The Astral Plane | Thicket of Thorns

Astral Plane

When a soul dreams, their mind becomes connected to, and possibly part of the Astral. An out-of-body experience is a way to bring the plane with you, wrapping it around your soul as you move.   To most people, the Astral is confined to their own dreams and subconscious, but those able to harness lucid dreaming can step out of their dreams. The same goes for rituals pulling on the Dreams Branch. Outside of the dreams, the plane is a craggy landscape covered in a thick mist. It is hard to see anything beyond some ten to twenty meters out, except for shadows of what might be rock formations, monsters, or just tricks of the mind. Of course, on a plane where nightmares come real, a shadow that was only in one's mind might well become lethal.   From the outside, a dream looks like a mirror, a window, or some other surface that acts as a metaphor. By studying someone's subconscious, it is possible to learn a great deal about them. But they might also lash out, and even someone not aware of where they are can wreak havoc within their own dream. The most dangerous thing in there, however, are the fears that make the dreamer themselves scared.   The Astral Plane gathers souls dreaming in every world. Some say this means it's not a world in itself, but rather the result of the will of everyone. It also means that it touches on ever world and it can theoretically be used to bypass the Thicket of Thorns for travel. However, the risk of getting lost is even greater, and open gateways are extremely hard to hind and even more so to create. Only those who truly master this realm use this method.

Geography

Tall mountains are often seen in the distance but never reached. There are various kinds of landscapes, but they are all bleak and treacherous. What looks like dried grass might, in fact, behave like a bog and spew toxic gases. The natural laws here are those of dreams and the mind.

Fauna & Flora

There is life here. It was originally spawned as a part of a dream but escaped. In order to survive, it draws on the lives of dreamers. Have you ever woken up and been much more tired than when you went asleep? It is likely something attacked itself to your dream and drained your mind until the remaining husk woke up in order to save itself.   The plants here are usually kept small by the intelligent inhabitants of the Plane as they fear that the Thicket of Thorns might get a hold. If it does, the consequences could be catastrophic. The thorny vines would be able to grow into the minds of every living thing throughout reality.
Alternative Name(s)
The Marches of Dreams
Type
Dimensional plane
Inhabiting Species

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