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.

Canonically, Gerudo debut in Ocarina of Time, which features the race's largest role in the series. They return in Majora's Mask, and have 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 within the Tantari Desert, the Gerudo are very tan. Strangest of all, however, is that the Gerudo are a completely female race. Until quite recently, it was necessary for them to kidnap Hylian men to continue the longevity of their clan. With the more recent invasion of Ganon into Southern Hyrule, some Hylians ended up taking refugee with the Gerudo who inhabit the Eastern Caves, making it considerably easier for new Gerudo to be born. Because of their societal structure, the Gerudo are usually more physically oriented, although some practitioners of magic can be found amongst their race.

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. Much like Southern Hylians have become, 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
• 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
• 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 Eastern 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 Eastern Caves begins with a PWC of 2/1/1. Its racial perks include Desert Strike, Hero's Legacy, and Warrior's Training.

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 Eastern Sea begins with a PWC of 2/1/1. 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.

Like Sheikah, Gerudo can be interpreted as a variant of Hylians, as the races are remarkably similar and can even interbreed.

Being an all-female race which produces sexually, Gerudo is an extremely odd race which is destined to never prosper greatly. The traditional means a Gerudo reproduces is by mating with a male Hylian, who is usually either willing, or convinced to be willing. After the mating, a Gerudo child is born from her mother in a way nearly identical to Hylians, but, the resulting child is always a full Gerudo, and never bears significant resemblance to its father. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible for a Gerudo to mate with races other than Hylian, but, Hylian is usually most preferred and most easily "acquired."

A Gerudo child will mature into a woman at a rate comparable to a Hylian child, and ages at a similar rate, with the oldest Gerudo usually living to be no more than 100 years old.

A Gerudo's body structure is mostly similar to a Hylian woman's, with several notable differences. First, she is remarkably taller, averaging between 6 feet (180cm) and 7.5 feet (230cm). Second, her muscular structure is considerably more defined and capable, as the "typical" Gerudo is as strong as a well-toned Hylian male. Third, whereas most Hylians are pale, Gerudo are universally a darker tan. Finally, Gerudo always have bright red hair, and slightly sharper noses. Notably, 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 & 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.