El Nysa | Application

[hylights]

THE CHARACTER

Character Name: Zelda
Series: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Canon Point: after the end of the game
Character Age: 17 (or 117 due to time sealed away)
Background: http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Princess_Zelda (scroll down to Breath of the Wild section)

Personality: Zelda grew up acutely aware of her duty and her destiny. Both her mother and grandmother had the sealing power of their bloodline, and always told her she would inherit it. Knowing its importance, Zelda dedicated herself to endless training and devotion to the gods, desperate to unlock this sacred power. After 11 years of trying with no success and pressure from her father, Zelda developed serious guilt about her inability to do what everyone tells her is her duty. This guilt manifested in a number of ways, including lashing out at the boy who was her appointed knight, and doing whatever she could to research Calamity Ganon so that she could help another way. Zelda has spent many years insecure and frustrated by what she sees as her failures. While she has now unlocked the power within her, it will be a slow process coming to terms with these years of self-recrimination.

Zelda is an avid researcher, fuelled both by a desire to help her kingdom and by a personal fascination with learning about the world. Zelda has her own research rooms in her castle, and spends hours investigating ancient technology, animals and plants. She gets very enthusiastic about the idea of new discoveries, and is eager for others to share in her excitement over such things as a frog having special properties. While her research had a practical purpose in trying to forestall Calamity Ganon’s rise, she harbours intense curiosity that would be there regardless of the stakes. If she had been able to, Zelda would have spent more of her time researching, but duty got in the way.

Being a royal princess and future ruler of the kingdom, Zelda became adept at formality and the solemn role she must play. Her father remarks that even when her mother died, Zelda did not cry, but showed a grave understanding of the loss - and her impending role. Over time this meant that Zelda did not often express her sadness and self-doubt, instead doing her best to perform the duties her father and kingdom expected of her. It’s only when she’s alone or with someone she trusts like Link that she lets herself break down. Even then it takes a lot - the failure of all her plans and deaths of those she holds dear that cuts her to the heart, the weight of expectation finally crushing her. Her diaries are evidence of her self-doubt and struggle to untangle the emotions she feels, in an environment where to show such doubts would be hazardous to appearances.

While Zelda can come across as stuffy and petulant at times, she’s aware of her own faults and works to correct them. She gradually befriends Link and learns to navigate the issues between them, and is open to his advice about horses. Though she’s often solitary as a member of the royal family, and feels cowed by her father’s admonishments, she never loses sight of the future and what they’re working towards. That said, she has a habit of talking incessantly about her research and her discoveries, sometimes heedless of if anyone is listening. When she can’t work things out on her own, frustration can take over, and she’s not above sniping at a companion if they interrupt her during these moments.

Zelda is at heart a caring soul. She is compassionate for her friends and family, and hates the idea that she can’t aid them. The events of the Great Calamity brought home for Zelda how much she cares for her friends, and gave her the strength to keep going after immense loss and despair. Even after 100 years spent sealing Ganon, Zelda trusts in Link to save the kingdom and find her again. The end of the game shows Zelda intending to rebuild the kingdom, saying there’s a lot of work to do, but she and Link are the ones to do it. She has always borne responsibility for her kingdom without fault, even when her own failures have made it difficult for her. Her experiences in facing the Calamity have tempered some of her expectations. By the end of the game, she acknowledges that her powers may be starting to diminish, but says that she can live with that. With the crisis over and the years of pressure to unlock her abilities now behind her, Zelda has come to terms with what fate lead her to and is learning how to live without her powers overshadowing everything she is.

Powers/Abilities:
- Sealing power: the ability to ‘seal’ beings of great evil away from the world. This is used only with Ganon in the game, but could conceivably be used on other things. Light-based magic inherent in her bloodline. Zelda can also seal herself away with the evil to ensure the seal holds.
- Surge of light: Zelda is capable of blasts of light magic that can nullify or destroy evil forces in the area.
- Telepathy: Zelda is shown communicating to Link telepathically throughout the game and is “watching” his progress. This might be specific to link, but could be a latent talent that could be used with others.
- Spiritual sensitivity: Zelda can hear the voices of certain spirits (such as the Master Sword).
- Triforce of Wisdom: not specifically stated in the game, but it’s implied that Zelda is the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom, one of the three pieces of the Triforce. When assembled together the Triforce is capable of granting a wish to the bearer. Unlikely to ever come up.

Power Nerfs (if applicable): Zelda’s own powers will not be nerfed as they’re quite specific and unlikely to be used to their full extent, however the Sheikah Slate she brings with her will be. The Sheikah Slate will have all of its functions disabled except for the camera. (note: to be regained later)

Inventory:
Sheikah Slate* (note: to be regained later)
Clothes (travel wear)
About 150 rupees (jewel money)

*The Sheikah Slate is an iPad-like device that has a range of functions/abilities. These are: Magnesis (moving metal objects), Cryonis (creating ice pillars), Stasis (freezing an object in time for a few seconds), two bomb types and a camera. All of these functions will be locked on arrival, and only the camera function will be available. The Slate also contains maps of Hyrule and photos already taken, but I am happy for these to also be locked if that’s suitable. (note: to be regained later)

Incentives:
- The preservation of Hyrule cultures, including retrieval of items from her world (the Sheikah Slate would fall into this).
- Safety of those salvaged from her world (especially Link).
- The opportunity to learn more about technology and magic in El Nysa.