The Emerald Dream
A Treatise on the Hidden Realms of Faerûn
Compiled by the Arcane Citadel, Year of the Silver Sigil
Foreword: A Scholar’s Warning
The world is vast, and the Weave is deeper than any mortal can fathom. Of the many realms that touch Faerûn, few are as elusive or perilous as the Emerald Dream—a place glimpsed only in the haze of sleep or the stillness of water. It does not follow the laws of time, magic, or nature as we understand them, existing instead as a realm of shifting thoughts and echoing desires. This document is no definitive guide, for the Dream resists understanding. Scholars of the Arcane Citadel have spent lifetimes unraveling its mysteries, yet their findings remain fragmented and fraught with peril. To study the Dream is to risk its notice, and to learn too much is to invite consequences beyond mortal reckoning.
The Arcane Citadel, a bastion of scholarship founded after the Spellplague, has long pursued the truth of the Emerald Dream, though not without cost. Those who seek it often vanish, return altered, or reappear as something no longer fully themselves. The Dream does not welcome travelers—it chooses them. Some believe it holds lost knowledge, others fear it as a prison for ancient horrors. Yet, all accounts agree on one thing: it does not provide answers, only reflections of the truths one already carries. To read further is to step closer to its grasp. If you have come this far, beware—the Dream may already be watching.
Appendix: Legends, Creatures, and Pacts of the Emerald Dream
A. Notable Figures of the Dream
Throughout history, adventurers, scholars, and mystics have ventured into the Emerald Dream, leaving behind tales of bravery, madness, and mystery.
- Darius Blackthorn – Legendary hero who retrieved the Crown of Tides, witnessing the eternal battle between Nightmare Lords and Feywild Beasts, forever altering his mind.
- Shittake – Renowned explorer of Dreamroots and the Wellspring of Echoes. His journal, The Shifting Paths, remains a key reference, though he vanished in the Twilight Expanse.
- Daran Edermath – Druid whose search for the Seed of the World Tree led to encounters with Archfey and a lasting legacy in Dream protection.
- Lysandra Nightshade – Archmage who studied Ley Lines and Mirror Pools, shaping the study of Dream magic before her mysterious disappearance.
- Garrin Thundershadow – Half-elf ranger known for surviving the Dream’s perilous paths and forging bonds with Feywild Beasts.
- Seraphine Starcrest – Celestial-born explorer who discovered the Starlit Lattice, bridging the Dream and waking world through divine insight.
B. Creatures of the Dream
The Emerald Dream teems with beings that defy nature, some protectors, others tricksters or nightmares.
- Dreamweavers – Manipulators of reality, weaving time, space, and consciousness into dreamscapes.
- Nightmare Lords – Fear-feeding entities ruling over the Dream’s darkest corners.
- Archfey – Mysterious beings embodying nature, whimsy, and power, offering both aid and peril.
- Dryads & Nymphs – Spirits of nature, some benevolent, others luring mortals into binding deals.
- Feywild Beasts – Creatures whose forms shift with the Dream’s surreal landscape, ranging from serene to monstrous.
C. Historic Events
The Dream and the waking world have clashed and intertwined through key moments in history:
- War of the Shattered Veil – A battle where reality itself was torn, forever altering parts of the Dream.
- Binding of the Green Lord – An Archfey’s failed conquest of the Dream, resulting in his imprisonment and a weakened Dreamscape.
- Disappearance of the Dreamroot – The loss of a potent conduit between the Dream and reality after an ancient cult sought to control its power.
- The Silver Circle’s Last Oath – A druidic vow to prevent mortals from wielding the Dream’s full power, with the Circle vanishing soon after.
D. Oaths, Pacts, and Contracts
Deals struck within the Dream are unbreakable and often lead to unforeseen consequences.
- Oath of the Silver Circle – Binds druids to safeguard the Dream’s balance, preventing mortal dominance.
- Pact of the Verdant Court – Ensures the Dream’s natural cycle, with violators cursed to wander eternally.
- The Dreambind – Grants mortals Dream magic at the cost of their sanity and periodic returns to its depths.
- The Iron Pledge – A dangerous pact with Nightmare Lords, exchanging servitude for forbidden knowledge.
- The Contract of Everlight – A soul-binding agreement with the fey courts, granting power but inevitable betrayal.
The Emerald Dream remains an enigmatic and perilous domain, filled with legends, lurking dangers, and ancient pacts that continue to shape its ever-shifting landscape.
Entry for WorldEmber 2024