c
  c‘

‘
According to the Book of Mudora, prior to the coming of the Golden Three the world is in a state of
howling chaos and strife, dominated by ancient and nameless gods. Two are still remembered: the Gerudo
Goddess of the Sand, known to Hylians as Lady Chaos, and her dark consort known only as the Fierce
Deity.‘

   É



Din, Nayru and Farore, the golden goddesses, raise the land of Hyrule out of darkness and chaos. They
bring to life five races of beings: the Hylians, Fairies, Gorons, Kokiri and Zoras. Each of these races is
gifted with the virtues of courage, wisdom and power to raise them above the beasts. On their departure
from Hyrule, the goddesses leave behind an artifact known as the Triforce, imbued with the three virtues.‘

˜  
Hyrule I becomes warrior-chieftain of a hill fort and settlement. Sporadic wars over the next six years end
with a unified kingdom.‘

ô

Hyrule I dies. The little kingdom of Hyrule passes to his grandson, also named Hyrule. The neighbouring
kingdoms of Parapa and Kasuto are conquered, uniting northern Hyrule under a single monarchy.‘

ô 
Hyrule III crowned.‘

ô ˜ 
Southward expansion by the Hyrulians causes strife with a nomadic tribal folk, the Sheikah, who inhabit
the thick forests of central and eastern Hyrule. Trouble between the two peoples continues on and off for
over a century. The first Hyrule Castle is built - with wood - on the site of the original hill fort.‘

ô 
A dark-skinned sailing folk cross the Far Sea to settle in barren, uninhabited country to the far west of
Hyrule. The Gerudo will not encounter the Hylians until developing technology allows the forbidding
Shadowed Mountains to be crossed.‘

•• 
The University of Kasuto is founded. A new era of scholarship and discovery begins. Hyrule becomes
renowned, not only as a rich and stable kingdom, but as a center of learning.‘

•  
The sage-king Kaepora builds the Temple of Time and reconstructs much of Hyrule Town in stone,
including the castle. In the new climate of enlightenment, old superstitions and religious taboos come
tumbling down. Various efforts are now underway to discover and claim the legendary Triforce.‘

•˜ 
First contact is made with the Gorons of Death Mountain. There are some skirmishes and small battles
before a truce and general accord is struck. The Gorons become firm allies of the Hyrulian kings.‘

•   ú
   ‘

The Sheikah tribes unite under the wizard-king Agahnim, who resurrects the worship of the Fierce Deity.
In secret, Agahnim crafts a mask that is blessed by the dark god. In summer of 579 the Sheikah go to war
against Hyrule. The spectre of the Fierce Deity, wielding the infamous Twisted Blade, strikes fear into the
hearts of the Hylian armies. Northern and central Hyrule is laid waste and the city is sacked. The Hylians
are driven into the Celcarden mountains on the eastern edge of Hyrule. Agahnim becomes master of
Hyrule; however, he does not enjoy power for long. In the mountains, the Gorons are hard at work,
forging a very special sword...‘

• • 
The Hylians, united with the Gorons and Zoras, defeat and decimate the Sheikah forces. Remorseful
Sheikah survivors, sickened by the bloodshed and the worship of the dark god, swear to serve the Hylian
kings henceforth. The Sheikah become an elite fighting force under the command of Arn I.‘


Arn I begins to collect together prophetic texts that will eventually become the Book of Mudora. Research
into the Triforce continues. At the same time, Hylian expansion begins to make inroads in the great bulk
of Kokiri Forest. Central Hyrule is entirely cleared of forest and becomes farmland. The Kokiri and
Hylians are now aware of each other but the forest children stay well clear of the "giants" and retreat
steadily deeper into the woods, away from their destructive neighbours.‘

 
Arn I sets his scheme in motion. Massive renovations are made to the Temple of Time according to the
ancient plan set out by Kaepora I. The Gorons aid in this, as well as in a much bigger project to wall
Hyrule Town in white stone. Bridges are stretched over Zora's River to replace the ancient ford.‘

• 
Arn II crowned. As a coronation gift the Gorons present the new king with an ocarina carved from a single
massive crystal. The enchanted instrument becomes an heirloom of the kingdom.‘

ô 
Sages under Queen Illumea I discover a piece of the Triforce secreted in a mysterious ruin deep within
Kokiri Forest. The Triforce of Wisdom is borne back in triumph to Hyrule Town and installed in a tower of
the castle.‘
 

Exploration of the Shadowed Mountains begins. Intrepid explorers report that another unknown race is
living in the land beyond. With the aid of Goron stonemasons, the Hylians begin to cut a pass through the
western mountains.‘

