Saria

The Emerald Sage

### Musical Theme

**Saria** was the fourth Sage of Forest of Hyrule and the eventual Queen of the Koroks.

## Description

Saria was the Great Deku Tree's most prized creation, birthed to become the heir to his sagehood and the eventual Queen of the Kokiri. However, despite the Great Deku Tree's best efforts to protect the Kokiri, the day came when Saria was killed in battle while attempting to defend the Deku Tree's Grove from an army of Gohma. Due to this, the Great Deku Tree was forced to awaken her as a sage much earlier than he had anticipated. Saria was known for her optimistic outlook on life, even after facing her untimely death. She was extremely fond of music and was quite skilled in playing the ocarina, the fiddle as well as several other instruments.

## Etymology

Saria's name is likely derived from the Deku words *sari* (*kind, generous*) and *ya* (*aide, servant, worker*).

## Physical Appearance

Saria was a small and diminutive Kokiri girl, notable for her large blue eyes, huge ears and green hair. As a Korok, she gained some height and displayed dark brown bark for skin. In both instances, she is fond of wearing green skirts during summer and dark green turtlenecks during winter.

## Powers and Abilities

As a sage, Saria was granted the ability to control the growth and transition of life. She can also manipulate the forces of earth and rock to some degree, creating crystalline shards of emerald.

## Personality

Saria was known for her empathy, kindness and naivete while she is a Kokiri. After enduring the hardships of the Gerudo Wars and transforming into a Korok, however, she became a somewhat bitter and pessimistic individual for a time. The death of Princess Ruto hurt her deeply, sending her further into a depression and seclusion from her people. She eventually found some peace of mind after aiding Link and Tetra during their adventures in the Great Sea and accomplishing the final wish of the Great Deku Tree.

## History

### First Golden Age

Saria was created by the Great Deku Tree Kasuto sometime around 10 AG, and she soon became his most beloved child and, eventually, his personal messenger and servant. During this time, the Kokiri Chief Mido became infatuated with Saria, but she did not reciprocate his feelings and often reported his abusive behavior to Kasuto, who forbade such relationships.

### The Gerudo Wars

Around 98 AG, just before the Gerudo Wars, an army of Gohma invaded the Deku Tree's Grove from a series of secret passages when their existence was divulged by Mido, who had by this point tired of the Great Deku Tree's chastisement and Saria's rejection. During the attack, Saria was killed, though not until after discovering that it was Mido who led the Gohma into the grove. Grief stricken over her death, the Great Deku Tree immediately named Saria the next Sage of Forest, restoring her to like and transferring his sage powers to her.

After her initial failure to take the Deku Tree's Grove, the Fallen Sage Sulkaris opted to outright invade the Kokiri Forest with the entirety of her Gohma forces in order to capture the new Sage of Forest and reabsorb her powers once and for all. However, Mido lied to Sulkaris when asked for the identity of the sage, telling her that the Great Deku Tree had named Mirora, not Saria. During her invasion, Sulkaris was able to kill and absorb Mirora, reconstructing her mortal body. She did not regain her sage powers however, and thus she was vulnerable. Sulkaris was then swiftly broken and killed during a battle with the Great Deku Tree and Saria encased her spirit in a shard of emerald. Sulkaris' entrapped spirit was then sealed away in Palagard's Sanctuary, the city of the Huskus, where Palagard could keep watch over her.

### Second Golden Age

After the Gerudo Wars, Saria became the closest friend of Link, Hylia's knight who was sent to the Kokiri Forest to be fostered by the Great Deku Tree.

### The Return of Sulkaris

In 126 AG, the Great Deku Tree noticed that something was troubling Saria and decided to test her. He brought Saria to a mysterious and ancient part of the forest where she found herself suddenly plagued by the memories of her past with Link. The Great Deku Tree attempted to dissuade Saria and return her back to reality, but she paid him no heed and ended up falling unconscious. Upon awaking, he then tells Saria that she has been suffering from a case of nostalgia. They then returned to Kanokiri together, only to discover that the Kokiri were under attack by the Gohma swarm once again.

