Impa (Total War)

Impa is the second Sage of Shadows of Hyrule and a co-founder of the Church of the Goddesses in the Realm of Twilight.

Etymology
Impa is the Ancient Hylian word for watcher.

Physical Appearance
Impa is a tall and pale Sheikah, with white hair worn in a single-side ponytail and crimson eyes under which she wears red Sheikah war-paint. She often obscures her features under hooded purple robes and a blindfold similar to those worn by Truthbearers.

Powers and Abilities
Impa was given the ability to end all forms of life utterly and completely. She can bring about sickness, withering, and ultimately death on any living being. She usually restricts her powers because of their danger and tendency to cause collateral damage, preferring to focus her energy into precision strikes from a weapon when she needs to kill. She also displays supernatural agility and speed on numerous occasions.

Personality
Impa is very quiet and reclusive, and very few people know of her as an individual. Princess Zelda IV often describes her as a gentle and caring mother figure, with little consideration for her own well-being.

History


Ancient Age
Impa was born in the Kingdom of Hyrule, a short time after Hylia's departure, long before the formation of the Sheikah Cadre. She was appointed as Second Sage of Shadow by Evaleen, and would eventually go on to become a prominent figure in the Sheikah Cadre.

Rise of Ganon
When Ganon invades the Kingdom of Hyrule in 2 BG and captures Princess Zelda I Impa sets out with loyal Sheikah to rescue the Princess and leads a counter attack. She succeeds in freeing Zelda, and together they regroup in Snowpeak. There Impa aids in a defensive while Rauru sets out to gather as many Hylian knights as he could for Zelda's army. Upon his return Impa marches with Princess Zelda to Death Mountain and confronts Ganon's forces. After a bloody battle and the defeat of Ganon, Impa and Rauru realise that they have been left astray and the traitorous Sheikah lead by Bongo are about to unlock the Triforce. Impa, Rauru, and Princess Zelda strike a pact with Demise and are brought to Hylia Marine. There they work with the Zora army under the command of Rutela to stop Bongo and the Dark Interlopers. During the fight Impa manages to incapacitate Bongo and bring her to Kakariko for judgement and execution. After deeming her guilty of betraying the royal family, Impa beheads Bongo.

The Gerudo Wars
In 99 AG, the operative Azrily informs Impa that Agahnim, the ex-husband of Princess Mahrala Zelda III attempted to brainwash her with Bongo's Eye of Truth and ordered her to incapacitate both Princess Zelda III and her daughter - however Azrily, unknown to Agahnim, was immune to the Eye of Truth. Impa then decides to send Azrily to Nal Ordona to recall Zelda III back to the capital while she smuggles out the young Zelda IV to Vigjaro via an underground tunnel.

When Princess Zelda III returns to Hyrule Castle and denounces Agahnim as a traitor to the throne, Impa, Rauru and Azrily attempt to arrest him, but Agahnim withdraws to a Gerudo army resting on Hyrule Field, and soon march against Hyrule Castle with Ganondorf. The Princess orders Impa to bring the civilians to safety at Vigjaro.

Ganondorf's army proves too powerful for the garrison, and when the Gerudo Prince kills Zelda in a duel, the rest of the garrison surrenders to the Gerudo, who are immediately ordered to retreat and let the Darknut Legion occupy the city.

A year later, after Princess Zelda IV formulates a plan to kill Agahnim and drive the Darknuts away, Impa lets herself get captured by the Darknuts. According to Darknut customs, she'll be given an appropriate Darknut weapon - a huge greatsword - to fight in gladiatorial combat to the death with Darknut challengers. The crowd laughs when she finds herself unable to lift the sword.

When the first challenger steps out, Impa effortlessly kills him with a needle thrown straight through his visor and into his brain. Agahnim, who is obviously not amused, tells her it's forbidden to use other weapons. Against the second challenger, she picks up a pebble and throws it at his windpipe, killing him instantly. Frustrated, Agahnim orders her to just use the sword, but then the third challenger also meets his fate when Impa kicks the sword down and steps aside, causing him to lose his footing when charging and gets cleaved in two by the sword.

