Races of Hyrule: Highland Zora

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==History==
The Highland Zora developed from the common ancestor of the Highland and Lowland Zora thousands of years ago. The group that eventually developed into the Lowland Zora are thought to have been driven out of Zora's Domain in the distant past, either due to population pressures or political machinations. The Highland Zoras that remained flourished and developed what is commonly believed to be the very first civilization within the modern-day Hyrule Kingdom. In particular, the Zora developed the first written script of Hyrule, as evidenced by large stone carvings still preserved in many parts of the Domain. Because the modern Zora script has had relatively few changes over the ages, it's still possible to interpret these early writings with only a little extra training. Most deal with the outcomes of major battles, the lineages and decrees from the Zora monarchs, and romantic poetry.
After the Lizalfos were driven out of their original homes on Death Mountain, they came into conflict with the Highland Zora as the Lizalfos attempted to increase the size of their territory. This began a long period of intermittent wars between the Zora and the Lizalfos, with the Zora always eventually emerging triumphant due to their advantageous location and better ability to navigate the waters of the Domain. This began to change as the Lizalfos began to develop Shock Arrows and other electricity-based weaponry, the outcome being more Zora soldiers dead on the battlefield. First contact with the Hylians was actually made when the Highland Zora were finally driven out of the Domain and forced to migrate en mass into the surrounding lowlands. The Zora king at the time made a plea to the Hylian king to assist the Zora in taking back their home, which the Hylian agreed to, on the condition that the Zora become a client race of the Hylian Kingdom. After many years of ferocious fighting, the combined Zora and Hylian forces were able to drive the Lizalfos out of the Domain and return home. Since then, the Lizalfos have made several more attempts at taking the Domain, but have always been repelled by a large contingent of Hylian troops stationed around and inside the Domain.
Some time after this, the Zora and Hylians cooperated on a massive undertaking to manage the water levels throughout the Domain and prevent the periodic devastating flooding of the surrounding lands with the construction of a large network of dams. Although ultimately successful, the project necessitated a large amount of Zora labor, which was generally obtained by the Zora king ordering the conscription of large segments of the Zora population. This sparked widespread unrest and threatened to plunge the Domain into civil war. However, a coup spearheaded by a Zora princess and many Zora generals drove the king out of power, after which the princess and a large committee of citizens drafted and implemented a long list of political reforms, including the establishment of the Zora Council and judges, a monarchy with vastly reduced powers, and the rules of royal succession being changed to allow for authority-wielding queens. The Hylian monarchy initially refused to recognize these changes, but relented after realizing the possibility of war between Hyrule and the Zora Domain.
==Biological Features==
The Zora are well-adapted to the highland lakes, rivers and rapids that comprise the Zora Domain, with a unique circulatory system that allows them to breath both in and out of water, webbed digits, and a streamlined yet muscular physiology that allows to pierce through water and traverse against the strong currents that their rivers often possess. Aiding this are fins composed of cartilage present on the forearms and lower legs, which adds to the species's hydrodynamics. Also present are slender, fleshy offgrowths protruding from the back of the head, typically 0.75 to 1 meters long and which taper off into two smaller appendages. This feature is thought to actually inhibit aquatic locomotion to a small degree, but seems instead to be a common marker of sexual attractiveness for both males and females, by observers both within and outside of the species.
In the water, the Zora insulate themselves with a thin layer of blubber. This blubber accumulates quickly, although it is typically burned off just as fast by the vigorous swimming that the average Zora performs daily. For some elderly Zora or for those in more sedentary roles, this burn off does not occur and obesity can quickly develop, with such Zora necessitating a new low-fat diet. In particular, Highland Zora kings and queens have been known to become quite corpulent. A common joke among the Zora is that the heavier monarchs get more accomplished due to their willingness to stay put at court.
Zora skin comes in a large variety of colors, ranging from red to blue and occasionally brown. It generally has a toned but slick feel. It is known that the Zora can readily absorb minute particulates in the waters they swim in through this skin, and thus are very susceptible to illnesses from pollutants, salt, and other contaminants, an intrinsic weakness that is thought to have been a major impetus for the Zora's major accomplishments within the field of medicine and the Zora royalty's legal ownership of all lands and waters within Zora's Domain. Although Zora can readily operate outside of water for extended periods of time, they still need to be submerged within clean freshwater generally at least twice a day, which is thought to keep their lungs in a condition able to absorb oxygen directly from the air. Zora that are deprived of this develop lethargy and difficulty breathing within two days, and will typically die within a week. Partially for this reason, most major settlements within the Hylian Kingdom construct public bathhouses containing pools of water at the ambient temperature, with waived or heavily subsidized admission fees for Zora attendees.
