Bullshit. But possibly bullshit it's useful to learn more about.

"Dreamshaping?"

"Do you want me to disconnect your redemption machine while he explains?"

"yes."

She sets about doing that.

"Dreamshaping is how we call the power to create pocket dimensions, you lost the ability to have regular sleep and dreams, now when you would normally be unconscious you will be able to expand your pocket dimension."

This raises more questions, but first.

"Who are you, anyway?"

"Man, going straight to the hard questions, aren't you? When the source of dreamshaping came to this universe, it dragged an immortal dreamshaper called Felix. The religious zealots attacked him and his body died. Then he tried to speed up getting a new body and created me, I am kinda like his clone."

"And- Why were you in my dream realm?"

"Fun thing about dreamshaping. If your dream-self doesn't leave the place the first time around you never wake up. Which isn't a fun thing as more of a tragic thing."

"How do you go into someone else's dream realm? How do you get someone out of their dream realm?"

"Dreamshapers can place portals to and from them."

"How do I do that?"

"You need to sleep to access your dreamshaping. Then you will be able to place portals between two overlapping places in two dimensions. It's mostly intuitive? Like making a tunnel. Except the entire thing is four-dimensional."

"Huh. Can I see one of these tunnels?"

"While awake? Not really. While asleep, you can. Well, the sense is not sight. But you can perceive them."

"So they're only dream to dream, not dream to reality?"

"No... the dreaming is an interface. The pocket dimensions are real and can be connected to standard reality."

"What sort of things do the connections to reality do? Is this part of how the [Cosmic Balance]* and [Salvation]* work?"

*said in the language the soldiers were speaking

"The connections don't really do anything besides creating portals. And I am not familiar with the relevant theology."

"But the portals aren't detectable by people who are awake? Or are the portals a different thing from the tunnels?"

"The portals are the visible part of the tunnel. People exist and perceive in three dimensions so they can't perceive the forth."

"Can you show me a portal, then?"

"Sure." He goes over the nearest portal and opens it.

It's like watching a translucent projection, there is a large room on the other side.

She sticks her head inside and looks around. She pokes one hand in and waves the other through where it ought to be.

"Huh.

This is someone's dream?"

Her hand goes through and she can feel the difference in temperature.

The room is lavishly decorated, with two fireplaces, several other fires for light and decorations that sparkle under the flame.

"I know I used the word dream, but it's a real thing. But, yes, that's Felix dimension."