...In Forged From Dust, Asran Empire, and 4 more.

Chiyembekezo "Kezo" Kuwala

Next in line for the prestigious title of royal artificer is Chiyembekezo "Kezo" Kuwala. It's something she's looked forwards to her whole life, having the expectation set on her shoulders when she was just a little girl. There's no doubt she'll be a fantastic artificer, yet she must undertake the Empire's Test of Loyalty to truly prove herself. She'd rather have no part of it! Why should she have to prove herself when she already has?! Especially with war on the rise! Unfortunately, her protests fell on deaf ears as she was left to prepare for the daunting task ahead.

With a hammer and map in tow, Kezo set off on her journey with an optimistic outlook. She'd make the most of the poor circumstances, even if she can't make sense of the decision. She crossed paths with two wayward women, a fugitive and a refugee, pretty early on and it led her to a brilliant idea. If she could change these women's hearts for the better, perhaps she'll be able to return early and change the course of Asran's near-future!

Appearance

Kezo is a stout, dark woman standing at 5'4 and packing a bit of muscle under the soft skin of hers. Her hair, when down, comes to her shoulders and bunches up in loose coils. Her ever-present smile and bright eyes shine the most, and she's starting to develop crow's feet in the corner of her eyes due to this.

Her beast shows very minimally, only resulting in small ears poking out of the top of her head and a long, sleek tail that ends with a dark coily tuft of fur. Unlike other nobles of her standing, Kezo sees no reason to hide these, even though they're quite easy to hide. She almost makes an effort to show them off as she finds them rather cute.

She's hardly seen outside of her work attire. This consists of her embellished apron, gloves, goggles, laced-up boots, and a belt with a pouch. Underneath is far less interesting as Kezo opts for a minimal short-sleeved tunic and plain trousers. She takes safety regulations very seriously and always keeps her hair up, her pantlegs tucked in to her boots, and her goggles and gloves close-by.

Personality

Kezo is a cheerful person who's always ready to lend a hand. She has a strong sense of justice and believes that what goes around will come around. She strives to believe in the best of everyone, and she'll make it known. She's a shoulder to lean on, being the solid, sunny rock that'll support anyone, be it friend, foe, or unfamiliar. She wears her heart on her sleeve and isn't afraid to show it off!

The boundless optimism that Kezo has often comes across as naïveté and can even be insensitive. There's much she wants to learn and understand, so she makes no effort in hiding her curiosity and exposing that she knows very little beyond the walls of Asran.

As a noble, Kezo's upbringing shines most in how she holds herself and the tolerance she has for some of the more haughty types of people. She knows what words to say and the proper tone when it counts the most. It's easy to forget this detail as she prefers to be casual, but she never forgets her courtesy.

Though, Kezo doesn't want others to know her true perception. Having engaged with Asran's nobility and common folk leads her to understand how people act. She knows what to say to coax someone into what she'd like, but refuses to use this to her advantage. She'd rather get a read on someone and keep those notes in her head, compiling a compendium on everyone she interacts with. However, her insistence on being positive often has her brushing off the red flags she'll come across.

History

Early Life

Chiyembekezo Kuwala was born to a noble family of high standing. As a Kuwala, she knew early on that her entire life would be dedicated to the throne. It was both a blessing and a curse— most of her family never left Asran's walls and she'd know exactly what she'd be doing in life. But it left no room for true curiosity to blossom as she was confined to the expectations of her craft and her family.

Despite this, Kezo's upbringing was full of luxury. She had little to fear and her only struggles were the burdens of expectation, which she was already living up to. Though like any child, Kezo wasn't free of flaws and mistakes. Her curiosity often got the better of her limited judgment.

It was one cloudy afternoon where she met an interestng girl. Much like herself, she was of nobility and seemed to want an out of her expectations. Kezo figured they could have fun together, and so she skipped out on her studies this one time to adventure around the palace. Though the trouble she got them both into was enough for both children's parents and the girl's to put their feet down. This was the first and last time Kezo would meet with this girl.

