#origins of the rito

[ginneke]

Of Scales and Wings

For @flashfictionfridayofficial, and a different take on the transformation in my fic diluere.

Characters: Valoo (Wind Waker), Sona (OC). Cameo mentions of Komali, Medli, the BOTW Dragons.

[Plays with both BOTW and Wind Waker lore. CW for horror elements]

Also available on AO3.

-

For as long as there have been tales of the Rito, there are tales of dragons, entwined together in the space between myth and history.

Most popular is the tale of the songstress who tamed a dragon and the trickster prince who led it to claim Rito Village's great spire from the Kargaroks in a time long past. Many more stories feature Dinraal the mighty, and Naydra the cautious, and Farosh the bold - those great dragons who can be seen by but a few each generation, watching over the lands below and never interfering.

But there is another story to be told, a story so ancient that nobody remembers the truth of it any longer.

This is the tale of Princess Sona.

-

It is said that Princess Sona was born of the Zora in a time when the lakes reached to the skies and the clouds sat alongside the water, when the land was a hidden memory. In this world of water, why did a fish want to exchange her scales for feathers? Perhaps she was bored of the sea. Perhaps she wished for a new life in the sky, unlimited and boundless. But it was not possible. No, she could not grow feathers just by wanting it so; and so she sat on the shore lamenting, plucking the notes of her sorrow from her golden harp and wishing with all her heart that she could change her fate.

(They don't tell this part: the waters were choked with the floating, drifting dead; the salt of the sea burned the Zora tribe's gills and suffused their lungs, condemning them to choke and drown in the sanctuary of their own element.)

It so happened that a god flew in the sky that day. Intrigued by the music that reached for a sky beyond grasping, the Dragon chose to descend and investigate, landing lightly on the shore and staring down at the maiden with the harp.

What did Princess Sona do when she knew she had an audience? Perhaps she trembled with fear - though if she did, her hands remained steady and her music never faltered. Perhaps she merely smiled and closed her eyes in an expression of trust. The Dragon was vast in size, of course, as dragons always are; if it so desired, it could have swallowed the princess in a single bite.

Yet the Dragon only had ears for the maiden's music; and as she sang her longing, the Dragon was moved to help.

When at last Princess Sona lowered her harp and allowed herself to look upon the Dragon, the light of the divine shone from its gaze, and Sona thus found herself transformed.

Here, the versions differ. In one version, the Dragon and the maiden exchanged scales in a vow, and bound their fates together. In another, the Dragon was instead so moved by the maiden's song that it offered up its scale as a gift, so that she would fly alongside it and sing songs of joy rather than lament.

But there is another version of the tale: Most Dragons are creatures of fire, and this god was no different. Princess Sona was a creature of water who longed for air... And water, in the sky, can only fall.

So the Dragon breathed fire down on the Princess and burned the water from her soul; and only then did it grant her its scale to replenish what she now lacked, filling the empty crevices of her spirit with the breath of a god. Fire stirs the winds, after all, and manipulates the air.

No longer could she return to the waves of her birthright: from now on, she was no Zora but the first of the Rito. She could meet her former family only on the shoreline; their paths would otherwise diverge for good.

And that is how the Rito came to be.

-

(For Sona's first appearance in my writing, find her here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/62449984)

[ratwithastylus]

A little illustration of an NPC from the Zelda-themed campaign I’m planning 🦅

His name is Reyli and he’s (quite obviously) a Rito; very sweet yet confident little guy who likes to pretend that he doesn’t have a soft and quiet side :)

I’m pretty new to drawing anthropomorphic characters; it’s been fun to learn so far!

[speedyartist30]

Lucas meets Rylei

After taking Lucas in as his own Jay is helping Lucas regain his trust in others, so the two headed to Rito Village. Jay introduces Lucas to Rylei and Revali even though the later prideful attitude made Lucas anxious.

Rylei’s calm nature however was what drawn little Lucas towards her. And the next thing Jay knew his son was in her wings cuddled up and curiously looking at her beak.

It was safe to safe Lucas found his self a new buddy.✨

Rylei is not mine and she belongs to my buddy @stellercherry

And thanks again buddy for letting me reference your rito art?!💙✨✨

[zelda-references]

the old sages (tears of the kingdom)

(some pictures have been edited for clarity, mostly increasing the exposure and brightness on the ones from the repetitive Ganondorf battle cutscenes. also some of these are pretty pixelated and low quality (because the sages were such a small part of the original frame) but I'd rather have as many pictures as possible of them when they each have so few appearances, especially from different angles. okay, yapping over)

[radd-overzero]

doodle dump +… FUCKING SKALL FANART FROM @ezlo-x’s LOST FAMILY AU LEGEND OF ZELDA??? HUH…

(edit: i just realized.. i think skalls design is kinda outdated in this one???)

[teamcapwasrightandishouldsayit]

hello, lu fandom. i've got... a thought experiment? i suppose?

the short explanation is that i'm outlining a fic where the chain defeats dink in post-totk hyrule but no portals arrive to take them home, so they're just stuck in wild's era forever. i want to have at least one of the chain form a new relationship in the botw era (besides wild, who will be with flora), but i'm having trouble thinking of who would be interested in who.

so, thought experiment. if you had to ship each member of the chain with a botw/totk character, what would your ships be and why?

