A. Introduction
B. What is the Dreaming?
C. Races Found in the Dreaming
D. Properties of the Dreaming
E. Laws of the Dreaming
F. Character Creation
1. Races
2. Skill Tree
Introduction
Tales of the Dreaming is a Live-Action Role Playing Game that runs twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Anyone who is wearing an arm-band is considered in-game and participating.
This is a game of politics and danger. You will be playing a character who lives in the Dreaming who has his or her own goals and motivations. You can cast spells which will affect the game-world. You can become a ruler of the Dreaming. You can be an assassin, a monster, a warrior, a great poet... whatever is in your dreams.
You will create a Character which lives in the Dreaming. You are not required to wear any makeup, buy any special costumes, and for the most part, buy or construct any special props. There is no charge to play the game, nor is it physically dangerous.
There are rules which define how the universe works. This rulebook describes the universe in which the game takes place, as well as the various calls and rules of the game.
At the end of every week, you must sent an e-mail to the game master (GM) describing what you have done that week. The GM will award experience points which you may spend on skills to advance your character. The more you play, the more powerful and specialized your character will become. After a while, you may become a legend of the Dreaming, amassing power and respect from your friends and enemies alike.
What is the Dreaming?
Behind this world, or perhaps under it, there is a place called the Dreaming. It is said that humans spend a third of their lifetime there, drifting through the misty corridors and shadowy forests of the plane of dreams. This is not a place of logic, it is a place of surreality and abstraction. It is a place of mischief and romance, danger and adventure.
The Dreaming looks just like the Waking World. The residents of the Dreaming can sense that real-live people (nicknamed "Wakes") walk through another version of their world which often overlaps with it.
In the Dreaming, beings can cast spells, drawing from various sources to channel magic. Magic can create and destroy, or even warp the laws of the Dreaming.
Races of the Dreaming
Dreams
Dreams are the natural-born inhabitants of the dreaming. Dreams are forced to take the form of something out of the imagination of someone in the waking world, but they usually just assume the form of a human itself, being the most common thing to appear in a dream.
Dreams can be very varied in personality and motivation. Many possess magical abilities which can affect the Dreaming. One things that all Dreams share in common is a custodianship for the dreaming.
Each Dream is born with a Dream Stone; a gem that contains a part of the essence of the Dreaming. A Dream Stone can look like any rock - a pebble, a gem, a piece of sea glass ... most are pretty or in some way unusual. If a Dream Stone is captured by another being, the Dream can take no offensive actions against that being. If the Dream Stone is destroyed, the Dream will die. Dream Stones can only be destroyed, luckily, through ritual. If the Dream Stone is lost, the Dream will lose his motivation, wandering aimlessly and restlessly.
All Dreams are tied to the Dreaming through Essence. Essence makes up the fiber of their being. It is spiritual energy that can, unfortunately, be stolen and destroyed. When a Dream loses all his Essence, he will phase out of reality, vanishing from the Dreaming for a period of time. The Essence will, however, regenerate slowly and he can return to his world.
There are three sub-races of dreams - Visions, Succubi, and Nightmares. All dreams fall into one of these categories.
Visions are the guardians of the Dreaming. They are the custodians of the Laws of the Dreaming, and make it their duty to uphold the code. Visions are often very xenophobic, not liking outsiders who are not born on the dreaming. Many see Fae as a threat to their homeland. The Dream Stone of a Vision is usually gray or brown.
Succubi are the seducers and enchanters of the dreams. They are sensual beings of the flesh. Many are female, though there are males. Within Succubi subculture, males are inferior to females; they will always submit to a female's word or decision. Succubi like mischief and temptation. Their Dream Stone is often round and smooth.
Nightmares are not evil, but are often perceived that way. They feed off the fear of others, reveling in taking power over someone. They are often very sadistic and cruel, but not to the extent where they will kill their prey. A favorite trick of a Nightmare is to kidnap someone, drag them into a dark and unfamiliar place, and chase them through the night while wearing a Mask of Terror. A Nightmare's Dream Stone is often black and jagged, like coal or obsidian.
Fae
Fae are often playful and mischievous creatures with an affinity towards magic. They can take many forms, but in this mundane day and age, all have grown to look human.
Fae used to exist in two worlds: the Waking World, and Faerie. Faerie is a magical place where water runs backwards and wishes become real. It was the homeland of the Fae until the Great Exile.
In the mid 1800s, magic in the Waking World began to fail. Advancements in science and technology resulted in a plague among the Fae - a widespread color-blindness and therefore depression spread through the Fae as they began to wither and die.
Meanwhile, on Faerie, a new race had appeared. The Technocracy arrived from the stars in great cold-iron machines. It was a race of humans that had fully discarded their spiritual nature and embraced the sciences. The Technocracy fought a great war with the Fae, eventually kicking them out of their homeland.
With the exile both from Faerie and the Waking World, the Fae had nowhere to go. In mass, they traveled through large Rifts to the Dreaming, where they made their home. Many Dreams were happy to give them a home, as there is no lack of space in the Dreaming. But there exited many Dreams, especially the Visions, who did not like the outsiders tinkering in the affairs of the Dreaming.
