The Dreaming -- Ad Astra

AD ASTRA

T h e W o r l d o f S t a r l i g h t

THE DREAMING (Dreamscape Border)
The dreaming has been detailed in several White Wolf supplements, including Changeling: the Dreaming, Nobles: the Shining Host, Dreams and Nightmares, Beyond the Barriers: Book of Worlds, and Umbra: the Velvet Curtain. In these supplements, it is relegated to being a Zone, and is supposed to be the best the Tellurian could come up with for the Land of Faerie. I believe that it deserves to be more than a Zone, having three distinct areas that match those of the Three Worlds, and only a few differences; I also believe that the Land of Faerie should be something else entirely, not a realm of imagination and dreams, but a land of fey magic and dark wildness. Thus was born my concept of Border-Worlds, Umbrae that are hidden between the Three Worlds like mouse-tunnels in the walls between rooms. Here is The Dreaming, sprung from the passions and spirit of the Primal World, and from the thoughts and concepts of the Astral World. "commanding in another world wide awake, you face the pain the dream is over or has it just begun?" -- Queensryche, "Silent Lucidity"

COSMOLOGY S K I P T O : The ASTRAL WORLD (the High Umbra) The Dreaming -- the Dreamscape Border The PRIMAL WORLD (the Middle Umbra) Faerie -- the Twilight Border The UNDERWORLD (the Low Umbra) Briah -- theoretically, our Shade Realm

THE MISTS & DREAMWALKING
        The Mists are the metaphysical barrier that separates the mundane, physical world from the Dreaming.
        The term "the Mists" refers to the gradual borders between the physical world and the Border Worlds, Faerie and the Dreaming. Entering either requires some form of enchantment, thought there are secondary ways to enter both realms; the secondary way of entering Faerie is dying, since it has ties to the Underworld, and the secondary way of entering the Dreaming is sleeping. Any person (and some say any animal, too) can enter the Dreaming, simply by falling asleep and having a dream. Every dream that is dreamt takes place in the Dreaming, or sometimes in the Maya; most people, however, are not aware that they are dreaming, or at least are powerless, subject to the theme and plot of the dream, unless the have the Lucid Dreaming Talent, as described in Halls of the Arcanum and ???. Dreamers exist in their own personal Dream-Realms while dreaming, which may exist in the Dreaming or in the Maya, but the only way they can enter the Dreaming proper (a difference in perspective, mostly), is by being enchanted by a Dreamling or other being with Chimerical powers.
        Some sorcerors and hedge-mages have developed a Path known as the Path of Dreams, detailed in my Orphans & Static Magic page, off the Ex Miscellanea page.
        Magi can enter the Dreaming the same way as normal humans, but those with Mind Sphere rank 1 can empower their thoughts and minds enough to control their own dreams, though they cannot yet find the mental, chimerical pathways that lead to the Maya, or even to other dreams in the Dreaming. At rank 3 in the mind Sphere, it is possible to enter a given's person's dreams while they are dreaming them, and from those Realms a mage can often take Dreampaths and Silver Roads to other parts of the Dreaming. This is still considered a form of Astral Projection, since the mage's body is still in the physical reality; some shamans have developed a way to actually enter the Dreaming physically, but this is one of their greatest, best-guarded secrets.
        Faeries and Kithain (half-fae) can use the Glamour known as Chimerae Sorcery to percieve the Dreaming as it overlaps reality, to affect things within it, and even to take the Silver Paths into the Maya. Faeries initially developed this skill as part of the Mindgames Glamour, and used it to torment or observe mortals in their dreams, where many secrets can be learned. eventaully this was taken far enough among the fae to become its own Glamour, and now many of the halfbreeds, the Kithain, use the lower levels of this Glamour instinctively, without trying. They have become lost in the Dreaming, and the Dreaming welcomes them with open arms, and they are its foster-children now that their cousins in the Land of Faerie have forsaken them.
        Garou and other werecreatures who fall asleep in the Umbra automatically slip into the Maya, similar to the Astral Projection of Mind Sphere rank 3.   (U:tVS pg.)

AESCULAPIONS:
"Dream Temples", Dreaming-Nodes, "Freeholds"

LEAVING THE DREAMING:

DREAM-REALMS (MAYA & ONEIRAN MAYA:

