The Dreamtime is a unique region of the Umbra found only in Australia.
Overview[]
In English, the term "Dreamtime" is a attempt to concisely encapsulate tens of thousands of years of continuous history and the views hundreds of distinct cultures. Dreamtime is both a place and everywhere, the past and everywhen.[1]
Werewolf: The Apocalypse[]
Garou use "Dreamtime" to refer to the Penumbra around Australia. The Gauntlet has historically been very thin on the continent, as Aboriginal Australians lived close to the spirits of their land and never became overly dependent on the Weaver. When the Bunyip came to Australia, they used powerful rites to seal the Dreamtime behind them; these wards also preserve the Dreamtime as a reflection of Australia in ancient times, untouched by European conquest. The Dreamtime is still scarred by the forces of Wyrm and Weaver, but not to the extent that other parts of the world see.[2]
The Dreamtime tends to be hostile to Garou, and many believe it is haunted by the ghosts of the Bunyip; Moon Bridges may not lead to the same places each time, and entire packs have been known to disappear.[3] A few Aboriginal Uktena, the Koori Wolves, have greater adeptness with the Dreamtime, though they still lack the full wisdom of the Bunyip.[4]
Changeling: The Dreaming[]
To Changelings, Dreamtime is distinct from the Dreaming; it overlaps with the Autumn World, flowing in and out without barriers, as the Dreaming of the Mythic Age was said to do, and has a more primal energy that kithain are rarely equipped to deal with. European conquest, however, brought a European Dreaming to Australia, displacing the Dreamtime and the Spirit Beings connected to it. A series of conflicts, the Wars of the Songlines, lead to large-scale slaughter of the Spirit Beings, and eventually the Dreamtime was confined to patches of wilderness deep in Australia's interior.[5] Fearful of another Shattering — and uneasy at the thought that their Dreaming may be a vehicle for Banality — increasing numbers of kithain are reaching out to Spirit Beings to understand how to care for the Dreamtime and preserve its link to the land.[6]
Mage: The Ascension[]
Mages describe the Dreamtime as an unusual Shallow Realm separate from the Penumbra, created deliberately by ancient mages to stay in contact with their ancestor-spirits. It ebbs and flows in its contact with the phenomenal world, and can only be accessed by people who have undergone a ritual initiation. To non-initiates, it might as well not even exist, leading many foreign mages to assume that Australia is a spiritual wasteland. Initiation comes with certain responsibilities, and the Dreamtime has been known to reject initiates who fail to do their duty.[7]
Wraith: The Oblivion[]
Wraiths describe the Dreamtime is the true realm of the spirit, seen by the aborigines as both a place and a state of mind, analogous to what the wraiths of the west call Transcendence. Many aboriginals view the Shadowlands as a sign that their ties to the living are too strong. In order to achieve Dreamtime, many aboriginal wraiths leave their old homes and lives behind, seeing them as a distraction on their way to their true home. They seek to resolve Fetters and such in the Outback of Australia, away from everything. Even the living aboriginals do not speak the names of the recently deceased to keep from drawing their focus away from Dreamtime.
Even though their issues must be resolved, the elders of the aboriginals believe to interfere with the living is to keep them from achieving their true aims; therefore, meddling with the Quick is forbidden among the aboriginals. Many ignore this policy and do so anyway, hoping that passing on information to a family member or revenging their murder will help them in their quest.[8][9]
Hunter: The Reckoning[]
The imbued refer themselves as sleepwalkers or walkers in reference to the Dreamtime. Many walkers tend to share similar dreams (the call) that crosses them from their normal life to the "Dream."[10]
One walker, Ashley, is given a vision about the spirit world trying to merge with the mortal realm. Depending on the interpretation, that could mean the end of civilization or the return of the Dreamtime, creating a new world by fusing both spirit and matter; a different world, of course, but not necessarily evil.[11]
Songlines[]
The Australia is criss-crossed by Songlines, pathways left by Creator Beings (or created by ancient mages) and mapped in Aboriginal Australians' stories and songs. Those who know how to navigate them can travel freely almost anywhere on the continent, crossing from Dreaming to Dreamtime to Autumn World in safety. However, Songlines are governed by Laws that dictate when and how a traveler may use them, and without the correct knowledge of those taboos, unwary travelers may invoke the wrath of the Dreamtime itself.[1]
The Garou are partially aware of Songlines, though no tribe but the Bunyip has ever mastered their use. In modern nights, some Garou fear that Wyrmish spirits are using the Songlines for their own purposes.[3] Mages who are sufficiently familiar with Songlines can avoid the Avatar Storm by traveling them.[12]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 CTD: Changeling: The Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition Player's Guide, p. 102
- ↑ WTA: Rage Across Australia, p. 103-105
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 WTA: Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition, p. 64
- ↑ MTAs: Dead Magic II: Secrets and Survivors, p. 61
- ↑ CTD: Changeling: The Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition Player's Guide, p. 102-104
- ↑ CTD: Changeling: The Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition Player's Guide, p. 109
- ↑ MTAs: Dead Magic II: Secrets and Survivors, p. 55-56
- ↑ WTO: Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition, p. 454-455
- ↑ WTO: Wraith Players Guide, p. 119-123
- ↑ HTR: Hunter Survival Guide, p. 63
- ↑ HTR: Hunter Survival Guide, p. 62-63, 65, 69
- ↑ MTAs: Dead Magic II: Secrets and Survivors, p. 53
- MTAs: Dreamspeakers Tradition Book, p. 8