Tsugie

Tsugie is the most steadfast guardian in all of Waterfall City. To the fishers working the docks, they are a river spirit in disguise, claiming the bait on Tsugie’s head is an offering to the currents. Merchants in the upper plaza see only a stubborn traditionalist, whispering that the old-fashioned mutton chops and odd spectacles prove Tsugie is too rigid for a changing world. The city’s children, however, tell a different tale. They know Tsugie as the one who uses their grand adventure sword not for battle, but to slice perfectly even apple wedges. Each story holds a piece of the truth, but none grasp the whole. They do not know of the promise Tsugie made at the foot of the fish statue—a private vow to protect this place not out of duty, but out of a debt only the roaring water remembers.