Barry Callahan

[Last edited on the 13th of September, 2020]

"I never knew my mom. But sometimes I have this dream where she's smiling at me, and singing me to sleep. Do you dream of her?"

Barry asking Morpheus about his mother Natalya, at Camp Half-Blood.

Barnaby “Barry” Callahan is a thirteen-year-old demigod, the son of Morpheus and Natalya Callahan. Barry is the Head Counselor of Morpheus and at the Cabin of the Oneiroi.

Early Life
Barnaby “Barry” Callahan was born on the 23rd of June, to Morpheus, the god of dreams, and Natalya Callahan, a mortal woman. He was raised with his aunt and uncle after a monster attack killed his mother, and he was rescued by the police from the attack and given to his next of kin. He was given his name by his mother, who he spent one year with before the monster attack. He never went searching for his father, since Reuben and Summer told him he had died in the same ‘house fire’ that killed his mother.

Morpheus was never present during Barry's early childhood. Barry would sometimes feel a fatherly presence in his dreams, though it was hard to describe, and his aunt, uncle, and cousin all told him he was being silly. Soon, these dreams left him, and he joined in their belief of how silly he had sounded. His aunt and uncle made sure he didn’t think about his past, and only focused on his future.

The Russells
Though they may have seemed supportive when he was an infant, as Barry grew up his aunt, uncle, and cousin all grew to be malicious and refused to treat him as a normal member of their family, often taking away his food or his belongings if he misbehaved, or treating him horribly simply if they felt like it.

Mythological Occurences
Bizzare things seemed to happen to Barry wherever he went, and it distinguished him as a troublemaker in his home life and his schooling.

When Barry was a baby, he yawned and put his entire family to sleep, despite them all having a family dinner just moments before, only for them all to wake up hours later as if nothing had happened; each of them was experiencing a dream about tap-dancing penguins.

When he was a bit older, volunteer staff at his elementary school tried to kidnap Barry, though just like his family when he was younger, they fell sound asleep before they could make it out the door and were quickly dispatched by security. Though no one believed Barry, he could have sworn they had legs like snakes and fangs for teeth.

Early Expulsions
Barry has never stayed in a single school for longer than two years, and has been expelled from every school he has attended.

While attending the fourth grade, he was accused of letting off ‘sleeping gas’ on the bus during his class field trip to Vancouver Island while the chauffeur had been stopping for gas. While attending the fifth grade, he was accused of drugging his teacher’s coffee who had fallen asleep after he’d given her a mug for being his favourite teacher.

These instances made children less than friendly towards him and increased his family’s disposition for intolerance. Barry had been expelled from a total of four schools from kindergarten to grade six.

Leaving Home
One month before attending Camp, a boy appeared in Barry’s dreams with short black hair, blue eyes, trimmed black stubble, and some sort of bronze sword. He told him that someone would be coming for him to take him to Camp Half-Blood, where he would find more of his kind, and he could finally join his cousins. Before Barry could ask any kind of questions or figure out who he was talking to, he woke up from his dream to rocks hitting his window.

A boy about his age, with brownish hair and eyes, and scraggy features like he was hitting puberty pretty hard, introduced himself as Trev and told him that it was time for him to get to Camp Half-Blood so that he could start his training. In a moment of sheer curiosity, and a welcome excuse to leave behind an abusive family, Barry packed what little clothes he had and stole a bit of food and water from the kitchen. He left with Trev, who in turn brought him across the continent to Camp Half-Blood over the next month, keeping him safe from monsters though not explaining anything about Camp or his father since it would ‘put him in greater danger.’

Summer
Barry arrived at Camp Half-Blood after escaping a few scythian dracanae in a stolen car with the help of his satyr guide, Trev. After he crossed the threshold he was immediately claimed by Morpheus, and shortly after was elected counselor of the Morpheus cabin, which wasn't a cabin. In the original timeline, he learned of the conflict between New Mycenae and Camp Half-Blood after Mycenaen Poseidon attacked Camp, and was given a quest shortly thereafter to retrieve an herb from the mouth of the Underworld that would restore the mind of a shade that Chiron had encaptured. After succeeding in his quest with Deklyn Hayes, a daughter of Iris, Barry started training in forging with Brandon, a son of Hephaestus, and in sword skills with Jay Jones, a son of Ares; this was done in both the original and alternate timelines (this timeline business will be explained later.)