THE DREAMING
        "The Dreaming is a chimerical reality that the half-fae consider their home. Those enchanted by the half-faes' Chimerae Sorcery can see the wonders that surround them -- a path of gold across a busy intersection, a dragon's grotto inside an abandoned warehouse -- most mortals, even mages, remain blind to such wonders. The nearest layer, simply called The Dreaming, resembles the Penumbrae of the Three Worlds, but exists apart from them (in fact it seems to be something of a "border" or blending-area between the Primal and Astral Worlds, thus the appelation Border World). The energies of this realm shapes imagination into magics and creatures that few human eyes can see. These creations, called cantrips, have power only over those who can perceive them. Thus, many familiar with such magicks may well appear insane to those around them -- yes, even to the "enlightened" few, though Mind magicks may give an idea of what the "madman" is seeing. Banality, or lack of imagination, muffles these forces until it threatens the fringes of the Dreaming itself. This phenomenon explain why so many people in the modern world catapult directly into the deeper -- and more disturbing -- Maya Realms without the restful buffer of the Dreaming to cushion their flight." (BoW, pg.79)
        "The Dreaming is a universe unto its own. It is said that any and all things may be found there, if one knows how to look. Given this infinite tableau, many of the Changelings fear to return to this place that was once most natural to them." "The Dreaming is that which most conforms to the mundane world. it often (though not always) mimics earth in such major aspects as geography. Human-made constructs, such as buildings and cars, may also have Dreaming counterparts, but more likely not; as a rule, human artifacts that are imbued with a great deal of imagination are more real in the Dreaming -- so a cathedral would leave more of an impression that a Denny's restaurant. In the Dreaming a creative work, such as a book or painting, may even be alive. Most Dreamtemples, or "freeholds", are situated in the Dreaming. It is also here that the nature of a kingdom's ruler has the most effect on the land. The Silver Path (the primary Dreampath) begins to fail at the far edges of this realm." (N:tSH, pg.88)
        Many of the half-fae, the Kithain, have so immersed themselves in Chimerae Sorcery that they are "stuck" in the fantastical Dreaming, their perceptions rooted in the imaginations of the world. The only way for most half-fae to enter the Near Dreaming (or Maya), however, is through dreampaths, which are usually found at Aesculapions, or Dreamtemples. Though the deluded Kithain (changelings) call some Dreampaths "trods", they are not such in the true sense, as the actual Trods are routes in Faerie (the other Border World); the Kithain also call the Dreamtemples "freeholds", thinking of them as faerie founts. The delusion, in these poor beings' case, is that they mistake imagination and subconscious images for faerie magics.

INHABITANTS:
        The Oneira: the Dream-Lords
        Dreamers: mortals, mages, other supernaturals
        Dreamlings: natives of the Dreaming -- spirits?

THE MAYA (NEAR DREAMING)

MAGICS IN THE DREAMING:
        Spheres -- only Mind is really effective, there are no Patterns or anything... Prime works too (makes the dream more lasting, more powerful, can even turn it into a Maya), maybe Time? (really easy) or Spirit? (to move between dreams, or into the Maya)
        Gifts -- some Stargazer gifts apply directly to the Dreaming, and all auspices take on certain abilities and roles within the Dreaming, for some reason
        Glamours -- Changelings (half-fae) have certain Arts that allow them to work with the Dreaming. Like many faeries, these half-breeds often naturally have the ability to Percieve the Dreaming (Chimera Sorcery 1), but few pursue the Art past that, not even realizing it is an Art. Many of these changelings focus on Dream-Craft instead (N:tSH, pg.75)
        Sorcerous Paths --

DREAMING ROTES
        Lucid Dreaming (Mind 1)
        Empower Dream (Mind 1, Prime 2)
        Keep the Dream Alive (Mind 2, Prime 2) -- a mage visiting another person's dream can hold that dream together even after the dreamer awakens, keeping it from dissolving as long as quintessence is funneled into it. This can eventually lead to the dream becoming a Maya Realm. Some dream-mages collect and preserve certain kinds of dreams with Time magick.
        Ariadne's Thread (Mind 1, Spirit 1, Corr.2) -- a mage concentrates on a destination in the Dreaming, and is led to it by the shortest path
        Summon Dream-Steed (Spirit 2) -- these beings work for mages in exchange for quintessence. They are not always in the form of steeds, though they can usually carry a rider, and they can be shaped into any desired form by a mage with Mind 2 or 3. If the mage is not wanting to leave the individual dream, Mind 2 will work fine for this rote.
        Replay Dream (Mind 2) -- This can cause a mage to dream the same dream over again, or to cause a dreamer's mind to do the same with a dream that just ended. With Time 2 added, or by using Mind 3 instead of 2, a mage can draw old dreams from the dreamer's subconscious and bring them back to life.
        Create Dream (Mind 3)
        Bridge the Rift (Mind 2, Correspondence 1/2) -- as per VR immersion? entering others' dreams
        Disrupt Dream (Mind 4) -- ends any dream, dissolves even subconscious connections between dreamer and dream
        Claim Dominion (Mind 4) -- the mage takes control of a dream... this is how the Oneira try to gain supremacy over the Dreaming, subtly infiltrating and then striking and claiming the dream
        Hide in Dreams (Spirit 3, Mind 3) -- physically entering a dream or the Dreaming, through "the Ivory Gates"
        Link Dreams (Corr.?, Mind 3) -- links dreams together via portals or smooth transitions... the mage must find a place where the two dreams fit together (like 2 doors on oopposite sides of a lake)... this can mean that 2 dreamers are now sharing the same dream, which occasionally leads to vulgarity and Paradox
        Dream Barrier (Mind 4, Spirit 2) -- hides a dream from others in the Dreaming, also raises the "Gauntlet" around that dream

