☀ INFORMATION

[chivalrist]

the Exalted Nabooru; the Sage of Spirit

timeline: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (While being game-canon orientated, I've used the manga as well to supplement and round out her character a bit more.) Nabooru is coming from the game's ending, prior to time being rolled back.
character's age: Not stated, assuming mid-thirties. (I've always headcanoned her as being a few years older than Ganondorf.)

appearance: Tall and leanly muscled, it's fairly easy for Nabooru to appear intimidating. That's more to do with her confidence and attitude, however, rather than her stature. She walks with an unashamed swing in her hips and even her stance, ready yet relaxed, makes it clear she's a fighter, even a leader. Her eyes are amber, almost gold, her skin fairly-dark in tone, and her hair a vibrant, fiery red scraped back from her face. Her features are strong, her lips full, her brow high, her nose hooked.

Generally, Nabooru favours light silks that don't necessarily cover much, but when needs must she'll wrap up. Notably, she goes nowhere without being adorned in jewels and precious metals.

abilities:

"She's strong! Completely incomparable to the Gerudo from before!"_(MANGA)
GERUDO - Feared throughout Hyrule for their well-earned reputation as a gang of thieves, Gerudo are portrayed as a largely martial race - one must win their respect by sneaking around their fortress and besting them in combat.

• In COMBAT the Gerudo are incredibly agile, capable of flipping, spinning, and leaping in and out of the attack, whilst powerful enough to take you down in one hit if you don't keep your guard up. Those that are encountered in the game use polearms and twin swords, and it's also noted that archery and horse riding are highly valued. Nabooru is a cut above the norm - as expected, given her position as second in command.
  
• As an IRON KNUCKLE, Nabooru - along with other Gerudo - demonstrates immense strength, capable of wielding an enormous battleaxe and wearing incredibly heavy armour. Though bewitched and mind-controlled whilst this is happening, they still suffer from greatly reduced speed, suggesting that their strength is not the product of magic. (Still - due to the aforementioned bewitching, don't expect to find Nabooru donning a suit of armour anytime soon.)
  
• A THIEF of renowned skill. Though a lot of the Gerudo thievery might be based on raiding (judging by their martial nature and how widely feared they are), it's also likely that Nabooru, particularly as a 'lone wolf thief', is very talented when it comes to sleight of hand and stealth. She's described as "haunting" an area in the west of Hyrule, and when encountered in game she's working on sneaking into the headquarters of her enemy.
  
• Gerudo also seem to be skilled CRAFTSWOMEN (as many, if not all of Hyrule's locations contain switches or systems bearing their mark). Nabooru is able to turn her hand to many crafts, particularly masonry and carpentry. Living in the desert leaves one with a wide range of knowledge when it comes to scratching for survival, after all, and she is fairly knowledgeable even when it comes to things like husbandry. They have to look after the animals the steal.
  

"Together with the Hero of Time, the awakened ones will bind the evil and return the light of peace to the world..."_(OoT)
SAGE - Nabooru is awakened as a Sage during the course of the game, offering Link vital help in his quest, but the individual powers that she and the other Sages possess is never clearly explored. Notably, all of these would be lessened considerably while Nabooru is on her own and out of Hyrule.

• SEALING evil is the greatest charge of the Sages, and the main reason by Link needs their help in game. Only with their help is he able to banish Ganondorf and lock him away. Despite diminished strength, it seems that Nabooru would be capable of something similar on a smaller scale, crafting barriers or strengthening those cast by someone else.
  
• Casting a bridge over a moat of lava, the Sages display some level of UTILITY MAGIC. Nabooru will be capable of the same when it comes to conjuring something solid - largely inkeeping with her barrier abilities above - but they will be temporary, lasting up to a minute, and can be broken if struck with a powerful attack.
  
• The Sages are seen TRAVELLING through Hyrule in the form of fast-flying orbs of light. In game, I'd like to limit this to short distances, providing Nabooru a quick closing in - or a get away - but largely useless beyond that.
  
• As the Sage of SPIRIT, it makes sense to think that she'd have some related abilities. Subsequently, she has an innate ability to judge someone's character and make insights into the type of person she is dealing with - it's nowhere near a mind-control or anything as invasive, but she'll have a sense for those around her. This will be stronger with lingering spirits and ghosts - Nabooru will be able to tell when there is any sort of energy around, even if it's only an imprint of something departed. Some degree of communication could be involved in this too, especially with spirits that lack a corporeal form, even if again, it's just a vague sense of them.

history:

The wiki page! For reference, here are some bullet points.

