#zonai survey team

[pitchblackespresso]

Underpants Method

Comics master post

[tenshiharmonia]

I've finally met Tauro, and by Rauru's ears, he's so adorable and hunky ! So, to celebrate our encounter, here is a little scenario I came up with. It’s mostly an excuse to give him a Zonai boyfriend, but hey, I think he deserves it. :p

Now imagine, the Survey Team is investigating some ruins that were spotted in the snowy mountains of Hebra. As they are inspecting the area, Tauro comes across the entrance of some unknown cave. Listening to his archaeological instinct, it doesn’t take long for the intrepid lad to venture into the mysterious chasm, barely taking the time to warn his teammates about his discovery. (I bet you see where this is all going…) Deep within the cave’s freezing tunnels, the enthusiastic archaeologist ultimately happens upon what is assuredly going to be the most important find of his life : a young Zonai man, trapped in a block of ice.

The event is huge enough for the princess herself to make the trip*. Of course, this is a world of fiction we are talking about, so it’s not long before the frozen lad is freed from his prison, awakening from his icy slumber as if it was just a nap. Unfortunately, the young man can only speak in some antiquated Zonai dialect, so it’s up to Tauro and Zelda - who learnt the language from Rauru and Mineru - to explain the situation to him. Naturally, the poor boy is quite confused, but at least he understands that those people don’t mean him any harm. Still, he is now stranded in a completely unrecognizable world, thousands of years away from home, something Zelda can easily emphasize with. Of course, the princess could try and use her power over time to send him back, but considering how relatively inexperienced she is in the matter, it would be far too risky. They don’t even know how many millennia separate them from the man’s original era. Obviously, he hails from a time predating the founding of Hyrule, as the first king and his sister were the last of their people, but it doesn’t tell them much. What if she wasn’t even powerful enough to allow him such a leap ? Sadly, all they can do for the time being is accommodate their unexpected guest the best they can.

But Zelda has the reconstruction of the kingdom to take care of. Having to head back to Hateno, she entrusts their new friend to Tauro. Mainly because he is the only one who can actually communicate with the Zonai man, but also because she knows what a good-hearted and trustworthy fellow the archaeologist is. It goes without saying, but the big guy is more than happy to oblige. It has always been his dream to meet an actual Zonai, and now it’s coming true ! There are so many questions he’d like to ask the dragon man, but he knows that he has to temper his enthusiasm. The situation must already be difficult enough for the poor lad ; no need to overwhelm him even more. For now, the priority is to make him feel comfortable.

So it’s with great dedication and solicitude that Tauro welcomes this new presence into his life. As the days go by, though, the two men start getting closer and closer. Doing his best to help the displaced Zonai adjust to the present era, Tauro takes it upon himself to teach him the modern Hyrulean language. Meanwhile, the dragon lad repays the favour by sharing anecdotes about the world as it was before he got trapped in ice. But what started out as an arrangement of pure convenience quickly turned into something more intimate. As he travels around Hyrule with the Survey Team, discovering everything this new era has to offer, the unfrozen Zonai finds himself genuinely won over by the archaeologist’s charming temperament. His gentleness, contrasting with his manly physique ; his passionate - and sometimes naive - intelligence ; the curiosity with which he looks at the world… truly, there is something about this man he isn’t indifferent to. At the same time, Tauro himself starts to realize that his interest in the Zonai lad might not be purely scientific. Sure, getting a first-hand account of this civilization that has always fascinated him is a rapturous experience. But the inexplicable warmth he feels inside him when he is in the dragon man’s company definitely goes beyond his usual excitement and reverence for everything Zonai…

