Draumfeldr

(This article is a stub. It needs expanding.)

Draumfeldr, or the Cloak of Dreams, is a protective shroud around the island realm of Tyr-Gwyrd placed by the immortal Aphraen. Faewyr passing through it as they leave the realm will begin to lose their memories of their homelands, only being able to briefly recall things in fleeting dreams. Once they pass back through, however, their memories will return with clarity. Certain individuals blessed by Aphraen himself are immune to these effects, and at least one such individual must be present on any ship leaving Tyr-Gwyrd lest the voyagers forget the way to return to their homeland.

Foreigners approaching Tyr-Gwyrd will suffer a greater effect from Draumfeldr, their minds becoming increasingly dim and distant like fevered dreams for as long as they remain within the Cloak. It is said that while it's not impossible for foreigners to find the island realm on their own, it is impossible for them to recall how they got there if they manage to get back home.

When a native betrayer once led a hostile fleet to Tyr-Gwyrd, the Faewyr implored Aphraen to further enhance the effects of Draumfeldr: from then on, any Faewyr to set foot on foreign soil would henceforth be considered a foreigner, and would thus suffer the same curse within the Cloak. So it is that Faewyr are reluctant to make landfall on foreign shores, as such an action would curse them to be forever unable to return home. While extremely rare, there have been reports of cases where such individuals have been pardoned by one favored of Aphraen and were able to return home. Faewyr do have the opportunity to do business on foreign docks, however: so long as the waters of the Sea remain beneath their feet, they will not trigger the curse. Thus trade and diplomacy can be accommodated to a degree.

The otherworldly Draumfeldr can be glimpsed on dark, clear nights as shimmering bands of multihued light in the night sky. It can be seen in the distant sky from some places in northwestern Arad. This phenomenon has also been referred to as "the Northern Lights" by those less familiar with Faewyr lore.

There are speculations that Draumfeldr is merely a powerful cultural taboo and/or form of psychological conditioning enacted upon native Faewyr rather than some occult manifestation of an Immortal's power, but the fact that the Faewyr homelands of Tyr-Gwyrd remain largely shrouded in mystery to the outside world and are notoriously difficult to find do lend some credence to the idea of some greater power being responsible.

Others speculate that Tyr-Gwyrd is in fact another world, and Draumfeldr the barrier between that world and ours.