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Paollo and his guards
Majestan Paollo
Heir apparent of Majestan, a sweet, bumbling and very self-conscious guy who really worries about his inability to take over the royal duties. Five years ago, his soul and powers got stolen by an evil Ghost Pirate, which is why Paollo isn't allowed off the continent for now, but he enters this story while returning home from a cross-country diplomatic trip.
- Animal Motifs: Butterflies. His dreaming self has enormous butterfly wings, and his soul takes the shape of a little blue butterfly.
- Born Unlucky: He considers himself one of these and really worries about what that means for his people.
- The Chains of Commanding: Paollo wants to do his duty, but stumbles a lot and this makes him terribly worried.Paollo: As Majestan, it is my duty to protect and represent the dreams of this land's people before my own. Unfortunately, as a person, I'm a mess, and I'm dragging down everyone else with me.
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: This particular comment is probably foreshadowing (and maybe some PTSD from his captivity in Archipelago), but other than that Paollo continues to be a bit out there.Paollo: Do you think flowers in gardens feel trapped? Like little plant prisons?
- And his personal dream world is nothing but fluffy clouds against a starlit sky. It seems no buildings can stand on this foundation.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Gets lost and trips over his own feet in the waking world. In the dream world he would be formidable if he only had some control.
- Cunning Linguist: His job as a diplomat requires it. Paollo's native language is Soon, but he speaks several others:Paollo: Uhh... hello, little neighbour. What is this place? Do you not speak Sooni? What about Krosh? Do you know any Babidin? Ummm... Sugusun? Though I only speak enough Sugusun to ask where the bathroom is...
- Dream Walker: Accomplished, although his landings while flying in the dream world look exactly as his landing out of it - with Paollo's face in the mud, sand or whatever the ground is.
- Dream Weaver: In training. Still. He worries a lot about his lack of control.Paollo: What happens to the dream world when the only child, of the only family left who has the power to hold it together, just... can't?
- Fusion Dance: In chapter 6 he discovers he can Amalgam his soul with Zatachi, creating what they dub the "Wyvern". It's very powerful and able to fight Feyn off, but Wyvern's injuries appear on Paollo's body as lines of blue fire. And they can't do it whenever they want - or possibly on their own.
- Heavenly Blue: He's the prince of Majestan and his magic is vibrant blue.
- Innocent Blue Eyes: Clearly visible in the dream world. The color of his magic being bright, vibrant blue, they glow blue when he's using it, but his irises are actually this color by themselves.
- The Klutz: Paollo still hasn't grown into those limbs. He mounts a kirin like he's a sack of potatoes. When caught up in some vines he hangs down in a classic tarot "Fool" position. He can't throw worth a darn, either, and his face meets the ground much more often than he'd like. Then there's that string of Noodle Incidents caused by his clumsiness... Paollo can't even wash his face without splashing water all around. He can snark about this, though.Paollo: Here lies Paollo. Killed by a combination of belly flop and embarrassment.
- Made of Iron: Paollo is curiously unhurt after crashing into trees and getting knocked unconscious. He explains:Paollo: I guess I'm sort of used to it. That wasn't the worst fall I've had, and it probably won't be the last. My ma used to say that the stars foretold how much trouble I would get into, so I was made extra bouncy to make up for it.
- Modest Royalty: Paollo really doesn't want people to genuflect before him and is anxious to be Royals Who Actually Do Something.
- Nice Guy: Owning up to all his mistakes and bumbles, helpful and won't stand abuse against the girl he's just met. Generally his main reaction to stress is "tend and befriend", although he can be dangerous. And he's no pushover.Paollo: You'd know that if you paused the purple prose for a moment and actually asked her what's going on!
- No Hero to His Valet: Paollo's guards treat him more like a clumsy little brother than a hero.
- Not a Morning Person: His post vision state comes across as this, especially that Paollo gets visions in his dreams. He only wakes up after a cup of tika.
- Quirky Curls: Adorable, clumsy Cloud Cuckoo Lander dream mage with a mess of fluffy curls. He usually pulls them back in a ponytail, but without a hair tie, he looks like a dandelion.
- Pimped-Out Cape: He wears a butterfly-wing patterned one in the dream world.
- The Pollyanna: How he deals with being Born Unlucky. While he is insecure and constantly worried, he puts up a good positive act.
- Power Glows: His eyes and the symbol on his forehead glow bright blue when he's using his power in the dream world.
