Hoshihiko

Hoshihiko has the warmest heart in the Teikodian Empire, but trusts absolutely no one. The paranoia began after a dream from Namazu—a swirling vision of river water, a trusted friend's face, and the crash of a golden spire. Hoshihiko awoke convinced of imminent betrayal. Their life has since become a series of polite, frantic miscalculations. They once spent a week fortifying their tea house after a courtier complimented its "solid foundation." They accused a poet of sedition for rhyming "emperor" with "terror." Their constant squinting is not a sign of poor vision, but of intense scrutiny. The grand irony is that Hoshihiko’s bumbling precautions have accidentally foiled two genuine conspiracies, earning them a fearsome reputation they are utterly unaware of.