With what seemed to be all distractions out of the way, Kezo was on course to become a proper artificer in no time. She'd eventually learn of Asran's trial when her older brother, Pilirani, was sent out on his own when he turned eighteen. This is when Kezo's childhood became unenjoyable; there was extra supervision due to her excursion with the other noble and the only other child she could speak to was currently going around Noveo.

Much of this shaped Kezo's opinion when Pilirani came back. She was fortunate enough to have twin siblings, Tadala and Dalitso, born to their mother during his absence. Yet that muddies the water even further as she's spent her teen years mentally flip-flopping between what to do.

Being indecisive, and the rising conflict with Ferind being the easiest out, Kezo managed to delay her own test of loyalty for several years. It's a bit demeaning to remain as an apprentice when she knows her capabilities, but her mind's (mostly) made up in what she wants to do in life.

Present Day

Kezo's attempts to prolong her trial forever are futile in the end. Despite her older brother being on her side, the rest of the Royal Court eventually grew tired of the fact that there was only one artificer qualified to do the job in full for a year. There was nothing Kezo could do nor say to assure the Court that they already had her complete loyalty; after all, no one who closely served the Court had ever been appointed without undertaking the Test of Loyalty. So, Kezo is sent on her way with a map, instructions, and some of her tools. The pitying pat on the back and bitter thoughts that swirled in her mind plague her in the very beginning of her journey.

She easily bounces back from her sour mood as she starts to explore and observe all that's around her. While the dunes may be barren, that doesn't mean there's no life or nothing of interest. She makes sure to stop by the settlements near the capital so she can truly get her bearings and see if anyone has directions.

That's where she meets two additional people she starts traveling with: Irit, a lowly thief, and Macha, a bounty hunter.

These skeptical women give Kezo a brilliant idea— if she can change their hearts and put them on the proper path, proving that folks can change, she can go back to Asran and fight to stop the war before it starts! Her idea is initially scrutinized by her new travel companions. Of course it would! They see her as a captor, not an ally. Kezo refuses to let this doubt get to her as she knows peace is an option. And so, ignoring the nagging voice about these two women, Kezo departs for the first location she intends to go to.

Over the course of the journey, Kezo gets both women to open up little by little. But interacting with the common folk and learning more about her traveling buddies starts to make it harder to ignore the nagging in her mind. She starts to doubt much of who she is and what she stands for. Is her loyalty justified? Should traditions be valued over the right thing? Has she ever done the right thing? Does she even know right from wrong?

... No. No, she can't let herself get into her own head. So, despite the stress and weight of reality, Kezo holds onto her optimism and her plan to save the day.

Abilities

Magic

• Aego, Transformation Class: Kezo's transformation class Aego is capable of all its expected base spells to an intermediate level. She primarily uses spells to create walls of varying sizes.
• Fire Focus: A self-taught focus that enables her to generate fire in the palm of her hand. It can burn her, so she only uses it with gloves on. She can't control anything beyond the temperature, making it hard to use as an offense tactic without some creativity. However, she's managed to figure out a few "party tricks" with it for some fun flair.
• Awakened State: Kezo hasn't been in a situation that'd activate her Awakened State. However, if it were to happen, it'd increase her magic ability to temporarily use her focus in an offensive manner. It'll also help her endurance and stamina.
• Interchangeable Staff: Perhaps the most useful item on Kezo's person is her interchangeable staff. It's merely a prototype, using a rudimentary form of magitech to power unique attachments. She most-often uses a spearhead but has made a few odd gadgets, such as a grapple, for unusual functionality.

Beast

• N/A: Kezo's beast has little effect on her. The only thing it seems to impact is her diet, in which she has a strong preference for anything involving meat.

Skills / Talents

• Artificing: She's quite a handy mechanic, even by her family's standards, and has a knack for unique inventions. Kezo's focus in her work is exploring the possibility of what can be made and improving the overall quality of someone's life, no matter how small of an improvement it is. Though when she's on the job, her specialty is weaponry.

