Tamegorou

The twin lanterns Tamegorou carries were meant for painting. In their youth, the soft light helped them mix pigments under the purple skies of The Great Panda City, illuminating the delicate brushstrokes on rice paper as cherry blossoms drifted past. Then came the first scream from the city's edge, a sound carried on the freezing mountain wind. The Panda Council called for all able-bodied chimps, and Tamegorou brought their lanterns, intending only to light the way for healers. But their steady light became a beacon in the chaos, revealing shadow-lurkers the guards missed. They never picked up a sword, but their lanterns became a weapon of clarity. These days, the lanterns guide patrols instead of brushes, and the face they illuminate is always one of wide-eyed surprise, as if Tamegorou still can't quite believe they are part of the fight.