- Power Incontinence: As healer Shul explains, magical explosions are perfectly normal at a certain stage of development, except Paollo's taking longer to outgrow this than most.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Majestani royal family is supposed to keep dream monsters away and (micro)manage dream world. Paollo's father is really good at this. Paollo would really like to follow in his steps, but keeps fudging it.
- Wise Prince: Bit less (outwardly) melancholic than usual, and much more clumsy, but he's getting there.Tusura: When people come to Paollo for help, no matter how inconsequential, it's hard to pull him away.
Paollo's guardians as a group
Five soul-bound guards who accompany Paollo to keep him both physically (and magically) safe and grounded in reality.
- Badass Crew: The highly trained bodyguard team of a VIP. They are also pretty much his siblings.
- Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: Their job, in a nutshell, is being responsible caretakers to Paollo.
- Dream Walker: The entire team is highly trained in dream walking and dream combat.
- Sarcastic Devotee: All of them to various degrees, but Vamuro is the snarkiest. And it's not like Paollo dislikes (or can't dish out) the snark, either.Paollo: If you have time to make jokes, then you haven't been attacked by a dream monster yet.
- Psychic Link: They are soul-bound to Paollo and feel his emotions to an extent. They also have special talents connected to this link.
- Undying Loyalty: To Paollo, whom they love dearly, all the while being under no illusions whatsoever.
Oren Tatami
The leader of Paollo's guard, the by-the-book, quiet, responsible introvert. His dream form is sketchy, with auxilliary lines.
- By-the-Book Cop: Not technically a cop, but he "miranda-rights" an Eldritch Abomination:Tatami: A-hem! Excuse me, neighbour, I'm sorry to interrupt your meal... but on behalf of the Reconciled Territories of Majestan, I must inform you that you're devouring government property. We respect your right to live and feed in the way that's natural to you... but as keepers of the dream lands it is our responsibility to protect what those in our care have created. Taking your non-sapient status into consideration, we will not seek reparation for the damage done, on the condition that you leave peacefully. No one needs to get hurt.
- Hidden Depths: He speaks at least one sign language as his mom can't speak with her mouth and it seems he might be speaking from experience here:
- Tatami: They're a strange lot, aren't they? The Majestan prince and his guards. It can take a little getting used to. All that warmth, that closeness... it can be suffocating. You struggle to breathe and they just close in closer around you, trying to help. The list of kindessess grows and grows and you're waiting to hear the price, there's always a price, and as frightening as the waiting is, it's a comfort. Because if there's no price, then the world doesn't work like you thought it did.
- Maybe it's no accident that he seems to be quite good friends with Knull?
- In a Single Bound: He can leap out of a pretty deep hole (that was designed to keep people in - his fellow guards only escaped it by lucky accident and some quick thinking).
- Not So Above It All: Even he can snark.Paollo: Oof. Sorry Tatami. Wouldn't blame you if you just went on without me.
Tatami (helping him up): You know I can't do that, Prince. I'd be out of a job. - The Reliable One: He's generally the one who organises things, deals with official stuff and is being debriefed.
- Sensor Character: His special soul bound power is finding Paollo. Anywhere, including world of dreams.
- Shapeshifter Weapon: In the dream world - Tatami can turn his arms into swords.
- The Stoic: Quiet, professional introvert.
- Winged Humanoid: In his dream form, he can turn his arms into wings and fly.
Jinyu Zatachi
The funny, punny chatterbox of the group. His dream form is a stylised dragon.
- Berserk Button: He HATES slide puzzles. There's fire.
- Big Eater:Vamuro: Food's ready! Better hurry before Zatachi eats it all.
- Character Tics: Zatachi gnaws on one of his dreadlocks when he's nervous.
- Draconic Humanoid: Zatachi is a half Ryuvian, a race descended from dragons. He has horns and a tail and can breath fire. He does it a lot more than he used to in Archipelago.
- The Empath: He has an empathic connection with Paollo and can sense prince's emotions more keenly than the others.Zatachi: I'm picking up confusion, fear, shock... but right now it's hard to tell if those are Paollo's emotions or my own.
- Fusion Dance: Paollo discovers in chapter 6 he can Amalgam his soul with Zatachi, creating what they dub the "Wyvern". It's very powerful and able to fight Feyn off, but Wyvern's injuries appear on Paollo's body as lines of blue fire.
- The Glomp: Him of the "dragon dive hugs".
- The Nose Knows: He has the keenest sense of smell.
- The Pollyanna: Nothing brings him down. This is a front, though.
