#goron chief

[imaginethezeldaverse]

May I request some headcanons fo Darunia? If you aren't too busy of course)

Oh you mean my dad? The Goron who raised me? The whole reason I love and appreciate the Goron people in the first place and is legit the OG Big Guy (that's not an exaggeration either, Gorons had their first appearance in Ocarina of Time - MY first Zelda game). Of course I've got headcanons for you!

His sense of duty and Goron pride is limitless. He's chief for a reason and he acts the part in every sense of the word. A Goron who is very much about taking care of his folks. From leading all of Goron City to prosperity however he's able to to even giving his own life to try and save every single one of his people from Volvagia.

Darunia owned a replica of the Megaton Hammer. Its visage and creation was a combined effort between himself and Biggoron. Darunia hatched the idea to have it made shortly after Young Link destroyed King Dodongo. Fearing that they would run into another situation where their food supply would be cut off, Darunia made sure to have a means to destroy obstacles that threatened Goron City - a myth from Goron legend that the chief saw fit to make a reality. Combined with Biggoron's master steel craftsmanship and a bit of magic that he had imbued into it, Darunia saw to it that no one would be able to wield the ‘Megaton Hammer’ save for himself and Biggoron. It isn't until he awakens as the Sage of Fire, after Link destroys Volvagia in the Fire Temple and ultimately returns the actual Megaton Hammer to the Gorons, that he is able to summon and wield the real thing.

He is a bit of a hard ass. He's not quick to accept help if he doesn't want it (as we saw in Ocarina of Time), mostly because he feels as chieftain of the Gorons, he's capable of doing whatever it is he needs to do on his own. Darunia is incredibly strong, he's aware of this, but that strength can make him stubborn, and it takes him an inane amount of time to admit his shortcomings on a personal level. Being a leader everyone looks up to makes it hard for him to show vulnerability. When he's in a good mood though, he can be a little impish. Loves to give noogies and bear hug at any given opportunity. Definitely need to watch out for those hearty head pats lest ones end up in the ground.

During his time as chief, he remained undefeated in the Goron track races. All that raw power he possesses showed when he was able to launch himself at speeds that left even the heads of other Gorons spinning. His son, Link, was very fond of watching his father race - it was an activity of interest that he shared with Darunia - and the two would roll on the track together quite often. When Darunia set off to the Fire Temple to try and save the kidnapped Goron citizens, his son curled up onto the racetrack in the city and rolled continuously (until actual Link's arrival), the action serving as a means of comfort for him knowing his father was potentially heading to his death.

Darunia can't help but dance to lively music due to the royal family! At first Darunia despised showing up for diplomatic meetings with other figureheads to yammer on about the ongoings of Hyrule, but the one year he happened to be at the castle town grounds during a festival. The blaring music with its up-tempo beats had him moving his feet in no time once he caught the rhythm. That's how people learned that Darunia was a pretty animated dancer, and how Darunia himself learned that was his favorite way to destress.

Has wrangled bulls for the farmers in Kakariko Village as well as Talon over in Lon Lon Ranch. Every once in a while they'll get loose, and seeing as how they have big horns and even bigger bodies, no Hylian in their right mind would dare try to round them up themselves. Often that becomes a task they call upon Darunia for, which he actually enjoys doing. There isn't too much on Death Mountain that challenges his strength so being able to go toe to toe with a beast that actually makes him work? He's all in. As soon as people hear the Goron chief pounding on his chest in a battle cry, they know that bull is as good as caught.

[hyruleairbnb]

Old men

I just wanted to draw them

[doodlesbf]

Doodle of the chief of the gorons

Name: Daniel

[rockingthegraveyard]

My theory for the absence of Teba in the new TotK trailer is the injury he sustained in BotW.

Obviously he made it back but perhaps the injury was more serious and debilitating and is no longer able to fight or maneuver as he once could. Which is why we see Tulin in the trailer instead of his father. 

[mirensiart]

Been thinking about possible sages/npcs that help out KeyChain during their adventure

And like, I was thinking about

Earth sage: komali/medli rito descendant

Wind sage: korok and disciple of makar

Fire sage: goron named Link lol since I like the idea that post OOT all the goron chiefs kept the tradition of naming one of their children Link like Darunia did in honor of the hero of time, which plays with the idea that in KeyChain era the name Link is hilariously common

Water sage: really want them to be an anouki 👀

I have names and the designs of them rotating in my head, so if I get the inspiration I might draw them some time

[quasar-kaiser]

WIPs/doodles for mapping out the sams zelda au because I thought I should post something

For now the plan is:

Moon as Link

Sun as Zelda

Eclipse as Ganon

Bloodmoon as Kilton and Koltin

Earth as Gerudo Leader

Monty as Goron Chief

Gemini as Rito Champion/Zora Royalty

Solar as Zora Royalty/Rito Champion

Lunar as Master Kohga

and like it could be fun to have Computer/Spaniard in the Sheikah Slate

oh and I might make KC a Lynel or Hynox or something, and Ruin a Wizzrobe cause they're little shits (not set in stone at all though haha)

[sunnidaydreamer]

Sure you COULD write Ganondorf as being cursed, or influenced by Demise.

You COULD make him the end result of Demise’s anger.

Or you could... do other stuff.

Let’s use Tears of the Kingdom as an example.

