Race:Gerudo

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

Because of the role Gerudo played in the Interloper War, they were praised by monster races and disdained by human races. During Ganon's War, they retained most monster races' respect, yet also vastly improved their reputation among human races. Consequently, Gerudo are a neutral race, which is able to maintain respect some among both human-races and monster-races--or at least enough to not be attacked on sight.

Canonically, Gerudo debut in Ocarina of Time, which features the race's largest role in the series. They return in Majora's Mask, and since have had smaller roles throughout the rest of the canon Zelda series.

Character Creation Brief

Amazons of the desert, these women are built similarly to the Southern Hylians; they are tall in stature, and physically well built. After spending generations in the arid regions of Haunted Wasteland and Tantari Desert, the Gerudo are very tan. Strangest of all, however, is that the Gerudo are a completely female race. To ensure the longevity of their race, they seek out men from other races.

Long ago, Gerudo had an entire kingdom far to the west of Hyrule. A century ago, the infamous Gerudo, Ganondorf, one of extremely few males in the race, led an all-out assault against the then-detested Hyrule Kingdom. Although the war initially worked in the favor of Gerudo, tides turned harshly. The Gerudo homeland was all but destroyed, and the race almost completely wiped out. Their desecrated homeland became appropriately known as the Haunted Wasteland. Over the past century, what few Gerudo survived have been mostly isolated to the Western Caves of Hyrule, one of the most desolate reaches of the continent, and have had difficulty propagating ever since. Since the outbreak of Ganon’s War, they suddenly became incredibly valued--by both sides of the conflict--due to their natural talents as warriors, physical strength, and survival instincts.

Spending the majority of their time training and fighting, the Gerudo are innately practiced at all forms of war. Whether it be tactics or hand-to-hand combat, the Gerudo make fearsome opponents. This is compounded by their height and natural muscle. Modern Gerudo have very little appreciation for anything unrelated to battle and survival.

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

Upon character creation, a Gerudo player-character can have up to three racial perks of choice. In addition to the general perks available to every race, a Gerudo can also choose from:

• Desert Strike: an offensive technique useful for subduing an opponent without killing it
• Flying Broom or Flying Carpet: a powerful magic item useful for airborne travel; this occupies two perk "slots"
• Gerudo Dragon: a powerful uppercut technique which summons flames around the Gerudo's weapons
• Hero's Legacy: a trait which makes it easier for the Gerudo to acquire WeaponBase treasures
• Intrinsic Enchantment: a powerful spell enabling the user to enchant her weapons with a designated element, such as Fire or Ice
• Wall Kick: a useful technique which enables a Gerudo to repeatedly leap off walls with ease
• Warrior's Training: a useful trait which enables the Gerudo to begin with more Power-based treasures

Recommended Origins

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

Denizen of the Western Caves

You've lived a traditional Gerudo in the Eastern Caves, once known as Gerudo Fortress. For as long as you can remember, you've trained in martial combat and tactics, mastering a variety of weaponry as well as any other of your kind. Though your race rules the caves, you've likely had to make do with the Hylian refugees who fled from Ganon's invasion. While some are capable warriors, they've mostly worked as cooks, food-gatherers, and other service-oriented professions a proud Gerudo like yourself probably would rather avoid doing anyway. While in all likelihood you've protected your home from countless attacks from Ganon over the years, you may, like others have before you, leave your homeland to explore the world, or to attempt to take the fight to Ganon himself...

A denizen of the Western Caves begins with a PWC of 2/1/1, with 4 additional points distributed as you see fit. Its racial perks include Desert Strike , Hero’s Legacy, and Warrior’s Training.

Sorceress Swordfighter

While most of your kin rely solely on brawn, you are one of the few who have studied and mastered a kind of magical prowess intrinsic to your race. To further your magical studies, you have likely taken up residence in Castle Town, among the more magically inclined Hylian and Sea Zora races. With one hand on a flying broom and the other on a magically-enchanted scimitar, few foes can stand up to your might on the battlefield, nor your cunning on the streets of your city home.

A sorceress swordfighter begins with a PWC of 2/1/1, with 4 additional points distributed as you see fit. Its racial perks include Intrinsic Enchantment and Flying Broom.

Pirate of the Eastern Sea

Perhaps you grew up in the Gerudo Fortress, or know of it now only by rumor. Now, however, you make your home in Forsaken Fortress, surrounded by pirates and scoundrels no more ruthless than you. While Hyruleans play war, you have an easy time with your crew picking off the merchant ships which dare venture through your sea. You likely have at least a few other companions to help you take down ships, and may associate with Stalfos or Moblins as often as you do with Gerudo.

A pirate of the Great Sea begins with a PWC of 2/1/1, with 4 additional points distributed as you see fit. Its racial perks include Gerudo Dragon , Wall Kick, and Warrior’s Training.

Physiology

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

In many ways, Gerudo biology and appearance is remarkably similar to that of Hylians. However, the most significant difference is that the vast, vast majority of Gerudo are female. A male child is so rare it is said to occur only once a century, and its birth is usually a momentous occasion.

Being an all-female race which produces sexually, Gerudo are a biological oddity, due in large part to the mutations which took place long ago in the Gerudo Kingdom. Because of this oddity, however, the Gerudo race is practically never prosper greatly in its own right. A female Gerudo is capable of reproducing with one of several other races, most commonly Hylian males. Rarer but possible male mates include Twili and Sheikah, potentially among others. In all cases the resulting offspring shares very few if any traits from the father, instead predominately taking after the Gerudo mother, and considered a full Gerudo herself.