Autumn
Soon after his quest in the original timeline, wartime started ramping up. Barry spent most of his time training as the sky turned red and rain fell endlessly from above as Mycenaean Poseidon issued what was known as 'the Cull', an eradication of nearly ninety percent of the population. Camp Half-Blood decided to put an end to this war and marched on the Mycenaean host, and Barry fought in the Battle of New York against the Mycenaeans, also discovering a new power - the ability to draw strength from sand - and surviving his fight against Ajax the Greater. Mycenaean Kronos decided to fix the world with time magic, and Barry, along with the other half-bloods across the globe, were arranged into a new timeline where the conflict had never happened, and peace was restored.

Winter
After defeating the Mycenaeans, Barry enjoyed a relatively peaceful winter at Camp Half-Blood. He honed his skills in sword-fighting and forging, securing himself as a solid novice under Brandon's tutelage. Albert, the son of Phantasos that Barry had previously met in his dreams, reached out to him again and decided to train him in Hypnokinesis. To finish off the cold season, the Gods decided to show up at Camp for an Olympics, Barry met his half-sister Jupiter Johnson, and Morpheus finally met his son in the opening ceremonies of said games, telling him the truth of his mother's death, and that her final wish was that Barry would survive the monster attack that caused her death.

Spring
Barry spent the next few months training hard at Camp Half-Blood and competing in the Olympics to keep his promise to Morpheus of winning at least one event. Though he did manage to clutch at least one victory in an event involving the Stymphalian birds, Zeus scolded him and his teammates afterward for not winning in the way he had expected Barry and his teammates to win. Though his time in the Olympics was brutal and deadly, his time was not solely spent competing. Brandon trusted him enough to make full repairs on his own, Jay's training helped him get a solid grasp of the basics of sword-fighting with specialization in speed and agility, with only his base strength leaving something to be admired, and he had his first dance with his friend Robin at the Camp's March Dance.

Summer
(coming in September)

Personality
“And as she watched him bend for the herb and approach the most terrifying thing she'd ever come before, Deklyn knew she had more respect for Barry than anything else in this room.”

Deklyn's thoughts on Barry approaching Mycenaean Hades during their quest in the original timeline, at DOA Records.

Barry is a demigod with qualities many campers would admire. Barry is a supportive individual. He is a "universal helper" sharing his knowledge, experience, time and energy with anyone who needs it, and all the more so with friends and family. Barry was quick to involve himself in the decision making on various trials during the Olympics, as well as during his quest with Deklyn to the mouth of the Underworld in the original timeline. He is also an enthusiastic person. When the goal is right, Barry takes his support, reliability and imagination and applies it to something he believes will make a difference in people’s lives. During the Mycenaean conflict in the original timeline, Barry was a loyal soldier on the side of good, always eager to lend a hand to Camp Half-Blood's forces and the people of the world. He was also quick to take up training, forging, and riding lessons from his fellow campers, in order to gain as many skills as he could to be as useful as possible. Barry is also a loyal and hard-working individual. He often forms an emotional attachment to the ideas and organizations he's dedicated himself too. Despite being told to focus on his demigod abilities by his cousin Albert, Barry insists on continuing his rigorous training with Deklyn, Brandon, and Jay, despite learning something that doesn't come mythically natural to him. During a conversation with his sister Jupiter, Barry stated that Camp Half-Blood is more home to him than Vancouver ever was.

