Zelda: Restoration

Preface: How the Gods came to be and came to depart.

From Hyrule's Cosmogony and Early History, a work by Dr. Potho of the Foliean academy.

In the early days of the new land, the three goddesses dwelt within New Hyrule and amongst its people. All were in awe of Din's power, Nayru's Wisdom and the Courage of Farore. Yet despite the great joy that defined their relationship with the settlers of the land, the Goddesses felt unfulfilled. Like those who worshipped them, they too sought solace in the bonds of intimacy. The first to find love was Farore, who true to her nature eloped with the Hylian Saerus, whose courage was unmatched throughout the land. Nayru was to follow shortly after, discovering in the deepest forests a man by the name of Mont, who sought little more than the pursuit of further knowledge.

Yet mighty Din was unable to find one to which she truly wished to devote herself, and her sisters refused to marry until their beloved sister had also found true love. She searched far and wide, from mountainous peak to deepest valley, and yet no man was able to truly capture her heart. Whilst scouring the caves near the sea, Din finally grew weary of searching and declared herself bereft of the wish to find one to marry. However, even a Goddess is often at mercy to the twists of fate. No sooner had mighty Din proclaimed her search forlorn when she came upon a human, an unconscious sailor whose limp body lay washed up, perched perilously between the various rocks that formed the cave.

As Din moved to help the man, she noticed not only that he was not of this land, but also that he was the most beautiful man she had ever laid her eyes upon. As she nursed him back to health, the two grew to understand and love one another, man and deity united by love. The man was named Geru, and his power was unmatched by any, either within his homeland or the land of New Hyrule, which he adopted as his own when he and his Goddess were matched.

When all the Goddesses married, they were congratulated not only by their own people, but by the various other deities and races found throughout New Hyrule. The ceremony itself was conducted by the Great Deku Tree, whose sprout had been transported to the land in the years following the voyage of the Hero of Winds and the Great Queen Tetra which culminated in the discovery and foundation of the land of New Hyrule. As the Tree bequeathed his grace upon the happy couples, he was assisted by his faithful Koroks, who still honoured their great protector, and also the little Deku scrubs, the lonely, godless beings whom were adopted by the ever benevolent guardian upon his arrival in the New Land.

Young Gor was there also, the Goron God whose strength was matched only by his passion for music. He played his harp and his people their drums to commemorate the sacred day, conveying their regards and strengthening the bonds that existed between themselves and the Hylians. In the water of the sacred grove was Jabun, the Great Fish, who also wished to commemorate the great day. A few Rito attended with the Dragon King Valoo, who wished to project his bountiful wishes upon the newlyweds, despite he and his people having remained upon the Great Sea at Dragon Roost Island.

The final deity present was Il-S-Pa, God of the Sheikah, who stood as guard of honour on the orders of the King. They numbered few, but the Sheikah's presence added but more gravitas to the already sacred occasion. After the Deku Tree had concluded his ceremony and all were rejoicing, Il-S-Pa sought out the Goddesses and their grooms, and with the King alongside him, swore everlasting allegiance and solidarity to the Hylian people, the Hyrulian Royal Family, and the wondrous deities of the great new land.

Shortly after their bonds were cemented, each couple was honoured with the gift of impending parenthood. Each goddess was to give birth almost simultaneously, and the land celebrated the arrival of these infant deities. Farore bore a daughter, who came to be known as Maximiliana. To Nayru, the fates decreed it that she should be given the responsibility of bearing twins, a pair of boys named Brearer and Folder, who instantly became devoted to both one another and their parents, who shared in this instant and depthless love. Finally, Din was the proud mother of a young boy, who was named Talor by his father Geru, in honour of a great hero from his homeland.

Over the next few years, the Goddesses were blessed several more time by the child spirits. Farore and Saerus were to have two more children. Both were male, and they were named Gregal and Dorilineus respectively. Din and Geru had another child shortly after, and this one was named by the infant's mother, who placed upon him the name of Narm. The final child of the Great Goddesses belonged to Nayru and Mont, a young boy by the name of Keat, who tragically and through no fault of his own it must be said, was unable to create the instantaneous and unbreakable bond which had formed between his parents and twin siblings upon their birth.

