The Pantheon
Dreams are connections to the Pantheon of Luminescence. The people of … do not call the members of the pantheon "gods". They are called "Dreamers". True names of the Dreamers were never given to mortals, and they live in Nychta, the City of Perpetual Night.
The Dreamer of Night & Day: The Elder Cycle
The Dreamer of dreams & life: The Evanescent
The Dreamer of nightmares & death: The Unlighted
The Dreamer of slumber & tranquillity: The Sylent Song
The twin Dreamers of obscurity & afterlife: The Veiled One &
The Archdeacon
The following are the major deities of the pantheon. Of course, there are minor ones as well, but these do not matter for the story.
The Elder Cycle
→ Guards the cycle of day and night and ensures it remains unbroken. He is often depicted with the sun in hand, battling his reflection carrying the moon. The cycle of day and night is fed by the souls of mortals.
The Evanescent
→ Created life and civilisation as we know it. She connects to mortals through dreams to let them know safety and that she watches over them.
The Unlighted
→ To secure equilibrium in the world, this deity chooses life at random to harvest their souls to keep the cycle of day and night going. Usually, she announces her arrival through the means of nightmares or simply by taking away the ability of a mortal to have dreams.
The Sylent Song
→ The messenger of the pantheon and also essential to make the purpose of The Evanescent and The Unlighted possible. Without slumber, people won't sleep and thus cannot have nightmares and/or dreams. This deity plays a major role in the eternal struggle between the Unlighted and the Evanescent.
The Veiled One & The Archdeacon
→ Also known as The Twins, these deities are to watch over the obscure presence of all the other Dreamers. They are also the first ones mortal souls see when they die. Those souls are then judged to be either reborn or they will be of use for the day and night cycle. The Veiled One is always covered in shadows and darkness and sees to it that souls deemed to be reborn are led back to the plain of mortals. The Archdeacon is clad in light and accompanies the souls deemed worthy to The Elder Cycle to become part of the day/night cycle.
Characters
Ciaran Damyon
--> A Dreamstalker and a legendary one at that. He once held off a great Nightmare creature called Astrothan. This battle left him weakened both in body and mind. Still, he is considered to be the best Dreamstalker there ever was and will be.
Killian Archer
--> Proprietor of the Cruel Heart Inn and collector of artefacts. This man has no notable abilities other than his charisma and his affluence. Although some might say that his connections throughout the city run deeper than is good for him.
Leonore of Ashmere
--> Daughter of Drathwydia's Curator, and aiming to follow in those footsteps. She is well-mannered, smart and above all, highly skilled in martial arts and weaponry. Her ability to read an opponent's movements is unmatched, but for this journey, she needs the help of a Dreamstalker or two.
Ciara Damyon
--> Twin sister of Ciaran Damyon. One of the Eclipse, an organisation consisting of the only female Dreamstalkers in existence. Little is known about her, but according to her brother, she's ventured where no mortal ever has. In the Eclipse, she represents the Sylent Song.
She has a Shadowkin familiar called Lucy. Lucy is best described as a burning cat, but instead of emitting light, she absorbs it. The flames surrounding her body are black in colour.
Locations
Craedor
--> Common name for the mortal world.
Drathwydia
--> A land held together through the means of a Curator. The Grand Families hold artefacts of great power. These artefacts are cared for and looked after by the Curator in a fortress of a cathedral called the 'Library of the Cycle'.
Ashmere
--> Capital city of Drathwydia. The city houses the seat of the Curator and is home to the Library of the Cycle.
Oathmar
--> A major city in Drathwydia. Run and founded by the Oathmar Grand Family.
The Library of the Cycle
--> Housed in a gargantuan cathedral in the centre of Ashmere, the Library of the Cycle does not just contain knowledge. It also houses the powerful artefacts held by the Grand Families
The Cruel Heart Inn
--> A typical inn on the outskirts of Ashmere centre. Guests of several statures gather here for a few drinks or to spend the night. Travellers are often referred to this inn to gather information about the city.
The Vigila Nedormit
-->The headquarters of the Dreamstalkers. This central hub is located in Ashmere underneath The Library of the Cycle. From here, Dreamstalkers are sent out on their missions.
Terms and Organisations
Dreamstalkers
--> People with the ability to infiltrate dreams and nightmares to either lengthen one's lifespan, or shorten it. Contact with the Dreamstalkers is usually avoided, while they are often thought of as bringers of death. Most Dreamstalkers have various arcane abilities, such as shadowmelding or teleportation through shadows. Some Dreamstalkers have familiars made of shadow. They can see through the eyes of these creatures; however, they temporarily give up their own senses when doing so.
The Eclipse
--> A fabled organisation of the only female Dreamstalkers to ever roam Craedor. Each of the members represents an aspect of the pantheon. The Twin Dreamers are represented as one.
