The Fallen Shells: Orphans of the Dream and Dream Snails

Hi everyone!  I was having a lot of fun drawing this stuff, so i went a little nuts drawing creatures.  I hope you enjoy these little guys, i also have  a sheet of related magic items that i'll post in the future.  I'm not sure next month's monster/ character will be related, or if i'm gonna go with something different, but feel free to post any requests for types of monsters and characters you'd like to see!  Below are descriptions of the drawings, but honestly my lore for these guys is a work in progress, and it keeps evolving, so feel free to make up your own lore and ideas about them!  I'll also upload a black and white version/ coloring page in a bit.

 I.  Occasionally shells created from the dream fall off/ break off from the crawling phalanx, becoming orphans  These generally contain creatures/ remnants of the dream formed in waking life.  Being in close proximity to one for too long can induce madness and delusions.  Orphans cry constantly when separated from the dream, and they produce tears that are used in many different rituals and potions (more on this in upcoming magic items post)  

II. When separated from the dream for too long, orphans will start to fade and wither.  They will become skeletal, and eventually crumble into dust as the dream residue fades.  Their body is made entirely from the dream, so it seems impossible for them to exist separate from it.  

A few sorcerers have been able to keep them alive for quite a while, but there is no concrete knowledge about why some are able to last longer.  One such sorcerer who was studying a snail became convinced that the orphans could be kept alive on the sustenance of human dreams. There is no proof of this however, because he disappeared not long after, leaving no trace of his research or the snail.

III.  Dream snails exist within the dream, and form large parts of the phalanx.  They are often encountered when entering the dream, and sometimes are the first clue that you're dreaming.    Some contain just eyes, but some have many faces, arms and tentacles, that shift and change.  Every one is unique, and every one can look different from one moment to the next. They speak telepathically, and their voices are like a chorus of maddening whispers.