Gerudo (Conquest)

The Gerudo (pronouned Geru-doe) a playable faction in Hyrule: Total War.

Description
The Gerudo are an ancient people who at one point in history had a vast and powerful empire. Over time various warlords of their race began to quarrel amongst themselves to the point where their conflict spread to other races. Seeing the potential in the Gerudo, the Moblin King Ganon offered them a place in his dominion as servants. The selfish warlords rejected his offer and declared war on the Moblins. As a result, King Ganon poisoned the Gerudo bloodline by unknown means so that the Gerudo would never give birth to a male. After several decades the male population of the Gerudo died off, leaving only their females in a desperate situation to restore their race. The answer to their problems were the vast resources that the neighboring land of Hyrule provided, but unfortunately the Hylians were not so welcoming of the Gerudo. As a result of their incursion, the Gerudo and Hylians entered a long period of hostility. With only female Gerudo being born and no males, the fear that the Gerudo will become extinct grows among their people with each passing day. Being a culture from a harsh land, the Gerudo themselves are a harsh people in a fight. They prefer to fight on horseback and with bows, and as such they are superior in the field of archery when in a fight. Being raised in a desert however has left them with little need for armor, and most Gerudo wear simple outfits with little protection. Despite the lack of Gerudo durability, they are a very potent and mobile force that should never be underestimated.

Language
The Gerudo spoken and written shares its name with the race that created it, Gerudo.

Physiology
The Gerudo are members of one of the most widespread races in Hyrule, being members of the same species as Hylians, Sheikah, Cobble, Ordonians, Tarminians, Horonians, Lokomo, and Labrynnians.The Gerudo are distinct in having round ears and darker skin tones than Hylians or Ordonians. The entire Gerudo race seems to boast red-orange hair.

The Gerudo are cursed by near-total infertility in regards to male offspring. Unable to continue their race's cultural and ethnic lineage without male heirs, the Gerudo are often forced to mate with male Hylians, Sheikah, or Ordonians to keep their gene pool continuing with female children.

Powers and Abilities
Much like their Ancient Hylian ancestors, some Gerudo possess innate magical abilities, notably the Wind Witches and Ice Archers. As opposed to the volatile bloodline of the Hylians, Gerudo magic is based in manipulation of elements such as air or water.

Geography
The Gerudo live in the Gerudo Desert, located in the west of the continent of Hyrule, an arid land with far and few oases, surrounded in all sides by mountains. The northern Moruge Mountain Range separates the Gerudo Desert from the Misery Mire to the north, the only way to which is a small pass located near the Gohma hive of Moruge. The western border of the Gerudo state is the Gerudo Cliffs, a large mountain range that separates the desert from the Coast of Ontheon to the west, home to the Darknut Legion and the Zuna. More mountains surround the Gerudo southern and eastern borders with Ordona Province and the Kingdom of Hyrule, respectively.

Society
Gerudo society was once united under a single state, ruled by great monarchs. As their Empire declined, the Gerudo fractured into competing patriarchal warlords, who eventually established the ruling Council of Warlords. When Ganon's curse took effect, Gerudo society experienced a sudden shift into a matriarchal culture out of necessity, being ruled by a female Regent in place of the Gerudo Warlords. This office was taken over by the Twinrova Sisters, Koume and Kotake, through underhanded tactics, and they would use the last male Gerudo, Ganondorf, as their puppet ruler, even as he held the title of Prince of the Gerudo and last of the Warlords.

Ancient Age
The first Gerudo were descended from Ancient Hylian colonists settling the Gerudo desert - over time the two peoples would become radically physically and culturally different. The ancient Gerudo went on to settle much of the western and central Gerudo Desert, coming into conflict with the ancient Darknut Legion and Zuna over its scarce resources.

At the peak of their power, the Gerudo Empire stretched from Ontheon in the west to the Zora River in the east. The Gerudo people had great cities and monuments to their name, and were feared and respected. Their exploitation of their limited resources and conflicts with their Darknut and Hylian neighbors, however, would take its toll, and by 1 BG they were reduced to a society of petty, squabbling warlords.

Rise of Ganon
In 1 BG, King Ganon of the Moblins presents himself to the Circle of Warlords to ask for an alliance against the Kingdom of Hyrule to the east. In their terrible pride, the Warlords rejects Ganon's offer; the Moblin King politely accepts the rejection before claiming a curse will befall their people for their refusal. True to his word, Ganon then pours a bottle of poison given by his ally Bongo into the Gerudo's vital oases.

After Ganon is killed at Death Mountain Crater and the Triforce's location revealed at the Water Temple, the Twinrova sisters gather a small army of female Gerudo and march upon Hylia Marine to steal it against the Warlords' orders.

