Liminal Realm

It was... Unreal. No really, nothing felt real. It all felt exactly like a dream, like I had somehow been there before. Except this time, I couldn't wake up. All I could do was wander, between dank tunnels that didn’t make sense and never ended, eerie forests where I could never find my way, castles with infinite staircases and halls... and somehow the worst part was how utterly alone I felt. I think it was only by luck I made it out.

-Dimitri Alvenor, an adventurer who survived banishment to the Liminal Realm. The Liminal Realm is a mysterious world of dreams, wonders, and terrors. It’s the pathway between everything, the space between worlds, and quite possibly the source of all of them. The Liminal realm has many names: The Liminus, dreamland, the in-between, the Valan astral plane… From in it you can go anywhere, from within Valus to other planets and all planes and demi-planes. Of course, this is not easy as such travel can be long winded and dangerous. The Liminus is chaotic and always shifting. Its appearance mirrors the point in a plane it’s closest to, and begins to become more random and incomprehensible at deeper levels. The environment can become dangerously chaotic, easy killing in a dozen different ways. Even worse are the things that live throughout the realm. Statues that only move when you look away, always waiting for a chance to attack when you aren't looking. Or a strange forest of trees without branches, only those trees are fingers, and you've walked right into a great, impossible hand. Make no mistake, despite the unreality of this place, it's inhabitants can easy kill a physical body. Many theorize that most monstrosities and aberrations originated from here, and it's not hard to see why. That's not to say that The Liminal Realm is exclusively sinister and malicious, far from it. You may also find idyllic fields and glorious cities and terraces. They will still have a dream-like quality to them, and you will find no one inhabiting and tending to them. You may even find that the road you had been walking on has disappeared when you weren't looking, or that a mountain you were walking towards is now somewhere else. But, while unstable, it can be beautiful. Just don’t forget, this world is not real, not in the way ours is. Nothing is as it appears, and everything will be different than you expect.

Possible Origins

There are several dimensional planes that overlap with the Valan worlds, the Liminal Realm being the center and linchpin of all of them. This realm is theorized to be the foundation that our corner of reality sits on, as well as the foundation for all associated outer planes and demi-planes. Of course, there are other theories. It could instead be that the Liminal realm is a projection out of reality, an echo or mirror image of existence. It could also be a manifestation of all conscious thought, the subconscious perception and dreams of reality formed into a plane all its own. This theory is supported by the dreams of Valans: our dreams are our souls exploring and manipulating the local surface level of the Liminus. However, this doesn't explain the deeper, more esoteric parts of this world. There are things out there so far beyond what any mortal mind could dream up. The first theory mentioned, that in some form the Liminal Realm existed first and reality on top of it, is the most likely theory.

Travel

Technically, travel to our Astral plane isn't difficult, in fact, most do it every night, by dreaming. The surface levels of the Limus in which we dream have such a low level of reality to them that they can be shifted by the small psionic energies from one's unconscious mind. However, that travel is superficial, and not what is usually meant by travel in the Liminal Realm. There are two ways to enter the Limus: through a natural portal or an artificial portal. There are many ways to make artificial portals, but what's truly interesting are the natural ones. They're very rare, and usually invisible. You might trip on nothing and fall through the floor, or be walking in the forest only to realize you don't recognize where you are. It's not enough of a danger for most people to worry about it, but every once in a while someone goes missing with no explanation. This is why it's common for adventurers to explore the deeper layers of The Limus, as it's not uncommon to find lost souls who may have been wandering for weeks. People will pay high sums to get their loved ones back, after all. The Limus is often used as a road between planes. Surprisingly, as long as you know where you want to go, the Limus will allow you to walk there eventually, no matter which direction you go in. Again, it seems that this world responds to the thoughts of those in it. That said, it isn't as easy to find your way back to the material realm. You must be able to think of the specific place you entered through, or the specific portal you used, and it must still be open. There are also those who can lucid dream, and travel further into the Limus that way. While they are not able to travel very far, both due to the time constraints of dreaming and a spiritual distance limit one can travel from their body, they can train themselves to travel further and wake up at will. There are even temples that devote themselves to meditative travel of this world.

Inhabitants

While most inhabitants are hostile entities, there are some that are docile, and sometimes unaware of one's presence. These are thought to be echoes of real animals and humanoids, though this is not certain. Slimes are common, echoing the shapes of animals. Also somewhat common are elementals, golems, and various formless aberrations. There are also bands of humans that live in The Liminal Realm. After all, you don’t get hungry, thirsty, or tired here, so for many it's the perfect opportunity if they can find a way in. Unfortunately, these groups often end up going mad and become monsters themselves, so be wary of them.

Type

Dimensional plane