Evening! 🌙 It's been a little while since I've wrote some literature. My shop is updating at the end of the month, and I'm finishing things up for that. I've also been planning the next few months of art with Mermay on the horizon. Going back through my work, I noticed many liked my shrine maiden Risa. So, I went back and started with her as I dive back into my concepts for BOTW shrines. While I've updated her design a bit, this piece is what got Risa her recognition.
*Please note this information is not official and is my headcanon within the Breath of the Wild era.
Sheikah Maiden: Risa
Age: 34
Region: Akkala
Primary Element: Water
Weapon: Blade
Risa heard the stories of the great Calamity many times. Her mother, Liree, survived the devastation and valiantly protected the innocent alongside other maidens of the time. After the restoration of Kakariko, Liree retired and moved to Hateno. The village became Risa’s birthplace.
Inspired by the courageous stories of her mother, Risa knew she wanted to become a sheikah shrine maiden. By the time she turned thirteen, the main building in Kakariko re-opened for the training of new maidens. Encouraged by her growing spiritual awareness, Risa ventured from her hometown to pursue her goals. She gathered with other girls who felt a similar calling, and took the tests that would determine their futures. Risa rose from the temple victorious and enrolled for classes after completing her assessment. A week later, she celebrated her new steps alongside her proud mother in the New Beginnings ceremony.
Risa found Kakariko similar to Hateno and settled with ease. Her quiet yet friendly personality saw her make friends without difficulty. Classes began, and students fell into routine. While Risa studied diligently to memorize dates and rituals, she excelled in physical training. By her third year, instructors considered her top of the class in combat. The time came to travel around Hyrule. With nervous excitement, Risa set out with her class. The skills she’d honed over her academic years were put to the test. Like most, Risa would be laying eyes on the rest of the world for the first time. Her experiences throughout the voyage only solidified her desire to protect the land and its people.
Given her exceptional grades and performance, numerous apprenticeships presented themselves for Risa to pursue in her fifth year. She chose the Akkala region, believing it wouldn’t be too far from home. Her time as an apprentice felt as though it flew by. Risa absorbed all the knowledge she could from her master. She memorized the route between the East and South Akkala stables, and the location of the shrines in the region were revealed to her. The Ritaag Zumo shrine became a popular spot to find the maiden to be. Her primary element being water, she enjoyed the small peninsula. She’d also become a skilled fisher in her sustainability classes, and regularly provided seafood to the travelers and occupants at the stables.
The time came for Risa’s graduation, and she returned to Kakariko fully prepared for the duties that lay ahead. Liree, being a retired shrine maiden, reserved the rights to oversee her daughter’s proceedings. Risa’s mother remained present as she received her tattoos, and presented her to the High Council for their blessing. Pleased with the growth and dedication Risa demonstrated, the elders granted her the title of shrine maiden. Again, she celebrated with her overjoyed mother. Risa vowed to uphold her family’s lineage; She would protect the shrines and people of Hyrule in wait for the hopeful reawakening of the hero.
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