Glade of Dreams

Map of the Crossroads of Dreams

The Isle of Doors forms a geographical map of the Crossroads of Dreams when examined from an aerial perspective.

‘The Crossroads of Dreams was a place of heavenly bliss where calm, happiness and the joys of life seemed to reign forever. Some of the inhabitants even began to feel that the hours and days passed a little too slowly.’ —Rayman 3 manual

The Crossroads of Dreams (renamed the Glade of Dreams in the map distributed with copies of Rayman 2) is the island in Rayman's world in which the events of Rayman 2: The Great Escape and Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc take place. The locations in Rayman M are similar to those in Rayman 2, and as such are also likely to be part of the Crossroads. The Crossroads was created by Polokus, the Spirit of the World, whose power is so great that his slightest dream or desire becomes reality. Surrounded by the Sea of Lums, the Crossroads is a beautiful location that hosts vast forests and mountainous areas, as well as swamps, rivers, valleys and cliffs. It is said that time passes ‘a little too slowly’ in the Crossroads. The valley in which the events of the original Rayman game take place is located on an island; it is not clear whether this island is separate from the mainland of the Crossroads of Dreams, or if the developers ever intended any distinction between the two locations. If the island is separate, it may be part of the Archipelago shown off the coast of the Crossroads.

The Crossroads of Dreams is home to a variety of creatures, which come in two types – the Magical Beings, which bear an array of magical powers; and the people, which are not magical at all but still keep peace, order and comic relief to the land. Unlike the people from the previous game, all of whom were limbless, these people have at least two limbs. There are also the Lums, which the island depends on to keep balanced as they are the sources of life and energy. Rayman is the only being in this land who was not created by Polokus, but is also the only one who can receive powers from the fairies.

With the possible exception of the original Rayman and its spin-offs, all Rayman games take place on the mainland of the Crossroads, so very little is known about the rest of Rayman's universe. The Crossroads's planet has two moons, one of which is seen as larger than the other; these can be seen prominently at certain points in Rayman 3 and Rayman. However, there are points in both Rayman and Rayman 2 during which there appears to be only one moon; it is unknown what orbital quirk causes this apparent fluctuation. Rayman's planet is part of a binary star system with two yellow suns, one of which is larger than the other; these can both be seen in Rayman 3, but not in Rayman, and only in some parts of Rayman 2, making it seem very likely that the smaller sun orbits the larger one. The menu for Rayman M shows various parts of the solar system, including a sun, a moon, and two planets. One planet, which is covered in greenish-blue clouds, may be the planet on which the Crossroads of Dreams is located; the other planet appears to be dry and desert-like. The solar system is part of a universe throughout which Admiral Razorbeard and his Robo-Pirates are known and feared for having reduced over one hundred peaceful planets to cosmic dust after enslaving their extra-terrestrial inhabitants. There are also a great many points in each game in which stars are visible in the sky, and the Yellow Lums in Rayman 2 inform Rayman that there are other gods which exist on other ‘worlds’, all of which suggests that Rayman's universe may be far more vast than that which is shown in the games.