Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

[Halbarad]

"So the anchors I make are the tools I use to navigate the dream," Tim muses. "That... makes a lot of sense, really. Is most of what I'll need to learn just mastery of those tools?"

"And the other question I had: How do my abilities here relate to what I can do in the real world? I've already discovered that I've at least got a limited ability to create objects by will there, and I've seen Kyle do the same. Is that all it extends to, or is there more I can do?"

[Brian]

"Essentially everything you'll want to do is through tools.  While they're an extension of yourself, and initially not probably as powerful as you might want ... when you make a mistake, you learn a lot more from the destruction of a tool than from the destruction of yourself.  It's not the only way to approach the Dream -- and it's not the one we use.  But you're still alive, so it's probably much more suitable for you.

"And of course that question ties in perfectly.  As it so happens, you can create a power, or a rock, or ... something.  You can build a tool that is meant to do something, even if that tool is a magic word that throws fire.  You can invest of yourself to bring your tools over, but in reality, they'll tend to be a bit more ... simplified.

"For example, on a journey, I think you created a walking stick.  I doubt you woke up with it in your hand, at any rate.  The walking stick is a tool -- it's something to help with a journey.  In the real world, it becomes a stick, and less guide-oriented.  But that doesn't make it useful, and there's no reason not to create a tool that's simply useful for its shape in the real world -- I'm sure you've seen Kyle's guns."

[Halbarad]

"I see what you're saying. So for me at least, making a tool isn't just a function of what it does in the dream, but also a function of what it's good for in the real world as well. I think I've got a good foundation to start with - is there anything else I should know? What about nightmares?"

[Brian]

"Well, I can't imagine you'll want to go there for a while yet.  Essentially, the less controlled a Dream is ... if s on the fringes of Dream, close to the Enemy.  Those dreams are more powerful, but therefore also more dangerous.  They're called nightmares simply because we can't afford to forget their danger, even though there's a purpose to going there.

"There are dreams that people can't have ... I'm not sure if the Enemy made them that way, or if they're that way becaus it makes them resist the Enemy more.  Either way, you'd have to wade through deep nightmare to reach the Old Dreams.

"You'll have a more convenient route, I imagine," he adds, smirking.  "Aside from that, in the nightmare, you can achieve more, and craft more powerful tools.  I'm ... not certain if something that far can work outside of the Dream, though.  I don't have a way to test it, myself, and I'd rather not have Kyle or Phae try going there."

[Halbarad]

"I probably won't either, at least not for a while or without good reason. But I'd rather know what to watch out for."

Tim nods. "Thanks for all your help - I might stop by again if I have more questions, and if you ever need to get in touch with me, get in touch with Relm - if you don't find me directly, anyway."

With that done, Tim heads back to the door to his office - whether it was there or not throughout the conversation, it is now. Stepping through, he finds himself inside his 'office' once more.

"Well, if this is my place in the Dream, let's start with some tools." Tim begins by creating a large cherrywood desk. On the desk is a large, old-fashioned dial style phone, with no holes in the dial - at least for the moment. In addition, there's a notebook computer, currently powered off, and the walking stick, now propped up against the wall between the doors to Pandora's mountaintop and Relm's place.

"Now, who do I want to bother..." Tim hmms for a moment. Concentrating briefly, he picks up the phone. As he reaches over to dial, a single hole appears on it, labeled 'Carthrat'. He dials once, and waits for an answer.

[Brian]

Tom finds himself -- briefly -- between dream and waking, and then standing in Tim's office.  Dream office.

Either Tim just pulled Tom into his dream, or, for whatever reason, Tom is dreaming about Tim's office.  It seems somewhat envy-worthy.  The desk is especially nice.

[Carthrat]

"Is this your fault?" asks Tom, shooting a dirty glare at Tim. "I was having a *nice* dream just now."

[Halbarad]

"Well, I wasn't expecting THAT, but it works," Tim says with a snort.

[Carthrat]

"Well, whatever," replies Tom, looking around Tim's office. "This is weird. If you can pull me into this dream, does that mean you can, like, look into my dreams?

Wait. Don't try and do that."

[Halbarad]

"I probably could," Tim replies with a smirk. As he says this, a flatscreen TV appears on the wall behind him. "Should I take a look or not?"

[Carthrat]

"I dunno. Do you really want to know?" replies Tom, rolling his eyes. "Even so. Wouldn't it just, like, show what's happening now? I'm not dreaming what I was dreaming a second ago."

[Halbarad]

"One way to find out," Tim replies. Making himself a nice leather office chair, he plops down in it and swivels it around. Turning on the screen, he attempts to get it to show what Tom was dreaming about fifteen minutes ago.

[Brian]

The channel guide doesn't scroll backwards, unfortunately.  But there is a channel that seems to display from the vantage of a security camera above and behind the desk.

Of course, when anyone looks, this camera is clearly not there.

[Carthrat]

"There we go," replies Tom. "I can sleep slightly easier, now. Oh, can I have a chair, too?"

[Halbarad]

"Sure, why not." Tim makes another chair for Tom - not quite as nice as his, but still good. "I just finished talking with Alan, and he gave me some more information on how the Dream works and what I can do with it. Just trying some of that out - I wasn't expecting to BRING you here, just get in touch with you."