• Nabooru is a Gerudo, an all female race born in the harsh deserts to the west of Hyrule. They're looked upon with fear, scorn, and sometimes a bit of awe, renowned as thieves. One man is born every century and he becomes their king.
  
• The king born during Nabooru's time, Ganondorf, turns out to be an ambitious megalomaniac who decides to conquer Hyrule. He says that this is better for his people given the hard land they survive in. He's also needlessly brutal and cruel. Nabooru slowly turns from respect to scorn.
  
• When we first meet Nabooru in game, she's attempting to sneak into the Desert Colossus, the Gerudo temple. This is where some of Ganondorf's most loyal followers have set up their headquarters (though it's said to be Nabooru's). There are stories of brainwashings coming from there too. Nabooru, as one of the few who knows what Ganondorf is up to and doesn't like it, takes it upon herself to try and hamper their progress. She can't get in, however, without an artifact contained in part of the temple she can't enter.
  
• This is where the player character, Link comes in. As he's a child, he can easily get into the area she needs entry to. Nabooru asks Link to fetch it for her. Link acquires the item, only to find Nabooru being chased out of the temple by two of Ganondorf's minions, the witches Twinrova. She's caught by them and vanishes.
  
• Seven years later, Link returns to the Spirit Temple to purify it of Ganondorf's evil. One of the later fights is against a huge armoured soldier with a battleaxe. After defeating it, the armour falls away and Nabooru falls to the floor, having been brainwashed to be Ganondorf's follower for this past time.
  
• The witches reappear and hit Nabooru with more magic, claiming that she'll still be useful to them. She vanishes once again, and Link defeats Twinrova in the temple. The temple is cleansed and Nabooru is awakened as the Sage, or guardian, of it.
  
• Link goes on to defeat Ganondorf, now the ruler of Hyrule with the help of the Seven Sages. After he's sealed away by their combined efforts, Hyrule celebrates, and the Sages look on. It's from this point that Nabooru is taken.

personality:

"First of all, let me introduce myself. I'm Nabooru of the Gerudos. I'm a lone wolf thief. But don't get me wrong!
Though we're both thieves, I'm completely different from Ganondorf."_(OoT)
Hailing from a feared gang of thieves and known as a 'lone wolf', Nabooru is certain to make an impression. She presents herself as proud, even cocky, and often seems to treat matters with a carefree, unconcerned manner, coming across as perpetually self-assured. That's understandable, when you consider how highly her fellow Gerudo think of her - as second in command after the king, known as 'the Exalted', she commands respect and admiration - this is something even her enemies note about her, intending to use it themselves. Quick to smile, laugh, or berate someone's foolishness, Nabooru is unmistakeably fiery in nature - nor is she the type to mince words, as witnessed when she openly denounces her king to a stranger. Her wit leans towards the quick, sharp edge, and (as might be expected from a race rumoured to steal boyfriends from neighbouring regions) she has a flirtatious streak that she wields with shamelessness. Displayed in the manga especially, she has a fun-loving side that she'll show even at times which might be deemed inappropriate. What does she, the Exalted Nabooru, have to be ashamed of, after all? At a glance, Nabooru doesn't seem too dissimilar from the land she comes from - a woman of extremes, hard and dangerous.

She can, of course, be all of those things - but spirits are more convoluted than that, as she knows better than many.

"The Gerudo honor the desert."_(FSA)
Nabooru certainly possesses a great deal of pride. Pride in her people, pride in her homeland, pride in herself - she obviously holds a great deal of love for her background, given the lengths she's willing to go to to preserve it - and it's not an exaggeration to say she can be cocky, either. But her pride is built upon solid foundations, and it's her pride that drives her to be nobler and more honourable than Ganondorf. In fact, although it might be surprising from a feared thief, Nabooru has a strict moral code, and openly scorns Ganondorf for his brutality, finding it hard to stomach that he would kill even women and children. She cannot abide needless killing, particularly of the innocent or defenseless, and it's this that drove a wedge between her and her king. Her own honour is also called into questions by the actions of Ganondorf and his followers - although Nabooru was known as a "chivalrous robber" who "never stole from the weak", she ends up being blamed for much of the violence, and even the brainwashings that she is eventually made victim to. She pushes to distance herself from these stories, stating in the manga "I'm different from Ganondorf-type villains, y'see." Nabooru may be a criminal, but she plays by the book, and even if she enjoys the thrill of a good heist or raid, she has standards to adhere to. These aren't just ideals, either. When faced with the cruelty of her over-ambitious king, she does not stay idle for long. Instead, she decides to take it upon herself to do something, anything, knowing full well of the dangers it will entail.

