Sheikah Cadre (Conquest)

The Sheikah Cadre is a playable faction in Hyrule: Total War.

Description
To the untrained eye, the average Sheikah may often be mistaken for a Hylian. This is partly due to the fact that they look exactly like the Hylians, save their notable red eyes. The origin of the Sheikah remain a closely guarded secret, though many believe they may be the last of the pure blooded ancient Hylians. The fact that Sheikah are religiously concerned with their bloodline and mating with other races is forbidden raises such beliefs. Other than this, virtually nothing is known of the Sheikah because they are a secretive people. From a young age they are indoctrinated into assassin training, and their bodies forced against their natural growth to instead allow maximum flexibility. Every Sheikah is a professional killer, and rightfully feared by all should one appear in public. Because of their secretive nature, the Sheikah don't have a large standing army, but rather prefer to kill enemy leaders before wars even start. Should the time come where war is the only option, the Sheikah can assemble their many assassins to murder an enemy army before they even have a chance to retaliate. Despite their unmatched skill at assassination, the Sheikah lack numbers and are prone to being killed off should they be surrounded by superior numbers. A Sheikah army would rather hide in the trees and fling needles at the throats of a marching army than show off in a bloody melee.

Language
The Sheikah, like the rest of the Hylian people, have long spoken Ancient Hylian.

Ancient Age
The Cadre was established after Hylia's departure by a group of Ancient Hylians who have managed to retain many ancestral features like red eyes and magic which others of their kind have lost. Over time those of particular bloodlines and traits would come to form the various clans that the Cadre is composed of.

Since its foundation, the Sheikah Cadre's existence is mostly unknown to the average Hylian, in spite of their massive influence on the Royal Family and on the workings of the Kingdom of Hyrule in general.

As expected of any ancient conspiracy, their loyalty to the Kingdom of Hyrule is dubious. Some are loyal, but there also exist many wizards who have spent years planning to overthrow the Royal Family and take the throne of Hyrule for themselves.

Rise of Ganon
Upon Ganon's invasion of Hyrule, a traitorous Sheikah wizard called 'Bongo', the leader of a dissident group later called the Dark Interlopers, contacts him via a mysterious letter he receives at Lon Lon Ranch, which invites him to Kakariko. There he meets the traitorous Sheikah and aids her in exploring the Shadow Temple and defeating the Druthulidi Dethl - unknown the Ganon and her followers, Bongo is possessed by the demon.

Bongo then sends him to secure allies in the Gerudo Desert, giving him a Genocide Poison with which to corrupt the Oases of the Gerudo, and then urges him to secure an alliance with the Darknut Legion by beating their God-King at a battle tournament. When Zalunbar attempts to cheat using Zuna auxiliaries, Bongo attacks the Darknuts with Dark Interloper forces, jesting that Ganon is justified in cheating as well.

The Dark Interlopers later aid Darknut and Blin armies in in the taking of Hyrule Prime, attacking the city's eastern flank. After the city falls, Bongo interrogates Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule before he dies of his injuries, learning that the Triforce is secured in the Water Temple. She promptly lies to Ganon, telling him it is hidden with the Volvagians at Spectacle Rock.

With the King dead and the capital fallen, Princess Nylin Zelda I is ordered to be executed, but is saved by loyalist Sheikah forces led by Impa, who smuggle her out of the city and regroup with surviving Hylian military forces at the old citadel on Snowpeak and manage to successfully repel a Blin attack.

The Dark Interlopers observe this battle from a safe distance, and despite pressure from her lieutenants Bongo elects to march South to Hylia Marine instead of waylaying the Hylians, confident that Ganon's forces will provide the necessary distraction for her to secure the Triforce.

The Dark Interlopers occupy Hylia Marine for several weeks as they search for the Triforce, but are unable to stop the Zora garrison at the Water Temple from contacting reinforcements. The renegade Sheikah are taken surprise by Gerudo and Fairy armies led by Twinrova and Veran, respectively, also attempting to secure the Triforce, and trapped in a three-way battle until they are finally attacked by a Hylian-Zora alliance that defeats all three. During the chaos, Bongo is arrested by Impa and sentenced to death.

Bongo is subsequently executed by decapitation and thrown into the well of Kakariko, and the surviving Dark Interlopers are handed over to the Gerudo Warlords, who banish them in the Mirror of Twilight alongside the rebel Gerudo and Rogue Fairies, leading them to become the ancestors of the Twili.

The Realm of Twilight
The Dark Interlopers, after being banished, find themselves in an alien world known as the Realm of Twilight. Many struggle to survive and most die soon after their arrival.

Over time, as the banished Gerudo only consisted of females they are forced to interbreed with the Sheikah. The strict doctrine of racial purity is lost along with the majority of Sheikah heritage, except among the Bonemold Monks, who keep their bloodline purely Sheikah and continue to practice many other Sheikah traditions.

First Golden Age
In 97 AG, when Princess Yanera Zelda II dies and her daughter Princess Mahrala Zelda III succeeds to the throne of Hyrule, her husband Agahnim is revealed to be a Sheikah. He is labeled a criminal for violating the Sheikah blood pact and marrying a Hylian. Using the Eye of Truth, Agahnim is forced to destroy all knowledge of his marriage to Princess Zelda III and returns to the Sheikah Cadre.

Starting Regions

 * Eldin Province

Strengths, Weaknesses and Abilities

 * Hide in Plain Sight: All Sheikah are able to hide from an enemy force in any condition.
 * Master Assassins: The Sheikah are highly skilled killers and can usually eliminate an opponent with one well placed blow.
 * Dying Race: Strict marriage rituals and pure blooded pairings have kept the Sheikah population fairly low, and as such their armies tend to be very small compared to other forces.
 * Master Manipulators: The Sheikah are usually influencing their neighbour empires, particularly the Kingdom of Hyrule. In the campaign they are able to leech income and resources from their neighbors.

Freeform Campaign

 * Faction Leader: Agahnim
 * Goals:
 * Short Campaign: hold 30 regions
 * Long Campaign: hold 40 regions

Stances
The Sheikah operate in one of two stances that change the way their cities, armies and agents function. They could change their stance at will.

Standard

 * Ghoul Rat
 * Monk
 * Interrogator
 * Protector
 * Battlefield Assassin
 * Hawkeye Archer
 * Blood Wizard

Siege Weaponry

 * Needlestorm
 * Shadow Cannon

Hero Units

 * Truthbearer
 * Murder of Crows
 * Sheikah Watcher
 * Devoured

Heroes

 * Impa
 * Sheik
 * Paya
 * Purah

Legendary Figure

 * Bongo-Bongo

Trivia

 * The Sheikah Cadre's original symbol is a stylized red eye, as could be seen in Hyrule Historia. After the attempted coup by Agahnim, the Sheikah add a single red tear emerging from it, representing the death and sorrow from the betrayal.