Items · Potion · Campaign Defining
Dream Nectar
Even though the Gods struggle so, their achievements are temporary at best. For all beings must dream, and within those dreams dwell the Dreamer. Come then and succumb to the lord, come then and enter the realm of sleep. Come then taste the nectar, made of the tears of the dreamer. -The 5th verse in the Book of the Dreaming Cult
Background:
All dreams are the same claim the cult of the Dreamer, an exotic brotherhood believing in a primal force greater than even the Gods themselves:
"Mere minions were the Gods, the heavenly embodiments of the Dreamer's emotions, forever circling the Dreamer then known as the Heavenly Pillar. Only through the Pillar's efforts was their perversion subdued, for so powerful was his emotions that they became deities in their own right. And long all was well, and the Dreamer kept his emotions in check.
Then for one scant moment of eternity, the Heavenly Pillar dreamt too deep and Aahr, his most powerful satellite, awoke from his troubled sleep: Aahr's primal scream, so devastating, so hateful of its eternal jailer, shattered the Heavenly Pillar, spreading his remains all across the vast Cosmos.
Thus the Heavenly Pillar, the builder of dreams and the essence of all elements, the all-father and our only true lord, was banished from the realms of the waking. Yet even the mighty Gods must sleep and within their dreams the Pillar is rebuilt, every second of every day and all the while the dreamer cry with despair, for the effort is taking too long and the Gods position themselves for his return."
The Nectar:
Dream Nectar can only be attained through the service of a Dreamer Cultist. They claim to distil it from the tears of the sleeping, for only through these tears can the essence of the Dreamer be caught. While mages have certainly tried to distil tears in a similar manner, they have achieved naught, and the tales told by the cultists are now considered to be lies. Yet one thing remains a fact: The Dream Nectar is a valued commodity and is sought by Witches, Warlocks and Mages alike.
Dream Nectar is essentially ordinary tears gathered in a vessel. The Nectar is salty and taste just like tears do. It will be sold in whatever vessel the Cultist has at hand. This is usually small porcelain flacons emptied of the sweet spicy perfume the cultists favour.
Magical Properties:
If the few droplets of Nectar is imbibed within a Temple of the Dreamer, or within the presence of many, many sleeping souls, the Nectar will induce a powerful sleep.
Within this sleep, the drinker will physically manifest within the dreams of any one desired nearby sleeper, including himself. His interactions within the Dreamscape will have implications for the drinker as well as the dreaming host. Nothing material can be brought out of the dreamscape, but knowledge and spells learnt will remain with the drinker.
Death within the dreams is permanent and the drinker will seemingly die of a heart attack.
The Nectar is addictive and the Cultists spend more time asleep than awake, eventually leading to a state of coma. In this state the Cultists can only be visited through the use of Dream Nectar. The comatose cultists are considered to be the Arch-Priests of the Cult and reside within Dream Chapels in their subconscious.
The Dream Nectar restores what the Greater and Lesser Gods have taken away. Thus any loss of Holy Energy or Mana incurred through spellcasting will be totally restored.
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This article links to 3
- Of Dreams Ancient Gamer linked by Ancient Gamer
- Order of the Vigilant Pariah linked by Ancient Gamer
- The Dreamer's Cult Pariah linked by Ancient Gamer
Links to this article 4
- Of Dreams Ancient Gamer linked by Ancient Gamer
- Order of the Vigilant Pariah linked by Pariah
- Sextant of the Soul Ancient Gamer linked by Ancient Gamer
- The Dreamer's Cult Pariah linked by Pariah
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These is an item with a good chunk of potential. While the obvious 'dream intervention' plots are available in full force, the addictive nature of this is something that I'd play up into an adventure or two. The cult itself looks like it could deserve proper development.
My only question is this: What makes the tears the cult gathers different from the magi's attempts? Is it the power of belief? Ritual magic?
Well I purposely create my items as templates, so as not to bind other GMs too much.
But in my setting, the Dreamer is indeed an entity to be reckoned with. And it is only through his will that the tears of the dreamers achieve their power.
The Cult will be detailed in full as soon as I have time to complete the final chapter of my 'Propecies of Redemption' from which all the items hail. (The Nectar has not yet been published there though)
A god must have imagination to create, and what is imagination but a waking dream?
Come, learn from the greatest mage of all, who lies dormant in the chambers of the temple...and bring back the dream t'was lost...
Very good one 5/5
Fan-freakin'-tastic!
5/5!
Beautiful, Even with out the potion itself this has made my day, err.. night. I'm in love with the comatose priest idea.
Updated: Edited to fit the Strolen's Citadel v2.0 requirements
This is just a perfect idea.
I have been trying to get into the more unusual items myself here lately and seeing this one makes me wish I would have saw it on the original site.
One must think of the power of dreams to be true. Empires crumble and are raised in a single instant in a dreamers mind. Imagine that on the scale of the Gods. Who are we but the images fleeting in a dream of a God? Perfect.
Go Coldforged gaming! *side note to AG* Mayhaps we should encounter the Dreamer Cult in the forum game once it gets back together? I know that I certainly would like to see some of this stuff work. I've always liked the concept of it, even back on the original site.
Ah, the Dreamer Cult! Given the personal background of one of the PCs, some kind of Dreamer Cult involvement is likely =). In addition I will eventually post the Prophecies of Redemption with the then fully updated 'Within Dreams' Scenario, which is a sickening, psychotic journey through the Drugged Nightmares of the PCs and their Merchant Host. Can you say 'addict'? My PCs could... :twisted:
Extremely Good.
Wouldn't declaring your god above the ENTIRE pantheon of the rest of civilization cause the rest of the world to start procescuting you? Leading to an inquistion of sorts?
Indeed. Religious wars have been started for less and the Dreamer Cult is outlawed in some regions. ;)
Order of the Vigilant/Wakened
Filled with devout followers of many of the major gods/religions united by one task, to squash out the so called Dreamer's Cult wherever it may rest. Using midnight raids and lynch mobs to kill as many cultists s possible they also have a wideranging spy network in order to root out the otherwise hidden cultists.
Just an idea, Ill work on it but only if you say its good AG.
It is good Pariah. Go, go, go! ;)
A glimpse into an intriguing world. I'm definitely bookmarking related subs for future reading.
This is neat - especially the part where you need to dream to talk to the senior members.