So, what we know/see in game is Ganondorf trying to take over the kingdom of Hyrule.

How did we get here?

Well, we know Rauru was trying to unite the people under one rule. His rule. Sure the Zora’s would keep the King/Queen title, the Gorons and Rito would have their Chief, and presumably so would the Gerudo.

So, Ganondorf and his Gerudo are fighting for independence.

How does this switch to trying to take over?

Well, maybe Ganondorf takes a good look at Hyrule one day and thinks to himself: Hmm. That’s a lot of good land. Plenty of water, space to farm and build.

Unlike the desert, perhaps.

Maybe what started as a fight to stay independent turned into wanting that green land and plentiful water.

A better life for the Gerudo.

Maybe it escalated from there, over time.

Maybe we went from independence to wanting resources to thinking

Why should RAURU be King? Why shouldn’t I, GANONDORF, be King?

See where I’m going with this?

Might just be me, but that sounds a lot better than: Ganondorf is EVIL because EVIL always goes against the Royal Family, and Rauru is the King of LIGHT, so Ganondorf is EVIL.

Food for thought.

[askthenewritoelder]

Have you met the other champions? What are your thoughts on them?

I’ve had the opportunity to meet them on multiple occasions, mainly on official business.

Lord Daruk has a strong personality and a heart of gold. I don’t get to see him as much as the others…trekking Death Mountain is always difficult, especially for us Rito. If I didn’t drench myself in fireproof elixirs then I’d burn to a crisp before I even reach Goron City, though I guess that’s something universally shared amongst non-goron folk.

Lady Mipha is soft spoken and kind. She often offers a quick check up when I visit Zora’s Domain. Her healing powers are extraordinary and extremely helpful on the battlefield, but her spear wielding skills are second to none. It’s always nice to see her interact with Prince Sidon.

Lady Urbosa is definitely not how I initially expected her to be. She has an unyielding aura; fitting for the Gerudo chief, and yet she seems to get tired from discussing official business easily. When I have the chance to speak with her, she’s quick to ask about Saki and Tulin, or suggesting activities for the future. I’ve never participated in sand-seal racing, but I’m open to the idea after some practice. I’ve heard she has a strong tolerance for alcohol…that could be a challenge I’m more than willing to partake in.

[iiryebreadii]

Eldin region questline: oh man, learning to be the goron chief is hard work! character growth! yippee!!

Faron region questline: haha deku scrubs love to be trendy!! they think the rifts are cool and eat cotton candy, yay!!

Lanayru region questline: this orphaned child is all alone on a snowy mountain and thinks he’s been left in utter solitude because he is isn’t good enough for his big brother to come back for him

[ezlo-x]

gorons chiefs dealing with the process of grief of losing a loved one since day one

[zeldadiarist]

Golden Chain AU: Worldbuilding

Hello! It's time I already shared these notes that have been sitting in my drive for ages - I wrote them in 2019!

Since I decided to gather everything in one post, it's going to be long, so read under the cut!

1. The basics

Name of the country: Great Kingdom of Hyrule

Regions: Central Hyrule, Hebra, Akkala, Eldin, Necluda, Lanayru, Faron, Gerudo.

Capital: Castletown.

Insular territories: Eventide Island, Tenoko Island, Wintre Island, Lanayru Sea Archipelago (Tingel, Ankel, Knuckel and Davide islands), Lomei Island.

Official Language: Hylian.

Measuring system: metric, established by Queen Zelda V (Botw) during Hyrule Restoration/Renaissance.

Approximate size: Hyrule is a small continent in itself. Every region has around 60-100k km2.

Population: around 30 million people. The population growth was really slow after the calamity (population was barely on the thousands)

Neighbors: Termina to the north (Frontier checkpoint is North Lomei/Deplian Badlands lol), Calatia to the Southwest (Checkpoint: Tanagar Canyon/Hemaars Descent). Both countries are considerably smaller, but developed and have active trade with Hyrule.

Time usage: 24-hour, sexagesimal system.

Seven day weeks. Naming convention:

Monday-Nayday

Tuesday- Twiliday

Wednesday- Wingsday

Thursday- Faesday

Friday- Faronday

Saturday- Timeday

Sunday- Dinsday

13 months of 28 days (lunar calendar), the remaining day is New Year’s.

National flower: Silent Princess

National motto: Post Tenebras Lux (After Darkness, Light comes)

Flag: Hylian crest in gold over three bands (green, blue, red)

Anthem: none, but Zelda's lullaby is the only tune associated to the kingdom.

Demonym: Hyrulean for them all, but also are used the ones describing regions/races: Hebran, Rito, Akkalan, Goron, Eldinian, Faroner, Hatenite, Necludan, Kakaricon, Fielder (central Hyrule), Towners (Castletown).

2. Historical structure

The kingdom of Hyrule counts years since its foundation, everything previous (pre and skyward sword) is prehistory, since there were no written records. Year zero is the crowning of the first king of Hyrule - the grandson of Sksw Link and Zelda. The establishment of the monarchy leads to a dynasty that is interrupted by the Calamity.

The modern history of Hyrule begins when the Hero of the Wild saves the kingdom, and the monarchy is re-established under agreement of the remaining settlements, tribes and kingdoms, bringing another Golden Age that ended with the reign of king Rhoam II, father of the “Bastard Queen” - Zelda’s grandmother Zelda (born Viridiana).

