Tree of Dreams

The Tree of Dreams is a species of tree that went functionally extinct during the Shattering. The sole surviving specimen exists on the continent of Swen where the seed was planted by the Great Spirit in order to bring life and magic to the region after it was obliterated by a fragment of Isha. It is heavily guarded within the Citadel of Eden, a stronghold created by the Zula tribe.

It is also theorized that the Tree of Dreams was among the tools used in the creation of the universe, specifically what Asmos may have used to experiment with other worlds before settling on the creation of Erudite. Some have even hypothesized it to have been an eighth Aard'Vorn representing soul magic, but its relationship to these artifacts has never been conclusively proven. And perhaps it may never will as the Aard'Vorn were all destroyed long before the Tree of Dreams was discovered by mortals outside of Swen.

Attempts to clone the tree have failed as no branches cut from it have been able to survive for more than a few days. The tree has never produced any seeds since it was planted although it still continues to grow.

Characteristics

The Tree of Dreams appears as a series of transculscent blue twine-like structures that weave together in the shape of a binary tree. While its branches extend almost across the entirety of Swen, they cannot actually be seen with the naked eye. They are only visible to those within a deep dreamwalking state or if they are within close proximity to a strong concentration of a pool of blue sap, the lifeblood and essence of the tree which seeps throughout the ground through its roots. The blue sap it produces has become the replacement for ekati in the area as during the Shattering, all ekati ore close to the surface ignited upon the impact of the fragment of Isha.

The tree is described as being made of a combination of aether and soul magic, similar in structure to the space beyond Erudite. While space consists of chaotic permutations of energy and stray memories of the Old Pantheon, the more organized stucture of the Tree of Dreams makes it easier for not only for Old Pantheon memories to exist in a stable state but also for noncorporeal spirits to manifest themselves. Even the dreams of mortals within Swen contribute to the worlds within the tree - hence the name of it. Because of this, the Tree of Dreams essentially contains an entire universe of dream-like worlds within itself that those with the ability to dreamwalk can visit. Effectively, the Tree of Dreams is an archive for not only the memories of the Old Pantheon but for all the mortals that live in Swen.

Some Aetherians have been born within the Tree of Dreams although their fundamental composition is vastly different from those born in space. As such, Aetherians from the Tree of Dreams are often referred to as Oneirian gods, while other beings not quite at that power level are simply known as spirits.

Additionally, because the tree's roots extend all the way into Subterra and interact with Deep Ekati, it is hypothesized this is the reason that the Tree of Dreams can produce dark spirits. A garrison of Arbiters patrol the roots, specialized in dealing with the unique types of magic from the Tree of Dreams.

Realms

The Tree of Dreams is divided into two distinct realms: the Realm of Light and the Realm of Darkness. The Realm of Light occupies the branches of the tree while the Realm of Darkness occupies the roots. Both the branches and the roots are direct mirrors of one another and as such, dreams that are within one realm often have some sort of counterpart in the other.

Naturally, each realm produces light and dark spirits respectively. It is possible for spirits to go between the realms although they will be shaped by their experiences within the worlds there. Spending time within the Realm of Light leads to long lasting positive thoughts while the Realm of Darkness tends to imprint negative thoughts. It is hypothesized that a spirit that can endure both realms can achieve the power of a mortal soul, implying that the Tree of Dreams species is the origin of all souls in Erudite.

In a cosmological hypothetical model theorized by the dwarves of Kalta, Erudite and Brunikor are the Realms of Light and the Realms of Darkness within an even larger Tree of Dreams that contains the entire universe. They go as far as to imply that Asmos and the Old Pantheon were the "dreamers". This remains largely unconfirmed as even well into the Cyber Era, the means of any serious study remains unpursued, and for the most part, it is not accepted by mainstream science.

Sustenance

It is theorized that the Tree of Dreams derives sustenance through ambient aether energy - which before the Shattering was a lot more numerous, being actively generated by the gods of the Old Pantheon. However, it seems also grow based on the presence of mortals. Specifically, its roots and branches spread further in the presence of strong emotions and developed intellectual thoughts. Interestingly enough, the Tree of Dreams grew suddenly and exponentially with the invention of MagiNet - a planetary communications network where mortals throughout the world could now talk and travel everywhere in Erudite instantaneously.

Even if a mortal was not directly in the tree's presence, the thoughts and emotions could still be transferred through the network while using mortals within Swen as a conduit for experiencing their emotions. Because of this, the types of spirits born from the Tree of Dreams has since become a strong indicator of the overall mental status and emotional health of mortals across the entire world. While this has effectively allowed dreamwalking through the Tree of Dreams to be possible worldwide, it has also become more vulnerable to threats beyond Swen, specifically the amalgamation of dark spirits of Vaskus memories known as Antithesis.

The Dreamwalking Thesis cited the invention of MagiNet as one of the facilitators of the Second Rupture in 999 ADW as well as the sudden large number of spirits that appeared afterward.

Dream worlds

The Tree of Dreams holds countless dream worlds within it that can be visited by dreamwalking. These dreams are either original creations, memories of the old gods or remnants of Asmos’ discarded worlds.

The dream worlds are also home to some powerful Aetherians which are for the most part considered gods. They serve as local deities to the various cultures of Swen.

Known worlds

• Akupara's World - A surreal place with flying turtles that elephants ride atop. It is a memory of a lost continent from before the Shattering, likely once situated near Bhari’Adavi.
• Ladronia - Homeworld to the Ladronians, a race enslaved by the Goar.
• Mobius - An experimental dream world created by the Martines family in the 980s ADW. The world is shaped like a Mobius strip. Intended to serve as a place where Maria and Elvira Martines could express their creativity using a dream landscape.
• Gastrolysium - A world where the landscape is made out of various types of desserts.
• Marsudell - A world similar to Erudite’s medieval era. Home to Krystal Ravenhunter.

There are also many different dream corridors which an experienced dreamwalker can create that allow them to travel between two points in space.