- Pungeon Master: Zatachi is the group's joker and his reaction to stress seems to be strings of increasingly horrible puns.
Mika Vamuro
Aloof and prone to sarcastic comments, but loyal and caring. His dream form is black with blue accents, resembling a human-shaped dynn with wings.
- Absurd Phobia: The others have "grown-up" fears - Vamuro is afraid of centipedes and mannequins. About equally.
- Animal Lover: Sometimes he seems nicer to the steeds than to his fellow guards. Meeting a corgi-shaped animus in the woods he immediately feeds it gefiti. And apparently he has a habit of bringing stray animals home.Zatachi: Weird looking hound in the middle of the scary nightmare woods... I'll bet you ten pips he tries to take it home with us.
Vamuro: Like you haven't tried to pick up women in weirder places... - Deadpan Snarker: His reaction to stress. Especially caused by Zatachi's puns. And to people being dumb. And to pollen:Vamuro: Maybe the spring pollen has dulled their senses too much to notice. Maybe they, too, are eager to embrace the sweet release of de- (is handed a hanky) oh, thanks Gozazi.
- Good Is Not Nice: Grumpy, blunt, suspicious guy - who also fusses over people and animals like a pessimistic mother hen, all the while grumbling at them for being careless of themselves and their colleagues.
- The Medic: For his teammates and for animals. He's the one stitching Paollo up (this is needed a lot), applying bandages, yelling at them for picking at their bandages, mixing ointments and trying to figure out whether a healing spell will or will not make things worse instead of better.
- Not So Above It All: Snarky Knight in Sour Armor, who nevertheless keeps bringing in strays and loves a trashy book series for the trashiness. And won't be left out of even the sillier group activities.Vamuro: Younger keepers! Impressionable younger keepers!
- Knight in Sour Armor: The loyal and caring pessimist (even outside the allergy season) in the idealistic group. He's suspicious of Odette (and has good points), but nevertheless extends his care to her.
- Shonen Hair: Vamuro's hair got a lot spikier over those five years.
Shay-song Tusura
The Token Girl of the group, she keeps her insecurities tightly under wraps. Her dream form is a Cat Girl.
- Action Girl: Her first reaction to spooky and mysterious is to grab a Martial Arts Staff and investigate. She tends to carry the staff even when out of uniform, and when purple Feyn world zombies are harrassing Zatachi, Tusura breaks their heads like poorly-made pottery, with a downright scary look on her face. She's also the only one of the group to have physically punched a Feyn.
- Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: She seems to be the best at psychological first aid, talking Gozazi out of his panic attack.
- CPR: Clean, Pretty, Reliable: She'a also well-trained in this. Her cool head and first aid skills are essential, since Gozazi's panic attack happened after him nearly drowning.
- Heroic Self-Deprecation: She has impostor syndrome, judging by what the purple dream snakes were pouring into her ears.You can't let them see your weakness; They all know you should have not been chosen; Unwanted survivor; Runt; Weakling child; Mistake
- Martial Arts Staff: Tusura's main weapon. It's magically enchanced a bit with a spell loop on one end to fish out things (or people) from places, but as a weapon, it's just a staff.
- Mental Monster: One of her personal dream-world doubles turned into a dark, twisted thing that yells abuse at her. Tusura is too ashamed to tell the guys about this.
- The Smart Guy: She's got puzzle labirynths in her personal dreamworld and teaches Odette dream magic in a Lecture as Exposition.
- Specs of Awesome: Tusura is the only guard who wears glasses (goggle-like while travelling, regular round ones in the city), an Action Girl and the most analytical person of the group, as well.
- Paper Master: Her personal dream world is japanese themed, with paper screens and origami. She uses calligraphy brush to write scripts and origami to shape her magic (light spell is an origami star).
Gozazi Eekairekai
The quiet, hard-working guy who keeps everyone fed on the road. His dream form is a pudgy robot.
- Affectionate Nickname: The others, especially Tusura, sometimes call him "Cozi".
- Chubby Chef: The guy who cooks breakfasts and bakes the local waybread for the team (he solved Tusura's baking puzzle with no real effort), he's noticeably rotund.
- Facial Horror: Whatever it was that happened to Gozazi before the beginning of the story (and probably recently, seeing that Tusura mentions doctor's orders) left him with a cataract on his eye and parallel slashes on his face, as well as a crippling fear of water. He's terribly, terribly self-conscious about this. Hence the headwrap and avoiding his nieces. For three years.
- Fluffy Tamer: He speaks with the Dynn and gains the group a new friend.