After the battle at Hylia Marine, unable to deal with the Gerudo, Sheikah and Fairy prisoners, Princess Nylin Zelda I decides to turn them over to the Warlords as a gesture of goodwill. The Warlords then banish the prisoners to the Mirror of Twilight, believing it to be the entrance to an endless void.

First Golden Age
As the result of Ganon's curse, no more Gerudo boys are born, and the male Gerudo slowly die out. Unable to produce males, the Gerudo are reduced from one of the the most powerful states in Hyrule to a dying society viewed as bandits and heathens by their eastern cousins.

However, in 71 AG, a son is unexpectedly born to the Gerudo woman Adieladorf, whom she names Ganondorf, as despite Ganon's curse he still manages to be born. The living Gerudo men, his father included, are all old at this point, and none survives long after his birth. The boy Ganondorf becomes the sole member of the Circle of Warlords, with his mother serving as regent until he's of legal age, but Adieladorf's regency doesn't last long: she mysteriously dies a few months into Ganondorf's reign. At this point, the Twinrova sisters, who were spared banishment for their involvement with the Dark Interlopers, adopt Ganondorf as their own son and become his co-regents.

When he reaches adulthood, Ganondorf learns about the Triforce, the divine artefact that the Golden Goddesses left at Hyrule, with the power to grant a wish to anyone who can obtain it. Concerned about his people's survival and desiring to lift Ganon's curse, he decides to militarise the Gerudo against the Kingdom of Hyrule in an attempt to take the Triforce. Meanwhile, Twinrova strike an alliance with Vaati, mastermind behind the Darknut Legion, and Agahnim, head of the Sheikah Cadre, agreeing to pay them a city after the Kingdom of Hyrule falls. Ganondorf also successfully convinces Dakkon, the disgraced Sage of Fire, and the remaining Volvagians to aid him in the invasion.

Gerudo Wars
The Gerudo Wars start in 99 AG when Ganondorf commands a small army of Gerudo and Darknuts to march upon Nal Ordona, forcing Princess Mahrala Zelda III to respond so Agahnim would be able to temporarily take charge of the Kingdom of Hyrule and officially declare war on the Gerudo. After the initial attack, Ganondorf leads his main army to assault Hyrule Castle.

The Gerudo forces prove too strong for the Hylian garrison, and after Ganondorf kills Princess Zelda III in a duel the rest of the garrison surrenders to the Gerudo. Immediately, Vaati orders the Gerudo to retreat and let the Darknuts occupy the city, reminding a displeased Ganondorf that Hyrule Caslte Town is the city he wants as payment for his help.

With the Princess dead and the Kingdom left without leadership, for a year Ganondorf leads the Gerudo around Hyrule, conquering town after town. Around the same time, his wife Nabooru starts to receive dreams from a mysterious Darknut woman, calling for help.

A year after the fall of Hyrule, the Hylians and the Sheikah Cadre openly rebel against the Darknuts occupying Hyrule Castle Town. After Agahnim is killed, the alliance between the Gerudo and the Darknuts break, and Ganondorf abandons Hyrule to return to the Gerudo Desert.

The Darknut Senturon, who claims to be the husband of the mysterious woman, soon arrives at Ashinon and asks Nabooru for Ganondorf's help to free his wife, but every time Ganondorf declines her request and orders her to stay with him and help him against the Hylians, who are marching west towards Ontheon to free the young Princess Oraiya Zelda IV captured by Vaati. When Nabooru reports back to him, Senturon decides he can't let Vaati discover his intents via Ganondorf and Twinrova, before telling her helping him will be the only way to save the Gerudo.

When the Hylians arrive at Ashinon, Nabooru helps them by breaking the locks of the city gates. Twinrova manage to escape, while Ganondorf is captured by the invaders and put into custody until Princess Zelda IV can judge him. Nabooru, meanwhile, encounter two Hylian children named Link and Lana, and proceeds with them and Senturon to Ontheon.

At Ontheon, the four find the mysterious Darknut woman - the imprisoned Sage Yaraxonal - under the cathedral and manage to free her. With her help, the Hylians and their Goron allies are able to rescue Princess Zelda IV and kill Vaati, bringing an end to the Gerudo Wars.

Second Golden Age
The Hylians put Ganondorf and many other Gerudo leaders on trial after the end of the war. Many of them are executed, but Ganondorf's life is spared.

The Darknut Legion, now led by Yaraxonal and Senturon, declare war on the Gerudo and enslave the rest of their people.

