Stalfos (Total War)

The Stalfos are a playable faction in Hyrule: Total War.

Age of Myth
They say the art of necromancy had been mastered by the ancient Kovalians, the worshippers of the First Sage of Spirits Kovaloo. Thanks to their closeness to the holy figure, they were able to develop their necromancy and crafted artifacts such as the Goronu.

However, they weren't the first to wield the power of undeath, as the Druthulidi Dethl was the true source of this twisted immortality. Those who came into contact with this terrible being would live in death after chopping their head from madness. They would come to be known as "Devoured".

Ancient Age
During the Ancient Age, the Kovalians ruin their environment exponentially, turning it into a vast desert. Their empire falls soon after, and their artifacts are lost to time.

First Golden Age
The Sheikah Cadre would eventually unearth the terrifying demon Dethl, sealing it within their secret Shadow Temple. With the beast sealed within, the Sheikah were quick to use its power to craft incredible artifacts that sadly theemed with the madness of the Demon of Old.

Dethl's continuous influence would lead many to madness, and would reawaken the countless prisoners who were murdered by the Sheikah with no remorse. This forced them to seal the entire temple away in an attempt to contain the power of the fiendish demon. They would still use the artifacts crafted from the monster, such as the Eye of Truth and the Malmord.

Rise of Ganon
When the Moblin King Ganon set out to obtain the Triforce, he met a Yiga known only as Bongo. She offered the aid of her clan and several Sheikah traitors if he helped her unseal the Shadow Temple. Ganon accepted the deal, and he and his Moblin armies marched inside, greeted by the undead. They battled many hordes, and eventually came face to face with Dethl itself. The being quickly attached itself to Bongo and escaped from its prison and into the outside world,

After the Rise of Ganon
The Sheikah Agahnim comes into the possession of the lost Goronu, perhaps due to the aid of a dark god.

The Gerudo Wars
The Goronu is entrusted to Ganondorf and his Gerudo so he can resurrect the dead should he need more aid in his conquest of Hyrule, and more specifically, his attack on Nal Ordona. Ganondorf however, quickly loses control of his reanimated soldiers who begin to attack friend or foe alike. He decides not to use the artifact again after the first time, and the artifact is kept safe in Gerudo territory.

Second Golden Age
In 125 AG, the robber baron Halthor is commissioned by Lord Akazoo to steal the Goronu from the custody of the Gerudo.

Akazoo intended to use the Goronu and the Sheikah knowledge he obtained from his friend Azrily to raise an immortal army that would witstand the coming Gohma and the wrath of the Sages themselves.

The Return of Sulkaris
Akazoo and Azrily give themselves a crude form of immortality by using the power of the Malmord, effectively becoming undead of sorts. They later meet with Queen Oraiya, and Akazoo makes short work of her. They later turn their attention towards the princess, and trap her inside the Malmord.

With Princess Tetralyna captured, the duo met with Halthor and her accomplice Felonius at Villa Harkinian. They'd get the precious Goronu in exchange of the princess of Hyrule. However, their negotiations are cut short when the armies of Kazakk surround the manor.

Akazoo would show the true power of the Goronu and rise the dead to fight against the King's army, but the Keaton Cartel and the Stalfos would not be enough to defeat all of the Hylian soldiers. Akazoo is eventually decapitated by Kazakk himself, destroying all his Stalfos in the process. This does not kill him however, and he and Azrily disappear from Vigjaro Glade once the King's army leaves.

Physiology
Stalfos are cobbled together from the bones of their slain enemies, assembled into grotesque mockeries. The few intelligent Stalfos are souls that have, through means of Necromancy, managed to avoid moving on to Termina and linger in Hyrule- the rest are mindless constructs of necromancy that exist only to serve their masters.

Language
Most Stalfos, as mindless undead, are incapable of speech. The few that retain their intelligence, such as Scythe Lords, speak Hylian Dialect.

Known Undead

 * Bongo (as Bongo-Bongo)
 * Akazoo Vapith
 * Azrily

List of Appearances

 * Unearthing Shadows (First appearance - Opponent)
 * Ordonian Omen (Opponent)
 * Seeds of Conspiracy (Last appearance - Opponent)