Race:Sea Zora

Sea Zora is a playable race on Hyrule Castle. As one of the fourteen common races, any player can choose to make a Sea Zora character.

Since Sea Zora is considered a human-race, a Sea Zora is detested by most monster-races. The Sea Zora will not be welcome in any society of monster-races, and will likely be attacked on sight if attempting to even approach one.

Canonically, the distinct type of light blue-colored Zora known as Sea Zora initially appeared in Ocarina of Time. They are separate from the green-colored green variety of Zora known as River Zora. Despite their similar heritage and names, River Zora and Sea Zora consider themselves as different from each other as night and day.

Character Creation Brief

As a whole, the Sea Zora are best known as the most prominent amphibious race of humanoids in and near the mainland of Hyrule. Despite their namesake, Sea Zora can live comfortably in saltwater and freshwater, though they generally prefer the prior. Sea Zora themselves live primarily in the Zora's Domain of Lake Hylia, but are also found in smaller underwater outposts throughout the Great Sea.

While Sea Zora and Green Zora are technically two variants are of the race, it is a grave mistake to consider them one in the same. Sea Zora look at their cousins as bloodthirsty, mad savages who know only violence. By contrast, River Zora look at their relatives as arrogant fools who don't understand the importance of survival of the fittest.

A Sea Zora stands about as tall as a typical Hylian, only slightly taller on average, and have a slender appearance. They are covered with scales of either white or blue, have deep black eyes devoid of any white surrounding the pupils, and have elegant shimmering fins draping their bodies.

Despite the fact the vast majority of Zora live underwater, they speak the Hyrulean language as well as most sentient races of the land. Needless to say, they're much more accustomed to living, fighting, and manuevering underwater compared to races which cannot naturally become amphibious. They are known to be very dependant on water, as their bodies need to remain moist to survive.

A Sea Zora begins with a PWC of 1/2/1, having a 2 in Wisdom. This starting PWC can be defied by using the Exception racial perk during character creation.

Every Sea Zora inherently has two innate racial perks: Amphibious and Zora Weakness. On top of those two, a Sea Zora character can have up to three racial perks of choice. In addition to the general perks available to every race, a Sea Zora can also choose from:

• Aquatic Affinity: a trait which makes it easier for the Sea Zora to gain Water-based treasures
• Boomerang Fins: a technique enabling the Zora to grow, wield, and throw razor-sharp fins as natural weaponry
• Electric Aura: an offensive spell which momentarily surrounds the Sea Zora in an electrifying barrier
• Hookshot: a mechanical grappling hook and weapon, favored for its ability to function underwater
• Magic Proficiency: a trait which enables the Sea Zora to start with more Wisdom-based treasures
• Sonata of Soothing: a well-known magical song among Sea Zoras, which can heal wounds when played well

Recommended Origins

If you've never made a character before and intend to make a Sea Zora, it is highly encouraged that you base your character on one of the following three origins. If you've made a character before, these example origins may provide inspiration for your character.

Citizen of Zora's Domain

All your life, you have lived in Zora's Domain, a peaceful and majestic stronghold on the bottom of Lake Hylia. It's been a comfortable underwater life, where you've likely remained safe and perhaps even completely untouched by the invasion of Ganon. Like most of your Sea Zora kin, your pursuits have probably been peaceful up until now, whether you were part of the Zora Guard, a member of one of the popular Zora musical bands, took your time studying magic, or something else entirely.

A Citizen of Zora's Domain begins with a PWC of 1/2/1, with 4 additional points distributed as you see fit. Its racial perks include Amphibious, Zora Weakness, Electric Aura , Magic Proficiency, and Sonata of Soothing.

Eastern Sea Zora

Brothers to the Zora of Lake Hylia, you and your people have lived instead in the depths of the Great Sea for centuries. The harsh environment under such depths has caused your people to become both hardy and stronger than your cousins. Not only are you constantly coping with immense water pressure, but deep-sea Octorocks and other oceanic monsters have needed to be warded off regularly by you or your fellow Zora. While your life isn't as peaceful as those of the Domain, it has been no less rewarding.

A Citizen of Zora's Domain begins with a PWC of 1/2/1, with 4 additional points distributed as you see fit. Its racial perks include Amphibious, Zora Weakness, Electric Aura , Hookshot, and Boomerang Fins.

Physiology

While not vital information, the following includes further detail on the race's appearance and biology.

