✨- Stavulus have quite the history in the Caged Dream, being brought into this vast Universe by the love of two God-like beings, a Dark Matter and a Being of Light. Compared to the other species in the Caged Dream born from Caemors, Stavulus were born from warmth and love, their very existence to serve as a joining of two souls; they would serve as their grandest creation and proof of their souls.
Their creators, Amir Chavez and Bethel, wanted to create something together, bringing forth the first two Stavulus into the Dream, Almos and Iva as they were lovingly named. They shared the likeness of both creators, having the very life force that made them given directly to them by their creators, unlike a standard creation. Truly, they counted as “children” of sorts to these Higher Beings, something that would earn them a special place in Bethel's heart especially. Bethel loved these two young Stavulus so much that they wished to make more, bringing forth not only the next sibling of the first two Stavulus, who was named Eris, it also started the grand existence of the start of the Stavulus as a whole.
While the majority of the Stavulus were more detached from their creators, the three originals viewed Bethel and Amir as parents so deeply. This never changed as the populace grew, Almos, Iva, and Eris loving the two creators while the others viewed their creators as “Guardians”, specifically given the names of “Guardian of Starlight” and “Guardian of Moonlight”. The relationship between their guardians was not one of worship, but one of respect. Amir was more than happy to fill such a role, and Bethel followed closely behind. The Guardians made both themselves and the Stavulus a home, now known as “The Garden of Dreams”. A “world” made just for them, vast and beautiful as a garden should be.
The populace of the Stavulus was never large so to speak, their numbers small since they were directly tied to both creators. Perhaps that’s why when a world decided to try and harm the Stavulus, Bethel felt an instinct awaken that had long been buried. A world of Bethel’s own creation from long ago wanted to use the Stavulus for their own gain, not knowing they would earn the wrath of their own God for daring to point any weapon in their direction. Amir’s attempts to calm them were fruitless, Bethel proving to the Universe that they were still a Caemors at heart, proceeding to wipe the world off the face of the Cosmos and using its ashes for what they proceeded to be worth-while. Not only did Bethel become even more protective after this event, the Stavulus became more fearful of the outside worlds, the majority of them deciding to hide their identity as well as they could for the safety of everyone.
The Garden continued to grow regardless, the Stavulus shining in their environment and the three originals standing proud next to their parents as they grew. The state of the Garden seemed… perfect, of course, save for a number of things. But everything felt perfect regardless, especially to Amir. Bethel and Amir even created another direct child, naming her Thea, though Bethel seemed much more tired than usual soon after.
All good things must end, however, and that is true even for Gods.
In a peaceful place, Bethel laid in the arms of their dearest. It seemed they were never meant to last long sadly, they found themselves surprised that they lasted this long at all. They were a Being of Light, after all: a genetic mutation. But as their loved ones surrounded them, their body breaking away into bits of stardust and life, they felt… happy. There was no grand battle, no sacrifice, but just a simple death. Even when their body couldn’t hold its own weight, a sweet smile reassured their dearest and 4 children that everything was fine. As they faded into light, Amir could only clutch at open air in an attempt to hold on to the final moments. The Guardian of Starlight was gone, leaving their creations and love to grieve horribly in their wake.
The whole Garden felt their absence, a time of tragedy fell over the world while the Guardian of Moonlight stood at the place of Bethel’s death with a promise in his heart: to make sure the Stavulus and their children grew to the best they could be, and for him to lead their way.
It was silent for the Garden for a while, until one visit Amir made to the spot where his beloved passed away took his breath away. In the place of grass and land was a spring of sorts, starry waters that seemed to contain a mirror of some other world. Not only did this spring appear, but one day a young being emerged from the waters, a small Stavulus. Somehow, from beyond the grave, Bethel was still… there. While not present in a spiritual or physical form, their essence still sprouts life from the fabrics of the cosmos itself. It was a gift, and Amir accepted it with shaking hands and wet eyes. Even with things still being quiet, the Garden of Dreams is filled with warmth and being watched by the Guardian of Moonlight’s stern, but loving hand. The Stavulus fly through the Beyond and Endless Dream, experiencing the worlds and life that their guardians wished for them.
✨- Stavulus take after both of their creators, the light and starlight of the Being of Light and the crystals and sparkle from the Dark Matter. Despite Stavulus being able to shapeshift to match a Vessel’s form, their colors and “presence” stay consistent. The sparkle of crystal always stays in their hair, the bright, rosy cheeks that glitter in the light being a constant, and their eyes always shining of their crystal. If one is actively looking for a Stavulus, it could be easy to spot them in certain circumstances, especially if they are brightly colored. Stavulus also have a marking on their chest that goes over when the “heart” would be in that form, one that matches the marking around their rose-shaped core in their true form.