˜ 
First contact is made with the Gerudo. Sheer hardship has made this people brutal and mercenary, and
relations are strained from the beginning. Some trade takes place at first, but as more and more of the
mountain passes are opened up, the Gerudo become bolder and begin to raid the fertile and comparatively
defenceless lands of western Hyrule.‘


  ú
 ú  
  

The Gerudo, believing that the Triforce of Wisdom is the reason for Hyrule's fertility, declare war. The war
rumbles on for two years as a series of running battles, and ends in an uneasy truce.‘

 
The Triforce of Courage is discovered in a strange ruin on Death Mountain. The Gorons take it into their
keeping. Relations between the Hylians and the Gorons become very uneasy.‘

 
The Sage Rauru assembles the definitive Book of Mudora.‘

 ô   ú

ú  
  

Led by King Hildesar, the Gerudo once more attack Hyrule - this time armed with the Triforce of Power.
The war swiftly becomes a three-way one as the Gorons join in. Each race hopes to regain the full Triforce.
The war drags on for a full seventeen years, causing devastation the like of which has never before been
seen. The Zoras and even the Kokiri are drawn in on one side or another. Hyrule is eventually victorious,
acquiring the Triforce of Power from the vanquished Gerudo. Arn II of Hyrule meets with Darmani of the
Gorons, Deku of the Kokiri and Toto of the Zoras to discuss how such a war might be avoided in future.
Magicians of each race place the Triforce in a place known henceforth as the Sacred Realm. The portal to
it is shut away behind the Door of Time and the jeweled "key" broken into three pieces. The Sword of the
Hyrulian kings seals the pathway.‘

 
Impa of the Sheikahs is born.‘

ô˜ 
Hyrule VII strikes a truce with the Gerudo.‘

ô • 
Ganondorf Dragmire is born into a new world of peace and prosperity.‘

ô 
Ganondorf defeats his royal father Galgabrand in ritual combat, as demanded by Gerudo custom, to
become Ganondorf I. Ferociously intelligent, and raised in a climate of bridled resentment against Hylians,
the young king embraces the black arts and studies ancient Sheikah lore. He swiftly learns of the Triforce.‘

ô 
Princess Ruto is born to King Toto XIX and Queen Imri V of the Zoras.‘
 ô  
Gerudo raiding bands once more plague western Hyrule, and range as far south as Lake Hylia. As a part of
this disruption, a male child is orphaned and taken in by the Kokiri. A female is born to the Hyrulian
Royal Family at much the same time; the new Crown Princess is named Zelda.‘

ô 
Malon is born to Talon and Yusane of Lon Lon Ranch. Yusane dies two years afterwards when a sickness
sweeps northern Hyrule.‘

ô  
Hyrule VII sends pointed messages to Ganondorf, who promises to put a stop to the raiding. Once again
an uneasy peace descends.‘

ôô 
Ganondorf travels to Hyrule Town, ostensibly to swear allegiance to the Hyrulian King. In reality he hopes
to open the Door of Time and acquire the Triforce for himself. Learning of the "key", he seeks out the
three races chosen as guardians and attempts to persuade them to part with their pieces. The Kokiri,
Gorons and Zoras all refuse. Ganondorf's actions result in the death of the Kokiri Forest guardian, the
Deku Tree. As a result of this, the boy Link leaves the forest bearing his part of the "key"...‘

ôô   î


Ganondorf secretly brings a Gerudo force into Hyrule Town. That night, King Hyrule VII is assassinated.
Impa flees the castle with the young Princess Zelda. The boy Link opens the Door of Time and breaks the
seal upon the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf has waited for this moment; he swiftly passes within and acquires
the Triforce of Power - and a new name, Ganon. Several things now happen instantaneously. The boy Link
is borne away to the Sacred Realm, where he is placed in an enchanted sleep. Bereft, the other two pieces
of the Triforce seek out suitable avatars within which to dwell. In Hyrule, resistance to the Evil King is
short-lived, and soon the whole country is subjected to Ganon's rule. Here begin the Seven Dark Years.‘

ôô   î
 

Link First flees Hyrule and enters the strange world of Termina.‘

ô• 
Link of the Gorons is born to Chief Darunia. (Little is known about Goron marital arrangements;
presumably there must have been a female involved but her name has not come down to us).‘

•˜   î
 
Link First returns to Hyrule, aided by the sage Rauru and other spirits of the Sacred Realm, and begins his
quest to defeat the Evil King.‘

