# Notes on the Dream

## Genre and flavor

2025-07-07

People often ask if the _Spirit Walk_ is an airship or a submarine. Yes, it is!

The Dream has been advertised as steampunk right from the start, but not the Victorian kind! Think Wild West gunslingers sailing WW1 warships in the Asia-Pacific region. Only a few locales appear to have a Mediterranean flavor.

In fact _Riders of the Dream_ was pitched as "Star Trek meets Jules Verne". Space opera influences range from the occasional reference or tribute early on to very explicit in later stories (see: weapons and tactics). Other major inspirations are Babylon 5 and _Treasure Planet_. Warning: product might contain traces of Farscape.

Last but not least, certain aspects arguably belong to the fantasy genre, such as the existence of werewolves.

## Politics of the Dream

2025-07-08

Due to its sparse, fragmented nature the Dream is hard to govern at best.

Most stories deal with a couple of major organizations that provide some degree of order and balance:

- The Association of Dream Merchant Marines (ADMM for short) is exactly what it sounds like. It's also highly influential and often acts like a paramilitary force that maintains order along shipping lanes.
- The Jinrō clans form an organized crime syndicate that also does above the board business through the ADMM; they're often uneasy allies thanks to their vested interest in keeping the peace.

Proper governments also exist: at least the Federal Council of Nations and the Staropravni Republic. Both can field a fleet of proper warships, but seem to care more about bullying smaller communities than curbing piracy for example.

The largest landmass in the Dream, Ishimaki Island, apparently has a governor; it's unclear to whom they answer. Little is known about the leadership of Bellawood Station, but port authorities have law enforcement at their disposal.

## Weapons and tactics

2025-07-02

While the Dream has a reference plane that's often treated like the surface of an ocean, most ships can and do move in three dimensions, more often than not.

Most Dream ships can fly and/or dive, so there's no distinct submarine role. Aircraft are rare and not really needed. For similar reasons, there's no meaningful distinction between torpedoes and missiles. Probes exist too, and message torpedoes are widely used. All three allow fairly sophisticated programming, but remote control is uncommon.

Short-range communications use wireless telephone, though ships using Constructor tech can also employ laser beams, to reduce the risk of jamming or interception even more.

Typical ships aren't very large or well armored. Massive, powerful ships exist but the effect is mostly psychological. As the Dream is vast and sparsely populated, multirole ships like armed merchantmen are especially useful. There are dedicated warships too, mostly fielded by the more prosperous polities. Both the ADMM and various navies rely heavily on marine corps.

Steam or plasma gatlings are often the main weapon. More advanced vessels have rayguns and shields, but the latter in particular require high-tech energy sources. Older ships derive power from burning phlogiston, a highly volatile substance. Ruby cordite crystals are the modern alternative; they can also explode if overloaded.

Naval artillery  in the Dream is almost always remote-controlled and can be reloaded from below decks. Guns mounted on Luna sailers may be an exception.

There are three main kinds of Dream ships by origin: some arrived from outer space in some manner; some were built on old Earth and given a refit (these are often at a disadvantage); last but not least, most are purpose-built to sail aether with all its oddities. Dream riders are unique in that they reflect the Constructors' own vision of what ships for their pocket universe should be like.