Overview

This story takes place in the fantastical world of Cimarron. An accident-prone yet quaint, lush planet. Well, the liveable parts, that is. It is inhabited by all sorts of creatures, from those closely resembling Earth's own creatures to others that couldn't even be imagined in the wildest dreams of the average Earthian. The breeds of humanoid creatures are just as diverse as everything else on the planet. There are those closely resembling humans in manner and ability, and those with enough power to destroy entire worlds, should they be so inclined.

Sanctuaries

Due to numerous mishaps on a catastrophic scale, Cimarron is carved up into zones - only about 1/3 of the planet is liveable. There are, in total, four 'safe zones', which are labelled the 'Sanctuaries'. The Sanctuaries are lush paradises with plentiful resources, beautiful places that were protected by the power of the gods from the forces that destroyed the rest of the planet's surface. Two of the four Sanctuaries are industrialized, with areas resembling Earth cities, while the other two are generally simpler. Living is exquisite in either type, one simply... has more geometric lines than the other. Though, the Sanctuaries only take up about a third of the planet's surface - the rest is what is referred to as 'the Wastes'.

The Wastes are basically the opposite of a Sanctuary in both actuality and literal implication. Dry, glum, dead. That could describe the Wastes. And yet... the Wastes are just about as populated as any one Sanctuary. Rough individuals call the Wastes their home, individuals that were either outcast from standard society or chose on their own to deviate from the norm. Just as the humanoids have adapted to the harsher living environment, so have the creatures. Simply put, in the Sanctuaries, humanoids are on top of the food chain. In the Wastes... they are not. It is not reccomended for any individual used to a Sanctuary lifestyle to stray too far into the Wastes without a trained guide, for their own safety.

The Abyss

The Abyss is the parallel dimension to the world of Cimarron. Where physical bodies reside in the Cimarron, so their souls reside in the Abyss. The Abyss is a place of pure, raw power. The unbridled energy of the planet and its inhabitants contained in one pure white featureless place. Only beings with strong stores of their own magical energy can traverse the plains of the Abyss. If an individual with power only comparable to a human were to try to enter, their minds would be ripped apart by the raw power - they would be seen as an empty vessel to fill, and destroyed by that rush of energy.

Stronger beings with inborne magical energy can protect themselves from that, and so, can descend to the level of the Abyss. To get there, one must simply... turn within. Turn away from physical senses and experience, look inward, and drop down. Beneath physical ties, there is simply potential. That is the Abyss. In the Abyss, one's true form is shown. Physical adornments like clothes or simple jewelry are dropped away. Physical changes that have been made with magic in the waking world are dropped away, leaving only the person beneath, be that hidden self weak or strong, glorious or hideous. The Abyss cannot lie.

Dreamweavers

Dreamweavers are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to magical ability. These extremely rare creatures are generally humanoid in form, with a few distinguishing non-human features that set them apart from the rest. These features are normally hidden, for fear of outcastment. Dreamweavers are one of the few species of humanoid creatures that posess the power to destroy worlds. For, they have the power to create reality. Not unlike a god(and consequently disliked by them,) Weavers can create reality. Each Dreamweaver maintains a web in the Abyss, weaving threads into it with a tool used to channel their energy through. Each thread represents a person, a place, an occasion, or an occurance. Either something that actually happened or purely an illusion the Dreamweaver wishes to play out for its puppets. For, they are puppets. Those that are woven into a Dreamweaver's web are, not unlike a fly in a spider's web, trapped. Indefinitely and at the deepest level of the soul. They are at the mercy of that Weaver.

For every black there is a white, and conversely, Dreamweavers have their Dreamcatchers. Just as rare and just as formidable, the Catchers are a fiercely competitive race to suit their purpose, which is to keep the Weavers in check. Dreamcatchers are possibly the only ones capable of sensing the reality-bending magic that Dreamweavers surround themselves with. Catchers are the only ones that can destroy a web against the will of the Weaver. Some Catchers keep the heads of the Weavers they've conquered - some merely keep the power vessels the Weavers used.