Dream Nexus

Location and Basic Structure

The Dream Nexus exists beyond the edge of the expanding universe where the power of Dream itself endows it with properties lost to all the rest of the universe aside from perhaps the Chodonex in the second iteration. The nexus is a spherical structure that is made of dyson sphere like shells that start in the center as a gaseous mass that turns into solid shells which grow as they expand outward until the very out shells fragment and become their own separate dream domains.

Not only is the nexus at the edge of the universe, but it exists between two galactic clusters that resemble two birds following in a circle with their beaks facing the core , and it is between their beaks where an energy ribbon travels from white to blue galactic cluster that the Nexus lies. . These birds are the celestial bodies and power sources for the Jinx and Gravitas. The Jinx itself lives in the heart of the blue galactic cluster, while Gravitas exists in all places but she directs much of her influence through the white galaxies that bear the first light she ever made.

End Scenarios for the Galactic Clusters

Should Gravitas or Jinx be destroyed, it will be evident in the end behavior of their clusters. For Gravitas, THe Darkness would wish for her to collapse all light back into darkness once more and have her fade from the universe. IN her case, all energy fails and the universe falls into the perfect cold, dark, and unknowable once more.

In the case of the Jinx, there are two possibilities. Once starved of power and slowly dying, his cluster will collapse but to what is unknown. The two most likely scenarios include his suddenly vanishing and thus a return to Darkness. The second is a explosion that could be considered a death cry that could, at worst, shatter the universe and all light and dark into complete chaos. Even knowing this, Darkness still attempted it judging it to be worth the risk.

Notable Locations in the Nexus

Four Winds

The Four Winds region is an area of friendly zombies, strange monster, high technology, magic , and a bar that serves as its nexus for all crises. Four Winds is located on an intact Nexus Shell that is only a few layers in from the primary defensive barriers of the Dream Nexis. This area is also is home to James Murphy when he is not in the flesh on some other world. In the case of the plot, James did not know he had died, and he took Zen and MOrticon with him through many locations until they eventually came to realize James was just a memory and he had already been destroyed.

Unlike Cheshire, this region is dominated by bards and dancers as music is the primary source of magic power and wonder instead of visual arts. This region also included a sacred chapel to Jinx and Gravitas that has unending music, most of it being improvised by masters of the art among mortals and monsters.

SHINE/DAC

Spherical Harmonics-Interlinked Nexus Engine / Dream-Accelerated Computer

Guardians: Dinah (cheshire cat) and CALEB ( Cognitive Assault Layer and Ethereal Barrier)

SHINE/DAC is the master record keeper, organizer, and linkage that keeps Gravitas and The Jinx bound to each other. It is responsible for keeping the avatars ona cycle of resurrection and new explorations such that any avatar destroyed outside the control area of the SHINE/DAC will just show up again later. In the case of the crystal phoenix, it was destroyed inside the confines of the Nexus and so disconnected Jinx from SHINE on the mortal side, preventing resurrection.

SHINE has two guardians. Dinah, a cheshire cat, represents Jinx and is the primary anti-Darkness agent inside SHINE. Caleb, which manifests as a tiny cybernetic mantis, is responsible for keeping everything else in line including Dinah.

SHINE was eventually compromised by Cascade, Winter Willow, although she did not do this willingly. Under the influence and agony of a death's feather, she was used as a weapon against SHINE, it guardians, and even Morticon and Zen. Her ability to possess computers allowed her to disable Caleb and take command. She and SHINE were rescued by MOrticon and Zen, but the damage had been done. SHINE/DAC lost connection to the clusters, and they would be set on their fate be it vanishing or destroying the known universe.

The Secret Gardens

Just as the song says, there is within us all a secret garden. It is a place where we have no defenses and where our true selves lives. The garden's appearance is a reflection of who we are and the quality of our spirit. At the very center of the Nexus are two planets that are in fact the secret gardens of Jinx and Gravitas.

In the center of the Nexus where they are best protected, the shimmering blue orb that is the Jinx's garden is filled with wondrous and beautiful things that could almost have come out a Dr. Seuss book, but everything there is welcoming, energetic, and playful. The garden of Gravitas is dark but not quite without light. Shy figures hide in the dim light, sometimes daring to come out while holding a light in their hands, a light they seem both entranced by and feel guilty for having it in their possession because as one of the Darkness, she is the only one to possess this light, something Jinx has tried to make her feel pride in.

Battle Star

The battle star is a fusion of seven Spindizzy planetoids in a flower like configuration with the central planetoid sunk down as a deep ocean. The battle star was created by the whimsy class muse Miguel in his madness and obsession with finding a means to destroy The Nothing which was responsible for taking from him his ability to feel compassion or empathy. The muse kidnapped people over centuries and forced them into continual combat against each other and against The Nothing to spur on the development of technology that would be able to defeat the one enemy who stood no chance against.

In the end, the tools came from the Ygdrassil group in the form of the LOKI Series combat machines, one of which was piloted by Winter Willow under the name of Cascade who ended up in a battle of Miguel and his mech before escaping through the hall of mirrors and landing on Spindizzy where he and the sentient warmachine he piloted were responsible for recruiting Morticon and Zen and began their quest.