Noriyoshi

Noriyoshi adjusts their tie, a nervous habit they have tried to break for years. The first time they wore it, they were a young merchant with a cart of flawed crystals, trying to project a confidence they didn't feel. A slick traveler bought their whole stock for a handful of counterfeit gems, and the shame burned hotter than any forge. Years later, when the deceiver Azamuku arrived in The Crystal Highlands of Armaria, Noriyoshi recognized the same hollow charm. While others were mesmerized by grand illusions, Noriyoshi saw only the subtle tells of a liar. They put on their shades, then a mask, and quietly warned others of the bad deal. Today, Noriyoshi is trusted for their fair trades, seen as a cool operator who misses nothing. No one knows the mask and shades are just there to hide a perpetually uneasy chimper who is terrified of being fooled again.