Edited: 31-03-2014. Updated a few, especially Gorons and Zoras which have concept art on my deviantart, (at which point I'll remind people that this is well into head-canon territory) and added Kikwi and Parella.
Goron Concept: serendipitous-way dot deviantart dot com/art/Gorons-Re-imagined-444091731
Zora Concept: serendipitous-way dot deviantart dot com/art/Zora-concept-442979924
Edited: 29-03-2015 Grammar and minor edits up to Kikwis.
Appendix VI
Is your mama a Zora?
Races
This started as a page long list – now it's a 24 page behemoth. And this the basics.
If any of the home regions confuse you check out the Mapping sections or the Map on deviantArt.
What makes a Zelda 'race' anyway?
Is it a language? Customs? A variance in skin tone? A different species of a genus or a different class (zoology: classes are reptiles, mammals...) entirely? In Hyrule it seems to be used interchangeably in reference to tribes (specific cultural group), people (general cultural group or nation), species, (distinct biological entities within a class) and class, (group of living organisms with the same base features [eggs, joint-type, type of eyes, basic skeletal components, etc] and descending from a common ancestor) so what gives?
Many in game people talk about this tribe, that people, and race X – all of which refer to the same group, such as the Goron, Zora, and Hylians (distinct species), as well as the Sheikah (an Hylian subgroup, presumably). Kokiri, a distinct humanoid species – forest spirits really – is not called a race, just people. The Gerudo (a debatably Human or Hylian group) is usually called a tribe, when not simply called thieves. (And here we have racism.)
So again, I ask, what gives?
A race generally seems to be tied to species, although nation (the Goron people, the Canadian people, Ankh-Morporkian*) seems to be a lesser component – so possibly a species which has formed a nation, or more specifically, a culture.
*[Terry Pratchett's Diskworld :D]
So...
Race: (n.) Species with recognizable culture or cultures.
Tribe: (n.) A distinct cultural group within a race; a group of a race with certain general characteristics, and may or may not exist within a larger People. [Culture and ethnicity]
People: (n.) a people, a population or persons comprising a community, polis, state, nation, etc.; a collection of people adhering to a single set of laws or under a unified ruling body. This will generally include multiple tribes, and possibly (though less commonly) various races.
Giving Hylians, a Hylian Tribe, the Hyrulian people. The Gerudo People, Gerudo Tribe. The Sheikah (people), a Sheikah tribe. Gorons, Goron Peoples, a Goron tribe. Zora, the Zora peoples, a Zora tribe, the Zola tribe. [La la la...]
That these people are mostly open with each other giving each other rights and trading seems almost warm and fuzzy until you remember the Gerudo are barely recognized, the Sheikah may have gotten wiped out (certainly a near thing), the Gorons might deign to brush dust on to you if you're a stranger but never seem to accept outside help unless it's forced upon them, (and getting 'brother' status is hard,) the Zora are haughty and remote rarely leaving their realms, and the Hyrulians often relegate all non-Hylians to back corners when others come to their cities. Not exactly a utopia.
And then we need to note the race/people/tribe definitions: these peoples aren't the only ones in the game – and some are never actually called tribes or races, even though they must fit the criteria for them being intelligent to have trade, fashion cloths and weapons, and wield said weapons, and in these things in those other races we see common factors, indicators of cultural norms.
Now admittedly some of these races aren't as advanced as others. Some, looking from a modern lens, are frankly rather primitive but that should hardly disqualify them from recognition.
So here is a list of all identifiable tribes of Hyrule I could find, with substantial leaning on ZeldaWiki. [As much as I don't need an excuse to play, analysis while playing is dull. Play for fun, damnit.] Otherwise, memory and minor manga are my sources.
['Class' is used only for the unusual: Mammal, angiosperm (flowering plant), etc. Just a general thing below here. Settlements and culture notes are generalizations, leaning towards TP era.]
There are 22+ races (which I did not expect O_o) many of which have notable tribes, which I've listed, and there is every likelihood that I've missed something.
BLIN
Did you expect these? They can talk, plan, they wield weapons, can presumably make said weapons and other tools, and have cloths, even if shabby, which come in common styles. Their armour various from coarse to very fine, some chose to live in peaceful hermitage, and the few who speak seem fairly articulate.
This would all indicate cultures, even if they are sometimes debatably primitive ones. They may just be marginalized.
There are a couple varieties of Blin in Zelda – they are the primary larger enemy you face in just about every game. But actually looking at the various varieties of Blin one realises that they are two separate geni (that's proper Latin folks! – not genus's/genuses) if they are even that closely related: the other is the dog-like moblins I'll call 'Burin'. The Blin are actually dividing into separate species due to the long separation of the tribes and breeding, a process that may have completed in some groups. All Blin have very fine short fur. All Blin serve the Warlord, usually a Bulblin warrior.
Bokoblin
Found: Anywhere
Settlement Patterns: Nomadic – travel solitary or in bands
Build: Tall and wiry
Fur: Red, green, purple, and blue fur.
Eyes: Green, yellow or white with black whites
Hair: May have white or grey hair on top of the head in addition to fur.
Other: Bokoblin are a Blin of average size which often has tusks and horns, and which has long pointed ears similar to a Hylian's. They have occasionally been used as cheap mercenaries, but are usually bandits. When not under contract, however, they are rarely found in large groups, and are primarily nomadic. They make simple wares, but usually take better quality tools from others.
