Dream Stones

By Josh Moger

**Flaming
Feather**

These iridescent blue stones seem to catch the light in just the right way, reflecting a beautiful azure color. For the people who wear them, though, they already caught much more than that.

They caught Dreams.

The dream stones are rare. How rare is basically if the GM decide they're McGuffin rare, or if they should be allowed amongst the general population of Heaven or Earth, but they should still not be in a great number. After all, they are whats left of the original tower of Dreams and Fear.

When the Archangel of Dreams successfully courted and loved the Angel of Fear, the Angel of Love gained the Word almost as an afterthought. The true expression of that love was the tower that Beleth and Blandine formed from the proto-matter of the Marches. From that tower they looked over the infinite dreamscape below them. When Beleth, lured by Lucifer's words, betrayed Blandine, the tower fell, either because of Beleth's Fall or because of a battle between Fear and Dreams. The remains of that first tower were scattered about, some of the stones found their way to souvenir collections, others were bartered for and sold by some of Marc's more entrepenurial angels.

Who are, each and every one, regretting not keeping a tight grip on those stones.

The stones themselves are more than just solidified dream dust. Symbols have power in the Marches, especially symbols derived from not just Words, but the Angelic and Archangelic holders of those Words. Altogether, the Tower was a very powerful object. The stones haven't totally lost that power. They embody a fractional power of their former creators, all three of them.

Dreams: The stones owner's gain a level of understanding of the Marches. Humans that have them, even mundane, non-Soldier humans gain Lucid Dreaming for the duration of their possession of the stone (thus the stone doesn't actually have to be touching them, just having it in the same room as the one they sleep in will do). For angels, the stone also acts as a +2 when invoking Blandine or if actually a servitor of Dreams, will allow an angel to appear at the bottom of Blandine's Tower if that angel decides to sleep.

Fear: (Going by instinct and hope here...) The Word of Fear hasn't been held for 20,000 years, so those in possession of the dream stones have a glimpse into power that few others outside of the Superiors are privy to. Fear isn't Nightmares. Nightmares are apathetic, they twist apart a person's psyche just for the hell of it. Fear is different, its a living part of an individual, a perpetual shadow and stumbling block. The trick though, is learning that such a block will allow a person to climb higher if they figure out how to balance their lives on top of the everpresent Fear. For Blandine, falling in love with Beleth was a natural progression of seeing Fear, examining it, looking for the weakness that would allow you to know it better, and then comforting the Fear and eventually letting the Fear know that it is accepted for what it is. Blandine accepted Beleth and so those who own a dream stone must accept their own Fear. Thus, every night that a person who owns a dream stone sleeps, they engage in a will-war of sorts with the stone. The individual will find herself on the border between Nightmares and Dreams, confronting the thing that truly frightens them. This should probably be more role- played than based on game mechanics, with the GM deciding if the dreamer has successfully come to understand, accept, and surpass their fear. She's not required to do this the first night, and will not technically be drawn into Beleth's side if she fails that first night. She will notice the second night, however, that she is closer to Nightmares than Dreams. Eventually the dream will either find herself in Beleth's territory and still trying to conquer her Fear, or will finally accomplish the task. When the Fear is conquered, than several things occur:



The Catch

Love/Lust: When the Tower was erected by Blandine and Beleth it served, briefly, as the first tether to Love and Andrealphus. When Andrealphus Fell alongside Beleth, the tether was lost along with the Word Love. The stones no longer have control of the Word they once served as a testiment to. Thus, they are instead in a state of constant flux. Each day that the person or angel has a dream stone, they must roll against their will. If successful, then they suffer no side-effects from the dream stone, and in fact will notice that people will react to them with a +1 bonus. If they should fail their will roll, however, they can then make a perception roll. The perception roll won't keep the side-effects from manifesting if it succeeds, but if they fail that too, they won't notice what has happened to them. Others will however. The individual will be marked with one level of a temporary ethereal discord of Lust. This will manifest as little things, such as leering at people of the sex they're attracted to, being a bit more controlling or insatiable in bed or a relationship, and being a bit more interested in the physical rather than the emotional aspects of an inividual. Not too bad.

The next morning, if they fail the will roll again, they'll aquire another level on top of the one they already have. Now, it starts getting a bit noticeable. If they do succeed in the will roll at any time (yes the next morning is the same with another cumulative level) they will wipe clear the Lust they built up. They don't have to worry about a will roll after 6 levels, but they will have to worry about scaring people. They can still make a perception roll every morning to see if the character even notices that they're any different.

For those who would wonder: a 111 would mean the will roll is unnecessary. The stone has been stabalized, at least for that owner. They'll get the +1 bonus, but don't have to worry about the Lust.

A 666, however, would mean that the Lust discord levels aren't temporary. If a superior is notified, at least an angelic one (remember the invoking bonus) they'll usually remove the discord. But first they'll want to know where you got the stone.

Note: if the owner gives away or loses the dream stone, they will lose the levels of discord after the next evening's sleep.

**Flaming
Feather**

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