#HSFR scholar

[sciencelings-arts]

She’s known as the Reborn Queen of Light, the Savior Princess, the Sage of Time, Formerly, the Light Dragon. But she prefers Miss Zelda, or Doctor Zelda, or Professor Zelda, or simply a Scholar.

Alt versions and lore below the cut

Changes: dragon eyes, eyelashes, removal of wing ornamentation, tear effects.

MASTER SWORD SCAR REVEAL: yeah that left a mark lol

Fivehead reveal

[sciencelings-arts]

Some are consumed by the light, and some have it all burned out if them.

Separate and alternate versions below the cut

[science-lings]

Also also for the ask game: asexual

"I'm glad you're like me," Sage muttered into their partner's ear while they both procrastinated leaving their large bedroll, the chill of the ice cave around them didn't feel inviting just yet.

"I know, I feel the same way," Scholar replied, refusing to even open her eyes. They'd had the conversation before, her champion had always been hesitant about relationships, knowing that they were sure to put another's momentary pleasure before their own comfort, but that wasn't a problem with her. Neither of them had ever thought they'd find someone who would've been able to compromise on such a seemingly fundamental part of life, but for once, fate was kind.

[science-lings]

After playing totk has anything about Sage and Scholar changed?

oh of course! HSFR was always meant to take place after everyone's whole world-saving quests (though I didn't expect the gap between botw and totk to be so large... I may have to make the duo older than I had originally thought I would have to), and while I have many many ideas, I'm still in the process of figuring it all out in a way that won't drive me insane lol.

For instance, I'm having some regrets about my recent totk Sage drawing, like how I should've added some kind of jewelry or something made from the shards of the light dragon's horns or have braided a bit of her glowing gold hair into their own, perhaps as a way of mourning her during the game when they thought she was going to spend eternity as a dragon.

Before totk came out, when all we knew about was the weird arm and everyone wanted to see Link as an amputee, I was and am part of that crowd, so I always had it in my mind that Sage would lose their arm, though I wasn't sure of the specificities. Now I'm even more sure of that decision, though now I know what I want to do with it! No sheikah replacement arm or just a permanent knob (though those are very valid and cool) I felt the need to lean into the necromancer vibe that I based Sage on, and that led me to having the idea of a ghost arm. It's not there all the time and it takes effort and practice to get it to appear but once it's mastered, they can control how solid it is and where, so they could stick their hand through a wall and grab something on the other side or use it to catch an arrow without hurting them. They lose Rauru's arm powers though so no more magic levitation or glue.

I haven't even drawn totk Scholar yet, bc I know I'm going to keep getting ideas for her design, so far I am definitely going to keep her glasses, bc while she doesn't need them for normal activities, they're good for reading or magnifying tiny words on ancient monuments or looking at bright glowing mechanical parts for long periods of time without damaging her retinas.

And while I love to implement the light dragon into her design (and I definitely will) I don't think I want to give her horns. I was thinking that instead, I'll give her a crown of glowing antlers that are made in a way to parallel the laurel wreath that Sonia has. I still want to give her funky eyes and maybe an odd glow to her hair and markings that are references to the spikes on her back. Maybe some glowing scale-like marks but who knows.

I'm going to be honest, I don't love her ancient outfit, I don't think she deserves to be stuck in a sleeveless white dress when she's shown to obviously prefer pants. I guess it makes sense for the past bc almost everyone wears skirts anyway (except Ganondorf I think), but I do like some of the ornamentation and the layer of green-blue under the skirt. I might do something with that but idk yet. I just know I want to give her a more androgynous vibe and let Sage get her feminine energy lmao.

So uh, yeah, Sage and Scholar are going to change a little, it's going to be fun!

[science-lings]

sage and scholar for the character bingo

I have so many thoughts about these two you guys have no idea

[science-lings]

Anything about sage and scholar?

They’re adopting a child and that child is the link from the first loz who I made up like a day ago and his name is Gish and he is babey and about as old as Wind is in LU.

[science-lings]

Would love to see what you would do with this, just randomly popped in my head,

Valley seekers

Or

It's Okay to be Okay (taken from song by Harry hudson)

For both of these, I immidiately thought of Sage and Scholar. 'Valley Seekers' would be them going through the canyon that leads up to the forgotten temple, (likely right before canon in hsfr, or like that's where the incident that separates them happens), besides the ominous ending, it would be kind of a fun road trip fic that focuses on them being kind of in love but maybe a little awkward about it.

The second one would be Sage dealing with guilt for actually having a good time for once in spite of everything they have been through. There are days and weeks without nightmares and with actual healing and they start to feel guilty for not being as affected as Scholar is about everything. There's still a massive disconnect between who they were before and who they are now so it's hard for them to conceptualize just how bad the calamity was, and they feel bad for not being sympathetic enough. This was the world they were reborn in, it's all they know, they love it this way, but there are scars on the land and on their body that they just don't feel the implications of. In this one, I don't think that Scholar would be able to feel better, or anyone else that lived through the Calamity but still grew up knowing about it. Like Paya or Riju. Maybe to Scholar or Impa, Sage's indifference to the tragedy that had befallen them with their own eyes would seem unbelievable, maybe that would be what gets them to accept that they aren't the same person as before, they there's no way to get that hero back.

Send me a title and I'll tell you what fic I'd write with it!

