Okay, technically this is not a list of "Frequently Asked Questions," since at least half of these questions have never been asked of me at all; and the other half have only been asked once or twice. Nevertheless, I think this information will be helpful to anyone who wants to know more about the dreamworld...and especially helpful for the kind of person who'd sit down and read the appendices to cult classics like Lord of the Rings or Dune. ;-) Believe me, it'll take you a lot less time to get through this appendix than those. I should know; I've read them!
Oh, and if you have any more questions for this (so-called) FAQ, you know how to reach me.
They are two entirely separate realities. The only time an individual can cross between them is during the few moments when he or she is drifting off to sleep. Thus, many people call R2 the "dreamworld," although it's not a dream at all.
You've heard the expression "falling asleep," and maybe experienced the sensation yourself. In R1, we feel as if we're descending into sleep; but in R2, we would feel as if we were rising into it. The space through which we move as we drift off is called the sleep tunnel.
You must not, however, confuse the sleep tunnel with the umbilicus that connects our two realities. If you go to sleep in R1 and simply fall through the sleep tunnel, you'll end up dreaming, not in the dreamworld. That, of course, is what most people do; and that is why there are so few duals. There are two sleep tunnels, one for each reality, but only one umbilicus between the two.
It's a bit confusing, but the Guardians explained it to me this way. Imagine the timelines of R1 and R2 as two entirely separate, parallel train tracks. Now imagine a train on each track, representing the two two bodies owned by one dual -- the conductor.
Even though the tracks are not connected, the trains are, by the umbilicus I mentioned in the previous question. For the sake of this illustration, we'll picture that umbilicus as a bungee cord with an incredible amount of "stretch." Now, when the conductor is in train "A," that train moves at a normal rate of speed, while "B" stands still. The bungee cord stretches to accommodate the growing distance, so that when the conductor is ready to change trains, she or he simply stops train "A" and follows the bungee cord back to train "B," which starts traveling in its turn.
Of course, you're probably saying to yourself, not even a metaphysical bungee cord can stretch indefinitely. You're right, but you definitely do not want to test the limits of this one. The Guardians recommend spending no more than six months at a time in R2. If you stay any longer, you risk not being able to return to R1, or else returning to a body that's been in a coma for six months.
If R2 natives totally disallowed technology, they'd be living in caves, eating with their fingers, and beating their enemies over the head with rocks (at least, the non-magically-gifted natives would be -- assuming they could survive against their magical neighbors). Fortunately, they've learned that a minimum of technology can coexist with magic without doing too much damage.
Basically, the farther away you get from things created by human hands, the more danger you're in, magically speaking. Glass, for instance, is simply melted sand -- and it's easy enough to melt sand by heating it over a fire (preferably in a simple stone pot -- a molded iron one would complicate the technology). Paper, on the other hand, is off-limits because it involves several steps in a process: a process that involves tools: tools which were already made by human hands: hands using tools that had been crafted using other tools! That's a lot of technology, when you stop to think about it.
Three things: A)No native of R1 is likely to find the way to R2 unless he or she prefers magic to technology. Such a person would never intentionally do anything to endanger the dreamworld. B)R2 natives normally love their magic as much as we R1-ers love our technology, so they would never intentionally do anything to harm it. C)It's possible that the few R2 natives who prefer technology over magic may find their way into R1 (See question IIC).
There are no complete maps of the R2 globe; but from what I've seen and heard, the dreamworld earth is somewhat larger than its counterpart, and its continents look like a jumbled patchwork of the continents on our home world. For instance, the area in which I first entered R2 was roughly analogous to the western edge of the R1 Appalachian Mountains; but the Red Mountains themselves were more like the Himalayas -- both in size and in shape.
I only call the dreamworld R2 because it is the second reality for me. If dreamworld natives do exist in my home reality as duals, I assume they call that reality "R2." Come to think of it, they probably call it the "dreamworld," too. ;-)
The sleep tunnel I mentioned above is not as short and smooth-walled as it seems. If you look hard enough -- if you wish hard enough, perhaps -- you might find the one tiny opening in its flanks: the umbilicus between worlds. Focus on it, and you'll slip through into the dream tunnel of R2. And since motion through the tunnels is reversed between realities, when you reach R2 you'll be awake rather than asleep. Of course, the first time you make this journey, the Guardians will stop you halfway to take care of a little business.