3. Political and internal organization

The Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and the regent is active in politics, as head of the state/executive power. The King/Queen is also the Commander in Chief of Hyrule's Self-Defense Forces (HSDF), comprised by:

Knights of Hyrule

Gerudo Guard

Royal Guard

Zora Guard

Goron Fighters (army and spec ops such as rescue and first response stuff)

Coast guard (Navy)

Air Rangers (Air Force, led mostly exclusively by Rito Warriors)

Civil Guard (police, firefighters, lifeguards)

Each one of the branches of the HSDF has a leader, commanded by the ruler in power.

People who want to join the HSDF enter Hyrule's knight academy, and undergo training for four years (two years basic training, two years specialization), and rotate through the regiments.

Hyrule's intelligence is the Sheikah. They sort of separated the Sheikah as institution from the warrior clan, but it's still comprised mostly by them. They also develop a lot of technology for civilian and industrial/defense purposes.

The legislative power lies on the 150 representatives of the High Council, elected every five years, with only one re-election term. They have a president, elected to represent them all during official acts. Name of current president: Rhett Groose.

The King/Queen besides the council has a set of ministers to assess them more directly, chosen after receiving nameless dossiers (blind selection). They stay in their positions until the ruler deems necessary. Longest length of ministries have been under Zelda VI’s reign: her initial cabinet stayed with her for over fifteen years.

Each region has a governor, Except for Lanayru, Eldin, Gerudo, in which the Chief/Regent of the tribe is the highest political authority.

The King/Queen is the highest ranking civil servant of the country. The house of Hyrule has ruled more or less steadily for 500 years after the Calamity.

The crown has a matriarchal rule.

The firstborn by birthright inherits the crown, but if at any point before the current ruler passes away or abdicts, the title goes to the next of kin - preferentially a daughter of the house.

Upon coronation, the ruler names a cabinet of ministers, and designs a knight to be their champion.

Five years after coronation, the citizens evaluate the ruler through a binding referendum. If the ruler is disapproved (over 60% reprobation), they are forced to terminate their rule and the next of kin takes the crown (every prince and princess receives the same education to be fit to rule). This measure can be invoked anytime again during the reign, through the people themselves, who have to bring the request through the high council. Queen Zelda V put this measure to avoid abuse of power and tyranny from the crown.

3.Towns and Cities

The cities are mostly the same settlements after the Calamity, and some others were recovered, turning into boroughs of larger cities, or small towns. Several new towns match the former stables they were once.

Hebra: Snowfield, Rito Village, Pondo’s Lodge

Eldin: Goron City, Foothill Town, Shadow Hamlet

Akkala: Tarrey Town, East Town, South Town

Lanayru: Zora’s Domain

Necluda: Kakariko Village, Hateno Town, Dueling Peaks Town

Faron: Lurelin Town, Lakeside Town, Highland Town

Gerudo: Gerudo Town, Canyon Town.

Central Hyrule: Outskirt Town, Riverside Town, Gatepost Town, Outpost Town, East Post Town, Deya Village, Rauru Town, Serenne Town, Castletown.

Great Plateau: Eastern Abbey Village

The capital of the Kingdom grew massive after the restoration period ended, and has several boroughs: The Quarry, Mabe, LonLon, Civic Center (formerly Castletown jail), Downtown (divided in Upper-Lower West/Upper-Lower East side).

4. National Parks and protected areas

Hyrule takes extreme care of its environment, not only because of ecology, but also because nature is sacred for being one of Farore’s gifts. Zelda VI (Viridiana) had to undo several older laws regarding industrialization, because they weren't sustainable and would destroy nature and the balance long term.

Main parks:

Hebra Mountains

Hyrule Great Forest (Deku Tree, sacred site)

Eldin Canyon/Death Mountain

Deep Akkala (Spring of Power)

Mount Lanayru (Spring of Wisdom)

Farone great forest & lake Floria (the green lung of Hyrule)

Gerudo desert (specifically some archaeological sites)

Pillars of Levia

Tanagar Canyon

Oseira plains

5. Economy

Hyrule’s currency is still the Rupee, abbreviated Rp. It’s still used in the same physical form, and fifty years from the start of the story in digital form, for electronic transactions and such.

Since for a long time the country lived barely there during the Calamity, people worked strongly to have self-sustainable communities, and this remained as a trait of the economy, which is circular: there is a strong repair - reuse - recycle culture. Zelda does a lot of thrift shopping, not only because she’s a cheapskate, but because it’s most common for the average citizen. Link has mostly new clothes because he uses tech gear (and due to his size he needs to get things custom made).

Communities generate their own energy, having a clean energy plant in their regions, all connected for a general supply if needed (Hebra has windmills, Gerudo solar panels and so on).

Hebra produces wood for construction, paper and others, central Hyrule, cattle and dairy, faron does agriculture, and fishing, lanayru manages water and electricity (hydroelectric plant in upland Zorana), Eldin does all mining and manufacture, Akkala and Necluda do Farming and agriculture besides industrial activity (Sheikah tech). Gerudo produces fabrics, glassware, tapestry, and luxury items, such as jewelry, high fashion clothes, etc.