Strengths, Weaknesses and Abilities

 * Archer Masters: The Gerudo are considered the best archers in all of Hyrule. They have superior archer units.
 * Mobile Warriors: The Gerudo are a very mobile force and wear little armor. As such they are fast but much less durable in combat.
 * Desert Natives: The Gerudo excel at combat on desert lands.
 * Friendly Neighbors: Many of the Gerudo's neighboring factions, such as the Darknuts, Moblins, and Zuna, are willing to trade and ally themselves.

Freeform Campaign

 * Faction Leader: Twinrova
 * Settlements: 4
 * Ashinon (city, capital)
 * Aidaidorf (city)
 * Arbiter's Grounds (village)
 * Ayloch (village)
 * Goals:
 * Short Campaign: hold 20 regions
 * Long Campaign: hold 30 regions, including Hyrule Prime (5 turns)

Standard

 * Dune Runner
 * Glaive Grunt
 * Marauder
 * Sand Sniper
 * Mounted Marauder
 * Gerudadorf
 * Wind Witch
 * Ice Archer
 * Tomb Guard
 * Iron Knuckle

Siege Weaponry

 * Gerudo Catapult
 * Sandblaster

Special

 * Vagrudanon

Command

 * Ashinon Captain
 * Ashinon General

Agent

 * Gerudo Diplomat
 * Gerudo Dancer

Heroes

 * Koume
 * Kotake
 * Ganondorf
 * Nabooru

Tech Tree
The Gerudo Techtree is rather linear like the Kingdom of Hyrule's, however they lack the single generalized structure to train their troops. Rather they have several specialized buildings that can be further specialized with whatever a Gerudo player needs. Like the Hylians the Gerudo have no prerequisite buildings, though they have far less upgrades they need to invest in to maximize their structures.

Hamlet

 * Pig Farms: Vegetation is scarce in the the desert, therefore the Gerudo adapted to raise the most successful meat in large quantities to support their populations.
 * Army Outpost: This low level base can house and produce basic Gerudo soldiers.
 * Archer Range: This dedicated Archer range can house and train ranged Gerudo Units.
 * Vegetable Market: Building a Vegetable Market in a Gerudo City will increase the happiness of all who live there, as well as the economy from decent prices.
 * Brothel: Though most Gerudo hold on to their honor and dignity, some have made great profit for their homes by hosting these brothels for travelers in their cities.
 * Bazaar: A basic shop that can be set up early on, the Bazaar sells any extra supplies or items produced by its host settlement.

Village

 * Swine Corrals: Expanding the Pig Farms to house larger desert boars provides more meat for its host settlement.
 * Exotic Dance Floor: Gerudo Brothels host exotic dance shows for travelers visiting their settlements, boosting both their happiness and your coffers.
 * Gerudo Fortress Foundation: The foundations of a powerful Gerudo Fortress are set, allowing a host of soldiers to guard the city and prevent unrest.

Town

 * Pig Plantation: These large fields are devoted entirely to Gerudo Swine, allowing the production of far more meat.
 * Army Outpost - Stable Add on: By adding a stable to the Army outpost the Gerudo can train mounted soldiers.
 * Archer Range - Stable Add on: By adding a stable to the Archer Range the Gerudo can train mounted ranged units.
 * Small Gerudo Fortress: Continuing the construction of the Gerudo Fortress allows more troops to defend the settlement and maintain law.
 * Animal Arena: The Gerudo sport of animal pit fighting is hosted at these arenas, increasing the happiness of citizens.

Large Town

 * Swine City: Entire dunes of land outside of the settlement are dedicated to pigs, creating massive herds and plenty of meat for the Gerudo.
 * Oasis: Providing Gerudo Settlements with a source of fresh water dramatically increases their survival rate.
 * Workshop: The Workshop allows the production of Gerudo Siege units, giving them an edge when attacking enemy settlements.
 * Medium Gerudo Fortress: Continuing the construction of the Gerudo Fortress allows more troops to defend the settlement and maintain law.
 * Tourney Fields: The Gerudo host championship duels between their mounted soldiers. Increases the happiness of citizens as well as the rank of trained cavalry.

City

 * Army Outpost - Palace Add On: Adding lavish quarters to the Army outpost allows for the training of the Gerudo's highest level of soldiers.
 * Archer Range - Gerudo Training Ground: By adding the intense Training Ground obstacle course to the Archery Range, those that survive the test can obtain Ice Arrows.
 * Large Gerudo Fortress: Adds an armory to the Gerudo Fortress, allowing soldiers trained in its host settlement to upgrade to their first upgrade level.

Large City

 * Superior Gerudo Fortress: Massive defensible base that eliminates most crime in its host city. Adds further armories, allowing soldiers trained in its host settlement to upgrade to their second upgrade level.