Lineart is still my fav

Koroks are born in the forest from the life force of the Deku Tree (which does not refer to one singular magical being, but to the current elder of the Koroks. It’s more like a title than an individual’s name.)

All Koroks are blessed with eternal youth. They will not die of old age, but mature ones often decide to “put down roots.” In this case, they will give up earthly life in the hope of achieving something greater one day—sacred power and spiritual enlightenment, the ability to become a life-giving Deku Tree themselves.

To put down roots, the Korok goes into a deep meditation and eventually transforms into a literal tree. Once a tree, they are like every other plant and no longer immune to the elements (also not immune to becoming firewood should Link show up with an axe). This inherent vulnerability in the first few hundred years after transformation is what prompts Koroks to travel the continent in search of a “proper place.” Without prior knowledge, even a Korok cannot tell if a young tree was once their brother, not until a few hundred years have passed and the Korok-tree starts to emanate sacred energy.

Koroks find unique objects to identify themselves in preparation for the transformation. Calamo has chosen a broken Gerudo spear. These markers help younger Koroks spot their brothers and take care of them through the dangerous initial phase.

Koroks are pacifists and generally do not engage in conflicts.

All Koroks are Hylian-passing in appearance. Koroks almost never reveal their true identity to outsiders to prevent others from taking advantage of their longevity and magic. After joining Rauru’s army, Calamo reveals his Korok identity, which is unprecedented. Most people have only heard of Koroks in folklore and never seen a real one.

Koroks can heal themselves by going into healthy nature and meditate. Unlike the Zoras, they cannot heal others. They cannot heal during battle because it’s no place to meditate (duh.) They cannot heal or grow in polluted places, and that’s why Ganondorf’s grip on Hyrule eventually forced the Koroks to aid Rauru’s cause.

Character and Costume Notes:

Due to their self-healing abilities, Koroks generally don’t get scars. The fact that Calamo has a few significant scars suggests that he has recovered from serious injuries. Similar to the canonical design, Human!Calamo has a X-shaped scar on the left side of his neck. He also has a deep cut wound on his left shoulder, which is a nod to his broken-off branch-horn in the canonical design.

Calamo may look like a 16-year-old, but he is actually past middle age by Korok standards. He has grown out of waving a branch and saying Yahaha. His original Korok Stick™️ from his more youthful days is now part of the decorative program he has curated for his hat.

He wears a LOT of layers because he hates the cold. Has anyone ever told him that pants also exist? Anyways, no Hylians from this era wear pants. So his way to compensate is to wear one scarf over another.

He can’t find kid-sized tactical gear, so he has to use ties and straps to alter his gloves and harnesses.

He stores all of his ammunition elemental fruits in his magical Korok pouch. He has an unknowable number of acorns on his person at any given moment.

His weapon is a forest dweller sword. It is so small and lightweight that it seems more like a side weapon to an average Hylian knight. Still, he’s able to swing it very fast in incredibly broad strokes.

His earrings are like little red berries ❤️

It appears that he can never get the drink he wants from the bar because of the way he looks.