Prologue
The Gerudo Desert, otherwise known as Din's Garden, was calm that evening.
Like all deserts at night, a frigid breeze drifted across the sharp rises of the dunes, gradually cooling the blistering sand and toying with coarse grains of amber. The bruise-coloured sky was cloudless that night and allowed the full moon and the scattered stars to paint the sand silver, the closest thing the inhospitable waste would ever have to a Hyrulean Winter. To the west and south, the Gerudo Desert abruptly ended in bare stone mountains littered with jagged cliff edges, caves, and sparse patches of greenery. To the north, the monotonous yet dangerously beautiful scenery gently gave way to sandstone plateaus and mesas, the ground turning a deep russet as it slowly transitioned to hard earth mixed with stone and sand. Beyond that, a truly freezing cold wind gusted down from snow-capped mountains at night, the proud peaks trying their best to suffocate the one place where life flourished in Din's Garden.
There, nestled at the base of the Snowpeak Mountains, lay Arbiter's City.
A labyrinthine network of sandstone streets and gritty buildings built hundreds of years ago, the city held no organization in its design. Natural gas from the mountains was funnelled through underground pipes and fed into lanterns to chase away the dark and braziers to guard against the biting cold; in the black of night, Arbiter's City was a shining beacon of warmth on cold's doorstep. Thick walls encircled the sprawling city and armed guards patrolled the battlements, watchful green eyes scouring the land between them and the horizon, warm clothing concealing slender, feminine forms beneath. Some idly fingered triggers in holsters or thumbed hilts protruding from scabbards while others merely walked on.
At the heart of the city lay the Arbiter's Grounds, a crumbling coliseum that was ancient before the city was new; a true silhouette of time. Arbiter's City's most dangerous prisoners were housed there, making it the harshest and most secure prison in the world and the pride of the Gerudo Royalty. That, and the lavishly built Royal Palace. Sitting atop the highest point in the city with its back integrated into the mountain, the Palace was an imposing fortification that had not decayed with time, its thick, high walls, towering turrets, and nigh impenetrable inner keep looking newly built.
Armour clanked rhythmically within the keep, the seven-and-half-foot-tall beast of a man encased inside of it striding with purpose, poise, confidence, a long black cape trailing behind him. Greaves, bracers, and a breastplate fitted to his heavily muscled body of burnished black plate trimmed in gold drank the light surrounding them, gleaming darkly. A great sword nearly the same size as him hung in an intricately detailed scabbard on his hip, a massive gloved hand resting upon the ethereal, glowing hilt; a family heirloom said to be used in the botched execution of one of his ancestors. Moving with royal grace and surprisingly light feet through the complex series of hallways decorated with plush red carpets, hand-woven tapestries, and high windows, the man still radiated a powerful aura that promised pain if crossed.
The lightly armoured giant suddenly slowed his swift gait, coming to a stop in front of a set of large doors. The harsher language of the Gerudo and snippets of Hylian could be heard through the doors, at least twelve different voices.
All here then. Good.
The man then pressed a palm to each door and simultaneously threw them open with ease, the discussion within the room dying off instantly. He scanned the room quickly and entered, the twelve individuals seated around the massive table in the centre rising to stand at attention with a fist over their hearts and their heads bowed in reverence. The floor-to-ceiling window at the head of the table splashed moonlight into the room and several lanterns were lit around the perimeter, the lighting creating a sombre atmosphere. Though the dim lighting cast thin shadows over each person's face he could name them all, and could spot the small form of the Wind Mage, Vaati, the elegant figure of the Dark Magic Sorceress, Veran, and the hulking mess of intricate interlocking plate armour that was the Dark Dragon, General Onox. Various other Gerudo generals and nobles – all women – were gathered around the table as well, financiers and commanders alike.
The towering leader swept past the assembled councillors and stood at the head of table to face the window and survey his city, the moon silhouetting his figure impressively, perfectly. "Sit." His voice was rolling thunder.
The twelve – excluding General Onox who stood opposite to the other giant – did as they were bid, the Gerudo eager yet afraid to learn why their King had called them here; eager to find out that they were not going to be punished and afraid to find out that they would be.
The King stared out at his city, watching as it stretched out into the distance for kilometres in nearly all directions, the imposing Arbiter's Grounds nearly matching the height of the Royal Palace. Advanced technology and ancient architecture lived in harmony in his city, protecting his people and enforcing his laws while peace reigned and everyone was given an equal chance. Beggars were given a chance to work and if they were found again asking for money they were executed on the spot. No dead weight.
So unlike Hyrule, that pitiful excuse for a country. Disease and crime, drug, arms, and slave trafficking all run rampant and their rulers leave their people to it. Using technology without a thought for advancements, wallowing in ignorance, lacking in vision. How disgustingly uncivilized. And what is their excuse? Freedom?
Please.
Deciding he had kept his councillors in suspense long enough, the King finally spoke. "Who am I?" he asked smoothly.
The small Hylian voice of Vaati answered without hesitation, "King Ganondorf Dragmire, Supreme Ruler of the Gerudo Desert, and the Arbiter's City."
"Good. Now, where are we?"
Not wanting to let the foreigners impress the King more than her, a Gerudo general spoke up. "Arbiter's City, Your Majesty."
"Beyond that, General Aveil."
"The Gerudo Desert."
"And how have we survived for the past millennium?"
Aveil sat up straighter in her chair with her chin held high. "The wisdom and leadership of our Kings and the unfailing loyalty of their subjects, Your Majesty."
Ganondorf chuckled softly. Their fanaticism is perfect. I will command them to jump and they will not even care to ask how high.
"Now... who lives to the west?" Grab them by the neck.
Another general chimed in, "The faithless machine-worshippers, Your Majesty. Hylians." Her last word was laced with venom.
Ganondorf turned around slowly, his deep green eyes flashing hungrily. He fixed those gathered around the table with a glare that made even General Onox flinch. And squeeze.
"And how many years have we lived in this choking waste of a desert, being denied access to their lands for fear of them becoming… unclean? Too long!" Ganondorf's voice nearly shook the room. "Hyrule mocks us, being so close we can almost touch their precious green fields, their shimmering lakes, and when we reach out to them we are kicked around and spat on and sent back to our dust! I intend to march on Hyrule and their commonwealth, destroy their army, cast down their rulers, and rebuild in our image!"
Ganondorf ripped his blade free from the scabbard and raised it high above his head, sending a jolt of fear into the hearts of those gathered in the room. "I will use this foul blade to blot out Hyrule's light forever and I will not sheathe it until the Gerudo sit upon the ashes of the new world! The new order!
"Start preparing every asset we have, I want sky ships, infantry, and Loftwing cavalry assembled and mobilized within the fortnight!"
Ganondorf brought his blade down in a streak of white light and split the table down the middle, scattering his councillors as they ran in fear for their lives. He laughed with genuine amusement at their cockroach-like behaviour, watching their retreat with dark eyes.
"We're going to war!"