Kumeshirou

Kumeshirou tapped their carved cane against the white marble of the imperial plaza, a sound as soft as a heartbeat against the city's golden roar. It is said they were once the most celebrated artist in The Teikodian Empire, their brush capable of painting the scent of rain. By their side was always Tashimuko, a childhood friend who ground their pigments and shared their quietest dreams. But the Emperor demanded Kumeshirou paint glorious lies—battles won that were never fought, heroes sculpted from butchers. For refusing, their face was made a canvas for imperial wrath. Cast out with nothing but their cane, they began to wander, carving the true faces of the empire into the wood—a traveling gallery of dissent that no gilded wall could ever contain.