Welcome to the Lands of Vaniya: A World 24 Years in the Making

The Jar of Dreams, the first book in The Dream Chronicles, is the result of 24 years of creation: 24 years of languages, cultures, creatures, food, ceremonies, geography, philosophy and myth. 

I have lived in The Lands of Vaniya longer than I have lived in any one place on earth. For me now, they are real. Different, of course, to my everyday life, but no less real.

Map of The Lands of Vaniya that you will find in The Jar of Dreams

So where do you begin when you want to invite fantasy lovers to discover Xhadur, Hymez and the mystical lands beyond their wall? 

You begin at the heart of it, and like all good tales, we should start at the beginning.

This world-building blog series is for you if you love exploring fantasy worlds and want to discover the inspiration for the worlds and realms of The Dream Chronicles. If you know anyone else who loves fantasy novels, please feel free to share this link with them, as it really helps me with my dream of becoming a full-time author. Thank you!

Fantasy Worlds: My Happy Place

Since I was a young boy, the worlds of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and many other Fantasy novelists were my happy place. 

For some, these worlds may have been fantasy, but for me, they were real, alternate realities accessible via the portals created by the magical prose of these masters.

Each day, the excitement would rise inside me as the sun set, signalling that ‘reading time’ was drawing close. In the sanctuary of my bedroom, the walls between my world and Middle Earth or Narnia would dissolve, and I would adventure again alongside Bilbo, Frodo, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy.

These worlds feel as though they have always existed. I imagine that Tolkien and Lewis didn't so much invent them, but rather that they lived in them and discovered them as the story unfolded.

This has been the magical experience that I have lived for the last 24 years since The Jar of Dreams appeared in a dream when I was halfway up a mountain in the Indian Himalayas. Each morning, I wake early before the working day, often before much of the world has stirred from their slumber. I step through a portal and adventure with Tarun and his friends, exploring The Lands of Vaniya, Naz-Djek, the Spirit Realm of Aanua and beyond.

Enough backstory? Let’s get into it.

The Lands of Vaniya: A Continent with a Soul

The Lands of Vaniya is a continent made up of two great landmasses, Ulebiin in the west and the vast island of Ufahl to the east, along with island chains, endless oceans and perilous waterways. Together, they form a place of staggering beauty and equally staggering danger.

To understand the history of Vaniya (I have had fun writing almost 100 years of prehistory before The Jar of Dreams is set), it is helpful to know the meaning embedded in its very name. 

The word vaniya comes from Hehlan, the sacred language of the spirit guides known as the Hehlani. Vaniya means harmony in Helan. The name was given to the continent during the Age of Dahara, the Age of Harmony, when the peoples of these lands were united and at peace.

That peace is gone now.

The story of The Jar of Dreams takes place in the Age of Tzan, the Age of Illusion, a time of division, greed and growing darkness. The people of Vaniya have become disconnected from their natural world, from each other, and from the extraordinary cultures that once defined them.

For a select few, not lost to the illusion of greed, the name of their golden age has become a kind of ache: a reminder of everything they have lost.

Two Ages, One Story

Understanding the contrast between the Age of Dahara and the Age of Tzan is key to understanding The Jar of Dreams and the next chapters of The Dream Chronicles as a whole.

The Age of Dahara was an era of community, wisdom and deep connection. Pathika teachers wandered the lands, sharing ancient philosophies. Ceremonies like the Bunyasa brought all creatures together, human, animal and spirit, to speak their truth and maintain balance between all things. The sacred practice of safut, taking only what you need and nothing more, was widely observed. Children were taught to communicate through Gathu, a form of telepathic connection that every human being is capable of.

Then came the Age of Tzan. The dark djinn, Malazhiim, rose to power. Wars swept through the land. Entire cultures were destroyed. And slowly, the people of Vaniya forgot who they were.

What does it mean to live in an age of illusion? To be surrounded by noise and distraction so relentless that you can no longer hear your own soul? The Age of Tzan may be set in a fantasy world, but its lessons cut close to home.

This is the world into which Tarun is born, and the world we join The Dream Chronicles.

An Invitation

Over this series of posts, I am looking forward to going on a journey together, deep into the Lands of Vaniya, its cities, its creatures, its languages, its sacred traditions, its food and its mythology. We'll meet the Hehlani and the Pathika, walk the streets of Xhadur and Duzkah, cross the Ghunali Snowfields and peer into the mysteries of the Solis.

Join me. The worlds of The Jar of Dreams are waiting.

Get Your Limited-Edition Pre-Release Copy of The Jar of Dreams.

The Lands of Vaniya are calling, but not for long. A limited number of pre-release copies of The Jar of Dreams are available now, and once they're gone, they're gone. Don't miss the portal opening. Claim your copy, or gift one to a fantasy lover in your life before the window closes.

Store: https://www.thejarofdreams.com/collections/all

Next up: The Languages of Vaniya and What They Reveal About Its People