[science-lings]

The children of the land

(fourth)

Sage and Scholar being nomadic little gremlins, I mean, they're the hero and the princess of the wild for a reason. Would likely include hunting for elixir ingredients, like small animals and large monsters, hanging out with the guardian dragons, helping other travelers, cooking with limited resources, setting things on fire, and not having adult supervision aside from the spirits of the champions who couldn't stop them if they tried. Let the princess be covered in dirt, the hero isn't the only feral creature let loose on Hyrule.

Send me a title and I'll tell you what fic I'd write with it!

[science-lings]

Wouldn’t it be cool if crows had more importance in totk? Because in botw they were always associated with the mystical and the magical, like when they circle shrines or are at sacred places like the lost woods and satori mountain. And, well, it just makes sense putting birds in the sky, right?

I wouldn't be surprised. I think they're funny bc while they are known to hang around sacred and magical places but are still seen as an ill omen. Maybe the sky islands will have new birds because they're so high up, but I like the crows a lot.

[science-lings]

Do you have any plans on what to do with Sage and Scholar in regards to totk? Like are they from before or after?

Or are you waiting to decide until you have played totk?

they're from after totk, at least conceptually. I wouldn't be surprised if I had to adjust their designs a little to fit my ideas I get during totk. Sage already is missing an arm and even though I haven't updated their scar map since the first one that I did before some of the more recent trailers where we get a better look at how the malice just charred their arm, I'm definitely going to make their burns more severe. I haven't decided on how I'm going to deal with their missing arm yet, if they're going to have a prosthetic or if the zonai arm is there to stay or if I'm going to just give them a funky ghost arm lol.

So far I've just made Scholar's hair even shorter and her fashion style more adventurous and androgynous. But I could see giving her subtle face markings like she has in the trailers and even adding even more as I play the game.

Unless I get some banger inspiration from the game I'm pretty confident in most of their designs, I'm really happy with the majority of their designs but I'm also open to changing them if I get interesting ideas lol.

[science-lings]

Ooh I love general

Are those markings under his eyes real scales or makeup? Does he have any other serpent traits?

They're real! That's just how his face is lol. When your dad was a dragon in human form, you tend to inherit a few things. So far his dragon traits are mostly magical. Aside from his eyes glowing a bit and having batches of scales on his body, his dragon power is mostly in his ability to use fire magic. He can withstand infernal temperatures and touch lava with his bare hands, he can summon a serpent made of flames from his fire rod which is his main weapon. Maybe he can breathe fire, I'm still working it out lol.

[science-lings]

Okay here is what those mean:

option one: HSFR/ totk Dark Link, grown from the severed arm of the hero that fell into the depths, there's a creature who thinks they are the hero, lost in the darkness, trying to find the light

option two: Hey remember Ravio from my priestesses au? well I wanted to redraw him with his albino raven flavored Sheerow

option three: I wanna redraw that one LU Time I did where his face is half obscured by darkness and that was the FD side and stuff glowed like wouldn't that be neat now that I'm better at drawing and can execute the vibes better?

option four: I've been talking about my totk roleswap au Sage of Time Link a bit lately and I want to draw him bc he is a lot different than his sage of spirit version. at least visually and how I want to project his form.

option five: My girl Scholar (hsfr botw/totk Zelda) needs an updated redesign that actually fits in with what happened during totk. I want to make her look Cooler.

[science-lings]

I’m so close to being done with page one of my totk color palette project and I wanna get back into full on drawing lol

HSFR characters left to redesign:

Scholar (BOTW/totk zelda), Linkle (HW), Tetra (WW/PH), Adult Timeline Shade (Oot Zelda/Sheik but more piratey), Ilia (but with the concept art forehead fairy thing)

Blended Universe designs I wanna do at some point:

Hywild, Lewild, blupee flavored Lewild

[science-lings]

I am an indecisive person

[science-lings]

Context:

Sage: Botw/Totk Link (they/she)

Hunter: TP Link (he/him for now)

Gish: og loz/aol Link (he/they)

Scholar: botw/totk Zelda (she/they)

Guardian: AoC Link (he/him)

Heir: AoC Zelda (she/her)

Hero: oot/mm Link (he/they)

Fierce Deity: Fierce Deity (it/its)

General: HW Link (he/him)

Choice 1: Sage knew Hunter in his wolf form during botw but hasn’t seen him since they defeated the calamity, they kiss their wolf buddy :(

Choice 2: I’ve talked about this before but originally when the chain first links up they don’t really trust each other but especially not Sage bc of his whole necromancer vibe, but Gish gets it.

Choice 3: just the end scene of totk but Sage loses their arm and Scholar gets to be a little dragony (it goes down a little differently)

Choice 4: you know the whole thing where the og loz link is supposedly destined to be king? Well he can do that in the future too and I want to delve into his family issues.

Choice 5: classic AoC duo meets botw/totk duo, they both see what could’ve been, what they lost and what they were able to gain, there’s drama and emotions and stuff.

Choice 6: we should normalize casual oot link and fierce deity interactions, what if they were buddies and the FD is just a little weird and not used to human things (but hero grew up with only plant kids so he doesn’t know much either)

Choice 7: Sage struggles with their amputation and with the most unreliable limb replacement they could’ve gotten, may include Captain (ww Link) bc I haven’t decided if he has a peg leg or smth yet. Probably hurt/comfort vibes.

Choice 8: Hunter has been isolating himself for somewhere close to a decade, but now he’s getting attached to the people he’s with, including one that he already kind of thought of as a son. So I guess he has to deal with that…

Choice 9: sometimes you think you’re the only weirdo out there but you aren’t. This but with dragon people, their experiences aren’t that similar but the aftermath turns out to be closer than they could’ve thought.