Many Fae are very resistant to magic, though they are incredibly susceptible to damage from metal. When a Fae is "killed", he will be banished from existence for a period of time. Slowly, as his wounds heal, he will be able to re-attune himself to the Dreaming and return there.
Technocrons
Technocrons are beings from the Stars which have since come to our world. They look like humans, but their skin is cold to the touch, and they are filled not with meat and blood, but copper wires, steel gears, and black-red oil.
Technocrons are merely visitors to the Dreaming. They came not from another planet, but from another plane, similar to Faerie, that exists in deep space. Their home plane, called Processor, is a small sunless place where great batteries power the machinations and golems they created. In the mid 1800s, they came on great metal ships to take over Faerie, the plane of Fae. They now occupy Faerie, after a bitter 25 year war with its inhabitants.
Technocrons hate magic and Fae. They cannot use magic, as they do not have a soul. It is difficult to destroy a Technocron by physical damage - one must often resort to spells which will melt and damage their gears and machinery.
Technocrons are extremely logical and quest for order. They are fascinated by social structure and politics.
Husks Of Gods
The Sumerians and Babylonians worship literally thousands of Gods, most of which have been forgotten. When a God loses all his followers and belief, he falls into the Dreaming and waits for his day to come.
When an ancient God is worshipped again in the mortal world, he will become real again. Until then, they wait in the Dreaming, vying for power and respect. A God's power rests on Faith. He can be worshipped by denizens of the Dreaming and gain Faith, which he channel into powers and abilities. When a God loses all his Faith, he will cease to exist. In a few days, Faith will slowly return, allowing the God to rest in the Dreaming again.
Each God has an Altar somewhere on the Dreaming. An Altar is the God's resting place, and is sacred to that God. Each God has a Verse, a passage that is chanted over and over to give the God Faith. The Gods try to get their allies to meet at the Altar and chant the Verse. Doing so will power the God's powers and abilities.
Dark Sides
There are monsters within the Dreaming. These Beasts have been called Dark Sides, as they assume the physical form of another resident of the Dreaming. They are filled with a bitter hatred of all that exists, and attempt to destroy it, often through violent means.
A Dark Side will avoid his double at all costs; a person only very rarely meets their Dark Side. The Dark Side, when killed, can regenerate itself from the essence of the Dreaming in a very short amount of time.
Properties of the Dreaming
Geography
The Dreaming is divided in to regions called Dream Countries. A Country is usually not more than a mile wide. The different Countries do not interact with each other in any way. If a being in one Country tries to cross into another Country, sometimes it will take hours, other times, years. When you leave one Dream Country, there is no guarantee you will arrive at the same place or time as people you are traveling with. No maps can be drawn of the Dream Countries, because the juxtaposition of the Dream Countries changes from moment to moment.
The Shaper
Each Dream Country is ruled by a Shaper, who can modify the Laws of the Dreaming. The Shaper does not necessarily have to be a Dream himself - even Fae can become a Shaper.
The Shaper is greatly respected, at least to his face. To fall out of favor with the Shaper is dangerous, as he is the Word of the Law. The Shaper is addressed as "My Lord Shaper." It is traditional and considered good etiquette to kneel before the Shaper the first time you interact with him on each day. You may rise as soon as he nods to you.
From One Side to the Other
It is possible for Dreams, Fae, and Gods to phase in and out of the Dreaming. During this time, they enter the Waking World, or the dreams of someone in the Waking World.
It takes 30 seconds to phase out of the Dreaming. During this time, the being must stand still and look at the sky. (therefore, this may not be done indoors) During a full moon, this only takes 10 seconds. Phasing Out costs the being one point of essence, health, or faith.
Moons
Full Moons and New Moons are a special event in the Dreaming. Most dreams in any Dream Country will meet somewhere special and discuss what is going on in the Dream Country.
New Moons are called Dark Moons, as they are a special night for Dark Sides. Dark Sides get slightly more powerful, and are a bit more courageous on Dark Moons.
Laws of the Dreaming
First Tier
1. The First Tier of laws is the most sturdy. These laws can only be changed in the following method: The Shaper must, at a meeting composed of at least 75% of the Dream Country, propose a modification, addition, or subtraction from the First Tier. This proposal must receive a unanimous vote from all attending at the meeting in order to pass.
2. The Second Tier of laws is subject to change by the will of the Shaper. He may add, modify, and subtract rules from the Second Tier once every 24 hours.
3. Whenever any law is added, removed, or modified the revision must be publicly announced.
4. When a Shaper leaves the Dream Country in any way, his title shall be surrendered. A new Shaper must be nominated at a meeting composed of at least 75% of the Dream Country. Within an hour of the nomination, the nominee must call a vote and win at least 50% of the votes of present at the meeting.
Second Tier
1. The theft of a dream Stone will result in the destruction of the offending being. The Dream Stone must then be returned to its owner.
2. The destruction of a Dream Stone is punishable by the exile of the offending being from the Dream Country.
3. Return to the Dream Country after Exile will result in the destruction and subsequent exile of the offending being.
4. A being may not be destroyed unless it is sanctioned by the Law or the Shaper. Murder will result in the destruction of the offending being.
5. Unprovoked assault is punishable by the public beating of the offender by the Shaper.
6. Theft is punishable by the public beating of the offender by the Shaper, the return of the object in question, and an additional penance determined by the Shaper.
