Fenar Dreamscape Hypothesis

The Fenar Dreamscape Hypothesis is the proposal that the entire reality of Fenar is a dream-like simulation, with the exception of a select few individuals the reality caters to. These select individuals, referred to as "Protagonist Characters" (or "PCs" for short) are "real" entities, complete with full sapience and the potential to mold the world around them. This reality is referred to as the Dreamscape, as it shapes and changes to act upon and react to the PCs. The Fenar Dreamscape Hypothesis has multiple consequences, many of which have large consequences.

The most apparent consequence is that all creatures within the Dreamscape that are not PCs are "Non-Protagonist Characters" (or "NPCs" for short). As their primary purpose is to be interacted with by PCs, NPCs only exist upon observation, and the extent of their definition and sapience is defined by the level and nature of interaction required from them. As the need for a more thorough simulation arises, any given NPC will develop to match the need accordingly. NPCs who have little interaction with the PCs are assumed to fade into and out of existence, in quantities appropriate for a given region of the Dreamscape.

Another key consequence is that physical laws can often be bent or even broken within the Dreamscape. Magic is the most common form of defying physics, frequently making impossible feats feasible and even practical. However, even extraordinary abilities are capable of breaking the laws of physics. This is possible because the physical laws of the Dreamscape are malleable and can be influenced by PCs, albeit on a localized spacetime scale.

The most important consequence is that the Dreamscape can alter its reality as the need arises. Should the need arise due to PC interaction, history can be rewritten, NPCs can be generated, circumstances can be invented, and the landscape can be redesigned. Although there is no formal definition of what "need" is in this case, "need" generally occurs when a PC expects an action they have taken to have a specific effect. There is no known limit to the extent which the Dreamscape can alter itself, though the scope of what is affected by any given scenario generally depends on the magnitude of the PCs involved.

The Fenar Dreamscape Hypothesis can explain several phenomena:

* Sudden and frequent appearances of monstrous or villainous entities that, if left unchecked, would destroy large portions of society
* Fenar's small population boasting an enormous economy, along with extreme wealth inequity
* Common violations of the laws of physics (lethal acceleration rates, impossible structural strength, loss of entropy in an open system, etc.)
* General lack of organizational stability issues in large-scale factions and countries
* Artificial creatures (entities that could not have come to exist naturally) that lack a creator
* Seemingly unlimited supply of human resources (labor, recruits, etc.)
* Enormous scale of the planet, despite having a relatively weak gravitational field
* All divine entities staying in Fenar instead of attempting to conquer other dimensions

There are several challenges to the Fenar Dreamscape Hypothesis. The most important aspect is that, assuming the simulation perfectly reacts to the actions of the PCs, it is impossible to prove or deny the Fenar Dreamscape Hypothesis. Any attempt at pointing out a flaw in the Dreamscape would involve a PC investigating the anomaly, which the Dreamscape would continue to alter indefinitely to make sense to a given perspective. Additionally, the hypothesis comes with no explanation for what "PCs" actually are, the origin of the Dreamscape, or the purpose of having the PCs in the Dreamscape. The only way the hypothesis can be validated is through finding a definitive flaw in the Dreamscape that cannot be explained by the logic of the simulated reality, and the only way to disprove the hypothesis is to discover the true nature of the reality Fenar exists in.