September Underland Poll: Painted Door or Dreamland? (Patreon)

First Underland Poll! 

As detailed in the poll and trailer, Underland will be as much about exploring the titular setting as other worlds. Hence, you will decide which plane of existence our protagonist Valdemar will try to visit first in his quest to open a portal to the mythical world of Earth... and the skills he will pick up along the way. 

1) The Nightmare Machine (Magitek Crafter Path)

Spellcasters of the Azlant Empire have long mastered oneiromancy, the magic of dreams. They have drawn upon the power of thoughts to attack their foes, create illusory resorts for wealthy sleepers, and even spy on rivals... but no sorcerer ever managed to physically reach the Dream City of Kazat, the strange dimension from which all dreams originate.

Where pure spellcasters have failed, magitek engineers hope to succeed. Their plan? To create a machine capable of physically transporting an 'Oneironaut' into the dreamlands. First they will observe the dreamworld through optical technology, and then they will enter it. But to cross the barrier between dreams and physical reality is a journey fraught with dangers and hardships.

The Nightmare Machine would follow Valdemar and other researchers trying to create a device capable of physically crossing the boundaries between the physical world and the realm of dreams; first using golems as proxy/probes, and then making a jump themselves. Instead of normal dream magic, they would try to access the realm through the power of enchanted technology, occult optics, and golem crafting.

Skills studied: occult optics & golem-crafting.

2) The Painted Door (Sorcerer Artist Path)

Many occultists speak of an eldritch entity capable of entering portraits and paintings: the Silent King. Scholars have studied this enigmatic creature, and now believe that it uses an alien dimension as a gateway to enter paintings. The Silent King has served as a sinister muse to many artists, tempting them with visions of a land where shines a black sun.

But could the Silent King be more benevolent than it appears? Some researchers believe that the King's visions are instructions about creating a magical painting so powerful, that the frontier between his universe and Underland would bow before its beauty. But what magical pigments could be perfect enough for this Painted Door?

The Painted Door would focus on Valdemar and another scholar trying to create the eponymous painting, a magical work of art powerful enough to work as a portal between two universes. However, such Magnum Opus needs many unique pigments, taken from fearsome monsters and special ingredients, and a mighty summoner to wield the brush.

Skills studied: summoning & pictomancy.