Tourism is another of Hyrule's forte. People travel a lot, whether nationals or foreigners. The crown has always incentivated tourism (although they do not travel for leisure often, specially Zelda, who only knows Gerudo Town and Kakariko).

Monopolies are illegal, and the law establishes limits to the riches people can gain to avoid inequality gaps.

Taxes are according to income, and the return is very low, since they finance social insurance, health and education,and basic housing, which is free and universal.

Private property is allowed, and the trade is free but overseen by the state. Excess accumulation of riches is frowned upon - and researched by the Internal Revenue Service of Hyrule’s Treasury.

The minimum wage is for minimum work, but still a livable wage.

6.Spirituality

Hyrule as a secular state has no official religion. The church of Hylia is the most important one though, for Hylia is the guardian Goddess of the land, besides the Golden Three, the mother Goddesses.

The cult is very lax and open, pretty much like Shinto, with small shrines scattered across the land, taken care of by a Sheikah monk, or a priest or priestess of Hylia. The priests/ess hold no particular vow. They train for their duty at the great plateau complex. Zelda is a priestess of Hylia due to her powers, but she only partakes in certain rites, like funerals, weddings, and naming ceremonies.

People worship certain things/values associated with the Goddesses: Nature is revered for it is Farore's gift, same with education for Nayru, and martial discipline for Din (sorta like Greek areté/Roman Virtus). Hylia's attribute is spiritual enlightenment.

The Sage head of the great plateau complex is the highest spiritual authority in Hyrule along the high priestess of Hylia (role fulfilled by the ordained daughters of the royal line.)

7.Magic

By definition is the ability to use the energy that surrounds us in order to defend oneself or others. Most of the time invoking natural forces, like in the case of Din’s Fire, or akin to it.

Magic generated with the purpose of malicious harm, torture, cursing is considered dark magic and deemed forbidden. Exception: Zelda’s Phantom.

Magic has a set of rules:

use it for self preservation or to protect others, never for harm.

actions have consequences of equal dimension.

clear and pure intention must always be behind it, you cannot use it for evil purposes or illegal gain.

You cannot revive the dead. Necromancy is taboo.

The golden rule: what magic gives, magic takes, aka Equivalent Exchange. For a magic user to grow or earn power (such as unlocking sealing magic/the Triforce) they must let go of something as a sort of tribute.

Glamour spells are used as camouflage in certain occasions (like undercover missions), mostly by Sheikah agents.

There are incredibly few magic users nowadays in Hyrule: some Sheikah (less than ten, and mostly on glamour spells. Impa is one of them), Sage Rauru, and Princess Rutela of the Zora, a renowned healer (skilled, but not to the level of her aunt Mipha, who could almost bring people from the verge of death).

8. Culture

Common customs:

Every baby has a naming ceremony, ten days after their birth.

When children turn 10, there’s a small celebration about cherishing childhood, related to the hero of time. Kids (no matter the gender) wear green.

Coming of age is at 17. It is celebrated in a formal fashion, with a sort of party that is halfway between a graduation and a debutante ball. Zelda hated it because she felt like she was a walking meringue pie with her formal dress.

Gerudo

The structure of their society is matriarchal. Men generally have the role of caretakers, and do housework. Before the Calamity they were kept out of town, but after it, they were welcomed, incorporating to their society, participating in a more domestic fashion.

Since men were scarce or away, lesbian/pan relationships are completely normal. Women would take a concubine to procreate, or adopt. Now it's IVF and/or adoption.

Clothing is genderless for them, there’s no "feminine" or " masculine" style. The basic garments are linen caftans and pants, very colorful, and use lots of jewels. They are considered the most stylish and fashionable amongst the peoples of Hyrule.

They are extremely polite and well-mannered. You’ll never see a Gerudo cursing, lest in public. For the same reason, they are the best diplomats and speakers. Gorons are always thankful of how easy to understand they are.

They tend to be politely distant with strangers, but once they warm up to them, they are ride or die, brethren for life.

They were the first to recognize a third gender, and call them “vae” (portmanteau of vai+voe). The word permeated throughout the land. Vae covers all non-conforming gender expressions.

They are the masters of women’s studies, health, pregnancy and childrearing. If you have fertility issues, no matter the race, you go to see a Gerudo Ob-gyn, they’re the best.

Sand seals are still the region’s mascot.

Their cuisine is always flavorful, spicy, and fragrant - they will silently judge you if you don't season your food properly.

Youngsters at seventeen - last year of hs- go into a compulsory exchange program, equivalent to when the tribe women left the town to see the world.

Gerudo weddings have a very romantic ritual: couples meet under the full moon on Lover's Pond and eat a pomegranate together before the wedding. On the wedding day, after taking their vows (written on their own), one of their spouses takes the other on a ride around the town.

Funerals last a week: after a day of wake, the ceremony is held, then the body is cremated. At the seventh day, the ashes are thrown to the desert. After that, relatives stop wearing mourning clothes. They keep a small shrine at home with a picture and burning incense.

Live the same as humans, with an average of 85 years.

Rito

Very art-focused, they excel in music, but are into all arts and crafts as well. Every Rito knows to sing and play at least one instrument.

They used to be a very formal society regarding gender roles (women were discouraged into participating in martial arts and combat), but they slowly changed.

