The Srom

The Srom

When Skrell enter “deep” sleep, their Zona Bovaine will cease transmitting Psionic Wakes and begin sending new signals to the Dream, or “Srom” in Nral’Malic. The Dream is a shared subconscious process where multiple Skrell’s minds interconnect to form a collective experience.

The shared burden of creating the Dream results in Skrell having a greater cognitive capacity while asleep, and owing to that, Skrell that enter the Dream are almost always fully cognizant. The Dream shapes itself based on the memories, experiences and emotions of the Skrell currently creating it. For planetary-wide Dreams, the appearance is almost always determined by the environment of the planet, as it is the most commonly shared thing among the massive amount of Skrell.

Skrell who don't have the luxury of aluminum-plated walls and want to isolate themselves fully from the Srom must remain in light sleep or stay awake entirely. This means those who have secrets to hide have the telltale sign of being constantly tired. Some Skrell, though, can enter a meditative trance, keeping the mind active while the body rests. Scientists frequently isolate themselves from the general populace in aluminum sealed laboratories and dorms, speaking and dreaming with each other in private as they conduct their research.

Lone Skrell, who for one reason or another are away from other Skrell, will still enter the dreamscape while asleep, but without the support of their own kind the Dream will often be much smaller and vaguely hazy. Most Skrell find the experience depressing and prefer light sleep or meditative trances if they have the aptitude.

Near replicas of any deceased individual can be conjured through ‘Srom Manipulation’. While many scientists of the Federation believe that these replicas are merely a hollow shell of memories with no proper soul, some believe that the individual has persisted even after death; this is often also seen as a cultural reverence for their ancestors and those who passed. The generational ship of the Dreamers are often seen practicing this ideology the most.

Non-Skrell and The Srom

Non-Skrell can enter The Srom through the help of a psionic guide. These psionic guides are often Elder Skrell who have dedicated portions of their life to studying The Srom. Due to the amount of training that Srom Pulls require, being able to Srom Pull effortlessly is something only the masters of the craft can do. Those without training can perform rudimentary Srom Pulls but it is accompanied with great concentration and straining. A Skrell will most likely learn the technique of a Srom Pull from an established psionic guide or Elder.

Non-Skrell in The Srom will feel the effects more heavily; and to such, Non-Skrell in The Srom are practically incapable of lying and misdirection. They will often times be incredibly dazed and confused without any real ability to manipulate their surrounding in any way. It will often take many months of training for a Non-Skrell to manifest even a rudimentary orb of light or to exist in the space without being dazed. Once awoken, a Non-Skrell will be disoriented and confused with minor brain damage. Due to this, it is not advised to Srom Pull the same individual multiple times within quick succession for fear of their safety and if this is done it may be treated as maiming by the ship's security forces. Those with psionic receivers are less prone to more severe damage but precautions still need to be taken to ensure that their body and mind stays safe. The health and safety of the Non-Skrell should be prioritized by the psionic guide.

OOC Note

SROM PULLING NON-SKRELL IS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT AND STRAINING FOR THE SKRELL UNLESS THEY HAVE YEARS OF PRACTICE AND EXPERIENCE

Roleplay Guidelines and Mechanics

It is difficult to keep one's lips sealed in the Dream, with social inhibitions easily melting away. However, it is also much easier to create and brainstorm in Srom. Ways to hide from the dream clutter of a Dream are somewhat numerous. Distancing yourself inside the Dream is the most common tactic, but it is also known that aluminum (typically headpieces, blankets, or plated walls) blocks off connection to the Dream entirely.

Psionic individuals can actively alter and adjust things within the Dream through skill and effort, but the level of alteration is heavily dependent on what you’re adjusting and your own psionic aptitude. Typically, it's most easy to modify your own body within the Dream and a very common practice. Some Skrell even go so far as to make costumes to sleep in to make the transition easier. Rarely, talented Skrell can modify a sizable chunk of the Dream’s environment on their own, though the process can be very taxing and leave the sleeping Skrell feeling tired after they wake. Additionally, any changes they make gradually revert once they leave the Dream. Psionic Elders are considered among the best when it comes to Srom Manipulation; they are capable of altering and adjusting the Shared Dream to a higher degree than the average Skrell.

OOC Note

You can pull a human, tajara, or unathi into Srom following these steps:

1. Yellow grab them

2. Buckle yourself to a chair

3. They sleep

4. You sleep