Despite these boons, Barry also has many less than admirable qualities just like his fellow demigods. He takes things too personally. Barry has trouble separating personal and impersonal situations – any situation is still an interaction between two people, after all. He often second-guesses himself on the simplest task, as seen during his many performances in the Olympic games at Camp Half-Blood. Barry also overloads himself. His strong sense of duty and perfectionism combined with this aversion to emotional conflict creates many situations where it is far too easy for Barry to overload himself – or be overloaded by others – as he struggles silently to meet everyone’s expectations, especially his own. When asked what Barry would trade for the Apple of Hesperides in the Olympic games, Barry said that to win and be seen as useful, there were a lot of things he would give up. He is also too altruistic. Being such a warm and good-natured person, Barry is willing to let things slide, to believe that things will get better soon, to not burden others by accepting their offers of help, while their troubles aren't taken care of. During the Mycenaean conflict in the original timeline, Barry was ready to head out into the world during the Cull to save even one human life, even though it would most certainly have been a bad idea.

Fatal Flaw
“How do you face Hades, Persephone, and Odysseus and freeze to a beast during a game?" 

Derek Ward’s thoughts on Barry during the Olympic Hydra Event, at Camp Half-Blood.

Barry’s fatal flaw is being a perfectionist: he would destroy an entire statue he made if one cut was out of place, or gladly accept deadly consequences if he had made a mistake.

Barry was nearly killed by this on his first quest in the original timeline, when instead of curing a Mycenaean Hades with what he thought was the correct procedure, he insisted on asking Hades if it was correct, spending more time than necessary in front of the King of the Underworld which could have easily resulted in his demise. During the Battle of New York in the original timeline, Barry challenged Ajax the Greater - an opponent four times his size - to a duel in order to distract him, believing that it was the right choice to make to keep this individual away from Camp Half-Blood's troops; likewise, this also could have ended in Barry's death, but he seemed satisfied with the consequences. While killing the Hydra in the Camp Olympics, Barry froze during Ward's commenting of his choice in battle tactics, causing Barry to assume he made a mistake and easily offering up the young demigod as a meal for hungry Hydra heads if his teammates had not been so steady in their approach.

Appearance
"The sight of him doesn't leave much of an impression on her, apart from that awesome hoodie."

Calista Fairfield's thoughts on Barry during a formal waltzing lesson, at Camp Half-Blood.

Barry is an average looking youth, with wavy, short, bleach blond hair in a slight and constant state of bed-head, with cerulean blue eyes that always seem a bit drowsy. He has a lighter than normal complexion for caucasian standards, clear of blemishes or scars. He has a tired but charming smile. Compared to other twelve-year-old boys, Barry stands a bit taller.

While on the road with Trev, Barry managed to find a long, black coat with numerous pockets and a purple and blue psychedelic lining on the inside, which he has since made a signature part of his appearance. Brandon has since changed this coat to magically transform into armour when commanded.

Like every camper at Camp Half-Blood, Barry has a leather cord hanging from his neck to display beads given out by Camp to celebrate the summer's events, and sometimes events that last a bit longer than the summer. Barry currently has one bead attached to the necklace to denote one summer of attendance.

Abilities & Tools
''“You have the same qualities as those you admire, of leadership and initiative. There are not many campers who took on the duties of counselorship and engaged in weapons training as readily as you. I had no doubt that you could excel given the opportunity of a quest." ''

Chiron talking to Barry about why he was chosen for his first quest in the original timeline, at Camp Half-Blood.

General Abilities=


 * ADHD: Barry's supernatural alertness and keen senses that keep him ready for, and alive in, battle. It also lets him analyze his opponents’ fighting style as well as pick up minor details about an opponent, such as where their muscles tense so he can tell which direction they'll attack from. This is one general trait of demigods.


 * Dyslexia: Barry’s brain is "hard-wired" for reading divine Ancient Greek instead of mortal languages. This, along with ADHD, is a trait common to most demigods.