Bulblin
Found: Anywhere
Settlement Patterns: Nomadic; occupy permanent sites only in times of crisis, preferring desert regions.
Build: Large, long limbed. Usually wiry, but grow broad and muscular with age
Fur: green fur
Eyes: red, green, yellow; whites of the eyes are usually black
Hair: White, grey, none on top of the head
Other:A race of warriors and the most intelligent of the Blin family, Bulblin have small piggish snouts, small floppy ears, small tusks from the lower jaw, and a horn growing from each side of the head. They tend to be larger than Hylians and humans. Moblin are generally considered to be brutish and stupid, but some have been known to become writers and great war leaders – bespeaking a higher than assumed intelligence, and showing the observers prejudice. They are oft maligned as they have been recorded to have supported the Dark One in the past, although how quickly they have changed sides suggests mere opportunity. Throughout history the Bulblin forces, en mass, have been known as the Hoard, led by the Warlord.
Goblin (Miniblin)
Because you know that's what they're based on. Miniblin feels like a slang term – probably insulting, but do they care?
Found: Various isolated areas, originating from the Belt Archipelago
Settlement Patterns: Small rough villages, usually built into natural features, preferring caves
Build: Short, wiry, disproportionately large head, four-toed hoofs, and a short fluffy tail
Fur: Red, green, blue and brown fur, with grey markings on the head and lower body
Eyes: Yellow with green whites
Other: A smaller (possibly pygmy) variety of Blin, Goblins, more commonly known as Miniblin, are the least intelligent but most sociable of the Blin. They are sometimes believed to have been created from the Dark Realms, but have long been in Hyrule. They are cunning hunters, very quick and use guerrilla tactics. Their social nature, combined with their preference of having fixed dwellings and their lack of intellect suggest that Miniblin may be a diminished race – once far more intelligent than they now are.
Moblin
Found: Marsh and forested lands
Settlement Patterns: Maintain rough, seasonal camps
Build: thickset, large head, barrel chest, cloven feet
Fur: dark red to purple, blue, and grey fur
Eyes: Green
Other: Moblin, somewhat more excitable than their Bulblin cousins, are simpler than, larger than and more piggish in appearance than the Bulblin. They have wide snouts and mouths, as well as cloven feet on articulated* legs. They operate as grunts for hire, but work more for the opportunity for doing damage without repercussion than for money.
*[Is this an even vaguely correct term? Double-pulley ankles? Something? I'm a classicist, not a biologist...]
Taurus
(This one probably doesn't belong on this list, but I'm leaving ti for reference.)
Found: Dark Realm
Settlement Patterns: DNE
Build: Tall, broad, muscled, and cloven foot
Fur: Blue, grey, and red to purple
Eyes: White
Other: A horned Blin originating in the Dark World, they do not exist naturally. They tend to have longer features – narrow faces and long arms for their bodies, as well as different coloured fur. Those under Ganon's influence tend to be a dark red to purple. Blue can show an affinity for Wind. Grey Tauri tend to be from shadow and light realms other than Hyrule.
BURIN
The 'other Blin.' Formerly known as Moblin, '-burin' looks to be the transliterated Japanese version of '-Blin.' These are the ones that look puggish.
Found: Veil valleys and Steppe. Rumoured in the Woodland Realm.
Settlement Patterns: Remote fortified towns
Build: Tall, broad, heavily muscled, canine attributes
Skin: Brown, grey and tan pelt.
Eyes: Brown, (sometimes) yellow
Hair: fur
Other: Burin are a fairly advanced culture, but isolationist, territorial, and generally hostile to all who are not Burin, which has led to them being labelled barbarians. They are in truth very proficient craftsmen and highly intellectual – more so than the Bulblin, who tend to be thought of as the more intelligent. Their weapons crafting is nigh unmatched. Some tribes of Burin, mistakenly called Moblin, in Hyrule's forests have been known to be orange, and grow to especially Cyclopean* size. The existence of this tribe is debated.
Burin are led by the Alpha, often equated to a Duke or minor King.
*[Cyclopean is actually a term used by the ancient Greeks to refer to Mycenaean construction, since they had no cultural memory of that predecessor to them. To them such F*ing HUGE, well crafted walls could have only been made by the gigantic Cyclops. Similarly, Burin don't build much, but when they do they go big. This is referring to the pug-face guards in the Sacred Grove in OoT.]
DAIRA (Zâzaku)
Found: Veil Mountains' river valleys
Settlement Patterns: Nomadic, seasonal settlements
Build: Large, broad bipedal alligator
Skin: Scales; yellows, oranges, browns
Eyes: Amber
Hair: Orange-brown fringe
Other: Race of bipedal alligators found in caves and in the Veil Mountains. Hostile to outsiders they are known to be experts with axes, usually traded from the Burin for game. A relatively primitive tribe, unlikely to advance farther due to their solitary habits.
DEKU SCRUB
Found: Forest and marshland (flowering); tropics (cycads)
Settlement Patterns: Small, dense, heavily planned settlements.
Class: Angiosperm (Flowering) or Cycads (seed plant)
Build: Small, somewhat shrubbish in appearance – like a short knotted trunk. Bipedal. As they are essentially animate plants, they are also very light, although Cycads tend to be denser.
