Yayuka

Yayuka was the dojo's most promising student. Their fall from grace was not from a blade's edge in a duel, but from a moment of selfish pride during a brutal winter exercise. They were discovered hoarding provisions—including a celebratory cake meant for the survivors—while their peers endured near starvation. They were not exiled, but publicly shamed. A slice of the stolen cake was placed upon their head as a mark of their failure, and they have refused to remove it since. These days, Yayuka paints their face for a war against their own past. They live a solitary life by the training grounds' lake, their fishing rod used to provide for others, never themself. Their poker face hides a deep well of regret, their squinting eyes constantly measuring the honor they lost.