It seems very possible, although the logistics of starting a new life as an adult in R1 would be far more complicated than they are in R2. See "Blood and Water" for a discussion of this idea.
Physically, they look like a pair of ageless humans: the male clad in a sky-blue robe, and the female in grass-green. In reality, however, they seem to be some sort of angelic creatures who maintain the balance between R1 and R2. A lot of this involves taking the pressure off of people who can't live comfortably in just one reality. They guard the sleep tunnel (invisibly, for the most part), greet new duals and help them discern their roles in the new reality, and provide the basic knowledge and warnings that such duals need to survive. In addition, they may have other duties we duals know nothing about.
On your first visit to the umbilicus, the Guardians will greet you and transport you to a separate chamber which seems almost to exist in another dimension. Certainly, you can never find it again once you leave. Within this chamber is a table and several boxes of dice. These dice will be used to determine your role in R2 and the gifts you will possess there.
The first die, which every new dual rolls, must have at least 200 facets, each inscribed with the name of a basic R2 role like warrior, artist, magic-user, healer, elf, supernatural, etc. Once your basic nature has been ascertained, you will move on to a second die geared solely to duals of your nature. For instance, a warrior might roll a die with options like "archer" or "sword wielder"; while I, as a supernatural, had options such as "vampire," "goblin," "werewolf," and, of course, "Fury" (The Guardians told me that only a handful of duals in all their years had ever rolled that option. Then again, I've never been what you might call conventional).
You will also have the opportunity to roll for three "gifts," abilities separate from those you possess simply by virtue of your nature. For instance, sword wielders know how to use their weapon from the get-go, but they may pick up an extra portion of strength as a gift.
The gifts are rolled on three separate dice, and some roles require that one of these dice be used to specify the level of control the dual has over his or her abilities. Enric, for instance, had to roll a ten-sided "control" die; but since he rolled a nine, he had no complaint with the system. I can imagine that some other, lower-rolling duals might argue that this "gift" was more like a curse.
Even though the outcome of your roll seems random, it most definitely is not. The function of these dice is to reveal your deepest self, the kind of person your very soul cries out to be. No dual is ever dissatisfied with his or her roll/role, although a few (like me) take some time to get used to it.
Once you've found your role and the Guardians have given you all the basic information you need to function as a dual, you're finally ready to enter R2. The rear of the Guardians' chamber is lined with perhaps 50 doors, all different sizes and shapes and styles. Each door opens into a different area of the dreamworld: some more hospitable than others. Just don't ask the Guardians which are which because they aren't telling. As with the dice, your inner self will guide you to the door that's right for you. And once you have passed through that door, it will disappear, and you'll never see it -- or the Guardians -- again.
part of Kyriel, or another
entity altogether?
It's hard to say. It's a part of me, at least, but it's also something more. I suppose you might call it an alter ego, like Superman is for Clark Kent.
My gifts, as rolled in the Guardians' chamber are A)the ability to create and control shadow, B)an "alternate" human shape (my true form in the dreamworld is the Fury form), and C)the ability to use most of my other abilities in either form...but more on that in the next question.
My abilities are supernaturally keen eyesight, hearing, strength, and reflexes; as well as the Fury-specific ability to fly and to paralyze with a glance.
The only ability I can't use (at least, not fully) in human form is the ability to paralyze with a glance. That's because this ability is directly related to my appearance as a Fury. Think of Medusa, whose face was so frightening that one look would turn a person to stone. There's a grain of truth in that old myth, although certainly it's not my face alone that paralyzes people. If that were the case, I'd never have to fight at all. More likely, it's some quality of my Fury eyes, something I have to focus on to use.
They're certainly not real snakes, although they are semi-sentient. They're made of something more solid than ectoplasm but more malleable than flesh. This explains how the same organisms can look like flames and still be physically real enough to bite people, etc.
As someone once told me when I asked him where his clothes went when he changed, everything stays with you; it just isn't all visible at the same time. Of course, the man in question shape-shifted to a smaller form, not a larger one; but the principle is still the same. Things like clothes, wings, body mass, etc., seem to exist on a slightly different plane when they're not physically visible. This explains why my body doesn't shred my clothes when I shift to Fury form, and why my wings don't shred the clouds when I fly in human form.
Oh, and if all this seems almost ridiculously convenient, just remember: the Guardians do try to be helpful. :-)
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