Character Q&A: Kaja & Ezo (Patreon)

Sorry for the late upload gang, it somehow slipped my mind yesterday until I woke up this morning and had an Oh Shit moment because I thought today was Thursday lol.

The poll results came in with Kaja & Ezo having the majority vote! Let's see what kinda of questions we've got ✨

Tell us something about yourselves. Let's start with Kaja! How did you end up in the army?

Kaja: "Well, I'm actually from a relatively well-off family. My mother and older sister both studied at the School of Marabad, and my mother became a magus blacksmith. I have a fondness for weaponry because of it, and I was physically quite fit, so I thought, why not put all that to good use?" 

What about being a blacksmith, like your mother?

Kaja: "It was tempting, but... I like using weapons more than creating them. The warding and sigils used on the weapons is how I became interested in warding magic. Also for armor, but it's not as interesting to me as using a sword that can cut a hole through the air itself. Nothing can compare."

What about you, Ezo?

Ezo: "For me, I ended up recruited into the army after a commander witnessed me out-aim his own soldier during a knife throwing contest. I was from a small village without much to do outside of farming and such, and there were always bandits around the corner, so I thought I could serve everyone better by being trained in the army." 

But evidently, you haven't gone back to your village.

Ezo: "I go back whenever I have leave, but merely by being in the Imperial Guard is an effective deterrent. I made it known far and wide that I belonged to that village, so any thieves or bandits in the area know by now that if they harass anyone there that I'll come for their heads. I've had to make some examples a few times before they learned." 

How and when did the two of you meet?

Kaja: "We actually met back in the Imperial Army; we were both being disciplined for acting outside of our orders." 

Ezo: "I'm not ashamed to say I instigated that incident." 

What incident?

Ezo: "Back in Zerat, there were some sellswords being paid by a rich merchant to threaten their competition out of business, but they terrorized ordinary citizens too after becoming emboldened by the merchant. Extortion, intimidation, assault, you name it.

"Our superiors were telling us to ignore it, and I assumed the merchant had bought them off as well. So, I got a few of my comrades together to solve the problem." 

Kaja: "A friend of a friend pulled me in for it, it was fun!" 

How, exactly, did you solve the problem?

Ezo: "We beat the shit out of the sellswords. How else would we solve the problem?"

Kaja: "Turns out that didn't solve the actual problem, though. Our superiors were apparently gathering evidence to have the merchant and the sellswords condemned by a judge and arrested lawfully. Which, uh... our little intervention almost ruined that plan. Hence the discipline."

Ezo: "Still worth it. All's well that ends well, right?" 

Why do you listen to A and D? 

Ezo: "Because they're our superiors?" 

Kaja: "Wait, are you saying we don't have to listen to them?" 

Ezo: "Sure, if you want to get kicked out of the guards!" 

So is it only because of hierarchy?

Kaja: "Well, no. Captain Mirza and the High General clearly know what they're doing, and we trust their judgment." 

Ezo: "Right. I wouldn't still be here if I had to work for a couple of idiots." 

Kaja: "We respect them for the same reasons, but in different ways. General Dara/Delal is actually rather soft with people they like, once you get past their terrifying exterior; you can be a little bit looser with your manners around them, and they won't give a damn. Captain Mirza, though, is the opposite."

Ezo: "I still flinch at the idea of doing something wrong and earning a glare from the captain; they hate when people act overly familiar with them. I swear they can stare right into your spirit." 

Speaking of which, what do you think of the Crown? 

Kaja: "They seem nice." 

Ezo: [snorts] "Sure, but it'll take more than that to be the Crown." 

Kaja: "At this point I suppose we're just waiting and seeing how they do!" 

Any thoughts on them as a person?

Kaja: "Well... they definitely seem easier to get along with than a sanctimonious noble or some condescending magus. I met so many of those while studying at the School of Zeratun, ugh." 

Ezo: "So far, they haven't been lording their authority over others, so there's no reason to dislike them. It remains to be seen whether it stays that way." 

Kaja: "I mostly feel bad for them, to be honest! They look like they've gone through a lot."

Ezo: "We've all gone through a lot... but the Crown certainly looks like they could use a few days of sleep." 

Would either of you ever consider helping the Crown hone their self-defense and magic skills if they asked you personally?

Kaja: "YES!" 

Ezo: "Calm down. We would help appropriately, and only for self-defense." 

Kaja: "Oh please, the Crown has already been through TWO assassination attempts. They need to know effective killing methods in case-" 

Ezo: "Ignore this little ball of barely contained bloodlust. Killing is not a joke, and should not be treated as such." 

Kaja: "I'm not treating it as a joke, I'm treating it as a hobby." 

Ezo: "...Now you're messing with me."