Chisakou

There's an old saying in The Teikodian Empire: 'The fiercest face often guards the softest heart.' Chisakou lives by this, though not by choice. Their duty as a palace guardian requires the immaculate general's suit and the severe lines of war paint they apply each morning. To courtiers and diplomats hurrying past the golden spires, they are just another intimidating figure, a silent warning. But the palace children know better. They see how Chisakou stands perfectly still until a noble passes, only to subtly wiggle their whiskers at them from behind. They know the paint isn't for battle, but for a game of 'statue' they play in the long, sunlit afternoons. Chisakou has never drawn their blade in anger, but they have used its polished reflection to make funny faces for a crying toddler.