KOHMLI - Emissary of the Southern Skies / Rito OC
I made a Rito dude! Meet Kohmli! He’s a Rito OC I designed about a month ago when I got back into Zelda again, and what started as a simple slideshow sketch in the middle of class has turned into something I’m genuinely proud of.
By the events of Tears of the Kingdom, Kohmli is 22 years old. He’s a foreigner, and an emissary from Thalor, a tropical nation far south of Hyrule.
His homeland isn’t the same as it was when he was a kid. When he was 13, a fast, bitter conflict split it into three, and what it left behind wasn’t just political fallout, it left scars. It took his mentor and mother too (whose designs are still on the way). Despite that kind of loss, he remains thoughtful, charismatic, theatrical, flamboyant, and stubbornly idealistic. He’s someone trying to hold on to the idea of peace, even after everything he’s been through.
Design-wise, he takes inspiration from the Goldie’s bird of paradise, especially in his tail flow and palette. For height context, there’s a scale with Revali and Link in the corner.
His weapon (which he dubs Wayfinder's Plume) is a rare Zephr model made by a late Thalorian Rito bowsmith. Fewer than 100 exist. A glowing shard is tied to the upper limb, whether it’s memory, burden, or something else, he's not willing to tell. He’s great with the bow, decent with a spear, but sucks with swords.
He’s one of six OCs I’ve been building within the Tears of the Kingdom timeline. Each comes from a different part of the Zelda world, but Kohmli was the first. His story and design set the tone for the rest of the squad to fall into place.
(Sidenote: He also has four living figures from his past, including his father, his sister, and two Thalorian heirs/allies. I still need to draw them.)
Sorry not sorry for the long length but thanks for reading! More coming soon (probably). Extra poses are down below :D
☆EXTRA POSES ☆
Neutral poses
✨Pride✨ & Finesse☆
Bowing (respectfully) & annoyed/frustrated
Awkward/Nervous & “WTF”/Panicked
Final extra