The Rito still have the tradition of a Village Bard. The current bearer of the position is Sagi Blackwing, father of Taka, Marshall of the Air Rangers.

Rito elect their chief democratically, and they have indefinite reelection terms.

They are very blunt and straightforward in nature, despite their graceful forms and manners. Gorons like that.

They are pescetarians. Fowl is kinda taboo, but will eat game or beef if necessary.

Rito families are very large. When a Rito sees another one somewhere, they say “I’m from the [insert family name] of [insert place]”, similarly to Scottish clans.

Weddings are lavish and have a very colorful party with lots of music and dancing.

Births have a very domestic celebration, but they go all over when their little ones learn to fly.

Funerals are very solemn. They burn the body, and throw the ashes to the wind, as the bard plays a beautiful requiem.

They live around 60-80 years.

Zora

Due to their status as the most long-lasting of the Hyrulean species, they are the keepers of the history of Hyrule, in charge of records and archives outside the castle.

Said records are kept in stone, like they have done for ages. But they use digital copies too nowadays.

They still pretty much have the same structure they had before and after the Calamity.

They have a strong sense of collectivity and equality. The ruler never takes political actions without the agreement of their subdits.

They excel in arts, history, and traditional martial arts.

Mostly pescetarian. They tolerate chicken, but don't eat red meat.

Masters of water sports and swimming. King Sidon is still the diving and swimming champ of the Domain - he still teaches the little ones to swim, “just like my sister taught me”.

King Sidon is the longest living individual being in the land with 605 years of age, he has the honorary title of “Venerable Sage”. He says he probably is going to be ready to pass onto the Sacred Realm when he sees “another Link being a Hylian Champion”.

They love being verbose. The Gorons have difficulty to understand them sometimes.

They are not so favorable of interspecies relationships, because of their longevity/ past history of tragic relationships.

Births are warmly celebrated. When Princess Rutela was born, the celebration lasted a month.

The funeral of a Zora is epic: they go Viking, and after a wake and a ceremony, they burn the body on a raft on the Lanayru sea. After that, the family hosts a feast to celebrate the departed.

Goron

You don’t have a family? 100% chance you’re getting adopted by them. Say hi to your 94976937832 new brothers.

Prepare to eat rocks, literally.

They don’t get puns unless they are rocky. Nor double entendres, so communication always has to be very clear and literal with them. They get along wonderfully with the Gerudo/Rito because of this, not so much with the Zora. Hylians/humans and Sheikah have to explain always things twice.

They reproduce asexually. They all come from the “mother rock”, a sort of nursery cave near the caldera of Death Mountain (a la Kindergarten from Steven Universe). They are all aces.

They use “goro goro” as pet word.

They have an almost childlike sense of wonder; they are super warm, open and welcoming to everyone.

They practice tough love, in the sense a goron hug is really tight. Like, you’ll be kinda dizzy for a solid 15 minutes.

They choose their chief through a trial of strength.

Goron sumo is the national sport, followed closely by goron golf.

They still don’t understand why all other races use those shiny rocks that are inedible (i.e. rubies, sapphires, diamonds, etc.). They say “why do you like to wear rubbish?” - I guess someone’s garbage is someone else’s treasure, bro.

Never interrupt an argument between two Gorons. It's RUDE.

They live around a hundred years. When they are about to die, they go back to the mother rock, to the same book they came from,and they fuse with it, giving way to the formation of another goron. They don't make a big deal over it, since they say 'brother went back to our mother'.

Hylian/Human

The only difference between a Hylian and a human is the ears. Who proved that? Science. It's a mutation. Deal with it. Thus, they have gotten over this complex of “race blessed by the goddesses” that existed until before the Calamity - except for a handful of twits.

Humans were scarce during the Calamity, but they slowly reappeared. The current rate is 55% Hylian, 45% human. They are more an ethnicity than a race.

Hospitality is very important for everyone, ever since the Calamity. There is always a spare room or couch to crash in, and there is always a seat at the table for anyone who needs it.

Every family acquaintance is dubbed "aunt/uncle/entle (nb term)".

Learned a lesson from the Gerudo and the Sheikah, and broke gender barriers to the point sports are not divided by gender.

Hylians are specialists in bakery and pastries. During the Restoration, hylians took to heart to recover the culinary traditions of central Hyrule.

Because of their love of carbs, they don't mind a bit of roundness around the edges (a chubby girl is dubbed 'a tiny Goddess', after the goddess statues)

Weddings are simple, mostly held at the house of a relative doing written vows, or a city hall one, to be later crowned with a feast with plenty of food, and a huge wedding cake.

Funerals are short, one day of wake, one day of funeral. The body is cremated, and the ashes put in a box that goes to a small grave relatives visit oftentimes.

The life span is in average 85-90 years.

Sheikah

"Pure" Sheikah do not exist. They can be mostly Sheikah, but they are mixed. Despite that, their genetic features (white hair, reddish brown eyes) are strong, and tend to be passed down.

Matriarchal society. The chief is almost always a woman, although male chiefs have existed, such as Lord Shigure, father of Impaz, current chief.

They still use their traditional clothes most of the time, and/or mix them with modern ones.

They still prefer traditional housing over modern buildings, at least at a residential/suburban level. The manor of the chief is built in traditional style too, and it's located at the center of the city. It's the oldest building in Necluda, and one of the oldest in modern Hyrule.