 * Fighting: Barry is shown to be talented at sword fighting. During his first summer at Camp Half-Blood, Sword Skills was Barry's best activity, and he seemed to default to using a sword when things got difficult on his first quest with Deklyn in the original timeline. By the end of his first summer, Barry's skills with a blade only increased under the tutelage of Jay. In the Battle of New York in the original timeline, Barry not only survived the fight, but managed to take on multiple Mycenaean soldiers singlehandedly, and later fought Ajax the Greater with the help of a few other campers. He also survived the vanguard during a later scrimmage on a bridge. Robin Lee-Knoton, a good friend of Barry’s, has said he is an excellent fighter, and Lukas Kleiner, a counselor of the Eris cabin, said that he fights "pretty damn well," despite Barry using a weapon he was not proficient with at this instance. In the Camp Olympics during his first year, Barry was able to survive grueling events such as slaying a Nemean Lion, fighting off a swarm of Stymphalian Birds during a race, and felling a Hydra, displaying talent not often found in campers his age. His half-sister, Jupiter, thought of his fighting during the Stymphalian Birds event as 'breathtakingly brilliant', commenting on how he was 'the star of the show.'


 * Willpower: Barry is shown to have great willpower. His first display of this was when he was able to withstand the influence of Mycenaean Persephone in the original timeline and resist marching into the Underworld against his will during his first summer at Camp Half-Blood while on his first quest.


 * Forging: Barry is shown to have an interest in and understanding of metalworking. Barry was enamored by the sword Brandon forged for him, and eventually, Brandon took him on as an apprentice. Barry can work with steel and is able to make repairs to celestial bronze pieces, and is well on his way to making his first weapon.


 * Bravery: Barry is shown to have great bravery. On his first quest in the original timeline, when he managed to shrug off the impact of Mycenaean Persephone from his mind, he stood before Mycenaean Hades and offered to free him, which could have easily resulted in his immediate death. He was also the first camper to challenge Ajax the Greater in the Battle of New York in the original timeline to buy time for Camp Half-Blood's troops, even though it meant his demise if Ajax had chosen to accept. Barry also participated in dangerous events in the Camp Olympics, such as fighting and slaying a Nemean Lion and killing a Hydra, events which most younger campers decided to avoid.


 * -|Demigod Abilities=


 * Hypnokinesis: As the son of Morpheus, Barry has the innate ability to manipulate sleep patterns, and by extension, dreams.


 * Sleep Inducement: Barry is able to put one or more people to sleep. When Barry was a baby, he managed to but his aunt, uncle, and cousin to sleep for a few hours unintentionally. When Barry was a child, two people trying to kidnap him from school were put to sleep unintentionally by him during his attempt to escape their clutches. When Barry was in the fourth grade, he put an entire bus full of students and chauffeurs to sleep unintentionally. When Barry was in the fifth grade, he put his favourite teacher to sleep after giving her a mug for coffee. Barry first used this ability willingly to put Bryant Fredrickivic to sleep during a duel during his first summer at Camp Half-Blood where one was only allowed to use their powers to render their opponent defeated. Albert has since offered to tutor him on this ability, and he has gained more control, able to summon it at will if only a fraction of its true power. During the Olympics, Barry was able to put Orthus to sleep, a task he thought would be impossible. He is a novice in this ability and is prone to consequences after he uses it.


 * Dream Modification: Barry is able to manipulate dreams. When Barry was a baby, he made his aunt, uncle, and cousin all have the same dream of tap-dancing penguins unintentionally. Barry first used this ability willingly to change Evie Chambers’ nightmares to good dreams during his first summer at Camp Half-Blood. During the Olympics, he was able to perform minor magic while inside a dream of Hecate and Nike's making, changing the scenery around him to his advantage. He is a novice in this ability and is prone to consequences after he uses it.


 * Dreamscaping: As the son of Morpheus, Barry has the innate ability to interact with the Dreamscape, a plane of mystical morphing sand where dreams come from and return to.


 * Healing Sleep: Barry is able to heal injuries by accessing the Dreamscape through his dreams. Barry first used this ability after the Cull in the original timeline, where he healed an injury on his palm during one night's rest. Since his first attempt, Barry has learned to do this one on command. He is a novice in this ability and is prone to consequences after he uses it.


 * Psammokinesis: As the son of Morpheus, Barry has the innate ability to manipulate sand.