At this point, Princess Zelda IV comes to offer Agahnim a proposal to spare both the Gerudo and Darknuts should they leave her kingdom immediately. When he refuses, Zelda tells him she no longer recognises her father, before Impa, General Kazakk, General Akazoo and the garrison openly rebel against him.

Agahnim makes his last stand in front of Hyrule Castle, killing any Sheikah who dare approach him, even managing to incapacitate Impa herself. As Agahnim prepares for the kill, Princess Zelda calls him 'Father', causing him to abandon Impa and run towards his daughter instead, giving Impa enough time to recover and stab him in the heart.

Impa then holds the capital while Kazakk and Akazoo progress to Ashinon and Ontheon to subjugate Ganondorf and Vaati.

Second Golden Age
Impa spends much of the following years raising and training Princess Zelda in the arts of the Sheikah. She works as the Princess' adviser during her reign on the throne and prevents assassination attempts throughout the next several decades.

The Return of Sulkaris
In 126 AG, a swarm of Gohma is unleashed on the city of Malkariko where Impa is staying with Princess Zelda IV and Princess Zelda V. Impa discovers that the Gohma are much more organised than they normally would be, and suspects the involvement of Sulkaris. The Gohma starts overwhelming the Hylian garrison, though Impa manages to escape the slaughter and discover that General Akazoo and Azrily are collaborating with the enemy. She then tracks the Gohma army into the Kokiri Forest, from Malkariko to Kanokiri and Palagard's Sanctuary, where she witnesses them killing the former Sages, Kasuto and Palagard, exterminating the Huskus and freeing Sulkaris. After the Gohma march from Palagard's Sanctuary to their next objective in the north, Impa enters the ruins of the city where she finds the Sage of Forests Saria being imprisoned inside a green crystal and frees her.

Impa withdraws from the Sages soon after to work with Rauru and Sheik guarding the Kingdom of Hyrule from the shadows.

A Tale of Two Swords
Impa participates in Princess Zelda V's trap against Ganondorf, Akazoo, and Hylia. There she battles the undead forces that are revealed to be commanded by a twisted beast that formed from the beheaded corpse of Bongo. Impa battles the creature and defeats it. After the skirmish is won Impa finds the Eye of Truth in Bongo's corpse and decides to destroy the device.

Impa is present at the siege of Hyrule Castle, participating in the assault against Majora alongside Rauru.

The Great Sea
After Lynna City had been destroyed and Veran's plans unveiled years earlier, Impa and Rauru ascend the Black Tower and find the Mirror of Twilight active. There they discover the possibility that Majora might have been influencing events from the Realm of Twilight, and they leave Hyrule behind and enter the portal.

In the Realm of Twilight Impa and Rauru work to establish the Church of the Goddesses with the hopes of discouraging the worship of Majora. Their church grow quickly, but naturally and eventually fall under opposition from the Church of Majora. Impa and Rauru manage to eventually rid the Realm of Twilight of Majora's influence, and establish an age of the Goddesses.

Several decades after her arrival in the Realm of Twilight, Impa names Yorinu her successor as Sage of Shadows.

Freeform Campaign
Impa spawns as a hero unit and general for the Sheikah Cadre on turn 2 if it is controlled by a player or if the Kingdom of Hyrule is CPU-controlled. If the Kingdom of Hyrule is player controlled, Impa will defect to the faction when Agahnim enters Death Stance.

Bodyguard
Truthbearers

Hero Ability
Dance of Death: Increases potential for your units to instantly kill enemies and reduces the chance for enemies to gain instant kills.

Traits
Awakened Sage

Master of Assassins Slow to Trust

Night Fighter

Nocturnal

Smart

Ancillaries
Shadow Medallion

Otherworldly Medallion said to house the essence of a Sage.

+1 Local Popularity, +1 Law

Quotes
Consider in mind that you should believe true only half of what you see, and believe true none of what you hear.