Aaand this is pretty much all I’ve got so far. I’m not sure about the direction I’d want their story to take regarding how they��ll act on their feelings at first, but I think you got the idea. So I’ll leave the rest to your imagination for now, although I’d definitely like to write something about their very first time. Think of all the emotions it would arouse in Tauro, to actually get to explore the body of a Zonai… that would certainly make for an interesting scene. Still, before I write anything, I’ll need to flesh my Zonai boy more. I don’t really know what I’d want him to be like for the moment, but there are many delightful possibilities. A short and rather chubby warrior, to contrast with Tauro being a tall and beefy scholar ? A towering giant, like Rauru, leading to the amusing situation of the normally huge archaeologist actually being the shorter one in the relationship ? Really, I’m quite spoilt for choice. And I’m not even talking about his personality…

Anyway, I’ll have to work on the details, but I hope that you had fun reading about my silly little concept. :p Take care, everyone. ^_^

* The way I envision it, this would all happen after the events of the game and Ganondorf’s defeat.

[powdermelonkeg]

You know what? I should make a TotK-era self-insert anthropologist character with the amount of theories I do.

[eerna]

the thematic shift from botw to totk is so weird when u rly think about it bc in botw its all about a failed prophecy; zelda couldnt awaken her powers and the champions couldnt defeat ganon as it was foretold. it was about breaking free from tradition and convention and trying to find other means of defeating this evil (zeldas fascination with sheikah tech for example). i think this theme also aligns with the entirety of the loz franchise as a whole, given how botw did a complete 180° on the zelda formula theyve always had. everything just worked!!!

and then in totk its just like ... we go back in time and use the powers of old to defeat ganon ... ? not to mention that every researcher in the game is fascinated by these ancient texts and architecture. rather than innovators they become historians. youre expected to look for answers in the past rather than learn from naively following prophecies and suffering its consequences.

however i do think totk had a rly interesting premise when they decided to implement time travel. like i absolutely LOVEE everything about the light dragon etc etc but the story in general just did not hit as hard :( i adore this game its so fun and its so beautiful but there is so much room for criticism as well

also sorry for this long ass ask omfg .. but ur post earlier got me going !!

It's ok, I fully support long elaborations based on whatever I went off about! :D

Oh, that's an interesting view of it! I personally didn't think BotW was about forgetting tradition at all? The Sheikah tech is still history, it's still following in the footsteps of those who came before - the prophecy itself is was what led to its discovery in the first place. I interpreted BotW as a story about what happens when people try to imitate the past, I agree, but in the end the point was that they shouldn't let it weight them down, but should still pay respects to it. Hyrule forgot all about its history - who knows what might have happened if that ancient king never got spooked by the Sheikah tech and buried it! If it didn't stay exactly the same as it was 10000 years ago, Ganon might have never influenced it so strongly, and the Calamity might have never have happened! Zelda couldn't escape her history, all the progressive tech in the world couldn't imitate her role, but the only way she was able to realize her destiny was through her own means, on her own time. It wasn't about her rejecting convention, it was about her finding her own spin on it. She was being held back by the shadow of her mother and the expectations of the monarchy, and found a way to channel her inheritance through the wild, and through Link. And that was the theme of the game! Looking back at decades' worth of games, then picking and choosing what to keep and what to give up on! It is so cool!

I think TotK did great to continue this line of thought regarding Zelda's character - she is not a princess-princess she was forced to be 100 years ago, she is a teacher/researcher/engineer-princess, and everyone loves her and looks up to her. She is still a sort-of leader, but she is doing it in her own way, without castles or thrones or holy powers and almost entirely hands-off, letting the people guide her. In my opinion, it treats the researchers the same way it did in BotW, except yes, a new faction has been introduced to the plot that is dedicated to historical research. I don't doubt that the decade leading up to the Calamity also had a bunch of historians running around deciphering old texts and figuring out how stuff worked, we just didn't get to see it and got the finished results instead. Also, it's pretty clear that Zonai tech requires a Zonai to work it (Link can do it because of his right arm), so it's not as widely malleable as Sheikah tech which was able to be used by all inhabitants of Hyrule. And the finale of the game FULLY goes against history even harder than BotW did - yes, Ganondorf CAN be defeated, even if Rauru failed. Yes, Zelda CAN be returned to her original form, even if the transformation is supposed to be permanent according to Zonai history. In fact, the Zelda thing annoys me (no matter how much I love it) because it wasn't set up in a way that carried over any sort of a message or a theme. Impa said she would find a way to turn her back, I was expecting a quest dedicated to it, be it finding ancient texts or a new loophole, and then whoosh she's back through a Sonia-and-Rauru-ex-machina. I would say that TotK can't decide if it wants to break away from its history (by making half the game a completely new, blank slate) or go along with it (by making the other half of the game clearly love what happened before, all the way back to a divine Hyrulean monarchy) which is why it's so jumbled up at times.