Skin: Bark
Eyes: Brown, Black, Orange
Hair: Various leafy (Can bloom at will)
Other: Not part of the divine Deku Trees, although they were likely a creation of Dekan's. Some tribes are known to be hostile, such as those who inhabit the Lost Woods, although this may be because they are charged with guarding sacred places. Most are very friendly, and often take to business, though excited shrubs have been known to accidentally shoot customers. (Be advised that cycads shoot hard seeds while the flowering shrubs shoot bubbles that may leave spell effects.) The Deku Scrubs of Hyrule are few outside the woods, however, and so are rarely seen. The Shrubs of Terminia control a small northern kingdom. Flowering scrubs glide using their blooms and shoot bubbles rather than seeds.
FAIRY
As spirits they aren't technically a race, but I'm including them anyway. There are several types of Fairy, all united by several traits, and the young ones tend to be social. All are magical; all can fly by either magic or wings; all are beautiful. They possess many magical abilities, the most common of which are healing and sight. Young fairies are flighty and often tricksters, while older fairies are known to be very knowledgeable due to longevity, sight, and connection to the divine. Fairies are most likely to appear near fire and water - the cleansing elements.
Great Fairy
Found: Springs on Holy Ground (Fairy Fountains)
Build: Humanoid; may be winged (Butterfly or bird type) or have multiple arms. Human sized and larger.
Skin: Human or jewel tone, or black (black skinned fairies are often thought to have very darkly coloured skin, but this is an illusion caused by their auras)
Eyes: Any, but usually primary or secondary, or glassy.
Hair: Same as eye color
Other: Great Fairies are known to exceedingly powerful. They are often the guardians of regions and can come to be worshiped as minor deities. The Fairy Queens, the most powerful fairies, are believed to actually be minor gods (Great Spirits). The most powerful fairies are said to have eyes the colour of old glass, shining with a multicoloured patina. These fairies are thought to be favoured by the Golden Gods and the Old Ones, a theory supported by being known to teach mortals the deep magic of those gods.
Guardian Fairy
Found: Woodland Realm (usu.)
Build: A diminutive, slender, glowing. 'Dragonfly' type wings.
Skin: Human tones
Eyes: Black
Hair: Variable
Other: Guardian fairies are tiny fairies who attach themselves to children, Kokiri, Koroks, other forest guardians, or the pure of heart, such as some Heroes. Some very powerful guardian fairies will not attach to an individual, but to a community, or even become a guardian of an element – one who maintains the natural order, a Spirit. Guardian fairies appear to change color as their attention shifts to different tasks or as they use different kinds of magic, but their changes are in their aura alone.
Sprite
Found: Minor sites of power and tend to gravitate to Fairy Fountains
Build: A diminutive, slender, glowing fairy. 'Dragonfly' type wings
Skin: Pale to translucent
Eyes: Varies to match dominant magic. (Red for fire, green forest, yellow energy...)
Hair: Varies to match dominant magic. (Blue for water, purple spirit, white air...)
Other: Sprites are unattached fairies of minor power who possess only one kind of magical ability. The most commonly seen is a healer or 'helper' fairy, which glows pink.
FISHMAN
Found: Salt water seas
Settlement Patterns: Nomadic
Build: Large fish with prehensile fins
Skin: Blue scales, pale blue swirl patterns, orange fins
Eyes: Yellow with red whites
Other: An intelligent race of fish who have been known to barter information for food. They are surprisingly artistic, but as they do not maintain settlements, their hobbies go underappreciated.
Little else is known.
FOMOR
Non-Canon, but resemble the Four Swords Adventure Vaati and others somewhat, so I'll run with the wiki. The Death Sword might be called a fomor... maybe. Technically a spirit, like fairies.
Found: Magically tainted areas, condemned areas
Class: Demon [Magical Being]
(Variable appearance)
Other: They are malevolent and solitary, and spawned from a dark realm. A wind, fire, and shadow demons. Fomor are corruptions of life: the Fomor Vaati, the storm demon, was once a Minish.
GORON
Gorons gave me grief – they are one of the peoples who demand this question: Seriously, wtf? They are rock people – look like rock, made of rock, eat rock... but they are also alive, without being overtly magical. So I fudged it. Did you know that trilobites had quartz eyes? It gave me ideas. Of course, now my Gorons look a little like nightmare creatures, (friendly nightmare creatures but still) but they were a bit too anthropomorphic anyways. But the only thing that "eats" rock is fungus/bacteria… so trilobite-pill-bug-golem thing.
Found: Mountains, (Mount Crenel, Goron Hills, Goron Mountain) ore rich areas
Settlement Patterns: Medium to large towns and cities, preferring to build in old calderas, mountainsides and dead lava chambers.
Class: Self replicating golems?
Build: Large and solid. They resemble boulders or simple rather insect-like statues. They are bipedal, with large heads, wide girth, and varying numbers of arms. They boast a stone exoskeleton, a partial (stone) internal skeleton, and hot heavy water flows in the place of blood. Their backs and limbs are covered with mineral plates which interlock and form a solid shell when curled up.
Skin: Rock: brown and grey shades of red, orange and yellow
Eyes: Dark quartz lens: jet black, dark ruby red, and (rarely) green-blue.
Hair: None, though some Goron tribes have been known to cultivate mosses to resemble human and Hylian styles.
