Veshek has the mostly human silhouette of a refined merchant, but his tan scales become denser around his throat, cheekbones, wrists, and the backs of his hands. They have the dry, pebbled texture of sun-baked clay and catch light like tiny flakes of old brass. His narrow cobra hood remains folded close behind his head except when he is startled, furious, or making a theatrical point. His green eyes are glass-bright and unblinking, with black pupils that narrow to threads beneath the marketplace glare. He moves with a careful, gliding economy, never wasting a gesture unless he intends an audience to notice it. His smile is warm enough to invite trust, yet his needle-point teeth make the kindness feel measured. Unexpectedly, beneath his immaculate robes, his left shoulder is permanently stiff and slightly hunched from an old injury, giving his elegant posture a faintly crooked imperfection.