Delirium

The Delirium is a hidden dimension: a Second Fold apart from the so-called real world. Contemporary Earth is called the First Fold. Other folds may exist. The nature of the Delirium is only partly understood by most beings, including its natives. The Delirium is a trackless expanse of uncharted Vapor, a kind of fluid-filled, dimly-lit space, stretching in all directions, without boundaries or gravity.

Vapor is paranormally connected to the thoughts and emotions of sentient beings, especially humans. Sentient beings can meet some basic needs from Vapor, like oxygen and heat, just by thinking. More than thought is necessary for water, food, and similar necessities and luxuries.

Some beings have the Gift for shaping Vapor. Within the Delirium, they can shape Vapor into anything they imagine, including sunlight, dirt, rain, clothing, weapons, and the like. Shapers can even change their own form. Many shapers carve out small pockets of Vapor for their personal homes. These tiny islands are scattered throughout the Delirium. Shapers can also move through Vapor just by thinking (i.e., teleport).

Vapor is sensitive to great passions, especially pleasure, fear, and imagination. A shaper with only a limited gift but great passion can sometimes shape better than a very gifted but uninspired peer. Hence, a shaper with both a strong gift and great passion can shape extraordinary things from Vapor. Residents of the Delirium could be called "Second Folders," although most call themselves the Passionate.

The shapers with the strongest gifts and greatest inspiration are called Dream Monarchs. They author the largest stable territories in the Delirium: Shards.

The Delirium is also filled with islands and whole shards with no clear authors. It is known that Vapor's sensitivity extends across the folds, so a passion felt on the First Fold (Earth) can sometimes affect the Second Fold (the Delirium). Hence, the existence and nature of wild islands and wildlings are generally attributed to the unconscious passions of beings with the gift for shaping but who are untrained or unaware of their Gift. For example, a Gifted human on the First Fold who is feverish with lust or cringing in terror may unknowingly add or change something in the Delirium.

Islands aren't stationary. They slowly drift through the Delirium. Hence, an wild island might drift close to a shard. During a conjunction, wildlings or other invaders can easily cross to a shard. Most shards maintain defenses and garrisons to defend against hostile outsiders.