A Gerudo child will mature into a woman at a rate comparable to a Hylian child, developing into adulthood similarly. The oldest Gerudo usual living to be no more than 100 years old, though there are known to be a rare handful of instances of Gerudo magically extending their lifespans well beyond this.

An adult Gerudo's body structure is mostly similar to a Hylian woman's, with several notable differences. First, she is remarkably taller, averaging between 5' 6" (165 cm) and 7'0” (215 cm). Second, her muscular structure is considerably more defined and capable, as the typical Gerudo is even stronger than a well-toned Hylian male. Third, whereas most Hylians are pale, Gerudo are universally a darker tan, which gradually grows into slightly green shade as they age. Finally, Gerudo always have bright red hair, slightly sharper noses, and usually have golden-colored eyes. Certain Hylians admit that Gerudo are drastically more attractive than members of their own race, while others find the idea of such powerful women unpleasant.

Culture

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

Modern Gerudo culture is shaped largely by the race’s origins as survivors of the brutal Interloper War and Gerudo War, desert-dwellers of the Gerudo Kingdom, and the atrocities their kingdom committed under Ganondorf’s rule. This ultimately led to their invasion of Hyrule, which led to the decimation of their entire kingdom, and the destruction of almost their entire race. Although this occurred over 70 years ago, the stigma against Gerudo caused by it still persists. More recently, about 20 years ago, Gerudo redeemed themselves by not only fighting valiantly with Hyruleans against Ganon during his invasion, but taking refugees into their Western Caves and helping to recapture and rebuild Ruto.

Between all these events, the world’s view of Gerudo as a whole is very mixed. Wherever a Gerudo goes, whether it be among Hylians or Moblins; Subrosians or Hinox, she can expect discrimination and acceptance almost in equal measures. As a general rule, those who favor strength and bravery are more likely to respect Gerudo.

Despite their appearance and relation to Hylians, the all-female race of Gerudo has incredible strength, stamina, willpower, and discipline. Their history is more stained with battles—wars for both survival and for supremacy—than any other race. Seemingly as a result, almost every single young Gerudo is considered a warrior, an athlete, and a survivor. This Spartan mindset permeates virtually all reaches of the Gerudo culture, especially in the Western Caves.

In the years after the Imprisoning War, Gerudo spread across much of the known world without a place to truly call home. As such, a small handful of them can be found in almost any city across Hyrule, and even on isles as distant as Forsaken Fortress and Knuckle Rock.

The Western Caves are perhaps the closest thing that still exists to a Gerudo city. In the wake of Ganon’s War, it has taken in countless Hylian refugees, so much so that the cramped tunnels may now be more Hylian than Gerudo. Nevertheless, the Gerudo mindset still permeates these underground halls. The structure is built for survival, and withstood full-frontal assaults during Ganon’s War—assaults which fell nearly every other city of the region, even including the foreboding Death Mountain.

Although they have largely sided with the Hylians against Ganon, there are other Gerudo whom live more nefarious lives. The strained resources of the Western Caves have encouraged many of them to look to life of crime to survive. Even today, Gerudo notoriously make up a large portion of the infamous Forsaken Fortress, and bands of Gerudo thieves are common throughout Tantari Desert.

As Gerudo are practically incapable of growing their population on their own, in modern times they rely on marriages to Hylian men to help keep their race going. Even so, the difficulties of reproduction are causing Gerudo to becoming increasingly rare in the world.

Extended History

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

It is widely believed by scholars that Gerudo were once part of the Hylian race, but split off at some point in the past, for reasons entirely unknown. Some theorize that a sorcerer created Gerudo from Hylians to be the ideal soldiers, and others still claim Gerudo originated as a clan of strong Hylian women who sought to create a matriarchal society, among other theories. None in Gerudo society have kept historical records of their origins, nor how their society ended up inhabiting Tantari Desert.

For decades, Hylians and other races feared the legendary Gerudo warrior-bandits of the Eastern Caves. Then as now, the driving force of Gerudo society was martial perfection, to ever-heighten the race's capability for combat. If it wasn't useful in providing a strong offense or a stalwart defense, it was unecessary. No force could approach their well-guarded hideout with any hope of success. With the invasion of Ganon, it was with much reluctance that Gerudo leaders accepted Hylian refugees into their caves. Since then, the two races have intermingled, but it is the Hylians who have become more like Gerudo, and not the other way around. Together, the caves have been stalwartly protected from everything Ganon's army has tried to throw at them. The Gerudo have been so successful at defending themselves that more recently, some of the Gerudo and Hylian coalition successfully reclaimed Ruto from Ganon's forces, and continue to defend the town. Despite their success, Gerudo and Hylian society remains largely segregated in the caves, with Hylians doing most of the more peaceful jobs Gerudo would prefer to avoid.

Gerudo society is one of the few organizations in all the known Hyrule that isn't led by royalty. The leaders are all appointed to their positions by other Gerudo, via a means similar to democracy. Gerudo society is forever destined to be small, but has always been efficient. It seems they will forever remain a fearsome force which will destroy all who seek to oppose them, not even able to be conquered by the army which drove the Gorons themselves from Death Mountain.