NPCs
King and Queen of the Maire
King Satin and Queen Raina were people formerly of the Surface. Not bothering to leave, they took up residence in the Maire and over time began to rule it. Just because they rule the “world of nightmares” does not mean they are evil. They are pretty neutral people. The two of them make sure that everything is running smoothly in the Maire.
Satin seems a bit cooky given he’s been in the realm for so long, and has an unusual obsession for fabrics. He is a child-like king nonetheless, and has teenager-like mannerisms and phrases after seeing so many dreams with such slang, so don’t be surprised if he says “Wassup” to you casually. He’s tall and muscular, dark black hair, and has green eyes. His wardrobe consists of weird wrappings of different fabrics.
Raina, on the other hand, is the epitome of queen and regality. She’s very logical, intelligent, but can be lazy. Though she looks and acts like a queen she often shirks her responsibilites. Her voice is oddly high and she giggles a lot when breaking her queenly seriousness. Her love of food has made her quite large, and she has light blue eyes and has dyed her hair a silvery gray. She wears typical fashion of the Maire Nobility.
Bast
Prince of the Maire. Prince Bastien- although he prefers to be called Bast, since formal titles aren't his thing- is a tall fellow who, although ageless, takes on the form of a handsome young man of about 20. He often exchanges the royal attire of the Castle for modest travel clothes. On his person he carries very little but his pockets are filled with red poppies. These flowers often spill about as he walks or find their way into his sleeves or hair. At times he can be seen toting about a staff.
He holds other titles such as Prince of Sleep, Prince of Night Terrors, and Pajama Prince (although this is derogatorily pinned on him by Dunstan and should never be said to his face).
Bast appears to the group after they hurt or kill one of the patchwork beasts (either a hound or vulture as they are his favorites) to scold them.
When it comes to the Royal Court of Nightmares- he has an important place in it but often refuses to appear before them- the Prince is quite the subject of ridicule. He hates court life; the secrecy, lies, and scandal bore him. Instead he'll retreat to the garden of poppies down in the inner courtyard of the Castle to sleep. Or he'll chase the skirts of the court girls- women who often wear royal attire fashioned after nightmares. His current fancy is a girl with luminescent features and moth inspired dress.
Dunstan
He appears to be a child of 8 or 9 to the heroes. With sandyblonde hair that hangs about his ears in a messy mop and freckled cheeks and chin. He wears the typical Maire fashion- patchwork coat and pants, with worn leather boots. Tied about his neck is a heavily worn and threadbare blanket cape that falls to the back of his knees.
Dunstan shows a genuine interest in helping the heroes travel and, upon meeting them, becomes the self-proclaimed guide of the group. Not much is known of his origins by the other Maire dwellers- as he's seen only as one of the many children that frequents its fields of horrors.
However Dunstan, like the others, is physically there and has been so for a decade now. Although his body has not aged a day his mind is that of a young man of 18 or so.
Sandman
The Sandman is the mediator of the two realms, the Maire and the Dream, and looks over the giant hourglass in the sky that marks the balance between. He doesn’t really care about what’s going on between the two kingdoms as long as it doesn’t interfere with the balance. He is rude, obnoxious, and very patronizing and cynical. He appears as a very, very tall and wiry middle-aged man with ear-length brown hair, and has eyes the color of golden sand. He wears a dark robe that seems to be always dripping sand, and carries a simple staff with a golden hourglass at its head. He appears rarely to the citizens of Under the Bed.
The Clock-keeper
The Clock-Keeper is a pleasant old fellow who takes care of the giant clock tower that you seem to see wherever you go. He’s a short old man who’s always hunched over, and it seems like he’s been the Keeper of the Clock Tower forever. Interestingly enough, he’s friends with the Sandman. He’s very cordial and gentlemanly. He wears a tattered gray robe and always seems to be checking the watches on his wrists; he has quite a few.
Princess Cordelia
Princess Cordelia is a person not native to the Surface, and has been a resident of the World Under the Bed for centuries. She is very caring, sweet, and extremely lovely. The literal Dream Girl. Though she may have been around for such a long time, she still appears as a young woman. Her hair is the lightest of blond, with short, bouncing curls. She wears typical clothes of the decade, but a small circlet marking her as princess rests on her head.
The Sheep
Creepy, odd things. They have the bodies of black-coated sheep, but exasperated human faces. They are those who’ve lost all hope of leaving the place and the will to live. They cannot speak.
A Dreamer
Are the people that are only in the world on a mental plane. They cannot see others that are physically there and can only deal with their dreams. They cannot be physically touched either.
Heroes
Are people who have crossed into the world of dreams while still awake. Many have done so over the centuries however quite a number of them do not return.
Monsters
Monsters of all kinds can appear in the Maire. On occasion they are the personified versions of a phobia or fear. Sometimes they’re a commonly-known nightmare creature. Other times they’re the real versions of a kid’s idea of what’s really lurking under the bed.
Others who are physically there
This category contains a wide range of people- mostly children who have fallen asleep and have been lost there. Individuals who have fallen comatose.