Sheikah Cadre (Conquest)

The Sheikah Cadre is a playable faction in Hyrule: Total War. They must be unlocked by completing a Short Campaign as Ordona Province or a Long Campaign as any faction.

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.

Physiology
Hylians and their kin are one one of most widespread intelligent species on the face of Hyrule, being members of the same species as Sheikah, Ordonians, Gerudo, Tarminians, Horonians, Lokomo, and Labrynnians. All members of this species are bipedal humanoids with flesh ranging from white to brown and hair along their heads and face (more prominent with males), with the main ethnic difference being the shape of their ears. The Sheikah are the closest descendents of the Ancient Hylians, with pale complexions and crimson eyes, and many retain their ancestor's long lifespans and magical abilities. Any children across Hyrule who display "Ancient Hylian" features, such as red eyes or a magical sensitivity, are often quickly abducted and indoctrinated into the Cadre to bolster their numbers. However, despite the Cadre's attempts to keep their bloodline pure, their powers are far diminished compared to those of their ancestors- a Sheikah Blood Wizard is capable of focusing their blood into volatile force, when their forebears could call forth searing holy light from their vitae.

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.

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, bur 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.

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
 * Settlements: 0
 * Diplomacy:
 * Allies: Kingdom of Hyrule, Ordona Province
 * At war: Stalfos
 * Goals:
 * Short Campaign: hold 30 regions
 * Long Campaign: hold 40 regions

Gameplay


The Sheikah are essentially a secretive organisation run by the last pure blooded Ancient Hylians. They have tasked themselves with assuring that order and stability are maintained in Hyrule, preferably under the law of the Hylian Royal Family whom they can influence. The Sheikah under normal circumstances have no concern with managing the welfare of cities, the trivial disputes and requirements of civilians, or the economy needed to run a full scale empire. Their goal is simple: Keep everyone on a leash and eliminate any possible threat to that influence.

The Sheikah will have two "stances" they can switch between during a campaign: Shadow Stance and Death Stance.

Shadow Stance
The Shadow Stance is the default stance the Sheikah begin with. While operating under Shadow Stance the following effects are in place:
 * New Sheikah are constantly trained for free and will spawn under your command when they finish their lifelong training.
 * The Kingdom of Hyrule and Strict Goddess Worship factions are always considered your allies no matter the circumstance.
 * Sheikah cannot be defeated so long as the Kingdom of Hyrule controls Kakariko or Hyrule Prime.
 * All cities you take control of are given to the Kingdom of Hyrule at the start of their turn.
 * The following units are available: Spies, Monks, Truthbearers, Blood Wizards.

There are some really obvious advantages to operating under this stance. For one, you can't lose a game as long as the Kingdom of Hyrule controls Kakariko or Hyrule Prime. Eventually new Sheikah will finish their training in either city and spawn under your command in the instance that everything you own dies. This creates a new dynamic in that a Sheikah player no longer has to worry about managing cities or maintaining their armies, rather the Sheikah can then focus on what they do best: Influencing the direction of their puppets and killing off potential enemies before they grow too powerful. In Shadow Stance you'll be able to focus on completing missions and defending the Kingdom of Hyrule from enemy attacks while setting up forts and watchtowers on enemy borders. You'll be able to freely harass enemies attempting to expand to unowned settlements without having to worry about leaving a city undefended. If you want the Kingdom of Hyrule to expand to a particular location, take over a city there and give them the foothold they need.

The goal is to almost make it feel like the Kingdom of Hyrule and Sheikah are two parts of one whole: The Sheikah manage all the behind the scenes dirty business while the Kingdom directs and defends the cities. Likewise this also plays out if you are the Kingdom of Hyrule: You can expect the Sheikah to occasionally help you save one of your cities under attack, or find a city you did not mean to take over end up under your control.

Death Stance
The Death Stance can be initiated when things start taking a turn for the worse. While operating under Death Stance the following effects happen:
 * Kakariko falls under your control if the Kingdom of Hyrule possesses it.
 * All cities you take control of are not given to the Kingdom of Hyrule on their turn.
 * The Kingdom of Hyrule and Strict Goddess Worship Factions can potentially dislike and declare war on you.
 * Can be defeated if every city and unit you control is destroyed.
 * Sheikah do not undergo traditional training and instead must be recruited like normal soldiers.
 * The following units are available: Soldiers of Agahnim, Interrogators, Kingmakers.

When activating Death Stance, the Sheikah play a lot more like the traditional factions. Kakariko is immediately given over to the Sheikah if the Kingdom of Hyrule controls it.

In addition, any city you conquer is kept under the banner of the Sheikah and is not given to the Hylians. You'll be able to command and dictate what to build in your cities and what units you can produce, including none other than the infamous brainwashed Hylians.

