A Guide to Meraki

Introduction

Imagine, if you will, your own idea of the perfect world. 

What does it look like, this world behind your eyes? 

What do you dream of, before you fully fall asleep?

What if this world... really did exist..?

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Meraki, also called the Dream Realm or Realm of Dreams, is a universe attached to the Physical Realm, which is where Gallifreyans, Pyrrhians (and Pantalans!), Terrans (humans), and other physical life forms live. 

One could say that this realm is something of a parasite; it is powered by the thoughts, hopes, and dreams of physical creatures, and without them it wouldn't exist. However the creatures who inhabit Meraki do not think so - they believe that the transference of dreams from one realm to another is a small price to pay for an entire world of life, magic, and wonder. The realm of Meraki itself is constantly changing, so much so that its inhabitants and the beings that dwell there are hardly bothered at all when the grass turns into cotton candy or the sky goes from light blue to forest green. 

Although many creatures exist within Meraki, they change just as frequently as the realm itself. The only creatures that remain somewhat constant throughout the twisting and turning of dreams and ideas are the Meraki. They have adopted the name of the realm they reside in, and draw from two main sources of power: day dreams and night dreams. 

Day dream-based Meraki, called Ferlies, typically have sharper appearances and more orderly features. Since day dreams are created by conscious thought, Ferlies reflect that. Ferlies usually have a more "cute and cuddly" appearance than their night dream counterparts. However, there are just as many Ferlies as there are Selcouth, and they are just as diverse as the people who dream of them.

Night dream-based Meraki are called Selcouth. The Selcouth have a very diverse range of appearances, and can often reflect nightmares as well as good dreams, leading many of them to have more intimidating features such as black eyes, curved snouts, and claws. But once again, there is no such thing as "the norm" for Meraki, and Selcouth are as diverse as the imagination. 

In Meraki, there is a sort of balance between the Ferlies and Selcouth. Every Ferly has a Selcouth partner, and every Selcouth has a Ferly partner. They boost each others' magic abilities and typically forge great friendships, or even romantic relationships. 

In this species guide, you will learn about how to make your own Meraki characters, the rules for the species, and some of the characters that may be appearing in future books of mine. Now, without further ado, the lore..!