•˜   î
 
Dark Link is brought into being, in the Water Temple, when Link First is tricked into striking his own
shadow with the Sword of Evil's Bane.‘
‘

•˜   î

With the help of the disguised Zelda I, the Hero of Time awakens six people to
their destinies as sages. Each sage creates a medallion imbued with elemental
power. Link First uses the medallions to enter Ganon's fortress and faces the
Evil King in single combat. However, he is unable to vanquish Ganon even with
the help of the sages. Ganon is sealed within the Sacred Realm, which
subsequently becomes the Dark World. Zelda I returns Link First to his own
time.‘

•˜   î
 
The adult Link First returns to Hyrule by coming over the Celcarden mountains. He is accompanied by
Kafei Dotour, the Zoran bard Japas, and the fairy Tatl.‘

•ô 
Link First weds Malon daughter of Talon. Hyrule begins to recover from the damage caused by the Seven
Dark Years.‘

• 
Link First and Zelda I discuss the future. As a result of this conversation, Link First labours to set up a
secret order that will preserve the knowledge of the Triforce in the centuries to come.‘

• 
Malon dies. The aged Link First returns to Kokiri Forest and thence vanishes quietly out of history. With
his passing, the Age of Legends is deemed to be over.‘

˜ 
After several very poor harvests, Ella, granddaughter of Link First, sells the Lon Lon lands to the Crown
and removes the entire family to Calatia.‘


A program of civic reform removes the last traces of Ganon's ravages. The shattered remains of old Hyrule
Castle are pulled down and a much larger, stronger edifice is constructed on the north side of Hyrule
Town, using some of the salvaged stone. Creatively, the new building is named North Castle.‘

  
Crown Prince Lysander is born.‘



Zelda II is born.‘

 ˜ 
A boy named Link is born in Calatia.‘
  
All is not well in Hyrule. Strange monsters begin to appear in and around Death Mountain, and plagues
and crop blights ravage the land. The disturbances get progressively worse.‘

• 
Prince Lysander, growing impatient to ascend the throne, strikes a secret accord with the wizard Carock -
a servant of Ganon acting under Dark Link's orders. Lysander and Carock attempt to force Zelda II to tell
them where the six Medallions are: this being knowledge preserved only by the Princess Royal. She
refuses, and Carock places her into an enchanted sleep that cannot be broken. Plagued by conscience and
gifted with the prescient knowledge that his actions will cause untold suffering, the grieving Lysander
places his sleeping sister's body in a tall tower in North Castle and seals the entrance.‘

 
Link Second comes of age and discovers a strange mark on his hand. The
‘

ancient Impa takes him to the sealed door and presses his hand against it. The
door opens and Zelda II's body is revealed. Armed with a scroll that tells of the
location of the ancient temples, and a bag containing the six Medallions, Link
Second sets off on a quest to break the wizard's spell. By returning each
Medallion to its rightful place, the power of the sages will be unlocked.
Learning of his intentions, Dark Link sends monstrous creatures to each palace
to oppose the Hero, including the mighty Thunder Bird. When they are
unsuccessful, Dark Link goes himself to the final palace and awaits his nemesis,
intending to kill Link and use his blood to resurrect Ganon. Link is victorious:
he defeats Dark Link and banishes the shadow to the Dark World. But a drop of
the Hero's blood has stained Dark Link's sword...‘

˜   ú
   

Ganon breaks free of the Sacred Realm and heads a combined army of dark Gerudos and monsters.
Hyrule XVI opposes him with the Hyrulian army but is unsuccessful. The war rages for seven terrible
years, during which time old Hyrule Town is beseiged and the castle reduced to rubble. The province of
Kasuto holds out at this time.‘

ô   B 
Ganon's most dreaded servant, the animate shadow Dark Link, leads part of the monstrous army into
Kasuto. After two months under siege, the city of Kasuto falls. Dark Link destroys the city utterly, slaying
every inhabitant down to the dogs and cats. The fabled University is burned to the ground.‘

ô   B

Ganon's third army under Gomez defeats and routs the disorganised Zora army at Lake Hylia. Some Zoras
change sides; the majority retreat beneath the waters, rarely to be seen again in Hyrule.‘

ô   



Ganon's forces unite for the final attack against Hyrule Town. After three months, it falls. Hyrule XVI is
killed; Lysander I is crowned in exile. The Hylians, pushed to the edges of their realm, will continue to
fight from strongholds in Kokiri Forest and the Celcardens.‘

 
Link travels through the benighted land with five companions and recovers the Sword of Evil's Bane from
the closely guarded ruins of Hyrule Town. Seven wise men re-forge the Master Sword now that the Gorons
have faded into myth. Link Second faces Ganon in single combat and defeats him; the Evil King's spirit is
returned to the Dark World and his power over his monsters is broken.‘
 
Link Second leads a group of Hyrulian heroes in search of Dark Link. The evil shadow evades capture time
and time again, and at last the warriors return depleted and empty-handed, having lost the trail in the
snowy wastes of Lotharia.‘


Dark Link passes into Calatia and begins a systematic genocide of all those related to the Hero of Time.
This continues until Link Second returns to Calatia and defeats his doppelganger. Unfortunately the
shadow's physical form is all that is slain. Disembodied but by no means powerless, Dark Link flees
northward once more and takes refuge in the Underworld.‘

 
New Kasuto is built two miles south-west of the ruins of the old town. Although a thriving community, it
retains little of its former majesty.‘

 
Link Second places the Master Sword in a shrine in the Lost Woods, so that Ganon's henchmen will not be
able to find it so easily. After this he returns to Calatia.‘

ô 
Lysander dies. Zelda II is crowned Queen.‘

 ô 
Queen Hera I orders construction of a guard tower that will watch Death Mountain for signs of monstrous
activity. The Tower of Hera takes eight years to complete.‘

•

After rumbling ominously for several years, Death Mountain erupts. Although the eruption is a small one,
the Tower of Hera is engulfed in poisonous fumes and an entire garrison is killed. Hera I orders the tower
to be abandoned; in any case, no monsters have been sighted in Hyrule for over a century. Gradually the
Hyrulians let down their guard.‘

 ô 
Link Third is born in Calatia. In the same year Princess Zelda III is born in Hyrule.‘

 
Hyrule falls into chaos, with plagues and natural disasters ravaging the land.‘

 
A mysterious wizard named Agahnim--really the ancient Sheikah sorceror, resurrected by Ganon's magic-
-offers his services to Harkinian III, claiming that he alone can stop the destruction. The grateful king
accepts. After insinuating himself into a position of power, Agahnim overthrows the king and embarks on
a program of systematic murder to remove descendants of the ancient Heroes.‘
‘



Link Third travels to Hyrule to put a stop to Agahnim's scheming. After a long
quest he recovers the Master Sword from the Lost Woods. With the Sword of
Evil's Bane, Link Third vanquishes Agahnim and then travels to the Dark
World to face Ganon's ghost. He prevents Ganon from rising, and recovers all
three parts of the Triforce. With the power of the united Triforce, Hyrule enters
a Golden Age. Link Third moves his family from Calatia back to Hyrule.‘

 
Link Third leaves Hyrule to sail across the Far Sea. He never returns.‘

 
Zelda III ascends the throne. Her first action is to begin a programme of civic reform, rebuilding the
Hyrulian capital once again. Hyrule City becomes known as the White City for its beauty and splendour.‘

˜ 
Zelda III splits the Triforce into three once more, and separates the pieces for safety. The Triforce of
Wisdom is kept in a tower of North Castle. The other two pieces are placed in towers at the edges of
Hyrule to protect the kingdom.‘

   ú
ú  ú  
  

Other countries become increasingly jealous of Hyrule's prosperity. Eventually Hyrule is attacked by the
allied southern kingdoms of Calatia and Sosaria, and the northern kingdom of Lotharia attempts to profit
from the disruption. The entire continent swiftly descends into bitter strife. When the dust clears nine
years later, a technically victorious Hyrule is in ruins. Calatia is utterly defeated and becomes a Hyrulian
province. Lotharia changes sides, and Sosaria finally surrenders, but is allowed to keep its independence.
The location of the Master Sword is forgotten in the chaos, and, most bitterly, the Triforces of Power and
Courage are also lost...‘

 
By now an elderly woman, Queen Zelda III sets in progress a scheme to reconstruct the shattered country.
New towns are built and named after ancient sages.‘

  Ê

Hyrule mourns for a month when Zelda III dies. Her death marks the end of the Middle Kingdom age.
Harkinian V is crowned.‘

˜  
In a climate of steadily increasing disturbances, Dark Link reappears. With the aid of a Sheikah sorceress
named Sepultura, he hunts down and kills the Hero's entire family so that Ganon will be able to rise
without opposition. Unfortunately for Ganon, a two-month old child is overlooked. Friends of the family
rush Link Fourth out of Hyrule and bring him up in an obscure Calatian village. He is not told of his true
identity.‘

