"For as long as we could dream we wondered where our minds travelled at night. It was a philosophical question at first... but then we found it. An endless expanse that was formed by the minds of dreamer's and twisted by the desires of demons." A History of the Known Realms - by Kalrezan Yindali
Overview
The Dreamer's Abyss is the realm of demons and dreams. When a creature on Axeram sleeps, their minds travel to the realm to experience dreams influenced by memories or external forces. During a creature's state of sleep they don't physically exist within the realm as it is only a portion of their soul that exists within it. However, a dream is not entirely safe either. When a separate creature enters the Dreamer's Abyss it is possible to influence or even dramatically change a dreamer's experience. This is incredibly rare though, as it is not easy to travel between the realms. The most powerful of mages who have specialised in dreams have the capability to break out of their confines within the Dreamer's Abyss and even freely communicate with the demons feeding off of their experiences. As with all realms, there is one of
The Venientium who watch over it and preside as a ruler. For the Dreamer's Abyss it was
The Shadow, though since their disappearance it is unknown whether there is another who has taken up this responsibility.
Demons
These powerful entities that exist primarily within the Dreamer's Abyss, embody various aspects of of the soul that have been isolated and grown to an extreme. In most situations, dreams are influenced by lesser demons who call the realm their home. They are drawn to strong emotions or experiences and feed off of them in symbiosis with the dreamer. This feeding allows the creature to awake well rested and if too much or too little is siphoned a creature can awaken feeling restless. If several strong emotions are present it is possible for multiple demons to feed off of one dreamer. Traumatic events that have drastically affected a creature can cause things like PTSD, as a demon will have attached itself to the dreamer as it is a constant supply of sustenance. Split personalities are often derived from demons who have latched on to a creature like a parasite instead of grazing in proportion. Eventually the parasitic demon becomes as significant in the creature's mind that it creates it's only personality to share with the host.
Greater demons are far rarer and are created when they have fed off of extreme emotions for extended period's of time. Greater Demons can influence a dream more significantly than that of a lesser demon and the most powerful are even capable of bringing a dreamer into the realm entirely. Though it is more likely to make a deal than physically harm the creature.
Outside of Dreams
Travelling to the Dreamer's Abyss with one's entire self is an incredibly challenging feat that has only been performed on a few occasions outside of being summoned by a greater demon. There are no known portals to the realm, but masters of the arcane are sometimes capable of moving across realms. This talent was how researchers first entered the realm after reports of something beyond the dreams that were experienced by people summoned. Traversing the landscape of the realm is also challenging as it is constantly shifting with the minds of dreamer's, and demons can sometimes be territorial and attack on sight.
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