While Sea Zora are a two-gender race, the differences are subtle to those who don't live among them. A male is more likely to have a tail fin from the back of his head than a female, but females may have one as well. Generally, a female has a more slender body than a male, and is slightly shorter on average.

When Zora give birth, several soft eggs are produced at once. In the rare instance a Sea Zora mates with a River Zora, the offspring typically take after the mother; it is seemingly impossible to make a hybrid which shares qualities of both Se and River Zora. An infant Sea Zora takes on the shape of a pale tadpole-like creature (as opposed to a darker River Zora tadpole) which can't leave water, until it develops a more humanoid shape during childhood. A Zora matures and ages at a rate nearly identical to a Hylian.

A Zora reaches adulthood slightly before the age of 20. At this point it has size, height, and weight proportions fall very similar to the standards of an adult Hylian. Sea Zora in particular tend towards more slender and sleek forms compared to Hylians, and especially compared to bulkier River Zora. Because a typical Zora lives its childhood and in some case almost its entire life underwater, it often takes a Zora a great deal of effort and training to move above water as skillfully as a Hylian does, but many adventurers and travelers accomplish this adaptation.

A Sea Zora's body is completely covered in slick scales of snow white, and nearly any shade of blue, with paler varieties being more common. Much like Hylian skin tone, shade of a Sea Zora's scales is generally hereditary. Darker spots or other patterns may form on the body, particularly the backside. Slender fins fall from the forearms, and smaller ones form on the legs. Males always possess, and females occasionally possess, a finned tail-like apendage on the back of the head which aids in swimming. Skilled Zora are able to harden these fins into blades, for use in combat. A Sea Zora's face is pointed, as if to move better through water, with glistening eyes usually a solid black.

Unlike Sea Zora, a River Zora's body is particularly susceptible to drying up from flames, and is highly flammable. Any fire-based attack against them is known to be particularly effective. River Zora have adapted by widey mastering the Fire spell to exploit this, while Sea Zora themselves have made widespread use of Electric Aura to target the River Zora's own weakness to electric shocks.

Culture

While not vital information, the following includes further detail on the race's habitats and society.

The aftermath of the Imprisoning War caused Sea Zora to be labeled a "human race" in Hyrule. As a result, they are generally on good terms with other human races, particularly Hylians. By contrast, they have such disdain with so-called "monster races" that is isn't abnormal to attack them on sight. A typical Sea Zora's disdain for any River Zora is particularly high, as it has been for centuries.

The most prominent Sea Zora societies in Hyrule include the Kingdom of Zora's Domain, and underwater cities throughout Great Bay. Outside of Hyrule, the simply named Zora Village off the coast of Labrynna is the most well-known. There are numerous smaller settlements that are widespread throughout any saltwater locations. With the notable exception of Lake Hylia, Sea Zoras prefer to avoid entering freshwater, as such locations are the ancestral domain of their enemies the River Zora.

Both types of Zora believe that their original patron deity was the great fish, Jabun, who passed away centuries ago. Sea Zora believe he was reincarnated in the race's new deity, Jabu-Jabu, whereas River Zora believe this to be sacreligious, and that Jabun is irreplaceable.

While Sea Zora do work to protect their homes, their underwater locations keep them safe from all but their green relatives and the rare sea monsters. As such, most Sea Zora can afford a very peaceful lifestyle, especially compared to their green brethren in Moruge Swamp. Many Sea Zora are well-known for practicing esoteric magic, and have found favor with many instruments, both of their own making and other races'. The music of an all-Zora band, the Indigo-Go's, is famous throughout Hyrule and all the known world.

History

While not vital information, the following includes further detail on the race's origins and development.

Ancient fossils suggest that thousands and thousands of years ago, an ice age tore through the ecosystem of the planet. It is believed this sudden change in climate caused an unnamed aquatic race to divert into a branched evolution, which at the very least created what would become three separate races--the Parella, a reptilian race, and the Zora themselves.

It is known that at one point all Zora worshipped a great fish known as Jabun, who they held to be the sacred Patron Deity for their entire race. As few written records exist from this time, much information regarding Jabun's legacy has been lost to time, but he was widely reverred among at least the Zora race. For reasons unknown, Jabun died at some point during the ice age--making him one of few deities who permanently deceased without resurrection. Some Zora insisted that Jabun reincarnated to another create fish, christened Jabu-Jabu, while others insisted this was a false god, and sacreligious to the memory of Jabun. In time, this difference in belief would cause the race to split into two wildly different forms.