˜   
Zelda Fourth is born in Hyrule. The Princess's mother dies in childbirth, and a woman named Impa is
employed as a wet-nurse.‘

˜

Monsters begin to spread outwards from Death Mountain. Recognising the signs and determined not to
be caught unawares, Harkinian VII expands the army and fortifies the larger towns.‘

˜ô 
An earthquake devastates Kakariko, which is already in trouble thanks to the large numbers of monsters
flooding out of Death Mountain. The area is abandoned to the monsters. Dark Link begins to build up a
power base in the Underworld, in preparation for his master's return.‘

ô˜   
 

A noonday eclipse plunges Hyrule into darkness for several minutes.‘

ô˜   î

The Triforce of Power reappears - in the hands of Ganon, who returns to Hyrule in the form of a two-
legged boar. From his domain in the Underworld, Ganon takes over the Death Mountain area, but does
not launch a frontal attack on Hyrule at this time. A period of very uneasy coexistence begins.‘

ô˜   
On her sixteenth birthday Zelda IV inherits the Triforce of Wisdom. Fearing that Ganon will steal it, she
breaks it into sixteen pieces and sends Impa to search across the continent for the Hero of the generation.
Ganon sends Dark Link to capture Zelda, and imprisons her in Death Mountain when she will not reveal
the location of the Triforce.‘
‘

ôô   S


Impa makes her way to Calatia and asks Link Fourth for aid. He travels to
Hyrule, recovers all the pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom and defeats Ganon
once again, discovering in the process that he is the bearer of the Triforce of
Courage. However, without the Sword of Evil's Bane he cannot defeat Ganon,
who escapes into the Underworld. The uneasy truce resumes.‘

ô•   î

Link Fourth leads a force of Hyrulian soldiers to Death Mountain, where they discover the source of the
monsters. Link Fourth breaks the Evil Jar.‘

ô•   î

Link Fourth has his final showdown with Ganon and recovers the Triforce of Power. With the united
Triforce Link and Zelda wish for Ganon to banished to the Dark World once again. After granting the wish
the Triforce returns to the Temple of Light within the Dark World.‘

ô   î

New monsters begin to be sighted around Death Mountain. At the same time, attempts are made on the
lives of Link and Zelda but the assassin proves elusive. It is eventually discovered that Dark Link is
responsible. Link and Zelda craft a magical mirror. After a long and elusive quest, they finally succeed in
imprisoning the evil shadow.‘

ô   
 

Harkinian VII dies, and Zelda IV is crowned Queen. Years of peace follow.‘

ô

Zelda IV marries a Lotharian duke.‘

ô ˜ 
Link Fourth returns to Calatia and settles down in the village of Haven. He weds a local woman.‘

ô 
Zelda IV's son Lore is born.‘

ô 
Link Fourth's first and only son is born. The child is named Arn.‘

•• 
Zelda IV dies. Lore I is crowned.‘

 
Lore I dies in a fall from his horse. His son Harkinian VIII is crowned.‘

  
 

Galdenor Dragmire is born in Gaelaidh.‘

   î

Link Fifth is born in Calatia. Three days later, Zelda Fifth is born in Hyrule.‘

  B 
Sofia Dragmire is born in Gaelaidh.‘

ô   



Link Fourth dies.‘

 
The sorceress Sepultura searches the Underworld and acquires a piece of cloth stained with Link Fourth's
blood. She uses the blood to resurrect Ganon's physical body within Hyrule. Once again he is the Gerudo
King, Ganondorf. As an unexpected side-effect, Sepultura falls in love with Ganondorf!‘


  î

The old pattern reasserts itself as monsters spread out of Death Mountain into the surrounding
countryside. Harkinian VIII at first refuses to believe in the old legends, but soon changes his mind.‘


  
 

It begins to be whispered in Hyrule that Ganon is back.‘


  B

Harkinian VIII writes a letter to the Hero and dispatches it in the direction of Calatia. It never reaches its
destination as the messenger is waylaid by monsters.‘

˜ 
Link Fifth hears of trouble in the north, and travels to Hyrule. He is just in time. Although Link Fifth does
not possess the Master Sword, Ganondorf does not possess the Triforce of Power, so the match is a little
more even. After chasing Ganondorf through half of Hyrule, Link Fifth defeats his nemesis on a peak of
Death Mountain, and Ganondorf's spirit returns once more to the Dark World, bodiless and defeated.
Link Fifth goes quietly back to Calatia.‘

ô 
Princess Zelda V writes a letter to Link Fifth...‘

‘
c
 is copyright © 1999-2004 Dark Link. ‘