The Fisherman

Lore & Background

The story highlights the vulnerability of children in both realms, suggesting that innocence is a beacon for predatory dream-creatures. It introduces the idea that the Dreaming is vast and ancient, containing forgotten corners where old myths fester. The Fisherman's journey underscores the theme that sometimes, to save something precious, one must venture into the most dangerous parts of existence, facing horrors that logic cannot explain or combat.

Reader's Guide

The arc begins with Daniel, a young boy from the waking world, vanishing into the Dreaming during a nightmare. His disappearance triggers a frantic search by his father and the local dream-creatures, who realize this is no ordinary abduction. Morpheus delegates the task to a mysterious figure known as The Fisherman, a creature of the borderlands who specializes in retrieving lost things from the deep currents of dreams. Together with Daniel's father, they traverse surreal landscapes that shift like sand dunes in a gale. The journey reveals that Daniel has been taken by a malevolent entity dwelling in the void between worlds. The climax involves a confrontation where the boundaries of reality are tested, and the true cost of retrieving the lost is revealed. This arc sets the stage for the complex mythology explored later in 'A Game of You'.

Did You Know?

• Daniel, the child at the center of the plot, becomes a significant recurring character throughout the rest of the series.
• This story introduces the concept of the 'borderlands' of the Dreaming as a distinct and dangerous region separate from Morpheus's court.
• The entity that steals Daniel is one of the few dream-creatures capable of operating outside the King's direct jurisdiction.