The Basics

Name: Custos
Nickname: Pulchra Somnia
Age: Though the realm of dreams has little use for the measure of time, Custos estimates his own age somewhere in the range of three to four centuries.
Species: Living Dream


The Appearance

Weight: Roughly 130 lbs.

Height: 5' 11"

Physical Description: Tall, lanky and unnaturally light weight, Custos' form in the real world is far more set in stone than within the Realm of Dreams. Black hair paired with pale skin make him seem almost gaunt in appearance, like he's never seen the light of day, which isn't far from the truth. He dresses in what many consider to be a far too formal style, suits reminiscent of 1940's America, though he forgoes the suit jacket and hats often. The only splash of color in his clothing usually is his tie, which is haphazardly changed every day to some new color, one often selected by a child within a dream. Within the Realm of Dreams his overall appearance changes little, though notable changes occur based upon the personal preferences of whoever's dream he is visiting.

Distinguishing Features: His own personal feature, the thing Custos can never change no matter where he manifests, is the iridescent nature of his own eyes. Constantly shifting in color, they slip through every color and shade over the course of a few minutes before repeating themselves. Many children have told him of their like for his eyes, and he holds them as a feature he holds dearly, if only for their sake. Adults are more often to comment on how unsettled they make them, though he has little interaction with many who no longer require his presence. Recently, Custos has also begun to walk with a limp, an injury sustained from combat with a Nightmare forcing him to use a cane in order to allow his body time to heal.


The Human

Personality: Custos is a protector by his very nature. He cannot help the almost overwhelming need to ensure that children are kept safe, often from the things that they never knew existed within their own dreams. This extends somewhat to others, often being one of the first to step up and offer a hand of comfort and assurance. Still, with how rarely he encounters adults, he can be quite standoffish to them, seeing them as selfish and uncaring. He often laments that many of his charges will end up just like them, a fact that saddens him beyond the understanding of most others.

Still, there is the rare occasion when an adult does not lose that childish joy within their own dreams, does not become jaded to the possibilities of their own imagination. These rare few he visits sometimes, and it is these few that Custos considers friends, even if they will never remember him upon waking.

Custos does find the limiting nature of the real wildly fascinating however. It is a marvel to him that so many can live so limited, when he regularly sees the infinite possibility that exists within the realm of dreams. The very fact that water is always wet, the sun is always warm, the breeze always blows, that hunger is even a thing, all is a wonder to him, and something that he can spend hours just experiencing, for it will always be true.

Mundane Skills: Custos rarely visits the real world, and has experience dealing with its necessities. Still, in his many long years fighting against the fears and worries of children, and at times the even the darker things that exist within the realm of dreams, he has learned to fight. His swordsmanship is impeccable, something practiced whenever he is not performing his duties, and it is with this skill that he defends his charges.

Occupation: Custos is a Warden of Children's Dreams, one of so few that exists solely to guard and comfort children within the confines of their own dreams.

Goals: Though he knows it is impossible, still Custos wishes that one day all dreams will be free from the hunger of the nightmare beings that prey upon the dreamers fears. That the many dreamers of the world can be free to dream whatever they truly wish without fear. Custos also recognizes that would end the need for his own existence, but he often feel that if there were no need for him, then that would mean the children were safe.

Fears: Custos' greatest fear is failure. Though it is impossible for him to be everywhere at once, he fears the day that he is not enough, the day when his mastery of the Realm of Dreams is not enough to protect one of his little charges from their own nightmares. Another is that he might one day be trapped within the real world on one of his few visits, and lose his way to return to his proper home.



The Not So Human

Species Description: Living Dreams are beings made up of pure dreams. Often the combining of many dreams, which are infused with the wishes and hopes of the dreamers, they are ultimately born when Morpheus himself takes notice, infusing them with magic to bring them fully into life. All living dreams exist to fulfill the hopes and wishes of the dreamers that brought them into being, whatever those might be.

Powers and Abilities: All living dreams share many aspects. Made up of pure dreams made real, they are very difficult to physically harm, practically invulnerable to anything but magical forms of harm when encountered within dreams. They are more vulnerable when visiting the real world, while they cannot be killed they can be banished by destorying their physical body, sending them back to the Realm of Dreams.

When existing within the real world, a living dream is remarkably unassuming. They possess few abilities, and are little better than humans beyond their remarkable endurance. They truly shine when within a person's dream however. Fully capable of manipulating this other realm, they can shift and change the very nature of a dream to suit their needs, whether that be providing comfort or fighting off a nightmare. It is not uncommon for a living dream to manifest entirely made up weapons and abilities, often things that would be impossible anywhere else.

All living dreams possess the unique ability to enter the realm of dreams from the real, and the reverse. Most often this is done by using a sleeping indivdual as a sort of gateway. Few do so without the express permission of the person in question, except when performing the duties they have been given by their lord and master Morpheus.

Vulnerabilities: A living dream's most glaring vulnerability is the powers and abilities of their opposites. The living nightmares are the bestial hungering manifestations of people's fears. It is the sworn duty of every living dream to face them down wherever possible. Though they are few, weapons have been forged of these nightmares, and it is these weapons that can truly harm a living dream, no matter who might wield them.


The Story

Character Background: Custos began his life the same way every living dream does. He was born the moment the Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, infused the collected hopes and dreams of children, seeking someone to protect them from their fears and night terrors. From that same moment, Custos was given his name, and knew from the depth of his being what he was meant for. Tirelessly, he went about his task, guarding those children that needed the comforting presence of a friendly face. He comforted those who's terrors overcame their hopes. He beat back the numbers that sought to devour the children he so willingly protected. He did this without rest, for what dream should ever need rest within the timeless Realm of Dreams?

Custos spent centuries preforming his duties, sometimes alongside other living dreams, but more often than not alone, traversing the Realm of Dreams in an endless cycle. As he did his own personality grew. He delighted in not only comforting, but playing with his charges. He watched sadly as many of those he guarded grew into adulthood, and no longer needed his watchful gaze upon them. He smiled as new children were brought into the world, new generations to watch over protectively.

For such was and always will be his duty, to maintain his eternal vigil over those he was born to protect. So he shall, forever safeguarding the hope that no matter what, someone will always be there to watch over you. Even in your dreams.

How did you come to be at the Island?: It is the most recent event of Custos' life that has drawn the attention of the island. Without warning, a nightmare struck at a newborn child's dreams, so young she had no hope of defending herself. It was this infant's cry for help that drew Custos, and he descended upon the nightmare with the anger of the truly wronged. Yet even as they did battle, Custos knew that the child's psyche, young as it was, could not sustain the full combat of two beings such as they without shattering. So, without hesitation and knowing he might die, Custos allowed the creature to strike him, taking the opportunity to drive his blade deep into its flesh.

In the end, Custos emerged victorious having driven off the nightmare, though he was gravely wounded in the process. When Morpheus came to the scene he found Custos, too injured to return to the realm of dreams, silently guarding the young girl, wary of the nightmare's return. Since then, Custos has been forced into recovery, his charges given to others to care for while he did so. The invitation arrived soon after, offered not only for the singular act of fighting a nightmare alone, but for his centuries of service beyond that. Morpheus commanded him to accept that he might rest in a place no nightmare, and thus no true danger, could reach him.