Like you said, I love the game, I cry whenever I remember that beautiful finale, but it really dropped the ball when it came to BotW's comprehensiveness. Why did Link fail to catch Zelda in the beginning, but managed in the end? What changed? What is its significance? It's a beautiful scene and makes me so emo, but it rings hollow if I try to find a deeper meaning, and that's basically the game in a nutshell.

[amethyst-halo]

ive been kinda zelda brained so i made some more ocs! siblings that research things

[birdbrainrots]

Kazul at the thyphlo ruins just told me he's the one who discovered them. Like bro are you sure. Are you SURE

I've been walking around here with a torch before someone even turned the lights on and you have the AUDACITY

[tenshiharmonia]

Listen, person, the only reason I’m not talking about him is because I just learned right now of his existence.

none of the girlies are talking about Tauro. he’s perfect if you’re not ready to fuck a diety or a king

[vioshortforviolence]

So a post I reblogged about no Dark Link in TotK being a missed opportunity got me thinking about how he could've been implemented:

You could find one of those journals in one of the Yiga outposts in the Depths talking about him. Here's how I think it could read:

Spotted the Hero in the Depths today. I attempted to approach while disguised as a member of the Zonai Survey Team.

Next Page

Bad idea. I was attacked immediately and viciously without hesitation. I barely escaped with my life!

Next Page

That... was not the Hero.

Next Page

Was that the Hero's Shadow spoken of in the old legends? It is said the Shadow would mirror the Hero's appearance and fighting skills... I believe it after that encounter.

Next Page

ATTENTION YIGA CLAN MEMBERS: If you spot this figure during your patrols, DO NOT APPROACH. This 'Shadow' will viciously attack anything and anyone that dares get near, even the Yiga Clan.

Next Page

Beware the Hero's Shadow.

Next Page

Glory to Master Kohga.

End

Dark Link would be patrolling the Depths, and upon spotting you, he will chase you down and attack, similar to the Gloom Hands. But unlike the Gloom Hands, you cannot escape by climbing to high ground and waiting for him to vanish. He will simply teleport up to you.

You can either deal enough damage to him, which will make him leave and reappear elsewhere in the Depths (like how the Yiga flee when defeated), or you can teleport far enough away so he loses track of you. Thankfully, he will not follow you to the Surface.

If he spots you while you're wearing the Dark Link outfit, he will be temporarily confused, giving you very limited time to run away or hide before he figures it out and starts attacking you. Similar to the Lynel Mask.

Also while you're wearing the Dark Link outfit, the Yiga will not ambush you, because they think you're the Hero's Shadow.

Dark Link's number of hearts will match that of the player's, just like in OoT. The stronger you get, the stronger he gets too.

He would also have the smartest enemy AI in the game, besides Ganondorf himself:

He dodges any thrown items or arrows shot at him, which means he cannot be cheesed with bombs. He will simply hop out of the blast radius before it lands. You must fight him in close melee combat.

He will mirror your strikes perfectly if you fight him with a one-handed sword and shield. However, he only wields a sword and shield, meaning you can attack him more easily with a different weapon, like... oh I don't know... a two-handed hammer? 😉

I'm not entirely sure what he'd drop upon defeat... Maybe his sword and shield?