- Iconic Item: He's never without his bag, filled with useful stuff and snacks, unless it's taken off him by Feyn.
- Never Bareheaded: He always wraps his face up in a headscarf, only leaving one eye uncovered.
- Real Men Wear Pink: Gozazi embroiders as a hobby and his bag has a hand-made baku patch on it. It's very kawaii. His magic has a general textile theme. He's also the Team Chef.
- Stout Strength: Gozazi is quite a bit pudgier than the others, but no less effective in a fight.
- Supernatural Sensitivity:Gozazi: This world feels... unhealthy. It's held up so far, but beneath the surface it's hurting.
- Team Chef: He cooks breakfast on the road and bakes gefiti for the group, which he carries in his bag, and cares so much about feeding everyone that the word "hungry" brings him out of a panic attack. When unable to sleep, he stress-bakes.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: He has a crippling phobia of water. Chapter eleven reveals he has had a traumatic experience during a flood.
Humans
Goji Chi
A young but talented Dream Walker, Second Knot to Weavelink Amani Kalos of the village of Okowaburi. He is the first character we get to see, as he's riding to find help for his village that is being terrorised by a dream monster. He finds Paollo and his team and the story gets going. His dream form is a plant boy.
- The Apprentice: Goji is a Dream Walker in training under Amani's tutelage, but for now is mostly running errands. After he's rescued from the Feyn, the group brings him to the capital city for safety and schooling.
- Happily Adopted: He has no living relatives and his mentor is his mom in all but a name. She may be a little stern, but loves him a lot, values his input and is happy (if a little teary) to send him for more advanced training, because she knows he's very talented.
- Herald: Goji has been sent specifically to get help. He finds Paollo and his guards right on the first pages and brings them to where the plot begins.
- Messy Hair: Lots and lots of fluffy curls.
Odette
A woman raised by the Feyn since she was a child, Odette can't remember who she was before being taken. She helps Paollo out in the Feyn kingdom and he takes her along while leaving it.
- Animal Motifs: Bees. Her magic is honey yellow, she has honeycomb visions and fails to make a bee plushie for Douglas. She also remembers how to signal messenger bees.
- Apologises a Lot: She's very insecure and really doesn't want to be a bother, so she keeps apologising for being one. And for not being able to help. And for being rusty with Majestani sign language...
- Bullied into Depression: Douglas's "critiques" have left her rather insecure.
- Cute Bookworm: A lot taller and somewhat older (she's twenty eight) than most of these, but Odette is a very insecure and socially awkward woman who tends to retreat into her books a lot. She speaks four languages fluently and some more conversationally, including Majestani sign, and since she doesn't know any swearwords, she probably learned by reading. She also likes comic books and tried her hand at writing, but Douglas said her stuff was "childish exagerrated tropes" and "awkward feminine wish fulfillment".
- The Determinator: Building the tunnel she uses to lead Paollo out took herOdette: Seven years, two-hundred thirty one days and fifteen hours, but I could only work on it when I was sure Douglas was busy elsewhere. Like I said, I've been planning this trip for a long time.
- Effortless Amazonian Lift: She lifts Paollo off the ground with no problems, being over a head taller and noticeably bulkier than him.
- Fusion Dance: Out of a sudden, when things are rough, she Amalgams with Tusura. She's also been present at the Paollo and Zatachi's Amalgaming, and it's implied she had something to do with it.
- Gentle Giant: She towers over most majestanians, and is very shy, insecure, caring woman. She's also just as prone to It's All My Fault as Paollo is.
- Identity Amnesia: She can't remember who she was before the Feyn took her, but gets glimpses of memories.
- Only One Name: Possibly she just can't remember her last name.
- Socially Awkward Hero: Charging at a monster with a weapon she's holding for the first time in her life? Easy. Shielding Paollo with her body when she has no idea what's going on? Peasy. Public speaking? Please, no. Every now and then, she's just overwhelmed with the crowds and gets panic attacks.Odette: I'm not used to being around so many adults.
- Supernatural Sensitivity: She senses disturbances in the dream tapestry just like Paollo, even before she has been trained.
- Power Glows: Hers glows honey yellow, filling her eyes (just like Paollo's).
- The Watson: Since she's been raised in the Feyn kingdom, she gets a lot of Worldbuilding explanations directed at her in the waking world.
- Wrench Wench: She would be if Douglas just let her. Odette actually wants to build herself a sewing machine.Douglas: Oh, sure, you can't work with needle and thread, so I should give you FIRE and SHARP OBJECTS.
