Dream Spirits
Dream Spirits are ethereal entities born from the subconscious thoughts, hopes, fears, and desires of mortals—and even gods—within the boundless Plane of Dreams, which exists within the sleeping mind of Ythar, God of Dreams. Unlike other spirits that dwell in the Spirit Realm, Dream Spirits are uniquely attuned to the ever-shifting tapestry of thought and imagination. They are not bound by the laws of form, logic, or time; instead, they drift and change with the currents of slumbering minds.
Dream Spirits can take countless shapes, from comforting familiars of childhood to towering nightmares of collective dread. They speak in metaphor, emotion, and memory, often communicating through sensation rather than words. Some are ephemeral and fleeting, vanishing upon waking, while others persist for centuries, nourished by repeated dreams or widespread belief.
Not all Dream Spirits are benevolent. Some become Nightmare Spirits, dark reflections born from trauma and fear, feeding on the unrest of the dreaming. Others are Lucid Spirits, who aid dreamers in navigating or controlling their dreams. Rare and powerful Dream Spirits, called Oneirarchs, are said to serve directly beneath Ythar and act as custodians of sacred dreams, forbidden memories, and prophetic visions.
Though Dream Spirits are largely neutral, their presence has played significant roles in mortal history—granting boons, sending warnings, or sowing confusion across kingdoms through shared visions. They are especially revered by oracles, shamans, and some fey courts, who treat them as sacred messengers of deeper truth.
Importantly, Dream Spirits are barred from the Spirit Realm, not by hostility, but by fundamental difference—they are made of dreamstuff, not soul-essence. Their nature is more abstract, a reflection of thought rather than a product of life or death.
