Estimea by @The-Wizard-of-Zaar (The Wizard Of Zaar)

Estimea is a young Eym woman born and raised in the Kingdom of Lykon. She is an orphan and was one of the lucky few orphans of Lykon to become an army cadet at a young age. Sparing her a lot of the starvation, violence and abuses experienced by many orphans in the slums of Lykonnian cities.

Never having met her father, and remembering very little of her mother; she knows no family other than the Lykonnian army. Based on her prior experience as a cadet throughout the entirety of her childhood, she was allowed to enlist as a Stratikion in the Lykonnian army at the age of 15. Something very uncommon for a female of that age, particularly as female soldiers within themselves are quite uncommon.

She has had a long and modestly distinguished career as a Stratikion (Soldier), having served in roles such as logistics, construction, sentinel and scout duty. She has become highly proficient in musketry, boxing, wrestling and has become an accomplished swordswoman. Life has a soldier has built her up into considerable physical strength and athleticism for a woman, particularly of her shorter stature.

Her current role is in messenger duty, something she has done for the last three or so years; giving her an opportunity to make a tidy but illegal profit as a "Knocker"

Knockers are outlaw messengers, delivering secret, small and illegal correspondence and parcels for personal profit. As all written messages, private correspondence, deliveries and logistics must be monitored, facilitated and regulated by the King's messenger service (As with all government organizations in Lykon, it has been infiltrated and taken over by the Yashan.)

Thus Estimea whilst on her official messenger duties, smuggles prepaid letters and small parcels for those of credibility whom are willing to pay. But it is a dangerous side hustle, one that could have her imprisoned, whipped, relinquished into enslavement to the Yashan or even executed.

Estimea is an otherwise disciplined soldier, self sufficient and she considers the Lykonnian army to be her family. Though she is patriotic to her nation, she has a secret distain for the current ruler King Urkeleis; a King who is embarrassingly inept and blatantly a puppet of the Yashan. She gets along well with other soldiers, however to others she can come across as a bit stiff, friendly and polite; but a bit guarded and... Boring. Though she is a lover of songs and singing, and has a hidden silly streak to her.

But she remains in the army, as she values the relationships she has made with her fellow soldiers. She values the structure and discipline of army life, the army is all that Esti really knows and ironically; there is more freedom, independence and security as a career soldier in the Kingdom of Lykon than their is for most civilians.

Estimea's life is due to take an unexpected turn. The world she knows will be turned upside down, lines between friend and foe will become more nuanced and even blurred at times.

She will find her closest friend in an unlikely place and they will be there for each other in their greatest times of need, her lover will be from a completely different world to her own and they'll together speak a secret language of sadness and pain... Her most long time foe, yet most potent ally will be one in the same, that person will live in the shadows of her friends.