The couples and their children lived together in harmony throughout their infancies as parent and children alike. It soon became clear to Farore that her children would prove to be very much independent. All three of them sought out new lands and new ideas, and as they matured, each one left New Hyrule so that they could explore the great world which lay beyond their home shores. Of Farore's three children, only Dorilineus would ever return to New Hyrule permanently. Maximiliana ventured South West, and finally discovered the lands of the Cobble people. Whilst she dwelt there, appreciating the luxuries that this new continent had to offer, she fell in love with Bremer, the Cobble god of Masonry, and as such chose to remain in the land permanently, her wishes having been blessed by both her parents and her surrounding family.

A similar scenario was also to befall Gregal. Although he did return to New Hyrule after roving the Northern Lands, Gregal sought out an even greater destination, the sky. As such, Gregal and a select group of followers departed New Hyrule and set sail for the Fractured Isles, whereupon they found the portal which connects the Earth and the Sky, and passed between the two realms so that they could master the ways of the land above. They became known as the Wind Tribe.

Yet faithful and courageous Dorilineus would not abandon the land of his youth. After having explored the Kingdoms of the Southern Seas and traversed the entire mass of the South Eastern Archipelago, Dorilineus returned to Hyrule, bringing back with him many exotic items and products, a set of actions which helped found the great trading links that exist to this day between New Hyrule and the assorted lands that he explored. Upon his return, Dorilineus founded the great city of Tares, at the foot of the southern coast. To the many seafarers throughout the land he became their patron deity, and he lived amongst the people within the port city. He was a constant source of happiness to his parents, who now relied upon only sporadic interaction with Dorilineus' other siblings, because of the distance between them.

The twin children of Nayru were also to remain in New Hyrule. Moving to the South West of the country, Brearer and Folder inherited the wisdom of their parents, and used it to learn the ways of the land and the sea. Brearer produced crops of unrivalled growth and quality, whereas Folder researched the ways of the tides, the seasons and the creatures which dwelt in the sea. He learnt the ways of the Fisherman, and both of the twins worked in harmony to provide both themselves and their people with bountiful stocks of food. The followers of the two were as inseparable as the twins themselves, and built two cities which connected to one another via passages which lay both above and below the ground. These cities were named Brea and Folie, and each one assisted the other whenever it was necessary.

The God Keat was affectionate towards his brothers, as they were to him, but understood that he could never fully obtain a bond as deep as those which existed between the other members of his family. Yet this did not trouble him overtly. Keat was blessed with the gifts of both beauty and charm, and used these to the extent that any young man would do. The adolescent God was also, as one would expect from the son of Nayru and Mont, particularly intelligent and skilled, especially in the art of subterfuge. Keat was able to enter and exit any region, town or building without a trace, a skill quite fitting for a man without a place to call home. Whilst this remained good natured, and the God considered his deceit little more than a large-scale source of folly, his parents were somewhat concerned at the ambiguous nature that such a gift entailed.

Din and Geru felt blessed by their two sons. Although they did not have a female child, such as Farore, or a pair of twins like Nayru, the two of them were unconcerned, as both Talor and Narm were a gift which neither of them had ever expected when at their lowest ebb. Both sons were loved, and the boys loved each other, even if the elder Talor did hold the superior physical prowess in the early years. Over time each sibling began to develop the great power which lay within them. Talor was the master of the shield, whereas his brother was unmatched in the ways of the sword. Neither could defeat the other when they sparred, and each one respected the others power.

