Chimper #2406
Should a traveler in The Crystal Highlands of Armaria see a grim figure with faded war paint streaking their face, they would be forgiven for assuming the worst. But the wrinkled mouth and gazing eyes belong to Hikoro, a scholar whose endless, cheerful chatter about rock formations earned them the nickname. The paint is not for show. It’s a relic from a life spent over tactical maps, where their counsel sent legions into battle. They saw strategy curdle into slaughter one too many times in the service of a forgotten warlord. After one final, pyrrhic victory, they simply walked away, trading the silence of a command tent for the ambient hum of Armaria's monoliths. They apply the paint every morning, a ritual to honor who they were, so they never forget why they choose to be someone new.
