive for their own good. When tragedy struck them, they were unable to recover.

Whatever may have happened, dream magic within Gaera has been all but dead art until recent years. While undoubtedly a few wild talents in the field were born and possibly even learned to harness their ability, none seem to have had the scholarly inclination to study it deeply, perhaps passing it off as a useless trick. It wasn't until a half-Valthi psychologist by the name of Alan Roward began to explore his own natural abilities in dream magic that any modern research was done on the subject. At first, he mistook it for a natural cognitive technique, but soon began to probe the edges of his own dreams, breaking through into other dreamscapes. Upon realizing what he had done, Dr. Roward quickly left Valth, and began to meticulously run and record experiments with dream magic, slowly but surely rediscovering the art, and even managing to find an obscure source or two from long ago to augment his knowledge. Having recently published some of his findings at Agtherim Academy, Dr. Roward has begun a tiny renaissance in Gaeran dream magic.

Wild talents in Dream Magic exist in Gaera, as well. Due to lack of tutelage, few achieve any prominence in the art. However, it is quite posible for there to be a few talented and innovative wild talents who go on to teach themselves at least some of the art of dreamwalking, much as Dr. Roward did in his early days.

While the outworld status of dream magic is not very well known, it is logical to conclude that no civilization that has made much use of it has contacted Gaera, given how obscure the art has been on Gaera. Presently, a fair deal of the known dream mages on Gaera are outworlders, and their reports confirm that dream magic is only slightly less uncommon in other worlds. However, at least one (Deinzora) has developed it to some degree for paramilitary purposes.

Spells and General Notes

The most basic use of dream magic is to travel around the Plane of Dreams. As previously stated, there are two was to enter: dreams and physically. The former requires the Dreamwalk ability to gain awareness while asleep, the latter requires the Traveler spell. Once inside, a Navigate spell is needed to find anything. It is also important to note that Greater Manipulation is the limit that any being below the divine level can achieve in manipulating the dreams of others.

• [Dream Magic=1] Dreamwalk (0 MP)- The dream mage may attain full awareness while dreaming, and traverse the Plane of Dreams

• [Dream Magic=1] Dream Sight (0MP) - This is Dream Magic equivalent of Adtral Sight. Using this, a Dream mage may peer into the Plane of Dreams, and vaguely observe what is going on. A user with Low MAG may only be able to detect that the next dreamscape isn't calm, while a higher Mag user may be able to determine what the terrain actually is. If there is a dreamwalker nearby, the Dream Mage will be able to detect her aura.

• [Dream Magic=1] Navigate (MP10/20/30/50) - This allows the dream mage to navigate through the Plane of Dreams and find a particular goal with a successful dream magic check. People or things she is intimate familiar with cost 10 MP and require a difficulty check of 20. Something fairly familar will require 20 MP and a 30 difficulty roll. Something she has only passing knowledge of will take 30 MP and a 35 difficulty. Something she is unfamiliar with will require 50 MP and a 45 difficulty roll. If what see seeks is outside the dimension she rests within in reality, MP costs are doubled, and +30 difficulty added. For each hour spent searching, the difficulty is reduced by 3 cumulatively. Entering the Plane of Dreams Physically confers a +5 bonus to Navigate's rolls.

• [Dream Magic=3]Gather (10MP) This allows the dream mage to call those who fall asleep near her to her location in the Plane of Dreams; be they near her body in reality or near the dreamer whose dreams she happens to be in. Alternately, she may use it to directly enter the dreams of one person whose sleeping form she finds physically; after going to sleep herself. She may gather (Dream Magic Rank) people per casting. A target of the spell may try to resist, being allowed an Mblock roll.

• [Dream Magic=4] Traveler (MP 20) This allows the dream mage to physically enter the Plane of Dreams and leave reality behind fully. It takes her three rounds of casting to do so. She may bring one person per dreamwalking rank with her, at an extra 10 MP per person. This spell is also used to leave the Plane. An unwilling target gets a +15 bonus to his resist roll.

• [Dream Magic=3 [k]Nature of Dreams=4] Repair (MP: Variable) Allows the dream mage to repair damaged Fabric in the Plane of Dreams. The amount of time and MP spent is variable, but in general she can repair (Dream Magic Rank/3) yards of damage per round for 5 MP. Whether or not this applies to other forms of dimensional damage is GM's discretion, as is the rate and the cost.

• [Dream Magic=6 [k]Nature of Dreams=3] Lesser Manipulation (15 MP) - This allows the Dream Mage to manipulate the fabric of the Plane of Dreams in very minor ways while within the plane. She may create short-lived objects of no more than (Dreamwalking Rank/2) kg mass, move objects of the selfsame mass, and so on. Creating specific objects, such as a key for a door, requires a skill check. Alternately, she may try to warp the fabric of the plane itself to do damage equal to a sword to foes at a distance. Finally, the dream mage may try to counter external effects upon herself; gaining (Dreamwalking Rank/3) bonus to resist rolls.

