The Land of Dreams

"Over the farthest West, in the nearest East, there you will find a land where dreams and waking are of an alloy to themselves, where the established conventions of sense and logic are unsure of their own security, and all that you thought impossible now has the faintest hint of a purchase in attainability."

— Excerpt taken from Parageus, An Account On Seafaring.

  This passage is synonymous with the so called 'Land of Dreams', a continent located far to the West of Yddian. A place shrouded in mystery, very little is known about it. Even the geography of the landscape is subject to much skepticism, with a thick fog obscuring much of the coastline, which makes any sort of expedition onto the continent difficult. Additionally, of the countless voyages to have made landfall on the Land of Dreams, only three are widely known to have returned from the area as a success.  

The Lemres Merchants

  The first in-depth recordings of the continent came from the sketchy stories of several merchants from the city of Lemres, which was located on the Amber Coasts of the Long Stretch, in the year 6878 M.E. These men alleged that, after being blown far out to sea by a sudden storm, they had been shipwrecked after several days on a land which was unfamiliar to them. The following tales about this previously undiscovered land that the merchants told, were so incredulous to the inhabitants of Lemres, that they would accuse the men of lying, many believing that the merchant's experience was nothing more than a hallucination. With no concrete evidence for their story, the account of the Lemres merchants would serve as the basis for the Land of Dreams' name, and most would forget about this incident until 200 years later.  

Of Parageus and His Voyage

  This brings us to the account mentioned at the beginning of the article, which was written by Parageus of Kápropolis, a city located some one hundred kilometers away from Lemres on the Amber Coasts. Parageus was an esteemed mariner, responsible for making several key innovations and enhancements in naval travel. Famously, Parageus and his rival, Ahel Marn, both challenged each other to prove their skill as sailors, with Marn being the first to sail to the continent of Tolu and establish a successful trade route with some wealthy countries of the time. Parageus, not content to let himself be bested, set about amassing a large party of ships, sailors and supplies, with the goal of circumnavigating the globe.   Setting sail, Parageus and his crew were seemingly well fit to complete their voyage, if not for the discovery of the Land of Dreams. The small group of ships were engulfed by a sudden thick, milky-white fog one fateful day. Unable to pierce the gloom, no one was able to see the upcoming reef, and all seven of Parageus' ships were run aground. Apprehensive for their situation, Parageus had one of the few mages present for the voyage scan the surrounding area, using spells to enhance their vision. This mage reported back after several hours, with the revelation that the landmass they had beached themselves on was no mere island, but a true continent stretching for many kilometers before it met the sea on the easternmost side. Thus was The Land of Dreams officially recorded for the first time, though the map created during the travels of Parageus' party was bare at best, only outlining the major climatic regions of the continent and its general shape. When Parageus returned to his home of Kapropolis, only seven of his retinue returned with him, with a myriad of stories about the perils of the continent. The rest of the expedition had perished either in the Land of Dreams, or on the return trip to the Long Stretch due to disease.  

Geography

  From the maps made by Parageus, there appear to be three major climatic zones present on the Land of Dreams, with an immense jungle covering much of the southern side, through which he and his expedition were forced to traverse. The northern section of the continent is sporadically coated in thick evergreen forests, with many lakes and valleys. Most notable about the Land of Dreams is the central region which separates the north and south, being a vast desert that contests the Janid Desert in size. Such a stark regional shift is possible due to two separate mountain ranges on the north and south preventing rainfall for most of the inner region.  

The Fog

  A defining feature of the Land of Dreams' coasts is the aforementioned fog which assailed the crew of Parageus, which upon future investigations has been found to encompass the entire continent. This haze is the key factor in why the continent went so long without being discovered, for it displays numerous deviations from regular fog that make it near impossible to navigate.   These differences include being much thicker, likened to moving through foam by those who have come into contact with it, obscuring visibility beyond ten meters and most unnervingly, causing any person who comes into contact with it to experience extreme nausea and disorientation. Due to this, dispersing the fog through magic proves very difficult, as mages under its blanket are unable to focus properly in order to enact their envisioned change.  