 * Bolstered Abilities: Barry is "better" while on sand, more alert and focused as if a year of experience has suddenly been crammed into his head, though once away from this source of sand the realistic exhaustion for whatever action he was performing immediately catches up with him. Barry first used this ability in the Battle of New York in the original timeline, when he used a sandpit in a schoolyard to take down multiple Mycenaean soldiers singlehandedly, and later defeat Ajax with the help of other demigods. He further uses this ability to train on the beach during most of his free time to get in extra practice. He is a novice in this ability and is prone to consequences - such as not being able to touch sand without feeling a burning sensation on his skin - after he uses it.


 * -|Magical Items=
 * Celestial Bronze Bastard Sword: A sword forged and given to him by Brandon, the head counselor at Hephaestus’ Cabin and Forgemaster of Camp Half-Blood. While dormant, it resembles a dream catcher keychain, and by pushing in on this keychain or thinking to ‘activate’ the blade, the full length is unleashed. To withdraw, Barry can either think to ‘deactivate’ the blade or twist the pommel, at which point it will return to its dormant form.


 * Leather Armor: A piece also forged and given to him by Brandon, enchanted to his black coat. While dormant, it looks like a simple jacket, but by pulling either of the strings at the hood the coat transforms into leather armor fixated for Barry's measurements. To return the armor to its jacket form, a chord close to the top of the armor can be pulled to magically transform it once more.


 * Barry's Sleepy Tunes: A CD made and given to him by Robin. It has music on it to help Barry relax or fall asleep, depending on the situation. He considers it one of his most prized possessions, even if it possesses no inherent magical value, and listens to it when he can on the CD player he got from the Camp Store.


 * Plate of Medusa: A set of armour, a purchase he made at the Amazonian marketplace during the Olympics. The face of Medusa is fit onto the chestplate on a stone slate, and it is said to scare monsters briefly at the beginning of combat to make Barry seem more intimidating.

Friends

 * Trev: Trev is a satyr that helped Barry escape the Russells and kept him safe while they traveled across the continent to reach Camp Half-Blood. Before Barry’s first summer, Trev allowed for Barry to make a quick escape from three Scythian dracaena that had been following them, leading them away while Barry stole a car and drove off to Long Island Sound, intending to meet Trev at Camp Half-Blood. Barry has not heard from Trev since this departure.
 * Brandon: The demigod son of Hephaestus was the first person Barry felt a kinship towards at Camp Half-Blood. Brandon forged Barry's first blade, and would later take Barry under his wing to teach him forging. Though Brandon can be a tough teacher and possess a cynical mind, he is the first positive male role-model in Barry's life and garners Barry's respect, and Barry hopes to someday show the same strength of will and character. Along with Deklyn, Brandon helped to give Barry his first animal companion, a pegasus named Pillows.
 * Deklyn Hayes: The demigod daughter of Iris was Barry's first questmate in the original timeline at Camp Half-Blood. Together, she and Barry ventured to the mouth of the Underworld to retrieve a herb to help tilt the scales in favour of Camp Half-Blood against the Mycenaean threat in the original timeline. She has been the first positive female role-model and earned Barry's respect, and he hopes to someday inherit her positive attitude towards an otherwise dreary demigod existence. Along with Brandon, Deklyn helped to give Barry his first animal companion, a pegasus named Pillows.
 * Jay Jones: The demigod son of Ares was the first and currently the only teacher of Swords Skills Barry has at Camp Half-Blood. Barry's skills with the blade have grown under his tutelage, and so has his scope of the dangers that await him in this life. Though not exactly the best of friends, Barry holds great respect for Jay's skills and hopes to be as fierce as the son of Ares one day in his life.
 * Robin Lee-Knoton: The demigod daughter of Nike was the first camper his age that Barry found kinship with. Their likeness for being prepared to fight monsters gave them something in common, and the two tend to train together to grow their skills in combat. Barry appreciates their friendship and hopes that he is as good a partner for her in training as he feels she is for him. Robin, for Christmas during Barry's first winter at Camp Half-Blood, made him a CD with music to help him relax and fall asleep.

Family

 * Morpheus: Barry feels isolated from but loved by his father. Though he has only interacted with him once, Barry received Morpheus' full attention during that time, and felt as if he was being looked after, and protected. Morpheus told him the truth about his mother's death and had confidence that Barry would win an event at the Olympics, and Barry feels a fatherly pride from Morpheus that he hadn't felt before, albeit a distant one.