Zora are also known to be quite vulnerable to electrical shocks and discharges due to their aquatic natures. What is a minor shock to a Hylian can result in life-threatening external and internal burns and nerve damage to a Zora. This has not been lost on the Lizalfos, the historical enemies of the Highland Zoras, who have historically utilized Shock Arrows and other electrical weapons in their incursions against the Zora, against which the Zora's armor is only somewhat effective. For this reason, all electrical weaponry and some electrical devices are confiscated at the boarders of the Zora Domain, by Zora Council laws and decrees of the Hylian royalty.
Fertilized eggs develop within Zora females until they form a semi-porous membrane, at which point they are laid in a warm, shallow pool of water. Clutches of a single egg are most common, although it's not unheard of for a female Zora to lay two or even three eggs at once. These eggs typically hatch 4 months later. Infants mature into adults over the course of thirty years, although their mental development usually completes some time before their final growth spurt, resulting in Zora who have the mentality of an adult but the body of an adolescent. Mature Zora are typically somewhat taller than the average Hylian, with males ranging in height from 2.5 to 2 meters, and females ranging from 2.3 to 1.8 meters. Within the Domain, Zora live an average 120 years. Elsewhere, the average lifespan is lower, at only 105 years, presumably due to impurities in the local water. Because of this, elderly Zora who have spent much of their lives outside of the Domain often migrate there in an effort to add time to their final years.
==Diet==
The Highland Zora are largely carnivorous, consuming a large variety fish, crustaceans, and other aquatic invertebrates native to the Domain. Most of the food of the Domain is provided by large fishing stocks raised on an industrial scale. However, many Zora enjoy catching their own food, and may do so in an effort to find especially succulent prey to dine upon. The Zora Council occasionally passes laws temporarily banning the hunting of specific endangered species in an effort to replenish their numbers.
Although the Zora do not consume plant matter in any significant quantity, they still prefer to add seasonings and spices to their food, and thus have established a small number of farms dedicated to raising such plants. The amount of farmland dedicated to growing medicinal plants within the Domain is much larger.
The Zora do make their own alcoholic beverages, although these are often considered extremely weak by Hylians and other outsiders. The Zora biologically have a much lower tolerance for alcohol, and thus beverages intended for Zora at taverns outside the Domain are required to watered down significantly. What is a typical drink for a Hylian can make a Zora very intoxicated. Two such drinks can easily result in blackout or death.
==Governance==
The Zora Domain possesses a relatively complex system of local rule, in which individual Zora citizens have considerable input. Each sufficiently-large Zora settlement within the domain elects a single representative, who is sent to the Zora palace to participate in the Zora Council, which drafts and implements all laws within the Domain by majority vote. When conflicts concerning this body of law arise, cases are heard and decided by a series of judges, which are appointed for life by the Zora monarch.
The Zora monarch is unique among the heads of authority in Hyrule in that he or she cannot implement decrees, although they may introduce legislation to the Council for their consideration. Rather, the main duties of the monarch are to enforce the laws that the Council enacts, perform diplomacy with outside groups (although the Council must ratify all treaties), and to dole out leases to land within the Domain. Legally, the royal family owns all land within the Domain, which may be leased out in periods of up to 50 years by Zora individuals or groups. The stated purpose of this is to ensure that the waters within the Domain remain clean and uncontaminated by outside industry or agriculture. The Zora monarch also acts as the ultimate authority of the Zora military and may unilaterally declare war, although this can have a large stigma and has often been seen as the ultimate failure of a monarch to resolve conflicts via diplomacy. The exception to this are Lizalfos incursions, against which armed conflict is almost always enthusiastically supported by the Zora Council. The Council may declare peace at any time.
The Zora monarchy is also unique in that the line of succession does not pass through the royal family's male lineage. Rather, the oldest child of the king and queen is always the heir apparent, with the married spouses of said heirs having no formal political power. Due to this, recent Zora history has had just about as many authority-wielding queens as it has kings. In cases of severe disability or ineptitude, the Zora monarch may request that the Council recognize their next-oldest child as the royal heir instead.