• [Dream Magic=8 [k]Nature of Dreams=8] Hallucination (35 MP) - This allows the dream mage to afflict a small portion of the Plane of Dream's influence on a target or targets. It affects the target's senses, causing her to perceive something that is not real. This may be used to create an object, or mask an object, the size of a chest. The hallucination will affect all five of the senses, but cannot deny reality. A hallucinated chair will respond to all five senses, and to the victim, she is no more able to walk through it than they could a real chair under her own power. However, should she try to sit on it, gravity wins over her hallucination and she'll fall though, dispelling it. Due to affecting all of the senses, the spell is all but impossible to disbelieve once it takes hold; if the GM rules the use is subtle enough, the effect may not be resisted at all. The Dream mage may affect (Rank/4) targets. A mage with 4 or more ranks in dimensional magic may be able to detect the spell's true nature with an astral scan. If thiey possess the right spells and working knowledge of dream magic, they may try to end the spell. This spell does not work within the Plane of Dreams, nor is it true illusion magic and thus may affect beings normally immune to illusions.

• [Dream Magic=12 [k]Nature of Dreams=6]Greater Manipulation (40MP) - This allows the dream mage to manipulate the fabric of the Plane of Dreams in fairly significant ways while within the plane. She may create short-lived objects of no more than (Dreamwalking Rank*2) kg mass, move objects of the selfsame mass, and so on. Creating specific objects, such as a key for a door, requires a skill check. Alternately, she may try to warp the fabric of the plane itself to do damage equal to a sword to foes at a distance. Finally, the Dream Mage may try to counter external effects upon herself; gaining (Dreamwalking Rank/2) bonus to resist rolls.

• [Dream Magic=15] Endless Dream (45 MP) This allows the dream mage to prevent a sleeping individual from waking up; on a successful Mattack roll. The victim of Endless Dream will be unable to wake up on her own, and may die of deprivation if not tended to. Outside attempts to force awakening; even ones that do serious or critical damage; will not work. The magic may be dispelled normally. Should the spell fail to take hold, the victim's sleep will not be disturbed. Knowledge of this spell also grants the ability to remove its effects without difficulty. Some dream mages use this on themselves, when preparing to undertake prolonged research.

• [Dream Magic=16 [k]Nature of Dreams=16] Fabrication (100 MP) - This allows the dream mage to afflict a small portion of the Plane of Dream's influence on a target or targets. It affects the target's senses, causing her to perceive something that is not real. This may be used to create an object, or mask an object, up to five times the caster's mass, or cover a radius five times the caster's height. The hallucination will affect all five of the senses, but cannot deny reality. A hallucinated chair will respond to all five senses, and to the victim, she is no more able to walk through it than they could a real chair under her own power. However, should she try to sit on it, gravity wins over her hallucination and she'll fall though, dispelling it. Due to affecting all of the senses, the spell is all but impossible to disbelieve once it takes hold. The Dream mage may affect (Rank/3) targets. A mage with 10 or more ranks in dimensional magic may be able to detect the spell's true nature with an astral scan. If thiey possess the right spells and working knowledge of dream magic, they may try to end the spell. This spell does not work within the Plane of Dreams, nor is it true illusion magic and thus may affect beings normally immune to illusions.

• [Dream Magic=25 [k]Nature of Dreams=25] Delusion (180 MP) - This allows the dream mage to draw enough of the Plane of Dreams influence into Reality that it overwhelms the laws of Reality within a hundred yards, turning it to the caster's whim. The effect is identical to that of being in the epicenter of a rift between Reality and the Plane of Dreams. The Dream mage may make the victims perceive whatever she wishes; the effect will overrule the laws of reality. A hallucinated ladder will be climbable, despite not actually existing. The victims have no chance of resisting or disbelieving; for all intents and purposes, what they are experiencing is reality. However, the danger lies in the dream mage herself, she must check to resist her own spell. Should she fail, she will lose control of the spell and become a victim of it as well. The effects will become completely random, and likely dangerous to all within the area of effect. This spell has a 1 in 3 chance of leaving a permanent rift between the Plane of Dreams and Reality if it is used successfully, and will always leave a rift when control is lost. This spell does not work within the Plane of Dreams, nor is it true illusion magic and thus may affect beings normally immune to illusions.

Credits:
Conjoined Dreams: Divinegon
Waking Dreams: End
Spell Ideas: Jak and Shini