Stavulus are humanoid, much like their creators, especially like the Guardian of Moonlight. They have all natural skin tones, all being decorated with a heavy blush across the bridge of their face as well as their joints (e.i. shoulders and knees). This blush contains what looks like starlight, glittering and eye-catching, especially in their true form. Every Stavulus also has unique markings, being dual colored that decorate both their bodies and wings of light. The markings usually decorate the top part of the wings, with their bodies have simpler markings. But, this is not always true, with some have markings that cover the whole wing or one side of their body. The markings on their wings glow just slightly against the stark white and secondary color of the main wing. Wing markings also usually have an outline color on the bottom rims of the wing, some do not, however.
Stavulus have three pairs of wings, all of them being there for mostly emoting purposes. They have one large pair on their upper back with a matching, much smaller pair that is placed right below them. They have another pair on their head, which is positioned right before the ear, effectively hiding it from view. This pair is appropriately sized to their head. All Stavulus wings have a glowing white base, after all, their wings are made of light rather than feathers or muscle. They also have a secondary color that is a gradient on the outer rim of the wing. What this color is depends on the Stavulus, ranging in all colors of the rainbow. Their wings are cutely shaped, rather than taking after actual wings. They have a slight feather outline, but much more rounded and simple than one might think. These wings can bend like bird wings, but they do not need to flap to fly, as Stavulus use other means to get off the ground.
A Stavulus’s most notable feature even outside their true form is their eyes, as they take after crystals and their shapes rather than having true eye colors. The crystal can take after any gem or jewel, the ridges and cuts of the gem visible up close. Their pupils are a bit strange in their true form as well, a white pupil with a colored outline that matches their eye color. This helps break up the crystal, but on some Stavulus it can look quite uncanny.
Stavulus also have strange hair, taking after their Guardian of Moonlight’s own hair. While the majority of their hair is rather normal, save for the sparkle that shines in the light, the edges of their hair is not. The Stavulus has a crystal edge to their hair, making up the bottom parts of their hair and matching the main part of the hair’s color. The crystal edges work with the hair rather than act like actual crystal, making them look a bit unreal.
In the middle of the Stavulus’ chest is a grand display: a crystal rose. These crystal roses are their cores, it is where the energy to keep them going is stored and what contains the life force of the Stavulus. Each rose has a variety of colors, all falling under the “Aura Quartz” family.
The types are:
⋆ Angel/Opal Aura (Angel Quartz)
⋆ Amethyst “Lavender” Aura (Lavender Quartz)
⋆ Aqua Aura (Aqua Quartz)
⋆ Rose Aura (Pink Rose Quartz)
⋆Ruby Aura (Ruby/Red Quartz)
⋆Sunshine/Sunset “Tangerine” Aura (Sunshine Quartz)
⋆ Tanzine “Tanzanite” Aura (Tanzine Quartz)
⋆ Titanium Aura (Titanium Quartz)
All have a unique, iridescent shine to them, akin to a rainbow. It is most notable around the chunky edges of the rose. Their rose cores can break apart completely, and when they do, they must be taken to the Undertakers of the Garden to be fixed to keep the rebirth cycle going. Their roses can fracture due to many things, with extreme emotional trauma even causing some Stavulus’ cores to crack and chip. If a Stavulus’ core is tainted by Rot, the core cannot be put back together once the rot takes them. There are also diseases that can cause a Stavulus’ core to be damaged. A Stavulus with a damaged core is much weaker and fatigued than their usual self, but they can live long lives if they are properly cared for.
Stavulus come in 3 major types and two subtypes, which all come in different crests and behaviors. The major three are “Sweet Dream (Daydreams)”, “Nightmares (Night Terrors)”, and “Wondrous Fantasies (Wondrous Fantasia/Perfect Mix)”, while the two subtypes are “Sweet-Leaning (Wondrous Fantasy)” and “Night-Leaning (Wondrous Fantasy)”. Each crest has a different look and sky, with the subtypes only having a different sky. These crests are on their back, appearing like a mirror into another world.
A Stavulus’ biology is an odd one, some mimicking human biology while others completely alien.
A Stavulus’ blood is not blood-like in the slightest, not when it flows and certainly not when it dries. The liquid that flows when one is injured is not a solid color, but rather a sunset-filled sky. Each sunset is different, but all dry into crystals. The color of the final dried crystal also is different per Stavulus, the crystal growing up from the source of their blood. Stavulus cannot hide their blood, making getting cut or injured while in the open dangerous. Stavulus’ insides are all the same shade of sunset, from their inner bones to their organs. They do scar like humans do, and appropriately to their skin tone; the scars they acquire traveling with them through forms.
Stavulus’ don’t need to eat if they have a good energy source from a “Vessel”, but they do need to sleep still. They tend to eat for enjoyment, as they are creatures of passion. Sleeping is a key part of their relationship with their Vessel as well, as they often meet up with the Vessel’s soul in their dreams and use them as gateways. They’ve received the term “Dreamarian” because of this.
Stavulus reproduce like humans do, through giving birth physically. They have typical female and male sex organs, and thus can reproduce with others who match those organs. But they cannot reproduce with “mock” organs, which are ones they take on when matching a certain Vessel. However, Stavulus have extremely low chances of actually getting pregnant, even lower with another if not of their kin. Stavulus are usually born from the spring their fallen Guardian lays rest, but even that is not often.