Other: Contrary to popular belief, Gorons are actually only partially made of rock: their 'bones' are rock, and they are covered by a plated rock shell, resembling chitin. The bulk of their form is clay, threaded with bacteria and funguses which digest their diet of rocks, as well as gather solar energy. Hot rocks, hot spring water and magma are all consumed to maintain body temperature where chemicals and solar energy are insufficient. Gorons do not fare well in cold climates
The minerals produced or rendered down by the water, heat, bacteria, and fungi are carried by the hot water and deposited first to repair areas worn down by friction, then to strengthen the shell, and finally to grow. A Goron can theoretically grow indefinitely provided they eat enough. Unusable minerals are deposited in the shell and can sometimes form precious and semi-precious stones that the Gorons later remove and sell. Due to the constant deposition of minerals Gorons change colour over time according to their diets.
The Gorons harvest rocks but mine metals, and are known metalworkers. They can be very clannish, but the 'clan' can be extended to individuals of other clans and species under extraordinary circumstance. When they do so they are very open and friendly, and extend all help they can to a Brother in need. Otherwise they are very suspicious, proud and unyielding. The Goron tribes are each led by a patriarch (sometimes called 'Big Brother') and a council of elders.
HUMAN
There are a number of human tribes.
Other: Are a race from beyond the veil of the gods – possibly from another world entirely* – and did not exist in great numbers in Hyrule until later times – only around the Hero of Twilight's era do they truly begin to be visible. They are rounded eared, and generally considered to be plainer than the elf-like Hylians. Divine intervention keeps Hyrulian lands out of human hands, but also outer lands in them.
*[The official artwork in the early games (which are late in the timeline) include Christian symbolism – perhaps a few humans came from our world?]
Holodrian (Holly Tribe)
Found: Holodrum
Settlement Patterns: Small villages, usually on caravan routes
Build: Tall; average build
Skin: Tan and brown
Eyes: Black, brown, rarely hazel
Hair: Light brown to black
Other: A human group originating from Holodrum. Once populous and widely travelled peoples, as Holodrum fell from power they pulled in on themselves and diminished. They nevertheless maintain a wide accumulated knowledge and are often known for shamanic abilities. (See Renado: LoZ:TP)
Labrynnan
Found: Labrynna
Settlement Patterns: Small to medium towns, orthotic grid layout; farming communities
Build: Medium height, slender
Skin: Pale, tan, olive
Eyes: Blue, (rare) brown
Hair: Brown, blue, red, black
Other: Labrynna is a populous and prosperous human country. The people are generally very peaceable, and magical abilities are rare, although not unheard of, and tend towards shallow forest and earth magic when they do appear.
Ordonian
Found: Ordon Highlands
Settlement Patterns: Small valley villages, farm communities, few larger towns
Build: Short, stocky
Skin: Pale, light olive
Eyes: Blue, green
Hair: Blond, light to medium brown
Other: Ordonians are farmers, and very industrious. They are well known for persevering, even in the face of apparent futility, given sufficient reason, although they are usually a very humble, laidback people.
HYLIAN
For me, separate from 'Humans.' The Hyrulians are the most well known Hylian population/culture. Humans have been known to mistakenly call them elves – a mythological immortal, unearthly race.
Found: Originally from Hyrule, now Hyrule, Holodrom and abroad.
Settlement Patterns: Farming communities, villages towns and cities of various sizes
Other: Their most notable feature is their (usually long) pointed ears. Hylians are very magical, and generally favour plains and thinly wooded areas. They are said to be the chosen race of the Golden Goddesses, or at least of their daughter, Hylia, depending on who you ask. Hylians live anywhere from forty to two hundred years depending on health, magical power and lineage.
The Gerudo People:
Canonically, the Gerudo are a human race of women. However, due to the fact there are no other humans in Hyrule at their earliest appearance, Ganondorf having pointed if short ears in some incarnations, and that the Gerudo can have children with Hyrulians, I claim creative license call them a Hylian tribe.
Found: The Great Desert, Ghost Mountains and abroad
Settlement Patterns: Small to large clustered towns around fortresses on riverbanks, and in oases and fjords.
Build: Heavier build than their plains dwelling counterparts. Long, sharper features and strong noses. Tend to be full figured.
Skin: dark or tan
Eyes: gem coloured eyes (violet and yellow are most common, although bright green, orange and very rarely red appears. Vivid and bright)
Hair: red and orange. No Hylian without Gerudo ancestry has any red or orange in their hair.
Other: A desert dwelling, all female tribe of Hylians with a strong connection to spirit and earth. Their ears tend to be shorter and softly pointed: an adaptation to the desert. They are an especially hardy Hylian tribe, and rarely produce males. (This may be due to a rare immune system reaction to the Y-chromosome in some women that causes miscarriages of male foetuses.* It may be that in the Gerudo tribe this is a dominant feature passed from mother to daughter. Alternately, there may be magic involved – especially if the 'one male born every hundred years' thing is not an exaggeration. Whichever, magic probably helps keep the tribes' "Gerudoness" intact.) They are very energetic, with necessarily relaxed morals as their homeland is very harsh, often forcing them to banditry as they have never been able to gather sympathy from other groups – but the phrase 'thieves' honour' applies. The Gerudo Tribe is a meritocracy, under a King when one is available, mostly for political reasons.