"I'll show Ganondorf that he can't just take anything he wants by force!"_(OoT)
Perhaps this could be deemed foolhardy, and Nabooru at times may well seem impulsive and rash. She attempts to break into the fortress of her enemies alone, with every intention of spying and ruining as many of their plans as she can. She may not like planning far ahead, but she's a more careful woman than she presents herself - in showing up alone, without any of the likeminded Gerudo there surely would have been, she not only makes stealth easier for herself. She also ensures that no-one else will take the fall for her decisions, showing a selflessness that she generally hides with a grin and a jeer. Thievery, to Nabooru, is a way of life. Injustice is the real crime, and one she'll fight to the end.

"I'll never bow to such an evil man!"_(OoT)
'Determined' is a light way to put it, really. With strong conviction backing her up, Nabooru is steadfast and headstrong and will not back down from a fight when she feels she's in the right - and it takes a pretty brazen attitude to go breaking into the headquarters of your enemies. 'Stubborn' may well be a more befitting way to describe her, and once she has set herself on a path, it will take a lot for her to turn away. She does, clearly, possess a wiser side to her nature that might not be immediately apparent - Nabooru would probably be the last person to call herself wise beyond simple jest. Even before awakening as a Sage, she showed a clear sense of insight and reason. If faced with a problem, her favoured way to deal with it would likely be rushing in headfirst, relying on her ability and her quick-thinking. However, she can be considerate and cautious, and logical when needs be.

"You and I, let's give Ganondorf and his followers a big surprise, shall we?"_(OoT)
Gerudo are notoriously disparaging of men beyond their king, and tend to hold them in low regard. Nabooru does the same, and is likely to be a lot more disparaging and disrespectful towards men - however, she at least seems a little more open-minded than that, perhaps because her regard of said king is already low indeed. She relies on a boy child when she has to, because although Nabooru is fiercely self-reliant and independent, she understands well the need for unity. Growing up in the desert, with a well-respected hierarchy, it seems apparent that Gerudo have a strong sense of community - which again, plays into Nabooru's pride. One could never shame her for what she is.

"I'm going to pay them back for what they did to me!"_(OoT)
This would lend her a strong familial side, be it sisterly or maternal, and Nabooru is very protective of that which she loves. In game, she tells Link to leave on two occasions - when first meeting him and when caught by Twinrova - and in the manga, she tells her brainwashed Gerudo sisters to "hurry up and snap out of it." She bears a strong sense of duty and responsibility, and for all she'll crack jokes about you owing her something, she's always willing to support those who need it. (You do owe her though. A bargain struck is important. She remembers promising Link a reward seven years after the fact, even if she doesn't keep said promise, having given him a different reward.) Her demeanour is generally friendly, even with her wicked sense of humour, but her trust and respect have to be earned - possessing a like mind or a good dose of guts goes a fair way, though, and once one has wormed their way into her affections it's unlikely they'll lose it. That considerate nature comes into play again when dealing with people - Nabooru is not one to make snap judgements. Not for the negatives, at least. Her strong judge of character has only increased upon her awakening, and even if she prefers things being straightforward, she wouldn't turn her back on one who she knew possessed more than met the eye. Even a silly man.

"You've got guts. I think I like you."_(OoT)
Her materialistic streak can't be ignored, of course. She's the one who provides a necessary item in the manga - because she'd previously stolen it. As all Gerudo seem wont to, Nabooru bedecks herself in gold and jewels, and in the manga is shown to steal important artifacts largely for the hell of it. She's a hoarder, and this carries across to how she treats those she comes to care for and respect. Consider yourself stolen and hoarded, you are now part of her treasure trove, and she will do everything in her power to support and protect you. (And, of course, she'll joke about it and claim it's an honour for you to win the respect of one like her.)

"But isn't it funny? That a person like me could turn out to be the Sage of Spirit!"_(OoT)
Nabooru's manner can be brash at times, her humour vicious (or obscene), her approach straightforward. Prideful and headstrong, speaking to her can be a little like being caught in a storm. But there is more to her than even she seems to realise - she even questions her own suitability as a Sage. She is, befittingly, spirited, and spending seven years in a very effective imprisonment have done little to dampen that. If anything, experience has only made her wiser and more worthy of the respect she commanded so widely.