Dreams of Power

"In these lessons we study the Dreams. For many of you this will be a journey to serenity, to states of mind that can help you with patience or with concentration. Or perhaps they may help quite your fears. For those of you who can see the Dreams clearly rather than just sense them as an idea, these lessons are the first steps to discovering hidden worlds, the boundry between them, and the power that may be won by those who dare to venture in such places."
-Teacher Inass' introduction to her lessons on the Dreams at the -------- Invanii School.

There are many different Dreams of Power that a magic user could potentially draw from, taking power from these strange domains with every step they take there. Each Dream is linked to the specific star constellation the mages were born under.

Nature of Dreams

Little is known about the nature of these dreams, only that they are real but separate dimensions; for mages can find each other and travel within a Dream together. The landscapes of the Dreams are considered infinite, and if they have no beginning or end, they thus cannot have a middle. Therefore everything is next to everything else, while also being infinitely far away from each other. As such, to find another mage, they must simply try to will themselves next to each other. In order to cast spells, a practitioner must enter the dream through their serenity trance and pull power into themselves through taking "steps" before re-entering their reality, at which point they can cast. This process which, to the mage may take some time depending on the number of steps taken, only takes a second or two in the real world, with the user disappearing and reappearing in the blink of an eye, fully powered up.

Effects

It is taught by cultists and teachers alike that entering a Dream is one of the most dangerous things a person can do, for it leads to the most visible effects of working Magics. The rapid ageing process. It seems that time within a Dream is different from the mortal plain, either that or the realm steals life from those who walk within it, perhaps as a toll for the taking of power, progressively straining their feet black as they trudge through the black ash that perpetually covers the ground of every Dream. This effect is not merely visual, but will eventually lead to the mage "ageing out of existence", either fading away while within a Dream, or dying of old age while only technically being around 30 years old.
Some mages say there is an entity that rules over each dream, one called the Dreamer who, if found will part with many secrets regarding power and magic, though to remain in the Dream for long, stumbling through the ash and becoming progressively more threadbare as the life is drawn from their body with every step is not something many look to do, even for the promise of such power.
The most dangerous thing a person can do however is leaving the Dream. This is because the mage must take great care to return to their world and not to "some other place". Terrible places of impenetrable dark where demons whisper unseen, hot places where your mind and body burn in unison, places so cold the ground where the mage once stood becomes covered in frost and ice in sympathy to their plight. Silent places where time does not move and a mage simply exists, never to return.
Second, the mage must own every ounce of power they draw into themselves. Depending on the number of steps they have taken, they will return overflowing with power, burning with it, bursting with it. And the mage must own and shape that power. Fail to own it, to let it run free and wild, and it will tear them apart. Never the same way twice and never quickly. The Dreams power sustains the user even as it destroys them, even when the body is burning the power will keep them there and sustain them through it all until they are naught but ash on the wind.
Drawing power from a Dream is a taxing process for the mages mind and body, fighting to own it while it tries to split them apart is difficult and traumatic, and it requires time for a practitioner to reel themselves back together fully. As such, most can only walk in a Dream of Power every three or four days to be safe. To do so the same day invites almost certain destruction, as the power uses the existing fractures to break free.

Manifestation

Once they have drawn power within themselves and owned it, a mage can then cast spells. Such casting doesn't require any rituals, motions, or words to enact. Only a will, though some find it easier to tie their spells to such words and gestures so they can feel more in control over the power they wield. In such cases, dead languages or particularly flamboyant/unusual gestures are favoured, for although a mage can only cast spells once they have drawn power from a Dream, once they have it, no one wants a mage to think about casting a windblast at someone or flicking their wrist to shoo someone away, and accidentally causing harm.