* [A real condition in the real world.]
Ho Ho Tribe
Tiny stature and pointy ears – they're Hylian. They are almost always seen travelling – and building castles in the sky.
Found: Coastal Areas, Belt Archipelago
Settlement Patterns: Scattered small villages; nomadic tendencies
Build: Short, slender, deceptively strong.
Skin: fair, but tan easily
Eyes: Blue, brown
Hair: brown
Other: Ears are short but sharply pointed. The Ho Ho's are isolationist to the extreme and highly intelligent tribe (and typically rather out of touch with reality as a result). Despite being introverted and clannish, the Ho Ho people are known to be travellers and adventurers, pursuing knowledge around the world. They are usually seafaring, and claim safely in numbers, travel in large groups of egocentric people.
Some groups are however known to abandon their people's introverted ways and become quite friendly as they travel the world.
Hyrulians
'Typical' Hylians – those found in the heartlands of Hyrule.
Settlement Patterns: Farming communities, villages towns and cities of various sizes
Build: tall, usually slender but can be heavyset
Skin: very fair to light tan
Eyes: Blue, brown, (rarely) green; other colours occur, but are uncommon
Hair: Brown, (sometimes) blond or, (rarely) black or blue or green. Orange indicates Gerudo ancestry.
Other: Technically a group of several tribes, their most notable feature is their (usually long) pointed ears. Hyrulians generally favour grasslands and thinly wooded areas. The Hyrulians claim to be the chosen tribe of the Golden Goddesses, and this has led to some very strong ethnocentrism.
Sault (Lake Lander)
'Sault' is an uncommon but plain old English word for waterfall. I've yet to see a tan or dark skinned Hylian (bar the headcanoned Gerudo) which seems odd so here we go. (As of SS there are a few, but they're part of the wind tribe. I suspect Groose and others to be mostly just tanned - though in hindsight TP has a few darker people. Points to Coro and his sisters.)
Found: Southern Hyrule (Lakes region, coast)
Settlement Patterns: Farming and fishing communities, small villages to large towns. Few fortifications.
Build: Tall; average build
Skin: Tan, brown, black
Eyes: Brown, blue, (rare) amber
Hair: Brown, black, orange and red (with Gerudo ancestry - more common than with Hyrulians) and (rare) blue and white-blond.
Other: While not uptight as the plainsmen, the Sault peoples tend to be rather cynical. Characterised by a 'hopeful pessimism' in their lives on Hyrule's southern waterways and the Zora Sea, they enjoy life while expecting the worst, which combined with their status as farmers and fishermen has led to them being regarded as superstitious hicks in backwater towns. In reality, while that noted pessimism does occur, the Sault are very opportunistic and shrewd businesspeople known for starting new ventures and enterprises. Their magics tend to be earthier than Hyrulian's.
Sheikah:
Found: Veil, Eastern Hills, the Steppe
Settlement Patterns: Small to large towns, built out from a main street; partially nomadic
Build: Wiry. Below average height.
Skin: medium-deep tan (gold-bronze)
Eyes: red, orange, purple
Hair: pale (any colour), blond is common
Other: Tribe of Hylians with strong shadow-light aspects. Sheikah are nimble and naturally stealthy. They are also usually stronger than most Hylians. They tend to be secretive and caught up in prophecy. Much of their way of life is grounded in tradition and the ancestors. They are often nomadic, and follow the leadership of their priests and elders.
Zuna
Since their canon appearance is vague at best, (2D pixelated only and heavily clothed) we can make guesses. Physical details cannot be seen in the game or manuals, but Ganondorf's and Twinrova's skin is sometimes shown to be greenish, suggesting a Zuna ancestor as it is the only green skinned and potentially non-scaled or non-furred tribe. Only Lizalfoes, Moblin, and Tokage [below]are green, and would all make poor masseuses. They seem like they might be cactus-deku in game: again unlikely masseuses, and probably wouldn't ever build in stone – and so another Hylian tribe.
Found: South-western Great Desert
Settlement Patterns: Nomadic, temporary settlements
Build: Tall and thin. Very narrow face.
Skin: blue, green
Eyes: Black
Hair: Red, purple, blue
Other: Descended from the Pyramid builders, the Zuna are from deep in the Gerudo Desert. They are wanderers and merchants, but optimists where the Sault are pessimists. Their primary trades are as desert guides and weavers of fine linens and wools, although their sand-rub healing techniques are very popular in upper-class circles.
KIKWI
Found: Woodland Realm, in particular Faron's Woods
Settlement Patterns: Small haphazard communities in the heart of Deku territories. They are intelligent and communal but not prone to building.
Build: Humanoid, vaguely avian. Short limbs with a pear shape body, with a plant bulb on their backs.
Fur: Thin, feathery fur in pale bronze/tan and black
Eyes: White and small
Other: Kikwi are unusual and rare, possibly extinct, tribe. They are apparently a bird-plant hybrid. Their bodies resemble a flightless bird with a small black beak and black mask marking around the eyes. Plant growth can be found on their heads, and a bulb grows out of their backs – it is used for camouflage, resembling bushes and flowers when lying down. Kikwi are very shy and childlike.
