Other Worlds: The Dreamlands
We've had several sources of inspiration for An Introduction to the Fine Art of Monster Slaying, and a very big one was the works of H P Lovecraft. That's the most visible with Bob and Book 5, the ongoing Penny and the Silver Key (here and here). One of the things we took from Lovecraft were the Dreamlands. We didn't just copy it, though - while the geography and names remain the same, our Dreamlands aren't very dreamy...
The Dreamlands exist in another dimension and are ruled by Bob. They're very close to our world, but can only be accessed by achieving a mental state akin to REM sleep. Naturally, only a skilled 'dreamer' is able to maintain enough control to reach them. After a powerful dreamer caused a near catastrophic event, Bob ordered the borders with the Waking World closed. This is easier said than done as there are many points of contact between the 2 worlds.
The main entry point is the Enchanted Forest, and while it's heavily patrolled, there's been more than one case when an experienced dreamer managed to evade the watchers. The merchant city of Dylath Leen is the capital of that region, which includes Nir and Ulthar, and as such is the first line of defence against dreamer infiltration. Apart from highly trained guards, Dylath Leen also employs spies. The city's dungeons are famous and so are its torturers, since, whenever a dreamer makes it into the Dreamlands, it's necessary to find out exactly how it happened. For instance, in The Heavenly Journey of Brother Lucas, the titular monk gets there thanks to one of the Pnakotic Manuscripts.
Not much of the Dreamlands has been shown in the series. When Bob is seen with his cosmic flame background, he's usually in his palace in Kadath, and Brother Lucas is taken to Dylath Leen. While he's blindfolded, he can smell the scents of spices and exotic perfumes, and finds them intoxicating. It's like a heightened version of our world, and their inhabitants are preternaturally beautiful and graceful. Everything is so perfect that the monk accepts he's in Heaven and believes his torturer when he tells him he's the angel Haniel.
We have a deeper backstory for the Dreamlands and the Pnakotic Manuscripts, which are another Lovecraftian creation we borrowed, and 'Haniel'. Hopefully, we'll get to share it. Check our Wiki to know more about other worlds in the series.
