Fianyarr: The Dream Invaders



Not all Dream Invaders
are unwelcome.
(Sengoku Otome)

There is something very powerful about dreams in a fantasy world.  Oftentimes prophets and oracles speak about great changes coming to this world.  Chosen Ones find themselves besieged by prophetic dreams of their own and torn by nightmares of their past.  Wonderful entities seek people out in their dreams for conversation and terrible ones seek them out to torture them where they are most vulnerable.  And therein lies the rub, in the world of dreams we are each and every one of us quite vulnerable.

Even to those in Fianyarr who are lucid dreamers, the dreamscape is that part of us that is most intimate and yet which can never be fully protected.  To have one's dreams violated is a terrible experience and thus many superstitious talismans are created and sold in fantasy markets everywhere to aid in such protections.  Yet the likelihood of so many of those talismans working are quite slim.  But enough about that, let's talk about the dream invaders themselves....

Creating a Dream Invader

Dream Invaders have the statistics of spirits.  They have Power, Finesse and Resistance, after all.  They even have essence which they gain from the more spirited dreams they enter.  Their health levels work just as anyone else's health levels might work.  So how are they different to spirits?  Well, to begin with they can very rarely manifest outside of people's dreams and few of them even consider doing so.  They can travel through people's dreams or even through the tapestry of subconscious minds.  The Dream Invader must roll Power versus the victim's Wyrd to enter their dream state while the victim is dreaming.  Please find a few abilities below.  All but Hidden require the expenditure of a point of Essence.

Hidden: The Dream Invader can't be seen while in this state though they also can't actively do anything either.  If the dreamer actively seeks them out then they must roll Wyrd + Composure versus the entity's Power + Finesse to find them.

Wrongful Associaton: Some can attack you through this subliminal side of your brain, hijacking your subconscious thought processes, and twisting your emotions when you are least expecting it.  The person's mind, desperate to make sense of it all, will pin that emotion on the most likely target.  This could be the warm feelings of love or the sharp pang of terror.  The Dream Invader rolls Power + Finesse versus the victim's Wyrd + Composure to change the emotion in a sudden mood swing.

True Cuts: Others can injure you while you sleep, causing wounds to appear on your form that you gain while you are sleeping.  While combat functions much as it normally would in a dream combat, the pain you feel and the wounds that mark you are quite real.

Drain: Some tempt you into excesses of pleasure in your sleep in order to rob you of a point of willpower upon your awakening as you realise it was, alas, just a dream.  This disappointment causes the Dream Invader to be able to roll Finesse and gain essence equal to successes.

Devour Dream: The Dream Invader can roll Power + Resistance to devour your dream, good or bad, awakening the dreamer at once - though in a half-asleep state.  This costs the dreamer one willpower point, refreshing five essence for itself, though it also automatically consumes any other Dream Invaders caught in your dream unless their Resistance roll exceeds the one using Devour Dream.  While the dreamer themselves don't get a roll to resist, this numina can only be used upon them once a year so it's rarely a problem.

Lustborn: May roll Power + Finesse versus Wyrd + Composure after a particularly raunchy dream to turn dreamer's vice to lust for a day.  Naturally there are variants of this dream-based numina for those Dream Invaders which target other vices.

Tennin

There are those Angelics who help protect people within their very dreams inside the dreamscape.  The tennin are on such example as they consider themselves to be guardians of dreams.  These unnaturally beautiful women always appear dressed in colorful and ornate kimonos, incredibly well-designed jewelry, and long decorated scarves.  They are generally seen carrying either a lotus blossom (allows the carrier to pause a dream to speak with the dreamer at length for up to 5 minutes - this time cannot be interrupted by any other), a biwa (playing this instrument causes the dream to invert so that the victim enters the attacker's dream unless one of the targets succeeds on a Power + Occult + Wyrd roll versus the Tennin) or a flute (playing this instrument causes all listeners to regain a willpower point once per minute though they can't assault anyone during this time).

Power 4, Finesse 5, Resistance 3, Size 5, Health 8, Rank 3, Essence 20.
Numina: Hidden, Others Listed In Description.

Baku

There are some Dream Invaders that actually devour dreams, both good and bad, and which are renowned for their ability to remove (likely by consuming) other Dream Invaders.  This is a shy creature that appears to be a chimera with an elephant's head, tiger's paws and an ox's trunk. 

Power 8, Finesse 8, Resistance 6, Size 8, Health 14, Rank 4, Essence 25.
Numina: Devour Dream, Hidden.

Incubus / Succubus

These rather famous Dream Invaders are blamed for all sorts of embarressing sex dreams though, alas, more often than not they are not involved.  When they are involved, however, the individual loses willpower and slowly grows more obsessed with the pleasures of the flesh experienced in their dreams and desire to make those dreams a reality.  This Dream Invader is referred to by the gender seen in the dream though, in truth, they usually don't favour one form or another.


Power 4, Finesse 6, Resistance 2, Size 5, Health 7, Rank 3, Essence 20.
Numina: Damnation's Path, Drain, Hidden.