Five Daydreams

  From the accounts of the Lemres merchants, Parageus' voyage and most recently the expedition spear-headed by the Scion-students in 590 E.E, there are now known to be many wondrous things that are housed within the Land of Dreams. Amongst these curiosities and wonders, there are five articles that stand above all others, objects of awe that serve to inspire thousands to take to the sea and attempt to claim these treasures for themselves. These things are known as the Five Daydreams.  

Pools of Haven

  Starting with the first Daydream to be recorded, the waters found within select lakes and pools on the northern and southern areas of the continent have displayed remarkable healing and rejuvenating powers. Such waters were responsible for allowing the Lemres merchants to survive their ordeal as they trekked through the continent, being kept hale in body and sharp of mind. Upon scrutiny, it would appear such reservoirs contain a wealth of beneficial chemicals and compounds, ones that may have been excreted by some variety of endemic microorganism or plant and serve to improve blood flow and soothe nerves, amongst other things. These waters are called the Pools of Haven.  

Gilded Corals

  The second Daydream is one found within the shores of the continent, the Gilded Corals. While not wholly distinct from the other species of coral around the globe, this species in particular is coveted for its shimmering skeleton, which includes gold and silver alloys in its composition. Such a configuration is possible because gilded corals ingest various micro-organisms that for whatever reason house small quantities of these elements, before depositing the waste metals into its skeletal structure. The result is a gleaming structure that shimmers under the clear waters of the beach, enticing the greedy to steal away with some specimens.  

The Mines of Magic

  The third treasure from the Land of Dreams is the general abundance of two of the three Equalizers, substances with inherent magical qualities. The two in question are Albinidite and Vrenidium, materials capable of storing magic, and enhancing it respectively. Such an abundance has prompted many mages to sail here, attempting to monopolize the valuable materials in order to bolster their own power. Notably, the expedition by the Scion-students deduced that there was no void-ore to be found on the continent (at least not in any significant amount), a fact that causes plenty to label the Land of Dreams the "Cradle of Free Magic".  

Reverie Birds

  The fourth Daydream is a species of animal that was discovered during the Scion-student expedition of the continent, the Reverie Bird. Largely thought to be a corvid of some description, the Reverie Birds recorded all appeared quite large, standing over a third of a meter in height and nearly a meter in length (so roughly twice the size of a typical crow). What separates these creatures from their relatives is their brilliant array of plumage coloration, with individuals being sighted with a delightful spread of iridescent feathers, from vibrant reds and yellows, to deeper hues of blue and violet. Of course, the Reverie Birds would not be considered particularly exciting solely for their appearance by most. No, what marks these animals as an almost unbelievable phenomenon is the proficiency in which they seem to wield magic. From the few members of the species sighted, all of them could claim to have a soul-force rating comparable to a human sorcerer, with one even surpassing all previous speculations on the limits of an animal's possible magic, attaining the legendary state of the Divine-eyes effect. For this reason, Reverie Birds are hotly sought after, with collectors, biologists and rulers alike wishing to own one for the prestige such a find would bring.  

Rapture

  The final Daydream, by far the most influential of them all, is Rapture. Found and exported by the Lemres merchants all those thousands of years ago, Rapture is both a plant and the name of the drug that is gleaned from it. This drug is a potent stimulant, so much so that even skilled potion makers and biomancers are yet to produce an effect that can readily match it. A few grams of Rapture present in the bloodstream is all it takes for the potent results to show, with users of the substance losing all sense of self-preservation and inhibition as a wave of pleasure engulfs them. Additionally, while this high is occurring, the user also sees a sharp increase to their sensory ability and visual clarity, feeling everything in higher detail and perceiving the world as slowed down from what it should be. This proves to be a potent combination, with warriors, learned people and nobility all finding a use for this drug. For those fighting in battle, Rapture can provide an immense boost in strength, reaction time and immunity to pain, turning the most timid soldier into a force of nature, a use that has lately become popular for combatting the physically dominant Fell. For mages and academics, Rapture can serve as booster to concentration, allowing them to push through and focus more clearly on their work, and as a recreational drug, Rapture is obviously a popular choice for those who can afford it.   Since being ported over to the populated regions of Az, Rapture has been rapidly cultivated and traded, its ability to find purchase in many environments making production wildly accessible. As of the current times, Rapture has found purchase in all human commanded continents, even the isolationist Tolu, with even the Vull'jorg of Quon'gir being involved in some part with the substance. However, the side-effects of Rapture are of great concern, with repeated abuse of the substance causing widespread necrosis and rotting of body tissue, in addition to extreme schizophrenia and manic insanity. So terrible are these potential consequences that many countries have attempted to ban Rapture and labelling it the "Mad Ghoul's Powder".  