They cultivate traditional martial arts and other combat techniques, besides science (Akkala and Hateno labs are the tech centers).

Prepare to eat pumpkins in everything. And rice. And apple pie.

Extremely respectful of other people in general. They are amazing hosts. Their parties are incredible.

Weddings are very symbolic and full of rituals. The Sheikah chief offices it. Bride and groom meet each other at the gates of a shrine along their families, and the chief "merges" them by tying the bride and groom's hands with a red ribbon. Then both drink rice wine from the same cup, and then received the blessings of the Goddesses and the spirits of the land. Once married, they parade around the shrine along the whole family. At the gate the receive another blessing, as their families are now one.

Funerals are very solemn. They burn the body and bury the ashes at the cemetery, placing a jizo/goddess statue on top of it. Kakariko cemetery is the largest and most ancient of the country. Even the Royal family used to be buried there.

Their life span is the longest among humanoid species: 150 years.

9. Holidays

Hyrule has 6 big holidays:

“Day without time”: New Year, coincides with Spring Equinox, because of association with rebirth. People gather at home and feast on a big family dinner. One hour before midnight, all lights are out everywhere, and stay like that until midnight, where the royal family rings the bell of the castle at the same time as the new Temple of Time and light a torch that is used to light paper lamps, and get released to the sky. Everyone does the same at home with candles, and welcome the new year going to shrines/temple (if they are believers) or spend the day with their families - making resolutions you generally never accomplish or wishes at the temple is a funny tradition for everyone. Flower arrangements are the key decoration for the event, and goddess statues all over wear wildflower garlands, generally made by children. Zelda and Link love this holiday because they get to eat to their heart’s content. She also enjoys touring kids over the royal gardens - the great plateau temples and the Castle are fully open for visitors, King Daphnes and Queen Amaya welcoming them personally along Zelda, an activity that reinforces their image of “down to earth” royalty. Celebration lasts 5 days (it’s the two previous days, new year’s, the two following days to recover lol).

Summer Solstice/ Midsummer: Everybody loves this holiday because it’s all about having fun in the sun: people go on picnics, to the parks, or to the beach/lakes. Maypoles are placed everywhere, and a huge one is set in Hyrule Castle. Zelda hates the festivity because she sweats like a pig in a suit - it’s one of her official outings and has to dress formally, then change into an elaborate gown with floral motifs and a flower crown. Link loves it because he likes outdoor activities (and Zelda looking like a forest goddess). Similar to Japanese Obon (almost nobody works in the entire week). Goddess Statues are decorated with braided ribbons (blue,red,green).

Autumn Equinox/Harvest Festivities: Fall celebration is focused on thanking Farore for a good harvest, so the theme is gratitude… and food. Cornucopias are everywhere - so is anything pumpkin (Kakariko made a good campaign some decades ago to market their most beloved fall crop), and apple cider. Goddess Statues are decorated with offerings of apples and warm colored Akkala maple branches. The ugly sweater season begins - Link LOVES THEM.

Winter solstice/ The Longest Night: This is a celebration focused on the “light in the dark”: in the daytime, people go to cemeteries to pay respects to their dead, and after 6 pm people gather around to have nice evenings with friends and family, dining, baking treats, and drinking eggnog. People light bonfires on parks and gather around in the evening, singing folk songs, and houses are decorated with fairy lights, and paper lamps they buy for the occasion and keep one of them lit through winter until day of remembrance. Horrid thematic sweaters are almost mandatory, stars and snowfolk being the most common thematic (Link loves them; ironically for a desert child, he likes snow). Celebration lasts over the weekend.

Day of remembrance: third day of the third moon. A very solemn celebration regarding all the people that died during the Calamity, and the survival of all the races. It's tied with the Winter solstice and new year rites. People leave the now unlit paper lamps used through winter solstice, and garlands of silent princesses (they bloom all year round) as offerings at the memorial in Castletown square, fort Hateno, Akkala Citadel, Zora's domain, and the Temple of Time. Those lamps then are gathered and used in the new year.

Day of victory: celebration of the end of the calamity and the establishment of the new kingdom. Castle opens gates and all people dress up in historical costumes of the time. Zelda lives for this shit. Happens during the second week of the eighth month.

There are other regional celebrations, but they are not as relevant as those.

Music day (Rito): 22nd day of the eleventh moon

Goron Bowl (Goron sumo tournament finale, not a holiday in itself, but they go big about it): 28th of the second moon.

Guardian Mothers' day (Gerudo): 7th of the fifth moon

Champion festival (Zora): 14th of the sixth moon.

Other, more general celebrations exist (Teachers’ day, science day, arts day, etc), but they are not holidays.

On the legend of the hero

The relevance of the legends is very important, but has reached a status of pop culture staple, like the Greek gods. Reversions and reinterpretations of the legends are commonplace in media.

The childhood ceremony revolves around the legend of the child heroes, who wore bright green.

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That's all, sorry not sorry for the wall of text, I hope you find this interesting and complements your reading!

Tagging @expanding-hyrule because it's fitting!

[hyruleairbnb]

Okay let's do a little game: who would rather buy what kind of Halloween decoration?