Zora monarchs are advised by a body of eight individuals selected by the monarch themselves. These advisors have included retired judges and generals, the monarch's siblings, and, rarely, non-Zora individuals.
==Society==
The average Zora typically makes their home within the crevices or grottos of the rocky hills of Zora's Domain, carving out living spaces that are often expanded upon when their family grows. Building materials within the Domain often consist of Luminous Stone, which, while widespread, is still prohibitively expensive for most individual Zora and therefore reserved for public and utilitarian structures. However, it is not uncommon for Zora living at the edges of the Domain to construct a waterside shelter made out of wood or stone. All Zora dwellings contain at least one shallow pool of water where the family rests at night.
Public structures dedicated to shops, public and working spaces, schools, religious buildings, and hospitals are typically formed once the population density of Zora in a given area is sufficiently high. It is here that the average Zora spends the majority of their waking hours, working until sunset and afterwards eating a large meal and going to entertainment venues with family or a group of friends. These common areas are typically built in low-lying basins and constructed of various kinds of stone (Luminous Stone if the local residents are wealthy enough to invest that much into the project), and are expanded as needed. These areas are often decorated with ornate details and public sculptures, especially as one approaches the Capital near the center of the Domain.
An important part of Zora culture is their rich literary history, which dates back thousands of years. Although Zora texts have been historically transcribed onto stone slates, books with pages composed of leather or other water-proof materials have supplanted them. These works run across a large range of genres and subjects, and have included intricate histories of the Domain and its royalty, critiques of art from around the world, religious texts, accounts of foreign adventures both real and fictional, and romantic or erotic prose and poetry. The last example can be especially popular and well-known outside of the Domain, and the Zora authors of such works can have dedicated Zora and non-Zora fan bases.
Romanticism seems to be an especially large aspect of Zora culture, and has resulted in a number of unique traditions. Among the most well-known of these is that of young Zora girls throwing bottles containing love letters to an unspecified "true love" into a river during the spring season, in the hopes that the "true love" in question will find and reciprocate the letter. Although this has resulted in more than a few happy relationships, many of these bottles get caught in dams or fishing traps, causing considerable trouble for downstream residents. Zora marriage ceremonies are large and potentially stressful affairs that can require years of planning and require the contributions of much of the local community. However, more and more Zora couples are eschewing these large public affairs for smaller, quieter, and more intimate ceremonies. Another tradition, especially among the upper classes, is for a Zora bride to construct a suit of armor for their betrothed which contains a single scale from the bride herself.
Due to their cultural emphasis on love, romanticism, and eroticism, the Highland Zora have been stereotyped as a race of romantics. Perhaps unsurprisingly, marriages between Zora and non-Zora individuals are not at all unheard of. This attraction seems to be largely reciprocal; The natural builds of the typical Zora can be very appealing to non-Zora, and the Zora can become deeply infatuated with what they consider to be beautiful or handsome non-Zora individuals, especially those that are Hylian or Sheikah. Zora and non-Zora couples generally settle within Zora's Domain or the surrounding lowland rivers, and typically adopt Zora children. This is not without controversy, however. Zora in committed and loving relationships are prone to becoming depressed and isolated once their partner passes, and Zora typically outlive their non-Zora partners by a number of decades, resulting in a long period of grief and loneliness that may last until death or may even result in suicide. Indeed, what is often considered the most tragic and heart-wrenching examples of Zora poetry was often composed by the surviving member of such relationships.
Highland Zora culture, especially at the upper end of society, greatly values aesthetic beauty. Although this has resulted in a rich tradition of fine Zora arts and architecture, it can also manifest in the discrimination, maltreatment, and bigotry against individuals and groups deemed "ugly". Within Zora society, those with birth defects are may be cloistered away deep within their family's homes, and face stigmatization from other Zora when out in public. The Lowland Zora have also been written off as unpleasant by many Highland Zora, with some individuals devoting considerable time and resources in an effort to prove that there is no recent evolutionary link between the two, even though this has in fact been definitively proven time and time again. Zora animosity against the Lizalfos is even more widespread, and has made it more difficult for the Hylian Kingdom to establish and maintain diplomatic ties to the friendlier Lizalfos tribes.