Tender
--> Drathwydian currency.
The Twilit Monks
--> An organisation of monks who…
Idle
--> A person who has lost the ability to dream. They usually end up becoming a Twilit Monk
Curator
--> Monarch of the lands called Drathwydia. The Artefacts of Nyghte are stored underneath the Library of the Cycle under the supervision of the Curator. This person is knowledgeable about the artefacts' history and their respective properties.
The Grande Families
--> The Grande Families are people who own and control the lands in Drathwydia. Every family has their own field of expertise. Throughout their history, they have known squabbles that turned into war, but also forbidden love that brought the Families together. The Grande Families possess artefacts of unfathomable power. These are known as the Artefacts of Nyghte.
Shadowkin
--> The Shadowkin are creatures that should only exist in nightmares; in the Terra Nocturna. However, somehow, they have escaped this realm and are now roaming Craedor. Being creatures made of pure shadow, they can only roam the streets of Craedor at night.
Some of these Shadowkin are made into familiars by Dreamstalkers. These Shadowkin can survive in the shadow of their respective masters.
Dreamscapes and Nightmares
The story is interwoven with dreams and nightmares. They are usually designated through text in cursive. There is no telling the difference between dreams and nightmares. The reader just has to sit through it.
Hypnagogia
--> Also known as the Dreamgate. This can be easily visited and altered by Dreamstalkers, but the person is aware of their presence.
Medisomnia
--> Skilled Dreamstalkers can enter this state and can only alter certain details in the dream. They can also act as guides towards the Deep Dream or the Lasting Nightmare.
Altasomnia
--> Dreamstalkers are struggling to keep the connection. This state is also known as the connection to The Evanescent. Only in Deep Dreams does she appear.
Sequunsomnia
--> Dreamstalkers can enter a Lasting Nightmare at their own risk. Although the risk is low, death in a Lasting Nightmare means death in the real world for the Dreamstalker. They can alter details of the nightmare.
Terra Nocturna
--> No Dreamstalker has ever set foot in this ultimate layer of a dream/nightmare. In this layer, neither the dreamer nor the Dreamstalker can control the dream. The Unlighted only appears in this layer.
The Artefacts of Nyghte
There are five artefacts looked after by the Curator. These are divided among the Grande Families. Each artefact has its own unique properties. These can give the holder or wielder a perk at a certain cost.
Kenaz, the Runed Wire (The Unlighted)
--> A chain whip with a bladed lantern attached at the end of the chain. The lantern glows with a black hue. The chains are adorned with runic scripture incomprehensible to the current people of Craedor. It is said that the wielder of this formidable weapon gains courage and strength. The drawback to wielding such power is that the one who holds the weapon will be blinded by rage. They will kill friend and foe until the weapon is sated, or the wielder is killed.
The Dreamweaver (The Evanescent)
--> Although small, this artefact is to be handled with care. This delicate silver needle carries the power to weave dreams into reality. The user of the needle can make their dreams a reality, but it will always work out differently than they expect. A happy dream can turn out to be a nightmare when it is realised, and vice versa.
Songbook of Sylence (The Sylent Song)
--> The reader of this lexicon gains ancient knowledge once bestowed on the people of Craedor. They gain the ability to use long-forgotten and forbidden magic, but at a heavy toll. Once the reader opens the Songbook, they are enchanted to read every letter of it. When the reader finishes the book, they should hope they have the mental capacity to hold the information, or go mad with it.
The book is said to be the diary of The Sylent Song themselves. The stories it is said it contains would mostly tell of the eternal struggle between the Evanescent and the Unlighted.
The Cycle Stone (The Elder Cycle)
--> A stone swirling with colours. It almost resembles a universe inside it. The stone is set in a bracelet with small chains attached leading to four rings attached to it. Every ring is set with a slightly different stone, representing the other members of the pantheon. It is said that when the bracelet is worn, the wearer gains the ability to transfer themselves from one place to another through reality. However, when doing so, the person using it will leave behind a tear in reality. This tear will grow exponentially as long as the bracelet is equipped. The rings will grow tighter around the fingers with every use of the stone. Eventually, the wearer's fingers will fall off, and reality will implode.
The Twins' Vision (The Veiled One & The Archdeacon)
--> An ornate mask. Half of it is adorned with burning feathers, while the other half emits a faint white glow and is smoothly crafted to resemble a crescent moon. If someone is to wear the mask, they will be able to see wayward souls which the Twins never collected. They will also be able to communicate with these spectres, but wearing the mask for too long and staring beyond the veil for too long will result in the Twins hunting you down. They will chase you, and whoever catches you first will rip the soul from the wearer's body. They will make you one of the wayward souls.