Auron Surai (ow-ron soo-rai)

The Sand Man; Myoei-the-Stories-Given-Form; Lord of Wandering Souls

“I would enter your sleep if I could, and guard you there, and slay the thing that hounds you, as I would if it had the courage to face me in fair daylight. But I cannot come in unless you dream of me.”

— Prince Lír, The Last Unicorn

Auron Surai is the Duskscape Regent of nostalgia, convalescence, perspective and positive dreams. Lord of the Spharai, Shepherd of the Sleeping. A mysterious, morphic, nonverbal deity who communicates with its adherents through dream messages, omens and emotional impressions. It can sometimes be seen simply wandering The Duskscape in one of its enormous, chimeric forms. No entity, benign or malign, is known to interfere with the Dream King's comings and goings.

It bears repeating that the Duskscape Regents are alien creatures with moralities that are often difficult to fathom. The motivation of most Cenobites involve little to no regard for Waking Mortals and as such are generally recognizeable as neutral or evil. Of these creatures only Auron Surai can be regarded as remotely “good”, albeit in ways that are still often capricious and enigmatic.

The Dream King is opposed but also complimented by the Regent of Nightmares and Queen of the Qlippoth, Sheoldred.

Auron Surai's alignment is Neutral Good.

Appearance & Heraldry

See also: Auron Surai Image Gallery (External)

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Auron Surai has been observed taking many magnificent and often bizarre forms. It does not seem to have its own realm, but instead seems to enjoy wandering the Duskscape in one of its massive, chimeric, vaguely bestial forms. When stationary, it seems to prefer floating, geometric shapes.

Worship

Anyhow you had to perish Hamlet you were not for life
you believed in crystal notions not in human clay
always twitching as if asleep you hunted chimeras
wolfishly you crunched the air only to vomit
you knew no human thing you did not know even how to breathe...

— Elegy of Fortinbras
Zbigniew Herbert

Clerics of Auron Surai are known as Dreamshepherds. They are not only exemplars of the Sand Man's drive to protect the dreams of Material peoples, they are also eccentric researchers of what lies beneath the conscious mind. In particular, many are seekers of ancient relics called Dreamstones: repositories of mortal dreams created by some lost culture of demon or fae. Of all magical or religious sects on Waking Materia, the Dreamshepherds are some of the most comfortable and skilled at traveling the Duskscape and even the Far Umbral Provinces. Some curious and daring Materian scholars hire them occasionally as Umbral guides.

It is a frequent belief among the Dreamshepherd churches that Auron Surai is a manifestation of the collective hope, among peoples everywhere, that happiness and beauty will never be defeated by oblivion. And even more encouragingly, that being has a plan.

Domains

Auron Surai's primary Domain is Dreams. Its secondary domains are Repose, Memory, Soul, Knowledge and Vigil.

Favoured Weapon

The Sand Man's favoured weapon is the starknife, dual-wielded. Its Relic starknives are Polaris and Scheherazade.

History

Almost nothing is known of this astounding being, past or present, as it does not often communicate in ways that would convey such information. One persistent rumour is that it was once a united being with Sheoldred, named Auron Sheoldrai. Why the being split into two is unknown, assuming this story is even true.

Profile: Various portrayals of Auron Surai.
Illus. Silis (Top)

Banner: A Dreamshepherd of Auron Surai (Right). One of many representations of the Dreamlord (Left)
Illus. Berneri (Left), Frank Frazetta (Right)

Auron Surai

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Godhood
Duskscape Regent, possibly Interesoteric
Alignment
NG
Domains
Dreams, Repose, Memory, Soul, Knowledge, Vigil
Favoured Weapon
Starknife
Relic Weapons
Polaris & Scheherazade

A dreaming soul encounters a demonic city (Right), while in the air float many spharai.

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A dreamshepherd of Auron Surai.