The Gourd

The hypnogourd grows on vines throughout Xanth.  The gourds are shaped like a summer squash with a peep hole in each.  If a person peeps through the hole, their soul is sent into the gourd.

The person's soul is trapped in the gourd. There are only three ways out of the gourd.  One way is for someone  to break the line of vision from the peep hole to the poor victim peeping into the hole. Another way is to ride out  on a "night mare", no easy task (it will cost you half your soul)!   The hardest way, is traveling through the entire world of the "gourd" never crossing your own path. The very last place you look, is where the " Night Stallion" is.  If you get permission from the "Night Stallion" a.k.a "Trojan Horse" you may leave.  Of course deals are made.     But the lone person of average intelligence's body usually dies of starvation or exposure before ever finding their way out.

One of the first areas of the gourd that a person encounters, is the graveyard and the haunted house.

If a person was with someone else, and he peeped  into the peephole, he could come back to reality.  But if he looked again, he would be sent back exactly where he left off.

You may want to know the purpose of the gourd. . . well . . . It is the place where our night mares are formed. The Night Stallion is in charge of this. Each person's night mare is custom made for them in the gourd. (It is sort of a production area)  It is then delivered by the "Night Mares".  The "Night Mares" use the gourds to travel quickly throughout Xanth.  They can enter one gourd at one end of Xanth and come out another gourd at the other end, sort of a short cut.

Graphics on this page are from ClipArt Connection, Jo's World & Xoom Graphics.