earthsong9405:

So I know I said the very first incarnation of Link, Zelda, Impa, and Ganon were gonna be next but like… I was reading about the Kokiri and it sparked some inspiration, so much so that I ended up redesigning them for my headcanon. I wanted them to be a little more unique in appearance than what they were so I went with making them pseudo fauns: Fauns are known for their playful and childish nature and, given the Kokiri are ageless children, I figured it’d work. So! Some quick headcanons about their race as a whole!

-Kokiri are a race of faun-like fairies who live in and protect forests. A majority of their body is made of a bark-like hide that can come in a large variety of texture and color, and the antlers they grow sprout flora of all kinds depending on their individual make. Though they appear child-like (with the oldest look being that of a young teen), they are ageless and many have lived several centuries, though Kokiri are still mortal despite their ageless quirk. Every Kokiri are linked to the Great Deku Tree.

-Legend has it that, if a child gets lost and dies in a forest, the Great Deku Tree will take the child’s lingering spirit and give them a new body through the means of merging their corpse with the bark from its roots. Their spirit will then be anchored back onto the newly formed body, effectively bringing them back to life and given a second chance.

This legend is true. Kokiri are childlike because they are children, or at least they were when they met their tragic demise hidden away in the forests. Given their supernatural “rebirth”, the Kokiri are granted many boons: 

They don’t age, won’t die from age, and are far more resilient to damage: they have an unnaturally fast healing rate, even to the point of being able to grow back limbs should they lose one. Given they retain their youthful stature, they aren’t very physically strong but they are lightning quick with even quicker reflexes, almost akin to that of the deer the Deku modeled them after. They are granted guardian Fairies and gain more magical power than what they once had as a normal child. All of these gifts from the Great Deku in their efforts to give them a better chance at life.

But all of these gifts still have limits, specifically their mortality. They can still be killed, their magic isn’t everlasting, and even with their agelessness, in the end they are children, and remain children physically and mentally.

-The Great Deku Tree may be located deep within the Korok Forest, but his roots spread far and wide all across Hyrule with extensions of himself in every known forest. He is known for his endless wisdom and benevolence, able to see much thanks to the extensions of his roots despite he himself being stuck in one place. The Korok and the Kokiri are results of his doing, ultimately his way of giving life to those who pass within his forests.  He often refers to the Korok and Kokiri, and just about every living creature that are under his protection, his “children”, and the Kokiri in turn refer to him as “Father” while the Korok call him “Guardian”.

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Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand yhuh, there we go! I hope ya’ll like my take on the Kokiri! <: