Chioko

The most sincere diplomat in the Teikodian Empire, they called them, and their only currency was a bowl of hot ramen. Chioko’s little stall was a pocket of warmth against the capital’s cold, gilded architecture. It was there they met the Emperor's cartographer, a soul weary of mapping lands for conquest. At first, the cartographer only came for the food. Soon, they stayed for Chioko’s stories of the world beyond the gold-spired palace. The cartographer spoke of political chambers and shadowed corridors; Chioko spoke of mountain sunrises and the taste of salt from the sea. One evening, the cartographer arrived not with maps, but with a packed satchel, trading a life of imperial service for the uncertainty of the open road. The adventure sword on Chioko’s back was no longer just for them.