==Economy==
The Zora export pieces of artwork carved out of Luminous Stone or any other kind of stone or previous gem. Especially common are intricate rings, rather shrewdly marketed by the Zora as the perfect gift for engaged couples to give to each other. Zora weaponry and armor is also prized by collectors for its beauty. Other common material exports include fish, medicinal and food seasoning herbs, and books. Individual Zora also travel outside of the Domain to pursue employment, and include craftsmen and artisans (many of whom provide decorative details to larger building projects), performers, authors, doctors and nurses, and clergy.
Due to the Domain's largely unspoiled environment and its settlements' architectural beauty, the Zora attract many tourists to their native land. Common tourism activities include hiking, boat tours up major rivers, touring the Zora Capital, its museums, and the royal palace, attending poetry and literature recitations, and witnessing a form of underwater dancing unique to the Highland Zora and other aquatic spectacles. The Domain also contains a number of religious sites, a large portion dedicated to the Golden Goddess Nayru, to which the faithful make pilgrimages.
==Military==
The Zora have a modestly large standing army that is primarily tasked with patrolling the waterways of the Domain to ensure security against feral monsters and outside invaders. The typical Zora soldier is armed with a two-handed trident and lightweight armor that is primarily designed to protect the Zora's vital organs. Supplementing the infantry is a small armada of diminutive but fast and heavily armed boats.
Due to the widespread knowledge of their weakness to electrical weaponry, the Zora often require outside assistance against more intelligent foes. Because of this, a considerable number of Hylian soldiers are stationed on the borders and within the Domain. Although not under the authority of the Zora monarch, Hylian generals situated in and around Zora's Domain have been given the authority to issue orders without the direct command of the Hylian king, ensuring that major threats can be quickly and decisively dealt with.
In bodies of relatively clean freshwater, Zora warriors are highly effective and arguably without equal. Within the larger Hylian army, however, Zora fighters are a relatively rare sight. This is mostly due to the rather large number of conditions in which the Zora are biologically impaired, including arid or cold climates and bodies of salt or brackish water. However, Zora support units are much more widespread, with Zora field nurses and doctors being especially important. Zora army priests are also fairly common.
The Zora army is notable for its large proportion of female members. Over 30% of the Zora infantry and roughly 60% of support unit personnel are female. There have also been a number of female generals and other high officers throughout the army's history.
==Religion==
The Highland Zora have been noted to be a particularly spiritual people by a number of outside observers. Most Zora follow a native religion in which each river, stream, pond, lake and waterfall in Zora's Domain has a dedicated deity that keeps it flowing and uncontaminated. Specific members of this massive pantheon are given offerings and worshiped by local adherents. There are also dedicated deities for rain, snow, temporary puddles, and rainbows. Violent storms, floods, and polluted water are thought to be the work of malevolent forces of nature. Adherents of this religion are sent over their favorite waterfalls as a final funeral rite. A number of Zora, including many of those married to Hylians, incorporate the Golden Goddesses, especially Nayru, into their worship.
An emerging religion that is thought to have originated with the Zora is the Cult of the Iridescent Serpent, in which adherents worship and make tributes to the titular Iridescent Serpent in an effort to preserve or restore their youthful beauty. The religion is especially popular among adolescent Zora girls and older Zora women, although it has expanded in recent years to similar demographics of Hylian girls and women. The religion is commonly thought to be financially exploitative of its members, and resulted in its earlier days in several high-profile ritualistic murders of especially beautiful Zora and Hylian non-adherents, reportedly as sacrifices to the Iridescent Serpent.
==Range==
The Highland Zoras' native lands are Zora's Domain, a series of highlands, rivers, rapids and waterfalls, occupying a large portion of the eastern portion of the Kingdom of Hyrule. On the slopes surrounding Zora's Domain, the concentration of Zoras decreases and the concentration of Hylians increases. Although most of the smaller villages here are either entirely Zora or entirely Hylian, quite a few of the larger towns have mixed Zora and Hylian populations.
Elsewhere, the presence of Highland Zora varies. Castle Town, as usual, has a significant expatriate population of Highland Zora, many of whom work as artisans for the royal family, doctors, journalists, or dancers and performers. There are also significant Zora populations around the shores of major rivers and bodies of water, notably Lake Hylia. Throughout the rest of Hyrule, the Zora are largely migratory in nature, usually following large construction projects in pursuit of employment. Due to their biological vulnerabilities, there are no Highland Zora permanently living in arid or cold environments, such as the Gerudo Desert or the Hebra Wastes, as well as the oceanic coasts.
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