The Baroque Custodian emerged from the AI's earliest attempts to preserve its art collection, developing sentience through constant exposure to masterpieces. When the digital corruption began spreading, the Custodian allied with the Preservationists, combining Aria's art historical knowledge with its own digital preservation protocols to create a hybrid defense system.

The Custodian manifests as a semi-corporeal entity with gilded circuitry tracing baroque patterns across its form. It can temporarily stabilize corrupted artworks by projecting preservation fields, though this drains its energy reserves. Its core contains an encrypted archive of original artwork schematics, allowing it to detect and repair deviations from authentic forms.

The Baroque Custodian serves as the Preservationists' chief art restoration system, operating throughout the digital realm to identify and repair corrupted artworks. It coordinates smaller preservation drones while advising Aria on critical restoration priorities.