THE CHIMARAE & THE ONEIRA

CHIMARAE

DREAMLINGS

NIGHTMARES

THE ONEIRA
MORPHEUS, LORD of DREAMS, MASTER of the MAYA
CHIMERA, LADY of MIRRORS, GUARDIAN of DREAMS, SHE-of-MANY-FACES
SPHINX, RULER of RIDDLES ENIGMAS & MYSTERIES
THE SANDMAN, GUIDE THROUGH DREAMS, GATEKEEPER
THE ARALIM, LADIES of INSIGHT & SYMBOLS
THE DREAM-RAVENS, KEEPERS-of-SECRETS, DISGUISERS
SYVIN LAI, LORD of the DREAMS of MADNESS
NUAL-ANAI, LADY of DAYDREAMS & FANTASIES
, LORD of ASPIRATIONS, PRINCE of FOOLS
, LORD of LEGENDS, DUKE of MYTH
ORIGANE, LADY of FEVERED IMAGININGS
MOLK-KEM, LORD of NIGHTMARES, BULL-PRINCE
LI QUN,
, LADY of PHANTASMS & ILLUSIONS
, LADY of the DEATH-VISIONS
, LORD of ANIMAL DREAMS
, LORD OF OMENS & PORTENTS

HECATE
AESCULAPIUS

NEARBY REALMS:
Faerie, the Astral, the Umbra

HORIZON

DEEP DREAMING

DREAM LORE (from N:tSH, pg.74)
        This is the study of the Dreaming and the creatures that reside within it. It is a study mastered by none, since the Dreaming is vast and ever-changing. Some, however, dare its dangers in order to map it (insofar as that is possible) and learn its secrets.
        1 -- Student: you know to stay on the Silver Path
        2 -- College: You feel at home in the Near Dreaming
        3 -- Masters: You are beginning to understand the laws that govern the Dreaming
        4 -- Doctorate: The Dreaming holds few secrets from you
        5 -- Scholar: You know the way to Morpheus's great hall (Changelings: You think you know where "Arcadia" is...)

TALENT: LUCID DREAMING (Sabbat Player's Guide pg.101, HotA pg.??)
        1 -- Novice: You can recall your dreams almost every night, in their entirety
        2 -- Practiced: You have the ability to alter the aspects of your dreams that you don't like
        3 -- Competent: You are able to alter large parts of your dreams
        4 -- Expert: You are capable of dreaming whatever you wish
        5 -- Master: You are the master of your dreams, able to gain insight into your life when you let your dreams take their own course, though often the understanding you glean will be vague.
        Possessed by: people with good imaginations, New Agers, Mystics
        Specialties: personal matters, redreaming, alterations, interpretations

DREAM TRAVEL (Following as per Astral Travel) Int + Cosmology, difficulty determined by destination and familiarity with the route. For every success less than five, there is an encounter.

ASTRAL WIND?: The mage is suddenly buffeted by a powerful Astral Wind. The mage is blown off track and is now headed to a different area in the Astral Plane. If this will hinder the story, scare the mage with the fury of the storm (have the mage roll a soak roll, but don't inflict any damage).
MAYA: The dream of a sleeping human unfolds before the characters, possibly trapping them until it has finished its scene.
NIGHTMARES: A terrible, distorted, frightening area
SHAMANS: The characters have come across, or been noticed by, mages who walk in dreams. This could be a good, bad, or indifferent thing.
EPIPHLINGS:
DARKMYST: The silvery mists tarnish to black, and causes the characters to lose their path. Per + Enigmas, diff.7, is needed to get back on track. On a botch, the Darkmyst leads to the Abyss.
MINI-REALM: A realm created out of human dreams, fashioned by the Dreamlords (powerful Epiphlings) into a stable, relatively constant realm. The Dreamlords are very protective of their territories.
MARAUDERS: Chaos mages have broken through into the dreams of the world... perhaps they are seeking a way out into physical reality, or are content to create havoc in the sleeping minds of humanity.
NEPHANDI: A warped and malevoelent mage, often an ally of demons
TECHNOCRACY: Some rare NWO mindscapers can break through into the Dreaming

Back to PATHS... To my WoD COMPILATION To WoD: ANGELS To WoD: NEPHILLIM To FAERIE: THE LOST KINGDOMS