Race:Stalfos

Stalfos is a playable race on Hyrule Castle. As one of the nine uncommon races, a player must either be a Veteran, or acquire a Race License specifically for this race to create a Stalfos character. As one of the "monster" races, beings of this race are traditionally abhorred by Hylians, may be attacked on sight, and are generally not allowed anywhere near the settlements in Northern Hyrule, nor in Ruto.

Canonically, Stalfos debuted in the original Legend of Zelda, and have recurred in nearly every game since.

Character Creation Brief

Found primarily in Ikana and long-lost graveyards, Stalfos are exactly what they appear to be: moving, thinking, animated skeletons. A Stalfos is an undead monster created by dark magic, an influx of supernatural power particular to a localized region, or other forces not even Stalfos themselves understand. While many Stalfos have been raised into Ganon's army, others are completely separate. A Stalfos usually (but not always) has no recollection of his (or her) former life, and usually has no physical or mental similarities to their former self beyond skeletal structure. A freshly-risen Stalfos would often seem as though it has amnesia, as it usually possesses an adult's mindset, maturity, and intelligence, but has no idea who it is or how it crawled out of a grave.

Notably, a Stalfos character must specify to what race its skeleton once belonged. Hylian-born Stalfos are particularly common.

A Stalfos begins with a PWC of 2/2/1, 2/1/2, or 1/2/2. In effect, a Stalfos can begin with a +1 to any two different aspects of PWC. Using the Exception racial perk during character creation, a Poe can begin with a 3 in any one aspect, and a 1 in the other two aspects.

A Stalfos has an innate racial perk called Undead, which represents its unusual state of non-living animation. In addition to this, a Stalfos character can have up to three additional racial perks of choice. In addition to the general perks available to every race, a Stalfos can also choose from:

• Four-Armed: a useful trait which grants the Stalfos an additional, less dexterous pair of arms; this occupies two racial perk "slots"
• Jump: a useful spell many Stalfos infamously use to leap out of range of melee attacks, though it can be used for high-jumping in general
• Miasma: a powerful offensive spell which the Stalfos uses to create a poisonous gas which hinders most living beings
• Nightvision: a useful trait enabling the Stalfos to see in darkness
• Skeletal Defense: a defensive technique a Stalfos can use to avoid a lethal blow by letting his magically-held-together body break apart
• Skeletal Offense: a useful technique enabling a Stalfos to launch a bone from his body as a projectile weapon, or wield it as a melee weapon

Physiology

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

Stalfos are skeletons animated by mysterious or magical power, raised from the long-dead corpses of other races. A being of virtually any playable race other than Goron, Deku Scrub, Korok, Skull Kid, Lynel, or Poe can be raised in stal-form. Indeed, even a tiny skeleton raised from a Picori is a possibility. The height depends on the original race, and weight tends to be greatly lesser than the norm for that race. Despite this, a typical Stalfos has little resemblance to its previous life other than its skeletal structure. Indeed, a Stalfos usually (but not always) has no recollection of his (or her) former life, and usually has no physical or mental similarities to his or her former self. A freshly-risen Stalfos would often seem as though it has amnesia, as it usually possesses an adult's mindset, maturity, and intelligence, but has no idea who it is or how it crawled out of a grave.

Because a Stalfos is undead, it notably has no need to breathe, drink, eat, sleep, or perform other bodily functions. Despite not needing to do these things, some Stalfos do some of them out of comfort, or a mental reliance on performing them. Due to the same strange force which gives it life and thought, a Stalfos is capable of moving as it would have with functioning muscles, and is seemingly even able to train these non-existant muscles much as living creatures would. It even feels pain, and can suffer injuries much like living creatures. A Stalfos is capable of full speech. Its voice is generally coarse and genderless, but rarely, a Stalfos' voice could be as normal as a living creature's. A Stalfos has no need to move its jaw to speak, as its words are formed magically, but many Stalfos find it easier to enunciate if they do so anyway.

A Stalfos' body usually possesses dimly glowing spheres where eyes would otherwise rest in its skull, but is otherwise a dry skeleton devoid of any living or rotting tissue. Rarely, a Stalfos may have horns or other unusual features if its former body did. Most wear little or no clothing, as they typically are not shamed by showing their bones. A Stalfos' gender can usually only be determined by its hip bones, and even then, some Stalfos prefer to only be referred to as an "it."

Being undead, a Stalfos does not age in the traditional sense. Due to seemingly normal circumstances, however, a Stalfos rarely lives beyond 80 to 100 years.

Culture & History

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

Stalfos are somewhat ironically the least familiar with their own origins, as most have no clue how their lives even began. Some seem to rise naturally, particularly in graveyards which already have other Stalfos or Poes inhabiting them. Largely because of this, many Stalfos who were autonomously risen treat abandoned graveyards as makeshift villages. Others are risen to due powerful magic, and may or may not feel any inherent debt to their creators.

It is widely assumed that Ganon has risen more Stalfos than any other being in history, often filling his armies with the skeletons of those he's slain, or even from the corpses of his own fallen soldiers. Because of this, some Stalfos revere him for giving them life, while others despise him for treating them like emotionless tools.

Due to the unsettling nature of Stalfos, and their infamous recruitment into Ganon's army, Hylians and most races associated with them often abhor Stalfos as monsters. Some flee, while others attack on sight. Largely because of these Stalfos tend to remain particularly illusive of major settlements. The only place they can find relative safety is the surprisingly peaceful Monster Village or the nearby Ikana Valley of similarly-treated "monsters," or the more nefarious Forsaken Fortress inhabited by Pirates. Notably, others take refuge in the Lost Woods, other forested areas, or in various graveyards or ruins.

While Stalfos don't have an over-arching culture, they can generally only find understanding in other Stalfos, or to some extent, Poes and Skull Kids who share in the fate of being undead.