Majestan Nemo
The current Majestan and Paollo's da.
- An Arm and a Leg: Missing his forearm, but it's an old injury.
- Dream Weaver: THE Dream Weaver. He's responsible for managing the entire dream world.
- Like Father, Like Son: He's older and more sure of himself, but definitely Paollo's dad, just as nice and friendly as his son. And he has exactly the same hair.
- Reasonable Authority Figure
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Very busy man, and pretty much irreplaceable, as long as his son hasn't grown up into those shoes yet.
The Feyn
As a group
- Abstract Eater: They live on human creativity.
- Alien Blood: When cut, they ooze some sort of yellow-orange or blue-purple ichor, but the cuts heal right before your eyes.
- Cannot Tell a Lie: Feyn always have to tell the truth and always pay back debts, especially where family is concerned. Of course, saying "the other girls are in a safe place" when you actually believe kept underground as power source for Feyn magic is a safe place, is fair game.
- The Fair Folk: Mysterious, dangerous, prone to abducting children, Blue-and-Orange Morality...
- Fusion Dance: They can do this with their animus, magical animal companions, creating a powerful Amalgam.
- Immortal Immaturity: Most Feyn come across as spoiled kids. They are also ageless (generally they look like humans in their twenties) and most of them have been around for a long time.
- Large Ham: Commonly.
- Location Theme Naming: Subtle at first, because "Solomon" and "Raphael" are valid given names, but later we meet Yoshii, Rhinelander, Anglia, Sakhalin, Inverness, Fresno...
- Rummage Sale Reject: To the point Marula stands out in her dress made of wings as the simplest dressed out of them.
- Villains Never Lie: They can't lie, but they can interpret reality in ways humans disagree with, so to speak.
- Winged Humanoid: They have insect wings, sometimes several pairs. The Feyn seem to come in two varieties - yellow winged (like Marula) and purple winged (like Ur). The color of their eyes and blood matches the wings.
Douglas
Odette's "teacher". An aloof purple winged Feyn who owns a large, disorganized library and fights mostly with a bow and arrows.
- Animal Motifs: Rabbits - his hood resembles rabbit ears and his Amalgam form is a jackalope.
- Caustic Critic: For Odette:Douglas: You were trash, yet I thought I could make something useful from you! Instead it seems that TRASH is all you can create!
- Crocodile Tears: When Odette isn't compliant, he resorts to turning on the waterworks. Also screaming like a toddler.
- It's All About Me: And he can't for the life of him understand the "you're so selfish for hurting me" trick has stopped working on Odette.Douglas: Good! That fixes everything! Glad that silly little tiff is over with. You really do turn these critiques into SUCH a production.
Marula
The Queen and mother of Feyn. She has many pairs of yellow wings and wears dress made of them.
- Affably Evil: All sweetness and sunshine until you defy her. Then the Vine Tentacles with sharp, sharp thorns come out.
- Large and in Charge: Appears as a large woman with a mass of curly hair.
- Magical Barefooter: Queen of The Fair Folk who wears no shoes.
- One Bad Mother: Many Feyn just call her mother, and she says she considers herself more a mother than a queen. While scolding Douglas, she calls him son.
- Vine Tentacles: She uses the vines and roots of her tree as Combat Tentacles, for immobilising, choking and pulling underground.
Spoiler character
Noon
The Dynn that's been following the group through the dream world, because the group has gefiti. After a certain idiot opens a portal and unleashes her on the unsuspecting guard village, Noon rampages a bit, then swallows Gozazi and talks with him, surprising him with her sentience and empathy. They become friends after that.
- Benevolent Abomination: Only rampaging because she was confused and terrified, once she becomes the Team Pet of sorts, she's merrily blobbing after the group, not harming a butterfly.
- Blob Monster: Naturally formless black goo.
- Extreme Omnivore: After becoming part of the group, she won't eat meat, but anything else (including Vamuro's freshly used handkerchief) is fair game.
- Innocent Aliens: Technically not supposed to be in the waking world at all, she doesn't really know anything about it.Gozazi: She just wants the chance to learn about this world in peace.
- The Nose Knows: She can smell Feyn, among other things.
- Nigh-Invulnerability: Magical explosion stopped her, but didn't really hurt her.
- The Unintelligible: She tries to make words, but, much like Charlie in the prequel story, just doesn't have the vocal chords for it. Gozazi, though, can understand her and has conversations with her, often Repeating So the Audience Can Hear.