[i-have-art-block]

doodle dump for zelda ocs

and here's the relationship chart i attempted at (sorry if the text is too small!!)

i'll give you guys a lore dump for these guys later but my brain is fried right now

[juncodraws]

Meet Atricilla (ay-tree-sil-uh)!

Her name is indeed the species name for the Laughing gull :D Cause I'm a nerd and do too much research behind naming my characters lol

This outgoing Rito travels around Hyrule (sometimes even outside the borders) in search for all different kinds of food to try.

You could say she's a connoisseur for local cuisines. And fashion! And making friends c:

Tbf, everyone is her new favorite person.

Except Kilton.

She frickin hates Kilton >:[

I know, I know, I have too many Zelda characters. They're just so fun to create!

Welcome to the family, nay, collection, Atricilla!

[eaglebow09]

FINALLY HERE IT IS!

Lost Memories (Revali x Anya OC) BOTW webcomic:

Chapter 4: "Look to the Sky" Pt. 2

The night before Zelda and her group departure from the village, Anya grapples with her apprehension. Her dream serves as a compelling sign, urging her to summon her resolve and seize the impending opportunity. As she gradually reconciles with her fears enough to soothe her hesitant heart in accepting the princess's proposal, Anya's slumber is abruptly interrupted by an unexpected visitor—Terakko. In a chaotic yet endearing attempt to pack Anya's belongings, Terakko tries his best to encourage her to embark on an adventure.

Anya finds herself contemplating the crossroads of her life. Should she join Princess Zelda, Link, Impa, and the infamous Revali on their quest? It's an extraordinary opportunity, a chance to uncover her true self and unravel the mysteries of her past. However, one formidable obstacle stands in her way—Revali, the arrogant Rito warrior, with whom she shares a history fraught with a complex mix of disdain, hurt and rivalry.

Terakko, though unable to speak, seems to grasp Anya's predicament and encourages her to take the leap of faith.

With newfound determination, Anya makes her momentous decision, undaunted by the forthcoming challenges.

As the group sets out towards the Tabantha Wilds, Anya relishes the opportunity to prove herself. With the winds of adventure at her back and the unwavering support of her newfound companions, she stands ready to confront whatever trials await her.

Part 1 of the Chapter on my page!

This is a handdrawn Revali x OC comic and it takes lots of time but it is so fun to do. Thank you always for the patience and I hope you like it and continue reading as I put more out. For previous chapters and context visit my page!

[theshyowldraws]

Athela of the Rito

More Zelda Ocs! This time my second Rito Oc :]

She's based on a snowy owl. Coming from the snowy regions of the neighboring continent to Hyrule, Athela now lives in Rito Village and works as a physician. She has a kind-hearted, compassionate, and thoughtful personality. Her best friends are Nesh and another Oc I haven't shared yet

More info about her in the future as well as her backstory

[scr4xd]

ILL MAKEEEEEE YOU SAAAAAAYYY, HOW PROUD YOU ARE OF MEEEE 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

GOD this took me like 11 hours and im glad im done with it, this is for the Zora Prompt: Water Magic (i think?? HELP) for @prisiidon 's Zora May!! :D

(the other ocs in the bg i literally had to come up with on the spot (except for the rito oc) and i was having a break over it LMAO)

TIME TO NOT POST FOR ANOTHER FEW DAYS GOODNIGHT EVERYBODY 🔥🔥🔥🔥💯💯💯💯💯

[ventussolder]

Awh hell nah what'd that funky little rito do

[ratwithastylus]

My partner’s PC, Kyrie, from my Zelda-inspired campaign; both with and without his travelling cloak :)

Kyrie is an inquisitive and cheeky young Hylian, who was raised by a Rito couple in Hebra, far from the bustle of Central Hyrule. He longs to explore new lands, and finally gets his chance when he and his friend, Reyli, are hired to protect a strange little merchant, carrying mysterious, ancient goods, while she travels home to Hateno Village.

Extremely excited to see where the campaign goes! We’re a few sessions in and it’s been a blast; it’s been my first time as GM, and I’m enjoying it so much :D

[speedyartist30]

Last part of my birthday gift to @stellercherry

For those who follow her or have seen her pretty rito oc Rylei may recognize her from my drawing 😂✨

So this is Rylie in human form ✨✨ I drew her as a rito before with my oc combating against some guardians but I wanted to try my hand in making her human off the top of my head.✨

It’s safe to say I got my buddy good with this surprise so mission accomplished 🫡😂😂

[foolcreature]

My wife and I each came up with a zelda oc -- Tarni is mine and Cove belongs to @apropername

Tarni is a Rito modeled on the reddish egret. She lives in Zora's Domain and if she were an npc, she'd send Link on an extended fetch quest to bring her one of every kind of fish in the game. She'd reward him with a goofy looking trout hat. If Link wears it while swimming, it will attract fish to him.

Cove is a Zora from the depths. She's modeled on the Chimaera (aka the ghost shark). I designed her accessories from Zonaite and the engraving on her belt is a deep firefly. She is the goth to Tarni's nerd.

Obviously, they're girlfriends.

[groovyfrogged]

Been playing totk lately and got the urge to redesign an old sheikah oc

The old oc in question

15 years old me of course had to make her into a champion but I took that away because she just really doesn’t need it

I need to rework the little guy again though because his shape back then was actually perfect