Anyway, those are my thoughts. I'd love to hear other ideas :)

(EDIT: Added more stuff in a reblog!)

[jeldacat]

Link’s resume in Tears of the Kingdom but the list gets weirder as it goes on:

- Hero of Hyrule / Hero of the Wild

- Princess Zelda’s appointed knight

- Wielder of the Master Sword

- Volunteer fighter for the Monster Control Crew

- Member of the Zonai Survey Team

- Part time reporter for the Lucky Clover Gazette

- Professor at Hateno School

- General merchant / businessman

- Gerudo archeologist assistant

- Golden-haired savior of Lurelin Village

- Member (and potential vocalist) of the Stable Trotters (or Stable Heroes)

- Member of the Yiga Clan…?

- Official Yiga Blademaster

- Well enthusiast

- Fashion model

- Acorn boy / VIP of Hateno Farms

- Reviver of the cheese recipe

- Master of the underpants method

- A suspicious guy

- A modern guy

- A weirdly handsome dude

[pocketseizure]

After years spent investigating the mysterious shrines of East Necula, Dr. Calip has joined the Zonai Survey Team’s efforts to study the Ring Ruins of Kakariko Village. The ancient structures are fascinating, but what has captured Calip’s attention is the chasm in the forest on the hill. While Calip has been gazing into the abyss, however, the leader of the Zonai Survey Team has been gazing at him.

complete at 4,000 words . ( on AO3 ) . illustration by Martina Belli

[pitchblackespresso]

Dondon Origins

Comics master post

[r0sequarks]

doodles for a tears of the kingdom roleswap au, because those will forever be my jam and i really like the idea of playable zelda. notes/rambling under the cut.

Scavenged Zonai tech instead of Ultrahand (she made it herself??)

idk if the stone stays a necklace or goes on a hand or what

Maybe Zonai glasses? idk

She has an undershirt b/c boobs. Patterned off main padding.

Zonai Survey Team + Hylian Armor (people just give Zelda shit)

Bow of Light - summons freely, acts like Master Sword, powers up with shrines?

Text is readable (Purah: stealing my look! rude!)

And then the general core conceits of Playable TotK Zelda:

Archer - ranged combat focus/optimized

Princess/General - focus on group combat (sages / monster squad / Gerudo Town)

Priestess - Light + Time magic, upgrades

Zonai Researcher - extra knowledge in ruins, can read tet, can do more with scavenging

I need to finish the final boss fight before I decide what entirely Link's role ends up as, but he's sent back in time injured with the broken sword while Zelda is teleported by the Purah Pad away to the Sky Island. IDK if she still has Rauru (or Mineru) as a guide, but even if she does, she's a lot more self sufficient, and scavenges/builds the tech to interface with Zonai devices herself instead of just being given the Ultrahand. I think she still gets the same abilities, but like. She's doing it herself. very stressed out this is fine energy.

Zelda on the sky island is probably more than a little feral researcher. It's her getting used to combat. When we started with the broken master sword, I though the game was going to let you keep it and power it up over time; I'm glad that's not how it went but I do think it would be interesting, so Zelda gets to summon a bow and it levels up over time (probably connected to the shrines system, because Holy Light, but idk how exactly). She can use swords and other weapons, but she definitely defaults more ranged.

Zelda also gets magic, which is obviously the Time Rune stuff, but I think also it would be cool if she had a light power unarmed attack (similar to but weaker than the Yiga Earthwave you can unlock). I like the idea of a playthrough where you never pick up a sword and you just keep light blasting people and dodging even though it is almost certainly the weaker attack. feral untrained self taught mages are and forever will be my jam.

When Zelda returns to Hyrule proper, I think the reactions are very different, because everyone pretty much agrees she's in charge (even if, perhaps, she doesn't). I also think that, well, people are less worried about Link being missing than they are about Zelda - the Lucky Clover isn't running stories about him, y'know? As such it's driven by what Zelda wants - which is to find Link, even if it''s not what others want.