Link🧝‍♂️

Zelda 🧝‍♀️

Sidon 🦈

Yona 🐟

Riju 💪

Yunobo ���

Tulin 🦅

Giant Skeleton

Regular pumpkin decoration

A lot of spiders, webs,, ghosts and bats (classic)

Giant inflatable ganondorf

Getting risky by packing trash bags liooking like corpses, hanging mannequins from a tree

Much blood, fake organs

Life sized horror movie creatures

nothing at all

Post em in the comments. No need to use all of the suggestions. If you have own ideas just use it . This is only meant to be fun.

[blueskittlesart]

I get the impression from your posts that you don’t think there’s a future where Zelda would end up queen of hyrule (I can see where her becoming queen would undermine her entire arc of getting freedom from the painful expectations of princess/chosen etc), but how do you think that hyrules government will work beyond that? Is the population recovered enough for that to even be something established within their lifetime?

honestly, based on what we see in other games, hyrule was never REALLY a proper monarchy. I think it's pretty likely that the hylian monarchy was functionally a symbolic one, especially by the time that botw rolls around. in most games in the franchise, hyrule is largely made up of sort of mini single-race societies that function by defaulting to whatever small tribal government they happen to have. With a kingdom technically made up of multiple different species, each with their own differing cultures, customs, and even lifespans, it makes much more sense to have small governments united in name alone. i think any genuine attempt at true united government of such widely varied and relatively isolated races would not end well for hyrule (can you imagine being a hundred-year-old zora and being told that you have to listen to laws made by hylians who have been alive for a fraction of the time you have?? no way.) But by having a technical alliance under the symbolic hyrulian royal family, all of these races reap the benefits of alliance amongst each other while maintaining their relative independance. This is why most of the villages in hyrule are race-isolated and have their own governing bodies--the zora have a king, the rito, gorons, and gerudo have chiefs, and several of the hylian/sheikah villages have mayors or other governing bodies. these are the actual, functional governments of hyrule. the royal family serves both symbolic and practical purposes as a symbol of the kingdom's allyship and as an entity that can build, maintain, and direct a widespread military force (and i think there's also definitely a religious element to their rule over hyrule, as literal descendants of god in-universe,) but other than that it isn't doing a whole lot of actual governing. (the exception to this rule is MAYBE post-wind-waker on the new continent, and maybe immediately post-sksw, specifically because in both those cases the hyrulian royals would have needed to take a more active governing role in order to rebuild the country.) so with that in mind, I think botw and totk make it pretty clear that this method of small government works pretty well for hyrule. I think the most zelda would EVER be is a sort of ambassador between villages and races, especially as hyrule becomes more intermingled in the aftermath of the calamity. small democratic government largely appears to be working for hyrule and for zelda in totk, so i think that's the road she would choose to continue down rather than attempting to reinstate a monarchy that never actually did that much in the first place.

[sunder-the-gold]

'Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom' is not "woke"

The writers do not divide all characters and civilizations into 'Oppressed' and 'Oppressor'.

In the battle of divine light and darkness, no one frets about who is in the wrong or right. Zelda and her people can survive only if the darkness is defeated, and Zelda and Tri do not question the worthiness of fighting to preserve their peoples' existence.

There is no class struggle. Only the Deku Scrubs lack a clear leader. The Gorons and Zora have their chiefs, and the Gerudo and Hylians have their royal families and castles. There is absolutely no narrative about the evils of monarchy or the necessity of direct democracy.

There is no insistence that success is only ever inherited or given, rather than achievable through personal effort. Or that everything in life is a Zero Sum game where someone can only gain by taking from others. A number of characters are committed to making things themselves, such as Dampe the engineer, the Hylian farmers, the Gerudo mango-researcher, or the Deku Scrub smoothie-sellers.

The Hylians occupy the most territory across Hyrule, but there is no narrative of conquest, occupation, colonialism, or imperialism. The chieftain of the River Zora expresses no dissatisfaction with his bamboo hut compared to the stone castles built by the Gerudo, Hylians, or even the Sea Zora. The Gerudo never mention an envy for the lands of the other peoples. The only thing the Deku Scrubs want from foreigners is their business, in fair exchange for Scrub-made goods.

There is no San Fransico; each nation is homogenous. Visitors from other peoples are welcomed, but no one feels guilty for living among their own kind. The Gorons do not try to make their home colder for others, the River Zora do not make their water saltier, the Sea Zora do not make their water less salty. Everyone is happy being separate and distinct, without anyone trying to be everything to everyone else.

The chiefs of the Sea Zora and River Zora do not decide to be more like each other, but instead remember to respect and cherish their differences.

There are no gender wars. Women do not complain about men, men do not complain about women.

The bombastic male chief of the River Zora uses his booming horn to reignite courage in the timid; the graceful female chief of the Sea Zora uses her elegant harp to calm the nerves of the unsettled. They both endanger themselves to save their people. They both admit their own faults with starting and perpetuating their personal quarrels.

The boisterous General Wright uses his brute strength to pick up an old lady and carry her off to safety. The soft-spoken Minister Lefte uses her considered words to coax a frightened child into following her to safety. With only a moment to react, Zelda's father reflexively throws his daughter to safety without regard for his own life.

Zelda does not become the protagonist of the story because she is a woman breaking free of male oppression. She became the protagonist because she had a responsibility.