Countless Nightmares

  However, as there are dreams, so too must there be nightmares, and the Land of Dreams has no shortage of terrible afflications and wildlife that could certainly be described as such a thing. The afforementioned Fog surrounding the coasts and Rapture are often included in this group.  

Diseases

  Though there is a legion of such nightmares, the most infamous and well documented will be described here, starting with the horrifc diseases that can be found within the Land of Dreams. Through the various accounts, many afflictions have been seen that almost defy understanding, such as the "Skin-melt", where the suppossed bacteria or virus targets the epidermal tissue of the host, causing a grotesque process where the skin of the victim starts to liquiefy. Others include a variety of fungal diseases, especially one such condition that seems to mimic the cordyceps fungus' method of proliferation, where spores begin to hijack the nervous system before forcing the host to find a location where sporulation is most efficient.  

Fauna

  Perhaps most directly threatening to an explorer's life, some animals of the Land of Dreams are not as inquisitive and permissive of new life as the Reverie Birds. Predators, such as the south's Sniper Chameleon (which despite its name and hunting behaviour, is almost certainly its own seperate clade of lizard on account of its size and differing physiology), Great Sabre-toothed Cats of the north and the Fiend Flies found in the central desert are just some examples that can be encountered.  

Jitter Beasts

  Yet, none of these previous entries quite compare to the sheer terror that the creatures known as Jitter Beasts compel. First encountered in Parageus' voyage, the Jitter Beast appears as a large, vaguely humanoid mammal with a large head and ears, coated in a light blanket of fur. The arms of these "Jitterers" are unnerving, being compared to a chimp's in that they hang low to the ground, terminating in clawed hands possesing opposable thumbs. Despite this, the head is so distinct, with its elongated jaws and bat like ears that the Jitter Beast is most likely not a primate.   Although this is not why the Jitterer is so daunting, as evidenced by Parageus during first contact, where once approached, the seemingly placid animal began to shake uncontrollably, with the eyes dilating rapidly before it let loose a piercing scream. What followed next would be the true ordeal of the sailor and his crew, with the Jitter Beast proceeding to brutalize the group, killing scores of men and maiming many more, forcing the survivors to retreat towards the mountains that divided the desert from the jungle. The intelligence of the animal would then be realized as it would stalk the crew and periodically ambush them as they fled through the continent, pursuing for many hundreds of kilometers.   No one is quite certain why this animal reacted so violently towards humans, though the prevailing theory is that they are cannibalistic in nature, and the Jitter Beast in question potentially saw the men as young members of its own kind. This theory is yet to be proven.  

Conclusion

  With all these factors in mind, it is eeasy to see why the Land of Dreams poses an enticing prospect for many, what with the promises of riches, intrique and the vast swathes of vacant land. Be that as it may, since the expedition of the Scion-students over seven hundred years ago, in which the grand-master mage White Raven personally lead, any and all traffic towards the continent has been prohibited. For what reason, none can say why, seeing that White Raven was uninlcined to give a solid answer, stating it was a matter of global security. To this day, the Scion-students use their unmatched access to powerful magics to blocade the Land of Dreams, a state of affairs that has seen their once general popularity drop sharply in many estabilished countries.