Zelda as princess I think also plays interestingly into the group combat TotK introduces; I think in her game she acts more as general and they're more common. Not that she can't be on front lines, but it'd be pretty easy to play letting the Sages eat up melee while she's sniping. I also think she gets magic that can heal allies, making them more useful in fights to some extent. This would maybe be very messy in a real game but this is a theory baybee!

Although I think that's probably similarly limited / you don't have to drag people around while climbing mountains. Which, to be clear, she still does. It's been like five years and she's clearly been traveling the world with Link still at her side, there's no way that she's not just as feral an adventurer as he is. She's just better as passing as normal.

The big change in exploration is the various ruins, because she actually knows shit. I like to imagine there's some feature Zelda can use to sort of take notes on basically any Zonai or other ancient shit you find anywhere. She doesn't need to run back to Kakariko Village to translate, she's putting stuff together herself. This is maybe manifested by Zonai glasses/mask, which replaces/augments the Camera feature? And then upgrades to help you better see stuff? idk. [let the purah scope zoom in and out. ideal fix. kthxbai]

as for how Zelda interacts with the world...that's kind of complicated but really interesting. she's the beloved princess, but she is the Princess, and for the other four nations, specifically, Not Their Princess. like the dynamic with the Sages definitely changes. There's probably some themes there to parallel Zelda with Rauru but like that means there are Implications and I need to think more on that than 2am.

[botwandtotknpcs]

Rik

Rik is a traveler that frequents the Necluda area. He is most likely to be found around the Wetland Stable.

In Breath of the Wild, he generally seems like a worried guy. He warns us about the danger of the area.

When I was getting these screenshots, I saved him from a Yiga footsoldier and he gave me a fish skewer.

When he's right by Wetland Stable, he'll ask you about seeing the Zora.

In Tears of the Kingdom, he is planted at the campfire at Wetland Stable.

He's in the Zonai Survey Team, and he's heading to Kakariko Village. But, he's not in a hurry since he's bad with directions.

It's nice to see so many travelers finding a purpose and getting jobs!

[powdermelonkeg]

I am missing literally one thing for my TotK Linksona to feel complete and that is an outfit that fits his vibe. So far, none of the ones I've bought match him.

[aeriona]

*throws him at you but he soars right over your head like a toy plane* Flying Rat Man Lore (real)

Ok so basically this guy was born in ancient Hyrule >10k years ago, but he was was sent forward in time by his mother who was a skilled recaller. Basically like the Master Sword but backwards. This explanation is dumb but let me have this guys sshhhhHhh

Anyways, Savaru was raised by steward constructs on the Great Sky Island, though once he was older (and had access to Ultrahand), he would later travel across islands throughout the entire sky.

During the Upheaval, the cloud barrier was broken and it allowed him to drop down to the surface, something he did on accident after getting punted off a cliff by an Aerocuda (rip bozo).

Nowadays Sav is staying in Kakariko village for the time being, working with the Zonai Survey team to translate old Zonai text and screw around with the ancient technology that had fallen down.

Also he got the magic Zonai hand from the Constructs, who made and embedded it into his body. They fabricated a lot of his other tools and materials as well (and they also helped him medically transition which was pretty awesome of them lmao).

[carrotsnake]

Botw/Totk headcanon: Sheikah NPCs beyond Kakariko

after impa being the Last of Her Kind for nearly 20 years, we were kind of spoiled with the era of wilds sheikah. still, kakariko is known for it's older population and botw makes a point to let us know paya isn't used to seeing people her age. this post is about asking 'where are they?' and filling in the gaps. being a peaceful farming village it makes sense the younger gens would want to leave as soon as they can for some adventure.

sheikah typically have hair on the grey-to-white scale (granté proves this isn't a requirement), and unlike the past games they have a greater diversity in eye colour. below is a list of hylian npcs that look too young to have greying hair that i hc are either from kakariko, or have some sheikah ancestry.

from left to right: lecia, letty, mina, her brother mils by proxy, teli, juney, and baumar. i'll go into more detail about each under the cut, comparing them from the 2 games alongside some more headcanons. some of them i haven't found in totk yet, so i'll edit when i do.

pic on the left side is them in botw, totk on the right.