Staff of Echoes

Nintendo as a rule begins envisioning a game around a mechanic and then builds a story around it. Echoes of Wisdom began with the Echoes mechanic.

The Echoes mechanic could not shine in Link's hands, because his sword, arrows, and bombs would always provide more direct and efficient ways to defeat enemies. Tears of the Kingdom had this issue, where Ultrahand and Zonai Devices were not only inefficient solutions to combat, but were basically non-existent for the final battle.

Contrast with the Celestial Brush Techniques of Okami, which played a vital role in conflict-resolution from the beginning of the game to the end.

Nintendo decided that if they were going to stray so far away from Link's normal style of play, that it only made sense to use a completely different character who wouldn't be expected to play the way Link does.

Just as Samus Aran and Metroid were born out of the desire to make a new platformer that didn't play like Mario Brothers. Mario didn't curl up into a rolling ball, or double-jump, or somersault in mid-air... so Samus would.

Building Up Without Tearing Down

Nintendo understood that they could make Zelda the hero of the story without needing to make Link unheroic.

(Indeed, this Link might be one of the most heroic of all, because he was adventuring all over the world saving people by his own initiative, long before anyone suggested he had an official duty or divine fate, or that the survival of the world hung in the balance.)

Nintendo also knew they could make Zelda the hero without insisting that she never needed the help of others, especially of men.

Just as, in most previous games, Link needed the help of Zelda, or Navi, or Midna, or various male or female Sages.

Ultimately

The game is written as a fun adventure; an escape into fantasy, away from all weighty issues in the real world. Not as a lecture or a Chick Track sermon.

The writers do not feel the need to educate you, only to entertain you.

All exposition only serves to explain the rules or backstory of the game itself, where those cannot be understood by lessons from the real world.

[kokiriofthevalley]

Tbh I would love to see a Zelda game where the main group in charge ISN'T the Hyrule royal family. Like, how cool would a game be if the Zora royal family or Gerudo, or maybe even Rito was centered, because I mostly feel like all of the races' leaders (mostly pre calamity) are just puppeted by the Hylian royal family - and be damned if they do ANYTHING that could be seen as a threat against the hylian royal family.

I get that they're all united under Hyrule, however that doesn't stop me from feeling like there's no point in having the leaders of all the races if they're all united under HYRULE (it's OWN kingdom). Kind of like having the biggest kid on the playground coming up to you and telling you that you're part of his group now and how he's your friend, however, when the time comes to have your own autonomy after him micromanaging your actions, he just interprets it as being a threat.

Especially since (at least in botw/pre calamity) neither the elders of the Sheikah, Goron or Rito, the Gerudo chief, or even the royal Zora family have much authority over the other races as the Hylian royal family does.

[pocketseizure]

Governance in Hyrule

A hundred years after the Calamity, the Hyrulean monarchy only exists in the form of a ruined castle and a legendary princess. Not much can be said about the monarchy in its absence, but it’s interesting to think about in relation to the other systems of governance in Hyrule.

Although the Zora have a royal family, they’re essentially living in a communist utopia of shared resources and communal living spaces. Everyone works according to their interests and talents, and individual disagreements are given voice but ultimately suppressed for the good of the group.

Rito society seems to be the opposite. Warriors are highly respected, and they act according to their own individual ideas of what they think is the best course of action. Kaneli, the chief of Rito Village, is a retired warrior whose role seems to be largely symbolic. Although the village chief is respected, he has no real control over the younger warriors.

Kakariko Village seems to operate somewhere in the middle. As the village elder, Impa maintains cultural lore and tradition, and she can suggest courses of action. Still, her role is symbolic, and she does not directly arbitrate disputes or issue commands.

The Yiga are a bunch of obnoxious theater kids who have formed a cult around the most obnoxious theater kid. They are an outlier and should not be counted.

The Gorons seem to be set up like a corporation. Bludo is the founder of the Goron Group Mining Company, and he oversees its operations and manages trade. He commands respect, but he isn’t particularly concerned with anything outside his own interests. A lot of people who work for him don’t agree with his decisions, but they take it for granted that “labor” is what they should be doing. The Gorons are modeled on a stereotype of the traditional working class of downtown Tokyo, and I think their portrayal is meant to be a lighthearted parody of working-class solidarity.

Riju is the only person even remotely resembling a true ruler, and she’s an almost platonic ideal of a just and benevolent sovereign. She commands soldiers, directly confronts outside threats, enforces security over the market, ensures the fair distribution of resources, holds audiences with advisors and individual citizens, and generally works to maintain the wellbeing of her people. The idea seems to be that, as the only actual city in Hyrule, Gerudo Town is the only place that requires an actual government.  

Meanwhile, the Hylians seem to be doing just fine without any sort of government at all. They live in a beautiful and happy post-scarcity world where everyone has a place to live and enough to eat. Roads, bridges, and public stables are carefully maintained, and trade flows smoothly. People travel for pleasure and are free to pursue their own interests, whether it’s studying leviathan bones or writing magazine articles or hunting for mushrooms or searching for romance.  

It feels like the only real function of the Hyrulean monarchy was to combat Ganon, and Ganon only exists in opposition to the monarchy. I don’t mean to suggest that the destruction and loss of life that occurred during the Calamity was a good thing, but maybe it wouldn’t be such a tragedy if the Hyrulean monarchy were to end with Zelda…?