| The
Legends of Hyrule
The Creation of Hyrule
According to
the Hylian scrolls, the mythical gods descended from
a distant nebula to the world that was and created
order and life. The god of Power dyed the mountains
red with fire and created land. The
god of Wisdom created science and wizardry and
brought order to nature. And the god of Courage, through
justice and vigor, created life - the animal that
crawl the land and the birds that soar in the
sky. After the gods finished their work, they
left the world, but not before creating a symbol of their
strength, a golden triangle known as the Triforce.
A small but powerful portion of essence of gods was held
in this mighty artifact, which was to guide the intelligent
life on the world of Hyrule.
Although
it was an inanimate object, the Triforce had the power to bestow
three titles which gave the person who received them
great powers: "The Forger of Strength", "The Keeper
of Knowledge", and "The Juror of Courage".
From its hiding place in the so-called Golden Land where
the gods placed it, the Triforce beckoned people from the
outside world to seek it in hope that someone worthy of
these titles would find it.
With their magic infused blood,
the Hylian people were endowed with psychic powers and skill in
wizardry. It was also said that their long, pointed
ears enabled them to hear special messages from the gods,
so they were held in high esteem by many people in Hyrule.
Their descendants settled in various parts of the world
and passed on their knowledge and magical lore to all people.
But in its passing, the lore was often distorted or lost
altogether...
Gates to the Golden
Land
In Hyrule,
there are many Hylian buildings which are mentioned repeatedly
in the legends. These buildings, which now lie in
ruin, pale shadows of their former splendor, are closely tied
to the Triforce. Some were said to house the Triforce
itself...
If it were only a symbol of
the gods, the Triforce would be coveted by many. But a verse from
the Book of Madura (a collection of Hylian legends
and lore) made the Triforce even more desirable:
In a realm beyond sight,
The sky shines gold, not blue.
There, the
Triforce's might
Makes mortal dreams
come true.
Many aggressively searched
for the wish-granting Triforce, but no one, not even the Hylian
sages, was sure of its location; the knowledge had
been lost over time. Some said the Triforce lay under the desert,
others said that it was in the cemetery in the shadow
of Death Mountain, but no one ever found it. That yearning
for the Triforce soon turned to lust for power, which in
turn led to the spilling of blood. Soon the only motive
left among those searching for the Triforce was pure greed.
One day, quite by accident,
a gate to the Golden Land of the Triforce was opened by a gang
of thieves skilled in black arts. This land was
like no other. In the gathering twilight, the Triforce shone from
its resting place high above the world. In a
long running battle, the leader of the thieves fought his way
past his followers, the leader stood triumphant
over the Triforce and grasped it with his blood-stained hands.
He heard a whispered voice: "If thou hast a strong
desire or dream, wish for it..." And in reply, the roaring
laughter of the brigand leader echoed across time and space
and even reached the far-off land of Hyrule. The name
of this king of thieves is Ganandorf Dragmire, but he is known
by his alias, Mandrag Ganon, which means Ganon of
the Enchanted Thieves.
The Imprisoning War
I do not know what Ganon wished
for from the Triforce. However, in time evil power began to flow
from the Golden Land and greedy men were drawn there
to become members of Ganon's army. Black clouds permanently
darkened the sky, and many disasters beset Hyrule. The lord
of Hyrule sent for the Seven Wise Men and the Knights of
Hyrule, and ordered them to seal the entrance to the Golden
Land.
The Triforce, being an inanimate
object cannot judge between good and evil. Therefore, it could
not know that Ganon's wishes were evil; it merely
granted them. Suspecting that Ganon's power was based on
the Triforce's magic, the people of Hyrule forged a sword
resistant to magic which could repulse even powers granted
by the Triforce. This mighty weapon became know as the blade
of evil's bane, or the Master Sword. It was se powerful
that only one who was pure of heart and strong of body could
wield it. As the Seven Wise Men searched for a valiant person
to take up the Master Sword, Ganon's evil army swarmed
from the tainted Golden Land into Hyrule and attacked the castle.
The wise men and the Knights of Hyrule combined forces
to wage war on this evil horde.
The Knights took the full
brunt of the fierce attack, and although they fought courageously,
many a brave soul was lost that day. However, their
lives were not lost in vain, for they bought precious time for
the Seven Wise Men to magically seal Ganon in the
Golden Land. All of Hyrule rejoiced at the victory that upheld
peace and order over Ganon's evil and chaos. This war, which
had claimed many lives, became known as the Imprisoning
War in stories told in later centuries.
The Coming of the Wizard
Many centuries
have passed since the Imprisoning War. The land of Hyrule healed
its wounds and the people lived in peace for a ling
time. Memories of the vicious Imprisoning War faded over the generations...
So it is no suprise that no
one was prepared for the new disasters that have recently struck
Hyrule. Pestilence and drought, uncontrollable even
by magic, ravaged the land. The king of Hyrule, after council
with his sages, ordered an investigation of the Imprisoned
Dark World (as the Golden Land had come to be known) but
the wise men's seal was apparently intact. He offered rewards
for anyone who could find the source of these troubles.
In answer to these summons a stranger named Agahnim came
and quelled the disasters with a previously unseen form
of magic. As a reward, the king gave him a new position
as chief advisor and heir to the Seven Wise Men. The masses proclaimed
him hero. Peace had returned to Hyrule... or had it?
Of late, rumors have traveled
their whispering path with alarming frequency. Rumors saying Agahnim
now rules the country with his magic... Rumors of
strange magical experiments in the castle tower at night...
The people of Hyrule were gripped by dread.
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