The Legend

 

The creation myth of Hyrule has been passed down

through the ages by the wise sages of the land. It tells

of the time before time, or at least before beings

existed that could reckon time, or care about its

passage. The land of Hyrule was born when the three

creator goddesses, Din, Nayru and Farore, descended

from the heavens and brought order to a swirling mass

of cosmic dust. They populated their new creation with

five different humanoid races. They spawned the

fish-like Zora in the watery regions of the world. In the

rocky mountains, the rock-eating Gorons flourished. In

the depths of the forest, the elfin Kokiri sprung up,

along with their guardian, the Deku Tree, who sheltered

them from outside forces. The swarthy Gerudo inhabited

Hyrule's deserts, and in the verdant plains, the noble

Hylians held sway.

Before leaving their new world, the three goddesses imparted

on the newborn races sacred codes of law and order. When

they departed Hyrule for the heavens, they left behind a

symbol of their power, the legendary Triforce.

Representing the three aspects of the goddesses, Power,

Courage and Wisdom, the Triforce became the basis for

Hyrule's providence, and it was revered by all the

different races of the land. Affected by the Triforce's

magic, the land near its resting place became

prosperous and beautiful. This legendary, otherworldly

realm was known by many names, including the Sacred

Realm and later, the Golden Land.

Although most of the inhabitants of Hyrule respected the

Triforce, there were those audacious enough to plot to

steal the relic and use its power for their own selfish

ends. To protect the Triforce from falling into the wrong

hands, a great Sage named Rauru planned and built the

Temple of Light to guard the entrance to the Sacred

Realm. Within the temple, the entry way to the Sacred

Realm was barred by a complex magical seal that could

only be opened by one worthy of audience with the

Triforce; one who had all aspects of the Triforce in

perfect balance.

As time passed, the Triforce became a legend, and the

different people of Hyrule forgot the laws and wisdom

that the goddesses had left behind. Warfare and strife

became common in Hyrule, as the armies of the Zora

marched on the Hylians. The Gorons fought the Gerudo.

It seemed every race of Hyrule was at the other's

throat. Only the secluded Kokiri, sheltered by their

magical forest and the Great Deku Tree, were spared

the destruction of Hyrule's civil wars.

After 50 years of ceaseless combat, there arose a

Hylian King of great wisdom, courage and power.

Through his brilliant military campaigns and wise

diplomacy, he was able to bring the varied people of

Hyrule into a tenuous harmony. Treaties of peace were

signed, and prosperity once again seemed to bloom in

Hyrule. But no sooner had people declared peace in

Hyrule than trouble once again stalked the land.

In the trackless desert of

Hyrule, the King of the Gerudo

Thieves, Ganondorf, had come

across the old legends of the

Triforce during his magical

research. The tales told of the

great power that would come to

the one who possessed the

sacred relic:

In a Realm beyond sight,

The sky shines gold not blue,

There, the Triforce's might

Makes mortal dreams come true.

Another little known legend was

especially intriguing to the

scheming Gerudo. It provided the details on how to gain

entry to the Sacred Realm. According to the story, there

were three Spiritual Stones that were part of the puzzle

that unlocked the Sacred Realm. He read with great

interest that the Spiritual Stones were held by the

Kokiri, the Gorons and the Zora. But although these

were essential for opening the gate to the Sacred

Realm, one item above all was necessary, and that was

the legendary Ocarina of Time. According to this legend,

that magical instrument was passed down by the Royal

Family of Hyrule. Armed with this treasure map,

Ganondorf set his plans into motion.

With his evil minions, he rode forth

from the desert, intent on using his

own mystical powers and force of

arms to steal the Spiritual Stones from

their owners. He believed it would be

easy to bully the Gorons and Zora into

handing over the stones, weakened as

they were by Hyrule's civil wars. He

thought he could easily destroy the

Kokiri's guardian tree and claim their

stone.

With the stones finally in hand, he

would then use trickery to obtain the

final key to the Sacred Realm. His

coming audience with the King of

Hyrule would be the perfect

opportunity to infiltrate the mighty

Hyrule Castle. Once inside, he would

find out which member of the Royal Family had the

ocarina. He vowed that he would do anything to get the

ocarina, slay its holder if necessary, even if the holder

was the King of Hyrule's young daughter, the princess

Zelda...