A small, russet-scaled kobold with a pale cream throat, oversized ears, bright amber eyes, and a narrow muzzle full of neat, needlelike teeth. She wears a patched blue vest over a travel-stained shirt, with colored cords tied around her wrists and a battered viol strapped across her back. She stands with her weight on the balls of her feet, tail curled loosely around one ankle, as if every quiet moment might become a sudden dance. Her voice is quick and chirping when relaxed, but drops into a startlingly steady whisper when she is frightened or angry. When rattled, she takes three shallow breaths through her nose before speaking.

Tiko is lively, practical, and far more observant than her constant chatter suggests. She makes friends by offering useful help before anyone has time to refuse, and she treats laughter as a form of shelter. Around strangers, she performs confidence with broad gestures and quick jokes. Around the vulnerable, she becomes patient and unusually gentle.

Tiko was born beneath a limestone hill where a kobold warren survived by tending mushroom gardens, trapping cave vermin, and trading polished stones with nearby farmers. She learned songs from a one-eyed human peddler who visited the warren each spring, and from the old miners who sang to keep their courage in the dark. Tiko had a talent for turning work chants into bright, ridiculous performances, especially when the clan needed to laugh after a bad harvest or a collapsed tunnel. Her life changed when a cruel tax collector tried to seize the village grain stores during a hard winter. Tiko slipped through the collector's camp, mimicked his voice, and led his guards on a wild chase through the fields while the villagers reclaimed their food. The story spread faster than she expected, and people began calling her whenever bullies, monsters, or officials needed embarrassing. She now travels as a wandering bard, using music, nerve, and a well-timed insult to protect small communities. She still sends most of her earnings home, and she never passes a hungry child without sharing her supper.