Kasuto

Guardian of the Forest

**Kasuto**, more commonly known as the **Great Deku Tree**, was the third Sage of Forest of Hyrule and the creator of both the Kokiri and the Koroks.

## Etymology

Kasuto is likely derived from the Deku words *kasus* (strong, mighty) and *utok* (warm, gentle, kind).

## Physical Appearance

The Great Deku Tree was a massive member of his own race, the largest on record. With a canopy of leaves nearly ten stories tall, he was one of the largest beings to ever walk the realm of Hyrule, only topped by a few Druthulidi in ancient times. Though the Great Deku Tree was physically genderless, he assumed a male title and a paternal bearing after creating the Kokiri.

## Powers and Abilities

As the Sage of Forest, the Great Deku Tree was granted the ability to control the growth and transition of life. He used this power to transform a group of children into the Kokiri (and later Kokiri into Koroks) after their forest bandit ancestors attempted to destroy the Deku Trees. Because of his massive size, the Great Deku Tree could, when necessary, physically overpower many enemies and even hold his own against entire groups of foes.

## Personality

The Great Deku Tree was a very strict and judgmental individual to outsiders from beyond the Kokiri Forest, but a kind and benevolent father figure to the Kokiri. He was often merciful if he deemed a crime small, though he would act with swift retribution if a wrong was committed. Although the Great Deku Tree was overprotective and rather aggressive at enforcing an isolationist policy, he only did so due to his desire to keep the Kokiri safe from outside influence as well as the horrible wars that had ravaged the rest of Hyrule.

## History

During the chaos that ruled the Kingdom of Hyrule following the Rise of Ganon, a group of bandits formed their stronghold in the forests of the Deku Tree and began to devastate the countryside, killing several Deku Trees in the process. In reaction to this, Kasuto led a combined assault of Deku Trees, Deku Scrubs, Wolfos and Huskus against the invaders, killing most of them and driving out many of the survivors. A group of their children were left behind, however, and the Great Deku Tree took pity on them and chose to spare their lives. He brought the children to the heart of the Kokiri Forest, where he set into motion a plan to transform them into creatures of the woods generation after generation. Over time, the Kokiri became established as a nation and the creation of the Koroks began shortly thereafter.

### First Golden Age

Several years after the establishment of the Kokiri, the Sage of Forest Sage Palagard named the Great Deku Tree as his successor.

Sometime around 10 AG, Kasuto created one particular Kokiri girl named Saria. 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, the spirit of Sulkaris wandered into the Kokiri Forest and came upon Mido, a disgruntled Kokiri chief who had long chaffed under Kasuto's control. Mido conversed with Sulkaris and was entertained by the idea of ruling over the entirety of the forests himself. He then decided to betray his brethren and work with Sulkaris in orchestrating an invasion of the Deku Tree's Grove. Her plan was to incapacitate the Great Deku Tree and reabsorb her sage powers from him. The attack was unsuccessful, however, and the Kokiri managed to hold the Gohma off, though Saria is killed during the battle. Devastated, Kasuto decided to pass his sage powers down to her immediately, resurrecting Saria as the new Forest Sage. For his treachery, Mido is banished from the forest by Kasuto.

With the Gohma threat still looming on the horizon, Kasuto called a meeting of all the peoples of the forest. Offering several Gohma exoskeletons as evidence, he asked them for aid against the invaders. The Deku Scrubs readily accepted after he mentioned Sulkaris, and the Wolfos chief Shamnon also agreed to temporarily put aside his people's vendetta with the Kokiri. However, the Lizalfos Queen Nardu the White and the Huskus Empress Tamako both declined, considering the invaders to be no more than a stray Gohma hive rathern than an organized attack.

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 new 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 end of the Gerudo Wars, the Goddess Hylia sent her knight Link to the Kokiri Forest to be fostered by Kasuto.

### 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.

## Hero Power

**Forest Lord:** Drains enemy of stamina and increases allied stamina.