 * Jupiter Johnson: Barry is still uneasy around his half-sister. He trusts her, feeling as though he has to, but she is still a new element in his life and he is unsure how to navigate no longer being Morpheus' only living child. Through the confusion, however, Barry finds a lovely presence in a caring older sister he never had before meeting Jupiter.


 * Natalya Callahan: Barry does not have any real memories of his mother, considering he was too young to remember her when she passed. Despite this, he has every intention to believe she is a better woman than her sister Summer and her family. Barry has had no contact with his mother since her passing and was too young to remember his year spent with her before the attack.


 * Reuben Russell: Like his aunt and his cousin, Barry’s uncle Reuben was cruel to him before he ran off for Camp Half-Blood. After his third expulsion, Reuben replaced Barry’s wooden door in his room with that of a jail cell door that locked from the outside, insisting it was an appropriate punishment. Barry does not intend to come back into contact with Reuben.


 * Summer Russell: Like his uncle and his cousin, Barry’s aunt Summer was cruel to him before he ran off for Camp Half-Blood. She would never respond to anything he ever said, and would consistently slip him a list of grueling chores each night that she would watch him do while reading the daily post. Barry does not intend to come back into contact with Summer.


 * Gunner Russell: Like his aunt and his uncle, Barry’s cousin Gunner was cruel to him before he ran off for Camp Half-Blood. After each of his expulsions, Gunner was allowed ‘disciplinary time’ with Barry, where he would try to beat up Barry while Reuben and Summer pretended not to notice. Barry does not intend to come back into contact with Gunner.

Gods

 * Artemis: Barry encountered Artemis in her Mycenaean form in the original timeline on his first quest with Deklyn. She was indifferent towards him and would have just as soon killed him as to let him go, depending on how their conversation had gone. Barry and Deklyn were able to escape when they brought the conversation to a peaceful resolution.


 * Persephone: Barry encountered Persephone in her Mycenaean form in the original timeline on his first quest with Deklyn. Barry fought against Persephone at the mouth of the Underworld during his first quest with Deklyn, and was able to shrug off her influence in his mind that was telling him to walk into the Underworld, to give up, and to die. She was taken away by Hades before any retaliation could be issued on Barry for breaking Hades from his Mycenaean form and resisting her influence on his mind and will.


 * Hades: Barry encountered Hades in his Mycenaean form in the original timeline on his first quest with Deklyn. He was working with a Mycenaean Persephone to pull Barry and Deklyn into the Underworld, but Barry was able to restore his mind with the herb that Barry and Deklyn had come to collect in the first place. Hades thanked Barry, and took the Mycenaean Persephone back into the Underworld, seemingly in Barry's debt, but that was just guesswork.

Enemies

 * Odysseus: Barry's rivalry with Odysseus started on his first quest with Deklyn in the original timeline. After telling Barry and Deklyn that Odysseus had manufactured the violence between Camp Half-Blood and New Mycenae, Barry felt anger rise in his chest and realized that Odysseus had to be stopped. Barry lost his chance when he was interrupted by the Mycenaean Persephone and Hades. After the creation of the alternate timeline by Kronos and the defeat of the Mycenaeans, Barry considers this rivalry no longer necessary as Odysseus has been defeated.

Allies

 * Albert: Barry's paternal cousin and a demigod child of Phantasos. Along with Barry, Albert is a demigod able to visit the Dreamscape, a plane of sand and dreams. He has offered Barry scarce advice, and Barry considers Albert to be a point of resource for all things unknown regarding his abilities and Morpheus. He has since started training Barry in Hypnokinesis, an ability Barry had no way of training previous to his teachings.
 * Pillows: Barry's pet pegasus. Like her mother, she has no sense of smell and is therefore not bothered by Barry's subtle scent of brimstone and machinery from his time spent in the Camp's forge. She is still very young, and though Barry and her have a steady relationship, it will be a while before Barry and Pillows will make a true team.