The Ocean of Dreams is a wondrous place where the energies of the living and the dead can interact. It exists as a plane of mutable energies, separate from the material planes. The general area of the ocean forms a communal consciousness shared among all living things, while individual spheres of influence called the Islands of Dreaming represent specific dreams from entities. These islands rarely interact, though some dreamers believe in the possibility of dreaming together, which requires a strong connection and bridging the sea of Aether naturally.
This realm is known by various names, such as the "Land of Dreams and Nightmares" or simply the "Land of Nightmares." Legends and tales associated with this place recount unintentional visits or encounters by unwise practitioners of magic who stumble upon the ocean's dangers. Every race and language has its own concept and name for this realm, where dreams, thoughts, and past/future events converge.
Legends
The earliest legends of exploring the dream realm stem from stories of a dark wizard who used it to predict the future. His experiments with astral projection and physically entering the dream realm ended in his mysterious disappearance. However, his notes survived and inspired several of his apprentices to continue his work along different paths.
According to these accounts, the ocean has some semblance of structure. Dreamers visit this realm accidentally during sleep (and rarely when awake), and their islands constantly change, never remaining the same unless influenced by an outside force. The living are not the sole inhabitants of this realm; the Aether of the dead also resides here, with vast and powerful islands that expand over time. When the Aether of a newly departed entity manifests, their island naturally forms near those they knew in life who are also deceased. These islands grow and can connect, allowing departed souls to share dreams if they desire. Since entities control their islands, they cannot be forced into a dream or compelled to connect to another island.
Legends also suggest that within this realm, all fear, hate, and anger must be released and remain here. Entities unable to do so descend into the Severed Realm. However, not all energies in this realm adhere to this rule. Dangerous entities can touch the islands and feed off negativity, turning dreams into nightmares.
Travel Through Dreams
As the dream realm connects to other realms in various ways, it is possible, though unwise, to use it for travel between places. This method carries significant risks. In a realm where thoughts and reality intertwine, one runs the risk of losing track of what is real and what is not. This risk is only one of many. Denizens of the Ocean of Dreams thrive on the distress of others. Since this realm connects to all places, powerful immortal entities often use it as a means of traversing realms, unfazed by dangers that would tear mortals apart. These entities occasionally communicate with the dead or, in rare cases, the living through their dreams. Their presence is transient, and they come and go as they please.
The Sennik
In the past, dreams and this realm were believed to enable the prediction of the future through a book called a "Sennik." However, in modern times, a "Sennik" has transformed into a psychological text, explaining the potential representations of dream images and their connection to a person's mental state. The true Sennik, however, is not a mundane book but a unique tome of the dream world. It is crafted to be identical in both the waking world and the dream world, unlike most things. Within the dream world, the Sennik possesses special properties and can influence the surroundings. It is imbued with the psionic or magical energy of its creator, an extension of their being. The Sennik resists attempts by others to pry into its secrets.
Those skilled in the use of a Sennik and the dream world are often called Mistrzowie Koszmarów in Polish. Different cultures that independently developed exploration of the dream world have their own names and practices for individuals with similar abilities, masters of the dream world, and the tools they use. In some cultures, a Grimoire, a traditional spellbook used by Western European practitioners of magic, particularly in the areas surrounding Germany and France, is said to be particularly potent in dreams. When constructed correctly, it can function similarly to a Sennik.
Interaction with Reality
While closely tied to the material plane, the Ocean of Dreams is not a realm of specific reality. It can partially reflect the real world through focused thought. The ocean encompasses not only the islands of the dead and the dreams of the living but also the worlds of the material plane. Astral projection into this realm leads to an initial encounter with an echo of the real world, where a person's focus materializes. The dreamscape interacts with reality through the forces of creation and destruction. Within the ocean, the Aether primarily serves as a force for creation, and some individuals tap into this creative force known as dreamessence, a concentrated form of magical energy derived from the Ocean of Dreams itself.
As the echo of the real world is unstable and influenced by the thoughts of those present, it represents the most static aspects of reality. Mountains, for instance, are nearly solid and unchanging, while smaller objects have a more ethereal nature. The representation of the real world assumes the form of the most common and unchanging embodiments of various possible realities. Skilled individuals can manipulate these echoes of the real world using magical energy and thoughts, effecting changes in the material plane. Therefore, even living or semi-living entities can be created within the ocean using thought and then brought to the real world with considerable skill, as homunculi or golems.
Additionally, some entities exist in both the ocean and the material plane, drawing their essence and energy from the dreamscape. These entities, known as Kithian, are entirely dream-based and can manipulate the real world and mortals through dreamessence. A male Kith can form a union with a female dreamer, impregnating her with a being possessing the souls of both a human and a Kithian. These entities serve as bridges between dreamers and the ocean. They can use dreamessence to affect the real world, utilizing wayfarer magic, locomotion, or even constructing fantastical contraptions that are impossible in the material planes.