Somniverse (Reality Shifting AU)
- Introduction -
Somniverse (via Somnium, the latin word for ‘dream’) is a pan-fandom AU designed to merge the concepts of dream shifting and the isekai genre of fiction.
In short, it proposes the idea that some humans have the primordial ability through their dreams to shift their souls into other universes and realities - and the phenomena is thus called ‘shifting’. By using this power (knowingly or not) a person can find themselves dropped into the universe of any fandom and are further able to interact and change the course of events of said fandom depending on how one chooses to utilize the AU.
Someone who is able to harness this power is called a Dream Shifter, or simply Shifter, though plenty of other regional words exist for this phenomena - the concept of metaphysical experiences being found within dreams is a very ancient concept across a multitude of cultures.
Within the Somniverse AU, parallel universes exist infinitely and are often (but not always) interpreted as fictional stories by some who merely have the power to observe them from our own universe. These people were once referred to as Oracles or, more generally speaking, storytellers. Those who could transfer their soul and consciousness entirely into another reality to directly interact with them were instead called Emissaries. Many of them were highly regarded as spiritual leaders, but were eventually lost to the endless sea of time as humanity continued to grow and advance into the modern age.
- Basic Concepts of the AU -
✦ Anyone can become a shifter, but harnessing the full potential of the power takes awareness, training and experience. Few people can access the ability without realizing it.
✦ Shifting takes place primarily through dreams. While it is possible in theory for someone to shift while not actively sleeping or dreaming, it has never been documented.
✦ It is nearly impossible to detect when someone has shifted - this is due to the fact that each reality runs by its own laws of time and space. In other words, when someone shifts to another reality, time and space seem to freeze by comparison in one they came from - someone can sleep for a few hours in one universe, but spend several days within another, and vice versa.
✦ Though in theory there should be many other worlds able to shift in and out of our reality at will, our universe is the only one with people capable of utilizing the power of shifting - nobody knows why.
✦ It is possible for a shifter to pull other people and objects back into our world as long as they had the focus, intention, and willpower to do so. Unfortunately, it is also the responsibility of the shifter to put them back.
✦ Each person capable of shifting is born with a single, unique attachment to another universe - almost akin to having a soulmate. Some may theorize that this bond is what allows a person to shift to begin with.
✦ Regulation of shifter powers and activity can vary from creator to creator, be it a big government-controlled secret or a power held solely by one special person at a time.
-
TLDR; This is a sub-genre of isekai fiction where people can shift their soul and consciousness into a unique, bonded universe when they’re asleep or dreaming. They can return to their home universe in the same fashion and bring people with them, but are otherwise afforded no special powers or influence while within their bonded universe.