KOKIRI
Found: Woodland Realm
Settlement Patterns: Small unplanned villages in the hearts of Deku territories
Build: Humanoid, childlike
Skin: Pale, light tan
Eyes: Blue or (rarely) green
Hair: Orange to blond to golden-brown
Other: Resembling Hylian children, aged three to twelve, the Kokiri are eternal children who live in the Kokiri Woods under the guardianship of the Great Deku Tree. They have very short memories, like the children they resemble, and cannot remember events more than a few years old, although general information is retained longer, sometimes indefinitely depending on its perceived importance. The Kokiri are always accompanied by guardian spirits, who act as parents, sources of information, personal history, and protectors. The Kokiri are guardians of the forest, and have been known to harass travellers and lead them astray. They usually show children the way out of the woods, lest they become Skull Kids.
KOROK
Found: Woodland Realm, forests
Settlement Patterns: NA Very few Koroks take up residence anywhere, though they live communally
Class: Magical Beings [Angiosperm (flowering) and Conifer]
Build: resemble very short but thick bipedal tree stumps with leafy growth
Skin: Bark
Eyes: Black, brown
Hair: Leaves, flowers, none
Other: Contrary to the rumour, the immortal Koroks were not originally Kokiri, prior to the Great Flood. Whether they existed prior to that is unknown, but not at all unlikely, due to their ability to hide in the forest. Like the Kokiri, they act as highly sociable caretakers for the forest, closer to tree spirits than anything else. They may in actuality be young Deku and Maku trees.
LYNEL
Found: Remote mountain regions
Settlement Patterns: Nomadic, travel in family units
Build: Lower body of a horse, humanoid upper body, and leonine head. Very strong.
Fur: Thick pelt and variably coloured fur. Russet, reds, purples, blues.
Eyes: Black, brown
Hair: Mane in either a variation of the fur, or white or black.
Other: Lynel, derogatorily referred to as 'Fire Cats,' are a solitary people who gather only to trade goods: different families have different crafts, all of a relatively simple sort, although their recurved bows are unmatched. The Lynel are magically enhanced, being capable of casting voice (air aspect) magic, often excelling in chants. When mixed with their personal power their roars can carry fire balls, energy bolts or concussive force. A Lynel's power level, which remains constant all its life, can be gauged by the colour of its fur. Those with russet fur are least magically inclined and have are the weakest physically, while deep blue indicate huge power and great prowess, and shades in between show a sliding scale of strength.
MINISH (Picori)
Found: Various
Settlement Patterns: Tend to settle in small communities within the towns of the larger races, and in their own towns, usually in remote areas (deep woods, mountain crags)
Build: Bobbin height and smaller, long body, short legs, deer-like ears
Skin: Pale, deep blush
Eyes: Black, no whites
Hair: Blond
Other: Usually thought of in the scope of fairies and myths, the Minish are a tiny race of great knowledge and great strength. (They are in fact rather ant-like with regards to strength, being able to carry many times their own weight.) They have four digits on each hand and foot, something else unique among humanoid races. They are a very curious but guarded race, with inclinations to deeper magic. They are said to originate from another world.
MOGMA
Found: Eldin, the Steppe, Ore-rich areas
Settlement Patterns: Unknown, presumably in tunneled communities
Build: Human to larger size, Mogmas have long barrel-chested bodies with very short, weak legs and long, powerful arms, and a thick, prehensile tail. Their hands are humanoid (four fingers plus thumb) but clawed, while their feet are more paw-like.
Skin: Pale (white, fawn, light brown) short over pink skin – visible at nose and toes only. Darker fur forms a 'mask' around the eyes of some.
Eyes: Black, but poor vision
Hair: Some mogmas have hair on the tops of their heads and beards – black, grey, brown, orange, blond, blue and green all appear, and the colour will match their front paw and 'mask'
Other: Mogmas are a subterranean race of burrowers. They have excellent hearing and can sense by vibrations in the earth, but have very poor eye sight. They were once a very advanced culture but are rarely seen in more recent times. Mogmas are commonly miners and treasure hunters, though some take to farming root vegetables.
OOCCA
I've mentioned this several times now, but the Oocca=No.
Found: Tethered City, Mountain Tops
Settlement Patterns: Tend to occupy permanent settlements – usually places abandoned by others
Class: Avian
Build: Short – a yard high, at most. Avian body, short but wide wingspan. Flat humanoid face
Skin: Pale
Eyes: Pale Pink
Hair: None. Feathers are off-white, yellow on the body, pinfeathers tipped in pale blue-green.
Other: Avian race which at some point came to occupy the Tethered City (City in the Sky). Relatively intelligent: they can understand the work of others, but are unable to advance themselves as, lacking hands or digits, their ability to manipulate objects is severely limited. They are effectively ineffective caretakers.
PARELLA
Found: Waterways
Settlement Patterns: Large communities in calm waters
Build: One to two yards high, with a cartilage structure. The 'shoulder' resembles a jellyfish, underwhich two fins and a tail descend. They have a trumpet snout and a crest resembling coral on top of the head
Skin: Very pale (white, grey, yellow, pink) with colour highlights (usually blue)
Eyes: Yellow with a black, horizontal pupil
Hair: None. Coral crest tends to be pink and grows more with age, like an antler
Other: The parella are an aquatic race who were once the attendants of the dragon Faron. They tend to be shy, and are highly accomplished swimmers, and can fit nearly anywhere due to their lack of bones; so they are rarely seen.
