Oneiromancers

Roleplaying an Oneiromancer

Oneiromancers are not trained - these astral mages began to awaken to their potential after 498 MA, practicing their first fumbling arts by instinct. They are aligned with the cause of Spirit, seeking to preserve memory, meaning, and color against Shadow's relentless advance, and the ways in which they choose to confront it are as many and varied as the colors they command.

What is the Astral Realm?

The Astral Realm is a subplane of Chaos, that which winds through and around existence like an amorphous shell. This realm is ruled by Omei, the Imago, having been conquered by Her order, the Chromatic Court, in Midsummer of the year 498 MA. The Realm is composed of seven spheres of differing hues, with Yellow standing at the center and Red, Orange, Green, Blue, Violet, and Silver orbiting it at increasing distance.

All seven spheres hang suspended within the Astral void, a ceaseless midnight sky full of stars of different colors. Oneiromancers draw from the Astral's colorful variety, forming channels from its heart to summon the potential and power of Chaos across the multiverse.

What is the Dreamworld?

The Dreamworld is a subplane of the Prime Material Plane, and has existed for nearly as long as the Prime itself - beginning small, but multiplying in size and dimension as mortal awareness of its Goddess, Omei, came to light in the Midnight Age.

Now the Dreamworld is a sprawling, mutable plane, host to a thousand secrets and places. It serves as the seat of the Imago's power, as well as a bridge between the Prime and the Astral Realm.

The sources of the Oneiromancer's arts include:

• Opening direct channels to the Astral Realm and its seven spheres.
• Manipulating ambient spirit to empower shapes folded from paper.
• Trading with the Nobles, Fae denizens of the Astral Realm.

Oneiromancers are defined by their broad, versatile command of magic, drawing upon potent, transformative extraplanar force to enact their will throughout the multiverse. Whether it's manipulating ambient spirit to bring paper to life, opening channels to draw upon Chaos, or negotiating with Nobles, cleverness, caution, and strength of will are paramount.

Visual style of the class:

Oneiromancers move as though dancing, opening their channels by way of expressive physical motion. The precise details of these gestures might vary between mages, since individual expression lies at the core of the arts, but are essentially imitative, seeking to evoke the power they summon by mimicking or embodying its force.

Side effects of the class:

The Hyalincuru practiced by the Oneiromancers serves to ground them in the present, tying their power to specific, tactile actions. This is important, given the wide variety of elements they draw upon. Drawing upon ambient spirit may, over time, render even a calm personality more excitable, erratic, or volatile.

Moreover, employing Oneiromancy and Contracts too extensively can lead to an Oneiromancer losing distinction between dreams and reality, unsure whether they're awake or not - because both consciousness and sleep can feel like a lucid dream.

Roleplaying the class:

Oneiromancers may comprise a range of archetypes, ranging through warlocks, witches, and planar travelers, and the arts they've learnt may be a result of studying with another Oneiromancer, or independent experimentation. The closest thing to a central tradition consists in the Oneiromancy practiced by Omei, the Imago's order, but many Oneiromancers wander outside Her purview, realizing mortal dreams upon their own terms.

Entity lore:

The Astral entities summoned by Oneiromancers are comprised of a myriad number of 'individuals' - chaotic creatures which have united into a single whole. Most have been influenced by the Goddess' conquest as well as Dendara, taking on a Fae aesthetic, but they are ultimately beholden to the same countermeasures as an Indorani's entities, since they share an identical material basis.