Near the end of the ice age, the Parella stayed in deep oceans and remained purely aquatic, while the reptilians adapted to land and become almost entirely terrestrial. The Zora themselves were the only ones to become wholly amphibious, living primarily on saltwater coasts and freshwater reservoirs on and near a continent that would later become known as Hyrule. Due to religious differences regarding Jabun and Jabu-Jabu, Zora decided to inhabit different locations to avoid a disasterous religious war. Those who believed in Jabu-Jabu settled in saltwater became sleeker, more light colored Sea Zora. Those who viewed Jabu-Jabu as sacreligious settled primarily in freshwater would evolve into a darker, stockier tace known as River Zora.

Despite this widespread agreement to diverge into two separate peoples, River Zora and Sea Zora shared a mutual disdain that could hardly be contained. Small, localized battles and hateful acts would occur between them in the centuries which followed, even continuing into modern day.

As Sea Zora spread, they encroached upon freshwater lands. Somewhat ironically, their greatest settlement, Zora's Domain, was founded and still exists today in the freshwater reservoir of what would become known as Lake Hylia, which eventually became a kingdom in its own right. Eventually, this was paralleled by a River Zora kingdom established in Eyeglass Lake.

The Hylian race, which was only just beginning to expand into the sea, discovered the Zora race on the very outskirts of their society. At the time, the Hylians were only just beginning to settle continent of Labyrinna, which was the most western portion of Zora expansion. It is through this encounter that Hylians make contact with the aptly named Zora Village, and thereby learn the distinction between Sea Zora and River Zora. At that time, they indended to remain neutral in the Zora conflict.

In the years which followed, however, Hylians expanded further and further into Labyrinna and Hyrule, lands which surrounded the ancestral homes of both Sea and River Zora. In time, the Zora would even come to adapt the Hylian language as their own, albeit in unique dialects. As a result, over the course of a century, both forms of Zora and their kingdoms would put increasing pressure on the Hylians to choose a side. Ultimately they sided with Sea Zoras, who the King Hyrule of the time decided had more in common with the Hylian people. Unsurprisingly, this summoned outrage across all River Zoras, and further deepened the rift between the two races. While Sea Zoras as a whole became an ally of the Hyrulean Kingdom, River Zoras began to ritualistic attack Hylians on sight out of sheer contempt.

In time, Sea Zora and Hylians delegated River Zora to the status of mere monsters--no different than Moblins or Lynels. As Hylians rapidly encroached through Hyrule, they encroached and overtook territory that was once inhabited by what they called monsters--including the freshwaters and swamps that had traditionally belonged to River Zora. In time, the race would come to only find save haven in Moruge Swamp, an area considered badlands by Hylians.

This status quo would continue uninterrupted until the dawn of the Imprisoning War, nearly a century ago today. In this conflict, the Gerudo Kingdom, a section of Hyrule known as Northern Hyrule, and Southern Hyrule all engaged in a massive three-way war which engulfed almost two entire continents. Sea Zoras sided predominately with Northern Hyrule, whereas River Zoras largely became an honorary ally of the Gerudo Kingdom. It was the first time in centuries the River Zora had experienced a positive cultural relationship with a race other than their own.

Unfortunately for the River Zora, the Gerudo Kingdom was all but demolished in this conflict. Despite losing the war, River Zora became respectable allies of the numerous races who fought alongside them--Moblins, Lizalfos, Stalfos, Poes, Lynels, and the few Gerudo whom survived. While most River Zora remained in their ancestral homelands Moruge Swamp and Eyeglass Lake, they could now find refuge in lands such as Monster Village and the Lower Wilds. With these other so-called 'monster' races, River Zora were able to shared in their disgust with the entirety of Hylian and Sea Zora races--and all their 'human'-race allies.

In the decades after the Imprisoning War, both Sea Zora and River Zora experienced a relative peace their race hadn't experienced in centuries. This would last until Ganon, who was eponymously imprisoned in the Dark World at the end of the war, suddenly appeared again to invade Hyrule anew. This resurgence occurred approximately 20 years prior to this day. This war, Ganon's War, still simmers today. Ganon's influence has renwed the human-races' disdain of monster-races, who themselves have in part sided with Ganon against Hylians and all for which they stand. The deep-seated hatred between River Zora and Sea Zora was renewed for the modern generation.