Arcadia
Overview
Arcadia is a labyrinthine web composed of Anishina burrows, the Dreamscapes of those who possess souls across all Planes and the arcane threads which weave them all together.
All souls visit Arcadia when they dream; it is host to the Metaphor of Somnium, associated with dreams, nightmares, and wonder. Time is a variable construct within Arcadia, matching that of the individual when within their respective Dreamscape, but fluctuating strangely between the structures of other existing Planes seemingly at random outside of them. Entire lifetimes can be experienced by dreamers; luckily, few are lucid enough to remember more than glimpses of time within Arcadia without an Anishina or a Dreamwalker to guide them.
History
Some say that Arcadia came to be prior to the manifestation of any living corporeal creature, whilst others claim that the realm was born once there were enough sleeping minds across other Planes to stir up the Somnium to make it so. The truth, however, has been lost to time. Nevertheless, it has expanded rapidly over the years as more and more creatures capable of dreaming have come to be. Arcadia, not unlike the Aetherium in this respect, is infinite– it expands as necessary to accommodate the Dreamscapes of all.
Minding over this infinite tapestry are the Anishina, arachnid spirits born from Somna itself. Their goals are often seen as esoteric, with the only constant after all this time being that they have done their level best to keep up with Arcadia’s endless expansion through creating pathways for themselves that allow them ease of travel between any given corner of the Plane, no matter the distance.
The only way to enter Arcadia is to be born there or to dream. Unlike other Planes, a waking body may not utilize other methods– such as Exodus– to get there.
It is, in theory, infinite, as it expands each time a Dreamscape is formed. However, it should be noted that Dreamscapes are compressed sub-realities– whilst they may contain vast, sprawling landscapes, they manifest within Arcadia as doorways no larger than what would suit the creature from which they are sourced.
Settlements
Within Arcadia, the only creatures capable of making permanent homes are the Anishina. This is by design, as due to their endless campaign to interconnect all of Arcadia with their winding webs, they are able to find and drive out– or kill– any other creature that attempts to construct anything outside of the confines of Dreamscapes.
Their settlements are referred to as burrows. There are a seemingly infinite number of such burrows, varying in size from sprawling metropoli to tiny villages. Despite this staggering number, they are able to communicate and maintain a degree of cultural homogeneity through the webs which connect them all. These durable arcane pathways serve as both a travel method and information highway, all connecting back to the original burrow– Placeholder Name.
Arcadian Causeways
Spontaneous pathways that may quickly usher any number of individuals from Antarok to Ælphyne by ferrying them very briefly through Arcadia. They tend to appear as strange tunnels of kaleidoscopic color in the plant life either Plane, notably large plants such as trees, for seemingly no reason and seemingly random amounts of time. There are locations where these appear to open more often than others, and most mortals tend to steer clear from these areas.
Antarokian parents often use their existence as a method to scare their children, warning them that if they wander too far from home, a Causeway could open and leaving them vulnerable to Fae whimsy.
Land of Dreams
Dreamscapes
Dreamscapes are unique pockets of Arcadia, each tied to a soul. After a creature with a soul is born, their Dreamscape is formed the first time they fall asleep and their soul crosses over into Arcadia. All of a creature’s dreams are hosted within their Dreamscape. Even if a creature’s current body dies, the Dreamscape itself does not cease to exist unless the corresponding soul is destroyed.
Dreams
The content of a person’s dreams are naturally influenced by a variety of factors that fall under the below broad categories:
- Individual psychology & imagination
- Quirks of the soul (past lives, ancestors, bloodlines, Arcana, etc.)
- Present life circumstances
- Memories
- Anishina & Dreamwalkers
All events, objects, animals and individuals which appear naturally in dreams are facsimiles of the real thing, unable to help or harm an individual in any tangible way. However, modifications and manifestations brought about by Anishina or potent Dreamwalkers may be as real as the waking world and will affect the dreamer as such.
Normally, an individual has no conscious control over what may manifest in their dreams. For this reason, many cultures across the Planes have been pondering the nature and meaning of their dreams to varying degrees of success.
As a rule of thumb, it can generally be assumed that cultures which put a strong emphasis on the study of Arcana and Theorems will not put much stock in what dreamers may experience whilst dreaming outside of anything that may be concretely attributed to the individual’s soul. Members of these societies are also the quickest to recognize a Dreamwalker's influence. This knowledge is naturally most concentrated within the minds of the most educated, with commoners having less acute awareness. Still, these societies will try to educate all of their members to some degree about the existence of Anishina and Dreamwalkers. In such cultures, possessing Ensorcelled or Artificed devices designed to ward off these meddlers can be assumed to be relatively commonplace.
- For this reason, Storytellers may permit PCs to own such items at no charge. They may be added before or after character creation, but they must be requested either directly or through the Support Forum before being added to your CS.
Cultures who do not value the study of the Arcane are oft much more superstitious about dreams and that which may influence them. They may attribute great meaning to the presence of certain scenarios or things, treating them as omens and the like. The truth of their assumptions, naturally, varies. They are less knowledgeable of and how to ward away the denizens of Arcadia.
- For specific information about how dreams are viewed in any given play setting, please reach out to the respective Storyteller.
As with anything else, your own PC's perception of dreams and dreaming is both influenced by their culture and circumstances as well as what you want as a player. Even if your PC should know better, for example, feel free to make them ignorant if you so wish, etc.
Dreamwalkers
Whilst all Anishina may meddle with dreamscapes to some degree, the title of Dreamwalker is specifically reserved for those who possess Somnis. Outside of the Anishina Cambion– the Aranexi– Somnis is exceptionally rare. Known Dreamwalkers are generally regarded with a natural wariness everywhere they go for the power they wield, though there are some exceptions. For more information, see Somnis or speak to a Storyteller.