RITO
They are supposed to be bird people, and seem it so it might seem like an odd one to say "WTF!?" about, but: WTF!?
They have a 'beak,' but beaks are a mouth and nares (nostril) construct – Rito have nares only and a separate mouth and jaw. So really the 'beak' is just an odd nose. (And Medli has a bill, as opposed to everyone else's raptorial schnauze. Again, What?) And their wings aren't natural: they're granted by Valoo, the Great Spirit of Air. This leaves the Rito as... what? An odd form of reptile? Feathered mammals? Closer related to lizfoes than they'd care to admit?
Found: Mountain ranges, islands, forest
Settlement Patterns: Small villages to small cities (called 'aeries') built into mountain sides and old growth forests
Class: Reptile [?] (Based on feathers-but-not-a-bird)
Build: Human height, wiry, light, and slender, with bird legs and feet.
Skin: Grey or tan feathered
Eyes: Red
Hair: White or (sometimes) brown, (rarely) red on top of the head only.
Other: The Rito, an unusual species to be sure, are a very social and open people who easily welcome visitors into their midst and frequently travel, something which often leads them into business as couriers, traders and merchants. They are a highly intelligent people who value knowledge and learning – and the gathering of both is facilitated by their travels. It is said that to be truly well informed one only needs a Rito friend. The Rito's patron god, Valoo, has been known to grant wings to adolescent Rito, allowing them to fly. The Rito have monarchs.
SUBROSIAN
As their appearance is hidden to all by their cloaks, Subrosians and the Garo are up to interpretation. They are identified as the same species due to their glowing eyes, similar superficial details, and a lack of specific information.
Found: Underground
Settlement Patterns: Small towns to large cities
Class: unknown
Build: Short, humanoid, may be broad shouldered.
Skin: Pale
Eyes: Pale and luminous blue and green
Hair: Pale
Other: A subterranean dwelling people, the Subrosians are well adapted to heat and dark. Their glowing eyes allow them to see underground and at night. Due to their lack of exposure to light they must be heavily protected if they ever venture above ground during daylight hours and their pigmentation is exceptionally pale. Their inherent magic is best suited to earth, fire and shadow, the last of which they use to protect themselves from light and to hide themselves
Garo
Found: Underground, and Ilkana
Other: An unusually mobile Subrosian tribe and profession: the Garo are sort of trained ninja, who often work as spies. Trained Garo tend to socialize little with other Subrosians, but are not a truly separate culture.
SAURIANS
Saurian, or Tokage, is a group of several subspecies of bipedal reptilian cultures.
Found: Great Desert, Ghost Mountains, Eastern Hills, Belt
Settlement Patterns: High walled fortified settlements in narrow valleys and fjords; some nomadic groups
Class: Sauropods [Reptile]
Build: Most are very tall, broad shoulders, narrow hip, and long tail
Skin: Green scales, undertones of grey and brown. Orange, brown or tan spinal ridges and horns may grow.
Eyes: Yellow, red, green
Other:
Arealfo
Found: Ghost Mountains
Build: Basic Tokay anatomy, slender, wiry muscle; two wings in addition to other limbs
Skin: Pale grey-green
Eyes: Yellow, red, green
Other: Arealfo, unique among the Tokay, can fly. This adaptation is not natural, but the result of experimentation in the two centuries prior to the Twilight Heroic Cycle, when they were first recognized. The tail is long and thin, acting primarily as a counter balance and steering aid. Arealfos are otherwise identical to Lizalfos.
Dynalfo (Dinolfos, Dinofol)
Found: Ghost Mountains, Eastern Hills, Belt (Coast)
Build: Basic Tokay build, very large, heavily muscled, strong thick semi-prehensile tail
Skin: Vivid green (coast, Belt), green-grey (Ghost)
Eyes: Yellow
Other: Dynafos are the tanks of the Tokay. They are the strongest of them, and formidable in battle. Very few are willing to face them. Outside of the battlefield and the hunt they usually take up metalworking and stonework.
Lizfos (Lizalfo)
Found: Great Desert
Build: Basic Tokay, wiry muscle, lithe
Skin: Bright green, green-yellow, brown
Eyes: Yellow
Other: The Lizalfos are the most common of the Tokay, inhabiting the depths of the Great Desert, although they have been known to travel as far as Death Mountain and the Eastern Hills, they have never been spotted anywhere else outside of wartimes. They are the stealthiest of the Tokay, and canny. They are more intellectual than their brethren, and often occupy abandoned sacred sites, pilfering from the texts and inscriptions left behind.
Tokay
Found: Belt (Archipelago)
Settlement Patterns: Small rough villages in remote fjords
Build: Short and squat, squarish frame with long tail
Skin: Green scales – light belly, leaf-toned body and limbs. Small ridge of orange spines.
Eyes: Blue
Other: The group called Tokay is comprised of the least war-like of all the Tokage tribes. Somewhat less athletically inclined than their counterparts, the Tokay are still carnivores on the hunt. Not particularly adept at said hunt, they've settled for trying to make a killing as merchants of wares and services, but have highly specialised goods which are generally only profitable within the Tokay tribes. They are barely tolerated in non-Tokay settlements, whether Tokage or other.
TWILI
Found: Twilight Realm
Settlement Patterns: Fortified towns and cities.
Build: Tall (often double the average human, although they can be quite short as well), slender and often broad shouldered.
