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The Astral Umbra is very closely tied to the Dream Zone and dreams freely pass from one to the other. Dream ideas enter the Astral and return to the Dream Zone within the span of a few moments, never really taking hold in the Astral. Sometimes dreams are in line with thoughts and ideas already in the Astral Umbra and they merge together, strengthening the concept or the conceptual spirit associated with it. Some dream ideas are so common they gain physical representations within the Astral.

Often simple concepts such as falling or flying become spirits of whatever it is they represent. More complex ideas are rarely shared by enough dreamers to take hold and gain form. The only truly complex ideas that ever take shape in the Astral are nightmare dreams. Nightmare ideas are so powerful and impactful for the dreamer that the concept sticks with them, remembered over and over again eliciting strong emotions and eventually gaining form within the Astral. Sometimes the resultant Nightmare is born of a common fear such as spiders, clowns, or zombies. Other times, the Nightmare is a specific yet widely known entity, such as Pennywise the Dancing Clown or Dracula.

Encountering Nightmares in the Astral is dangerous. When a Nightmare encounters a traveler, it invariably attacks her, attempting to prey upon her just as it would in the most dreadful of nightmares. Often, the Nightmare crafts projections of a nightmare-play into the Astral, forcing the

victim to live through a waking dream. These projections are real and capable of touching and affecting the victim. Older and more established Nightmares are particularly nasty to deal with as the dreams they embody are more intense and frightening, but they are subject to the same weaknesses as their subject matter. A Nightmare of Dracula is still vulnerable to a stake through the heart, but only the bravest can summon the courage to wield it..