Ekuka

Ekuka wears the marks of a warrior, but their heart belongs to the quietest soul in The Great Panda City. As a mystic sworn to defend the city’s high-altitude passes, their dragon robes and severe face paint are a promise of violence to any threat. After duty, however, they shed that identity by the river, fishing rod in hand. That is where they met a quiet ink-grinder who never flinched at their appearance. This person saw the weariness in Ekuka’s wrinkled features, not the threat in the paint. One day, the ink-grinder gifted them a small, lucky sprout. Ekuka now wears it always, a tiny green thing growing defiantly above the harsh lines of their war paint. The city sees a guardian; their quiet friend sees the gardener beneath.