Mina is a treasure hunter looking for loot with her brother by the exchange ruins outside the great plateau. the siblings also show up in the dlc. they're trying to steal a sheikah heirloom back from the yiga hideout, though they don't know it's purpose - they just wanna sell it. in totk she walks on the path between lakeside stable and lurelin. she says that even treasure hunters deserve some fun once in a while, so we can assume she's takin' it easy. Mils, meanwhile...

...joined the zonai survey team, and moans about what tough work it is. he walks through pagos woods to the zonai ruins. he joined in the hopes it would lead him to treasure, but he hasn't had his lucky break yet. most hylians travel from stable to inn and can be assumed not to have a proper home due to the lasting effects of the calamity. this is my bias but i like to think he's talking about kakariko when he mentions home. let him grow some pumpkins and wrangle cuccos. he wishes to live a quiet life.

i find it sweet him and mina are both in faron. maybe they decided to split up and cover more ground? with mina off sunbathing and sipping mimosas in lurelin, mils got the short end of the stick again.

Baumar:

'i hope you die': lazy, cliché, unrealistic. 'i hope your favourite botw npc gets mushroomed and bowlcutted': it's scary, it's possible, it's happening to me right now. such was the fate of our poor resident shield-surfer bro from botw. known for many hit quotes such as 'let's go bamboo! yahoo!', 'shield surfing is like, totally radical, dude', and my favourite:

in botw he rides his horse on the path between serenne and snowfield stable. in totk he's part of the fashion tour-group that run around hateno village. maybe he went to hebra to show his 'wicked' surfing moves to selmie and she said 'kid, if i let you out on the slopes you'll die. sorry'. his world was completely shattered beneath him like a broken shield, so he turned to cravats and puffy short shorts to cope.

his name is similar to the hills of baumer above deya village ruins. maybe he's a descendent of the few survivors. i wonder what his ancestors are thinking now, watching what he does with the gift of life.

Teli walks between fort hateno and hateno village. He sells ancient guardian parts and even mentions he trades them with Robbie. he has a high opinion of himself and tells you he's known across hyrule for his 'roguish good looks.' in totk he's one of the men in the 'Gourmets gone missing' Penn quest that gave himself food-poisoning by riverside stable. after which he scares away some cuccos and makes you wrangle them for a sidequest. just L after L for this dashing rogue.

Juney, now famous for her rupee grinding sand seal minigame, i instantly recognised as the epic divorce woman from rito village. her attitude is just as surly as ever but they gave her a soft side. i like that every minigame location could not be further from hateno. you'll find that school someday queen.

she was a newly wed mad at her husband, jogo, for choosing a cold place for their honeymoon. he begs you to give him flint to cook some baked apples for her to save their already failing marriage.

in totk they're not together, jogo inhabits a cabin in tabantha village ruins with another woman. he didn't give her enough baked apples.

Letty walks along the path between lakeside stable and lurelin. she gives you cooking tips and that's pretty much it. In totk, she and a friend are investigating the ring ruins in Kakariko together.

Lecia is a new character in totk. she's with the research team and plays a part in the foothill stable Penn quest, the one with all the men in underpants. she kind of looks like a grown up Koko. maybe a distant relative? but maybe she's not sheikah. maybe the sight of all those pasty naked men traumatised her so bad she got marie-antoinette syndrome from the shock. i haven't seen her since.

thank you if you read to the end. to clarify i'm working on some fic stuff and that entails finding npcs across the overworld to give some more lore. it's a sheikah focused fic so i needed some characters other than the kakariko residents. it's also just fun fleshing out random npcs to make the world feel more lived in. again, i'm missing some details like what mina does before you save lurelin, so i'll edit this post in the future.