Chimper #4321
Ariichi remembered the bitter taste of ozone after the warding crystal shattered, a failure in their duty to contain the echoes of Kodai's ancient madness. Their training partner, a quiet chimp who seemed more at home with scrolls than sabres, found them staring at the glittering shards. In The Crystal Highlands of Armaria, most sought power; Ariichi’s partner sought balance. While Ariichi practiced the grim sword forms meant to sever psychic tethers, their friend studied harmonic frequencies. When the echoes overwhelmed Ariichi one day, filling their mind with rage, it wasn't a blade that saved them. It was their partner, who coaxed a soothing resonance from a nearby monolith, calming the storm. The other trainees call them Ariichi the Glad, seeing only the easy grin. They don’t see the shared silence that makes the smile possible.