Skin: Pale grey-blue.
Eyes: Red, yellow, black
Hair: Red, orange, yellow
Other: The ancestors of the Twili, formidable sorcerers, were banished from Hyrule to the Twilight Realm for attempting to conquer the Sacred Realm long ago. The audacious race has since mellowed (somewhat) and while many still maintain their ambition they now relegate it to less dangerous goals. They are now a generally peaceful race, changed to match the harsh, but quiet world they now inhabit.
The Twili are often thought to have mottled skin, but the black 'markings' seen by other races are in fact a style of close fitting clothing which the Twili prefer. As a nearly uniformly sorcerous people, the Twili have glowing markings, these being truly part of themselves. *
WATARARA
Found: Various
Settlement Patterns: Unknown. Seasonal migration/nomadic trends
Build: Large humanoid birds of varying type (by tribe). Their wings are extensions of their arms.
Feathers: Various by tribe.
Eyes: Black, brown, grey
Hair: No hair, but many adults have impressive crests
Other: The Watarara are Hyrule's only naturally flight-capable people. As they spend most of their time in the air and migrate often, very little is in fact known about them, but they seem to be similar to the Rito, save for that the Watarara are actual birds.
YETI
Found: Arctic regions
Settlement Patterns: May be nomadic or settle in towns of small to large size.
Class: Mammal
Build: Very tall, broad humanoid, at least half again the height of the average human.
Fur: White fur, yellows or greys with age. The facial fur is very fine.
Eyes: Black, brown, yellow, grey
Other: The yeti tribes tend to be very insular, as by inhabiting arctic regions they are ill accustom to receiving outsiders. Most tend to be cold to visitors, if not outright hostile, although some are friendlier than others.
Anouki
No reason to leave them in Oshus' dreams.
Found: North Sea islands
Settlement Patterns: Small to large towns
Build: The shorter of the Yeti, half again the height of a man. Standard build. Males have two small horns.
Fur: White or (rarely) black, grey or blue tints, greys with age. Facial fur is especially short but thick.
Eyes: Black, brown, grey
Other: Xenophobic, but will gossip to anyone. The Anouki are hoarders. Given time they may accept outsiders into their clans and villages, but newcomers (and their immediate descendants) will always be the favourite object of gossip and ridicule. The Anouki are of moderate intelligence, but are fixated on stories and not particularly inclined towards finer arts or craftsmanship.
Yook
Ditto
Found: Arctic regions (North Sea coast of the Spine)
Settlement Patterns: Solitary nomads
Build: Minimum twice the height of the average human, usually. Broad, very heavily muscled.
Fur: Thick and coarse white, (sometimes) brown, (rarely) black fur, with fine dark grey fur on face, hands and feet. Fur is darker hip-down.
Eyes: Red, yellow
Other: Yook, often portrayed as the archetype 'abominable snowman' are in fact only little more aggressive than the standard Anouki. They tend to be much taller, as well as broader and stronger due living in the mountains on the North Sea, where they must be able to travel and maintain themselves for extended periods of time alone in harsh climes. They are only truly violent when provoked or in protecting their sacred places, a guard job they take very seriously – more so than any other Hyrulian tribe. Trader camps are maintained on a seasonal basis, which also provides the Yook with safe havens in the darkest depths of winter. The Yook are primarily miners, trading ores on the rare occasion they do see outsiders.
ZORA
31-03-2014 : edited for WTF factor (art available on my deviantart) as Zora are usually humans + scales – skull + fish-for-a-head + fins wherever.
Found: Water
Settlement Patterns: Small to large isolated towns and cities, always at least partially submerged.
Build: Somewhat taller than the average human when standing. Zora resemble mudskippers and leaping blennie's, with an extra set of fins adapted for walking upright or scuttling on all fours. They are long, slender, with front fins adapted to move on all fours, swim, and manipulate objects – digits have developed.
Skin: Fine scales, usually blue, grey, brown or green, but any colour that can appear on a fish can appear on a zora. Colouration is sometimes simple but sometimes highly ornate, varying by tribe.
Eyes: Usually iridescent and bright. Yellow, green, blue, red, orange.
Other: The Zora is an aquatic race which is both highly intelligent and magically talented. Zora artistry is well known for its quality and for its magical imbuement – charms and tokens as well as aquatic herbs and plants are the main economic drive for the Zora people. Jabu-Jabu is the patron god of the Zora, offering them protection on his waterways. The Zora nation is in fact a kingdom/queendom.
Zora have adapted to live on land as well as in the water, though they can never travel far from a water source lest they dry out. They are covered in a layer of mucus which protects their scales from drying out. The Zora tend to be rather awkward on land, as their tails get in the way and their fins are no intended to walk long distances – something they find very tiring.
The "Sea Zora" are in fact merely regular Zora. The fins of Zora living in the seas tend to be larger and stronger and the scales spinier than those of Zora who live inland due to the more turbulent waters.
ZOLA
Following the fan tradition. Kinda.
Build: Taller than average Zora, broader, heavier set.
Other: Large Zora with the possibility of becoming uncommonly strong are often trained as warriors, known as Zola, who guard important places, people and religious sites and icons. Zola, very devoted in their duty, have a tendency of hitting first and analysing the remains later. Renegade Zola and Zola from unaligned tribes have earned the Zola a bad reputation not aided by this.
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