While it may seem like this stance is superior to the Shadow Stance from a military perspective (and indeed it is), it is recommended only operating under this mode when things are falling apart and the Kingdom of Hyrule is near ruins. Going into Death Stance early on when there's no real reason can severely hurt relations with the Royal Family and ties to the Kingdom of Hyrule and cripple your economy. Loyalty is much harder to maintain when in this stance and many factions will not look too kindly on a new empire suddenly taking up real estate. The use of this stance is also present when you are playing as the Kingdom of Hyrule: you can expect the Sheikah to take over the keys of the Kingdom if you are doing a terrible job managing Hyrule.

Standard

 * Sheikah Spies
 * Sheikah Monks
 * Sheikah Assassins
 * Truthbearers
 * Kingmakers
 * Soldiers of Agahnim
 * Interrogators
 * Blood Wizards
 * Skull Knights

Siege Weaponry

 * Needlestorm
 * Shadow Cannon

Special

 * The Devoured

Command

 * Red Wizard
 * Shadow Lord

Agents

 * Sheikah Diplomat
 * Master Spy
 * Master Assassin
 * Goddess Priestess

Heroes

 * Impa
 * Agahnim
 * Azrily
 * Bongo-Bongo

Hyrule Historia

 * Bongo
 * Interloper Assassins
 * Interloper Wizards

Tech Tree
With a few exceptions the Sheikah techtree is essentially the same as that of the Kingdom of Hyrule. Naturally the Sheikah are only capable of creating buildings while in Death Stance.



Hamlet

 * Basic Urban Farms: Economy structure that aids in income as well as population growth for the Kingdom of Hyrule. The Hylians have mastered the technique of growing their crops within their cities in these Urban farms. While they are not as effective and yield less than traditional rural farms, they are enough to support a small sized settlement.
 * Gardens: A simply plot of land devoted to flora, Gardens increase the health of their host settlement as well as the happiness of those that live there.
 * Bar: Often the center of entertainment and social gatherings in small Hylians towns, a bar helps improve the happiness of all the workers who toil day in and out.
 * 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

 * Fertile Urban Farms: With better fertilization techniques these Urban Farms are able to yeild a larger crop for their host settlements, improving population growth.
 * Brainwashing Center: Hylian soldiers are brought into local brainwashing centers in order to insure loyalty to Agahnim and the Cadre. Only the most resistant are sent to Agahnim himself to face the Eye of Truth.
 * Market Plaza: A series of shops that sell various goods and services within its host settlement, increasing both its economy and the happiness of people within.
 * Inn: By expanding the town's Bar into an Inn, travelers can visit the settlement and social gatherings can expand, increasing the happiness of its host settlement.
 * Milk Distributor: By Offering the sale of Lon Lon Milk at the Town's Bazaar, the city's economy is greatly aided and happiness of its citizens soars.

Town

 * Arrayed Urban Farms: By combining the resources of several Urban Farms together they are able to collectively yield a much larger crop, improving population growth.
 * Torture Chamber: A small underground dungeon used to interrogate prisoners and enemies of the Sheikah.
 * Hospital: By building a dedicated hospital, the host settlement's health increases as well as the healing of injured soldiers, decreasing retraining costs.
 * Large Gardens: By expanding the Gardens of a settlement both its health and the happiness of its people increase.
 * Fairgrounds: Installing Fairgrounds at the settlement's Market Plaza increases both the happiness of the people there as well as the settlement's income.
 * Tavern: Expanding the capabilities of the Inn makes it a hot spot for social gatherings and nightlife in its host city. Happiness amongst the people is greatly increased.

Large Town

 * Urban Farm Network: By linking all Urban Farms together with an irrigation network and supportive fertilization effort, these farms are able to yield their best crops to support the populations of cities.
 * Wizard's Tower: Disguised as a simple farm tower, these buildings provide silence and solace for the few Sheikah left with the magic of Ancient Hylians.
 * Market Festival: Hosting weekly festivals at the Market Plaza further inspired happiness amongst the Settlement's citizens, as well as boosts the economy for periods of time.

City

 * Reliquary: Underground crypt from which the Sheikah store many forbidden artifacts and knowledge that they can draw power from in times of need. Allows units to train at their first Upgrade level.
 * Great Bimaristan: Putting more money and resources into a settlement's hospital greatly increases the health of the city as well as lowering the retraining cost of soldiers.
 * Goddess Festival: By hosting an annual Goddess Festival at the Market Plaza, citizens have a goal to work for every year. The Goddess Festival dramatically increases happiness and the income of a city.
 * Bank: A dedicated bank can help stimulate the economy of the entire Kingdom, lending out loans and encouraging rapid business growth.

Large City

 * Dark Reliquary: This underground crypt contains many dark secrets that some would consider potentially if not outright blasphemous to the Goddesses of Hyrule. Allows units to train at their second Upgrade level.

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.