The Dreamstride Lorebook

For over a thousand years, the Priests of Vaermina have been masters of the art of alchemy. The complexity and potency of their mixtures are nothing short of legendary. These alchemical treasures are so highly sought after that a single draught showing up on the black market can command sums in the tens of thousands.

Of the numerous potions that have surfaced to date, Vaermina’s Torpor is perhaps the most impressive. A single sip of this viscous liquid places the imbiber in a state known as "The Dreamstride." This condition allows the subject to experience the dreams of another as if he is actually there. The subject becomes an integral part of the dream. To any other entities in this dream state, the subject will be mistaken for the dreamer. The subject will even find his mannerisms, speech patterns, and knowledge expanded appropriately.

To an observer, after the subject has imbibed the potion, he will appear to vanish. As the subject traverses distances within the dream, he will also traverse distances in the actual world. When the Torpor’s effect has expired, the subject will fade back into reality in the exact location projected within the Dreamstride. Some Dreamstrides have transported their subjects a few feet, and some have appeared thousands of miles from their origin in a matter of minutes.

It’s worth noting that the Dreamstride is highly dangerous and presents the subject with numerous pitfalls. In certain dreams, subjects have been exposed to life-threatening scenarios such as sicknesses, violence, and even death. In most cases, the subject simply fades back to our world without harm, but in some instances, the subject never reappears and is assumed to have expired. In other instances, the subject reappears deceased. It’s also quite possible that the subject could reappear in a precarious or hazardous location in reality, even when that location appeared safe within the Dreamstride.

Vaermina’s Torpor is as mysterious and elusive as the priests who created it. It’s unknown whether this unique transport mechanism is a result of the Torpor itself or simply the odd machinations of Vaermina, but the potential for using the Dreamstride to penetrate seemingly impassible obstacles certainly outweighs its mysterious nature.