Dreamlands

The Dreamlands

The Dreamlands, also known as the Dimension of Dreams, is a dimension that once overlayed with the Ethereal Plane before a magical cataclysm shook it loose, simultaneously allowing it relative stability on its own. Created, sustained, and maintained directly by the dreams of sleepers in the Universe, and the mages that continually build it outward. Long ago, it consisted of a finite, relatively stable core, surrounded by countless ephemeral dreamscapes. Now, the core has grown a considerable amount, thanks to Dreamwalkers, Night Hags, and other citizens of the Dreamlands.

The Dreamlands' innermost permanent core is formed from slumbering desires, and the dreams of especially powerful individuals, like the Outer Gods and Great Old Ones. The middlemost core, being the dreams of Gods long deceased, only kept alive through their ideals. And the outermost, and most unstable layer, is made by magic users who wish for the Dreamlands to continue to grow outward and more stable.

Dreamscapes

Dreamscapes are what comprise the Dreamlands, individual bubbles of altered reality through a sleeping creatures expanded mind.

Due to the unusual dimensional behavior of the Dreamlands, a dreamscape can only technically be considered to be coexistent with all other planes. In practice, things are far more complicated.

Each dreamscape can have its own planar traits, which can include unique or altered properties of physics such as reversed gravity and dilated time. The perceived passing of a single day in most dreamscapes is nebulous, consuming anything from ten minutes to an hour in the Material Plane. A lucid body can attempt extraordinary acts within a dreamscape that they could not accomplish in the Material Plane, but such acts are still limited by one's creativity and force of will. You must be *strong* enough to be able to succeed in such feats, even in a realm where the impossible is within your reach.

Known Inhabitants

More often than not, if you're bumping into another Dreamwalker, they're either going to be a Lured Dream, Night Hag, or a Dreamthief.

A Dreamthief is a rogue whose soul contains a dreamshard of concentrated emotion, magic, or will, that grants them supernaturally innate access to others' dreamscapes. They can and often go so far as to manifest, then steal those creatures' own emotions. They can also dream as lucidly as an advanced Dreamwalker.