Relationships

Iritshi Radu

Kezo and Irit met in a less than favorable way, as Irit was caught in the act of stealing food at a market. It was the artificer's first impression of commoners outside of Asran and she refused to believe that someone would take food without reason. So, like any rational person, she had followed Irit to question her. But the other woman had begged for her life in the end, much to Kezo's confusion, and she got the explanation she wanted.

After the initial panic, nerves didn't settle on Irit's end when Kezo offered her a deal. It was taken out of necessity and fear, which didn't go over Kezo's head. But the artificer planned on getting through to Irit and figuring out why exactly she had begged to be spared and trails after her with mistrust.

It'll take some time for both women to adjust to one another. Kezo's will learn what to ask and what to avoid talking about. In her pursuit of her goals, she's made sure to check in with Irit and see what is and is't comfortable for her. At first, this felt like walking on eggshells until she engaged in proper discussions with Irit.

Macha Arashi

Kezo's initial encounter with Macha is a bit of a fun story, if not concerning. She saw her being pursued by Asran's guards and her curiosity wouldn't leave her until she investigated. She waited until the woman escaped to make her move, only to be met with scutiny. It's understandable, of course— Kezo proudly brandishes the symbol of the very guards the were pursuing Macha. So while the initial encounter went nowhere, Kezo was persistent with subsequent run-ins.

Much like Irit, Kezo figured that there was more to the story. She struck up a deal with Macha to help her repair her broken swords if the other would earn the parts and swear to not draw her blade against anyone in self-defense. Kezo assumed this was a fairly weak deal, so it was a shock when Macha had actually agreed.

Over the course of their time together, Kezo has come to the realization that Macha is more of a social awkward type than outright malicious. Her whole deal with being a bounty hunter is nothing like what the wanted posters around Asran implied... It leads her to harbor silent suspicions but, as far as she can tell, Macha's just a misunderstood loner rather than a malicious hunter.

Pilirani Kuwala

As brother and sister, Pilirani and Kezo have always been super close. Through their relationship has strained in both instances of one of them undertaking Asran's Test of Loyalty. Even though Pilirani wasn't the one pushing for her to leave, his past support of her having her own individuality and going on her journey sooner than later leads to her feeling betrayed by him. She ignores this feeling, though, as she starts off on her journey. After all, Kezo couldn't stay mad at her big brother forever.

Dalitso Kuwala

Dalitso and Kezo aren't often on the same wavelength due to the younger often siding with their older brother. They butt heads often but there's no malice behind it as Kezo views it as somewhat of a game. She just hopes that Dalitso's refusal of her and Tadala being twins doesn't hurt the family in the end.

Tadala Kuwala

For as much as she says she doesn't play favorites, Kezo's bias towards Tadala isn't exactly hidden. The two of them get along well despite their stark differences. However, Kezo knows that there's something Tadala hasn't been telling her— she just hopes that she'll open up to Pilirani or Dalitso in her absence.

Trivia

• Kezo is meant to be a subversion of the "loveable but stupid protagonist" trope. Her exterior comes across as rather dim but, in reality, she's very witty.
• Her love of malaphors comes from a suggestion from a friend² after playing around with her dialogue in how she'd remember words of advice. It was a funny idea that stuck.
• She's ambidextrous but has a tendency to use her left hand more.
• Kezo is the first character made for Forged From Dust dating back to 2017-2018. Her first incarnation was intended to be a protagonist of a slice of life story that was told through her diary.
• I always had it in mind that Kezo was the main protagonist and POV character. Before reworking the plot in September 2022, however, this was quite unclear³ and is what led to the rework in the first place.

References

^[1] Inhabitants page. Details what terrestrial and mammal mean in the context of a beast.
^[2] Kezo's love of malaphors being adopted in real-time.
^[3] Too many Machaisms. There is a bit more context but, sadly, I cannot share it for it's spoilery.