The Great Deku Tree and Saria attempted to rally the Kokiri to fight off the Gohma; however, despite their best efforts, the defenders are overwhelmed. With the Gohma swarming over the town, Saria witnessed the traitor Mido revealing himself to the Great Deku Tree and praising Sulkaris for granting him the freedom that the Great Deku Tree always denied him. When the Great Deku Tree attempts to explain that he was only trying to keep his children safe, Mido orders an armogohma to incinerate his canopy. In reaction, Saria immediately fired an arrow at Mido's shoulder, but it failed to kill him. As he laid dying, the Great Deku Tree declared his love for Saria before lashing out at his assailants, killing the armogohma as well as many other Gohma, though ultimately he was unable to bring himself to kill Mido before being brought down by a squadron of armogohma. Witnessing her father's death, Saria descended into a breakdown.

As Saria kneeled in front of her father's corpse, Mido asked her if she thought Sulkaris would be pleased. He then took Saria into Gohma custody and brought her to Palagard's Sanctuary.

After witnessing the Gohma assault the city and exterminate the last of the Huskus, including Palagard, Saria was then brought to the chamber where Sulkaris was imprisoned. Coerced by Agitha and Mido, Saria was forced to break the emerald block to release the spirit of Sulkaris. She then warned Sulkaris that Link will stop her, which the fallen sage scoffed at, claiming that no Kokiri could kill her. Saria was able to retort that Link was not a Kokiri just before being sealed inside the emerald block in Sulkaris' place.

After Sulkaris and the Gohma abandoned Palagard's Sanctuary, Saria was found and freed by Impa, who had tracked the Gohma from Malkariko to the Kokiri Forest.

### A Tale of Two Swords

With hundreds of Kokiri accounted for, it fell to Saria to lead her people in beginning the final process of Korok transformation. However, she was soon called upon by the other sages after Majora began his attack on Hyrule. Saria marched with the entirety of the Kokiri to Hyrule Field, where they met up with Hylian, Goron, and Zora forces in a final stand against Majora. Saria and the Kokiri participated in the assault of Hyrule Castle, and the combined armies are ultimately successful in defeating Majora. Their work complete, Saria and the Kokiri completed their transformation into Koroks and left Hyrule, departing from the northern shores of Lanayru Province into the Great Sea. Shortly before her final departure, Saria named the Kokiri Fado as her successor.

## Hero Power

**Emerald Blast**: Saria fires an arrow covered with Emerald Magic. Explodes upon contact with an enemy.

## Traits

**Awakened Sage**

**Very Loyal**

**Fascinated by Foreigners**

**Eager**

**Sexually Liberated**

## Ancillaries

**Forest Medallion**

Otherworldly Medallion said to house the essence of a Sage.

+1 Local Popularity, +1 Farming

**Fancy Kokiri Utility Belt**

All purpose holster for weapons and traveling gear.

+5% Movement Speed

**Kokiri Sleeved Outfit**

Comfortable outfit commonly worn by the Kokiri.

+5 Movement Speed

## Quotes

* *We have freed ourselves of our animal shell and of the trap that is war. Do not dare bring us into it again.*

* '*All things must grow or die,' he once told me. Though I already suffered the pains he warned me of, I did not understand what he meant all those years ago. In his wisdom, my great father had told me not to fall into that trap. Pain for the past, there is no stronger force in all of Hyrule he said. That yearning, that ever present gnawing hunger tearing you apart day by day to revisit, to relive, to experience those singular defining moments again. It blinds us. It keeps us in place. It kills us slowly and cruelly with its tempting illusion only to leave you thirsty and parched. All progress halts in its wake, the joys of the here and now falling on deaf ears, obsessing forever in what is past and gone. He said those that become victims of nostalgia will be forever empty, forever clamoring for those moments lost, forever broken inside. Desperately wishing so bad... but always starving, always ravenous, always unfulfilled. 'All things must grow or die,' he once told me. I wish I had taken my great father's word to heart.*