PALACE OF DREAMS

 

Hook: Never have you seen its like... The second you came here, you were beset by euphoria... Light, at first, but, then the air took on a dreamlike quality, at some point, while still in the twilit pine forest... Your minds seem detached from your bodies, and the air has become hazy and seems to shimmer all around you. Multicoloured, blinking lights flicker all around, flitting between and behind and in front of the trees growing everywhere in a massive, mani-pillared sylvan hall which is becoming stranger and stranger as you move ahead. Large clusters of fungal growths begin replacing trees, intermixed with them, impossibly tall. Willows and birches become more prominent. Shafts of dying light catch motes of dust that sparkle like starlight. You notice, idly, when the multi-coloured lights draw close to you, they are actually little people with delicate gossamer wings that seem to produce their own ethereal, inner light. They begin flitting all around you... glowing, tiny people with wings... Tinkling, bell-like laughter surrounds you as they dance about your heads and bodies in circles, joining hands, occasionally, and singing in lilting, child-like voices you can barely make out... You swat at a few as they pull the at strands of your hair and the hems of your clothes, but, the dream-like state of the environment softens your edge and boundaries, and you find yourselves caring less about the playful little people, and more about following the wide barren track you somehow find you are suddenly walking... 'When did that happen?', you think. You don't know. Soon, the path is flanked by wild rose bushes, and the air becomes fragrant, thick, and heady with their scent, further confusing your senses... The little people, you notice, have instruments, even weapons (spears, daggers, and swords, and tiny bows and arrows and quivers). You laugh, amused by this fact, surprising yourselves by how light and detached you feel and sound. As if you are not making the sound. You also notice that there are near-human-sized forms (still short, by human standards) in among the trees on all sides, some armed with bows, swords, and/or spears. Some few have round shields, as well. They detach from the shadows and follow you, mutely. They're people... They don't bother you, but, watch, only, their green tunics and gowns blending well with the scenery. They have honey-coloured hair, and fair skin, almond-shaped eyes, and sharp features... Elves, you guess... That's all you can make out from here. They keep their distance, frolicking and singing, but, ever watchful, as they observe your progress...

When you look back up and ahead, you notice it... A white marble building with delicate pillars creating a colonnade around the whole edifice, including its two wings. Statues, friezes, and painted stone decorate the entire thing in playful woodland motifs featuring fantastical and mundane beasts, hunts, and, a large, bearded figure often painted in green raiment with a silver circlet, presiding over all the festivities, Sometimes sitting on a large throne flanked by willow trees. In the middle of the stairway leading up is a large shrine of some kind, a wide, square marble pedestal surmounted by several statues of the same creatures you see on the walls of the outer structure. They surround a series of pillars, surmounted by a dome... Underneath the dome is the bearded, green-clad man on a throne, hands on arm rests, peacefully, looking out, and away, beyond any comers.

Details: This is the court of the Dream King, the petty god Óneiros, brother to Aon, the First Nightmare. He is also known as The Willow King. He does not exist in the real world, but, only in his realm of magic. In the heart of his enchanted forest, one becomes ensorcelled by it and loses total control over the mind and one's ability to perceive reality... The forest becomes a haven for magical beings, of all kinds. It is not a place for mortals. The Dream King's power may drive humans mad, trap them in a dream-like, half-awake state of euphoria forever... If one wishes to interact with the Dream King and enter his palace, they may only do so in this state of awareness. Some can resist it, for a time, but, will eventually succumb to the effects of the Willow King's magic. The effects of it are useful, under certain circumstances, and even playful and fun, but, prolonged exposure for humans is deadly. Their bodies will die. Mostly, the Willow King's Wood is a haven for elves and other magical beings. The reality of interacting with this place is that, eventually, the body stops and falls among the loam and other forest debris, in a state of catatonia, and the mind continues the journey (the point at which any visitors find themselves upon the wide track that leads to the marble edifice of Ónerios...). If the visitor is lucky, a kindly sprite, elf, or other forest spirit, may move, cover, or otherwise protect the bodies of those affected by the magic of the forest. The centre of the wood really does have mushrooms and willows and more in it. It's the king and his palace that are not physical. If one dies in the dream-state, one dies in reality, with a chance to avoid it that is penalised after sleeping, and consuming food and drink. The more one eats, sleeps, and drinks, while in the dream state the weaker their resistance to any of its effects are, The Dream King, himself, is a 20' tall man with black hair and green clothing. He is someone one can visit to receive visions and perhaps make sense of visions received... However, the mind is strange and the Dream King is no brooker of fools. He knows how dangerous his magic is, and doesn't often feel too guilty about intruders falling victim to it. The Dream King's palace is actually on Enchantia, the planet of enchantment orbiting the world. The dream state is where the world of Aelŵydir and Enchantia meet, controlled by Óneiros.