Words of Wisdom

Reality has layers.

That is the first lesson.

Only by looking from the top, down could one possibly see them all. But only a god could do that. For that matter, who, but a god, would want to?

Humans dwell in the fifth 'layer', the fifth reality, and are never, for the most part, aware of the others. Some animals, cats for one, can see the fourth through sixth layers. Part of the Sixth is simply bits of half-formed human fantasies, and forgotten ones. This realm, we shall call it Nova, is where some fae are doomed to dwell, in the forgetful mindscape of that most fickle of animals: Humanity.

The fifth layer, in which humanity dwells, we shall call Earth, even though the planet is the constant between the realms. It shall be named Earth for the benefit of the egomaniacal, feeble-minded creatures that dwell there, marooned in a singular reality for most of their natural lives. Yes, most... I'll come back to that, mortal.

The sixth layer, as far as you are concerned, is Darkworld—a twilit dreamscape of nightmarish properties. Normally, only human children can see glimpses of the Darkworld, if that. Most grow up. They learn science. Forget their dreams. Live in blinders. But others, a handful, really, don't 'grow up.' They don't stop believing in magic. Perhaps the Darkworld had been cruel to that child and he wasn't able to stop seeing. Now Little Boy Blue is locked up, howling about The Bogeyman, as if there were but one...

The old man pauses a moment and clears his throat, his youthful eyes twinkling with delight at some joke he knows but isn't sharing.

Anyhoo... where was I?

Oh, yes. Dreamwalkers. What? Do you want to hear this or not? Then stop asking silly questions and I'll get to all that in my own time. Now, Dreamwalkers are people, humans, who have seen, who have Awakened. As one could imagine, a very disturbing experience and many go mad. Awakened to what? Oh, the fact that the reality they know and love is not the only one. Anyway, they end up like those kids who never Sleep, locked up. Or, don't realize their madness for its subtlety...

Now, the Dreamwalkers, like Hypnomancers and Pookas, coexist between two realities: Earth and Darkworld. This walking Betwixt worlds gives them their collective name: the Bix. Every realm has its rules, you see. Darkworld's differ a bit from Earth's, thus the near-magical or superhuman abilities of Dreamwalkers and their kin.

As far as Earthly-types are concerned, Dreamwalkers and the like scarcely exist. People so nondescript that most won't notice them at all, even if they do or say very strange things. To the unawakened, Bix are a smudge on the photo plate of reality. It's for their own protection. The mind just won't process it. Like the body will vomit poison. Self-preservation instincts, and all. They simply won't be concerned, 'not their problem.' You know how they are. You used to be just like them.

Ever stopped for no reason, maybe forgot why it was you had to get up? Sat too long at a traffic light? Changed direction without thinking about it? You were avoiding a Darkworlder, and they, you. Darkworlders and Earthlings normally won't see each other. Yes, won't, not can't. But once an Earthling Wakes and can see the Darkworld, it can see him, too. Dreamwalkers and the other 'Bix lead a dangerous life, facing the hazards of Earth and the dangers of Darkworld. Hey, no one ever said this would be easy. Darkworlders don't Awaken like the Earthlings do, for they are aware of Earth, but are not allowed, under normal conditions, to dwell there.

And if Dreamwalkers are warriors, and they are, then Hypnomancers are battlemages. Hypnomancers and Pookas use Dreamshaping to alter reality as Dreamwalkers use Glints to fight. Hypnomancers are very much like Dreamwalkers, save that they may not depend upon Glints to fight with, but their own natural skills. With their Art, Hypnomancers and Pookas alter either reality they dwell in. These alterations have no effect upon the other reality, more often, than not.

Now, these last two are, uh, special. They are former Dreamwalkers who have given up Earth and all their Glints to serve one of the two BrotherGods: Hypnos and Morpheus. The priests of Hypnos are called Figments, granted special gifts to aid him in the war with his brother, Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams. Figments, and their counterparts, Shades, exist almost completely in Darkworld. Earthlings see them as a fleeting glimpse of an insubstantial shadow out of the corner of an eye and are dismissed almost immediately. The abilities of the Figments and Shades are primarily defensive in nature, designed to aid these assassins in their secret work.

Ha, see? Told you I could dispense with the small talk and deal in just facts... Uh, I didn't? Ah shaddap, punk kid.

Okay, so now you know the basics, eh? You think you're ready to take on the worlds, huh? You don't know Dick. Or John or Mary, for that matter. Tinglers. Phobias. Yeah, go off and play with those... What's that? Oh, so you're not so smart now, huh? Then, perhaps, I should continue if I'm so inclined..."

The wizened scarecrow with raggedy robes rubs a bony thumb against equally bony fingers expectantly. He tucks your last twenty away somewhere, gargles up a bit a phlegm he forcefully deposits upon a wall and continues:

Phobias don't like to fight, but they don't have to after leaving you in a trembling pile of terror lying in your own piss. Tinglers... are bad. And the Bogeymen are... very ungood. Astrals are the souls of dreaming Earthlings, not really a danger.

Human spirits travel to the Darkworld every night when they dream. Usually more concerned with their own Freudian slips than the Darkworld as a whole. However, should a Darkworlder interfere with an Astral in any way, this breaks the spell and the Astral is free to interfere with the Darkworld. Shadows are former humans who have Awaked and opted to serve. Shadows, despite their fleeting nature, are surprisingly loyal to their master, but are always loyal first to the Shadow Lord. Yes, Shadow Lord. You have to go to him to procure the services of one of his Shadows. Another former human group are the detestable Imps. They are Bogeyman cronies with little glowing eyes and creepy little faces. I really hate those things. Oh, then there's the Midknights.

These require a bit more attention. Midknights can either put you back to Sleep, with the chrome gun or bring on the Big Sleep with the black one. I suppose that should make them dangerous enough, but know this: Midknights can perform the Acceldur.

You may make some friends among the fiends of Darkworld. The 'Slingers might not be bad friends to have. 'Slingers? Awakened gunfighters, of course. Most of them are Dreamwalkers but there is the occasional Hypnomancer among them. They started out as a couple scared-stiff young punks, banding together for strength. They are now a force to be reckoned with. They have a Safehouse in nearly every major city now. They fight against the encroaching Tingler influence and, to some extent, the fearsome Midknights.

So, you have any questions? No? Good. Oh, sorry, you do have questions? All good things to those who wait.

The old man turns and walks away, vanishing into thin air.