Edahiko the Rooted

The wizards of the highlands have a saying: a memory weighs more than any monolith. Edahiko learned this truth beneath a fortress of collapsed midnight stone. They were once a promising student, their bright eyes poring over ancient charts that mapped the hum of the spinning crystals. During a magical surge, the fortress buckled. Edahiko lit their guiding lanterns, trying to lead their mentor through the crumbling halls, but the ground gave way. They awoke scarred and alone, pulled from the rubble by the same quiet tribe that would one day adopt Kiti. But while Kiti arrived with no past, Edahiko was buried by theirs. They never left the ruins, forever tending their lanterns at the edge of the crater. Other chimps call them the Rooted, for they are anchored to a ghost only they can see.