Unfortunately this peace was not to last. As time passed, Narm grew restless. He wished to use his great power to conquer other lands, and find worshippers anew for himself and his brother. Talor however did staunchly reject such a policy, and left the great city of Hyrulis in protest, where until this time the pair had lived together. His destination was the North West of the continent, where he established the great warrior academies of Sal-Ordon and Mal-Talor. He was joined in his pilgrimage by both the royal family and the Sheikah, who feared the ever-antagonistic Narm. This exodus quelled the unrest between the two for a period, and an uneasy peace reigned once more.

Narm continued to believe that he was right and that his people should become both known and feared throughout the world. He began to bond with his youngest relative Keat, and the two spent much of their time together. Meanwhile Talor became inseparable from Impassh, the daughter of Il-S-Pa. Over time Impassh persuaded Talor to seek a truce with his brother, and so the Great Defender sent his friend to visit Narm in the hope that they could agree to a meeting between one another.

When Impassh arrived in Hyrulis, she found the Master Swordsman in a terrible rage, a madness which was beginning to invade the inner depths of his mind. The Sheikah's speech did not change Narm's mood. He berated his brother for refusing to come himself, and laid upon him every insult he was able to proclaim. When Impassh began to chastise him for this, he turned his rage upon her, and struck the maiden with his sword, the almighty Kal-Narm. She was killed instantly, yet the significance did not register upon the God of Power until his rage began to clear. Upon having to confront what he had done, Narm panicked, knowing that he had strayed into depths of sin from which he could now never be absolved. He immediately began to gather up his followers so that he could escape east, to the land of Xexionia. He demanded his cousin Keat join him, but the God of Deceit had fled the court of Hyrulis almost as soon as he witnessed the terrible act just described. He toyed with his conscience for many an hour, before deciding to tell his cousin Talor of what had occurred.

When Keat reached Mal-Talor and recounted this set of events, he found himself set upon by the son of Din, who struck him, scarring his beautiful face, and poured scorn upon his actions, for his delayed arrival had provided Narm with the time to form a plan of action (Talor was unaware of Narm's flight at this point). Keat felt betrayed by this, as he had not laid a finger upon dear Impassh, and so fled to reside in the great forest that surrounded Hyrulis and its surrounding area. Talor meanwhile struggled with his vow never to wage war upon another except in defence. His hatred for his brother festered every day, and it was only the council of Il-S-Pa and the King which contained his rage. However, his passion for revenge did not renege.

He did not have to wait for long. When Narm arrived in Xexionia, he found the people very receptive towards him, as they had been outcasts of the Gods throughout the world for many generations. They worshipped Narm, and declared him their king. Narm's shame at his actions began to erode, and in his mind he began once more to turn his scorn upon his brother, who had caused him to flee his home in fear. So it was to be that the God who had wished for nothing more than to conquer foreign lands formulated plans for the invasion of his own.

Luckily the Sheikah spy network reached as far as Xexionia, and the information was relayed to the Hyrulians in good time. Talor himself was delighted, as it gave him a pretext for revenge, and while the other deities were not pleased at the prospect of war, they acknowledged its inevitability. As such, all the gods and all the people prepared themselves for hostilities, from the fishermen of Brea to the Zoras and Gorons of the mountains and lakes. Even Gregal was summoned to return to the Earth, which he did with three hundred of his best archers.

Keat refused to offer his help though, as he would not forgive his brother for the humiliation he had suffered at his hand. He remained within his forest, a God without a people. The Great Deku Tree also refused to give help, as he feared for the safety of his Koroks and Dekus. He provided a seed, which he said would prove helpful in the event of the war's successful aftermath, if it was indeed so, before sealing himself and his creatures within an alternate space. It is said that he provided a certain individual the instructions as to how he could be retrieved, yet it is unknown whether this is true. The Deku Tree has remained separated from us to this day.

Narm invaded via the River Vren, on the East Coast of New Hyrule. His army was great both in numbers and strength and his own power almost unmatched, yet he let his now everlasting rage cloud his tactics. Despite the vast land that he wished to conquer, Narm marched straight towards the lands of the North West and his brother Talor. By doing so, he left the rear of his army exposed, and marched at a pace which tired his army greatly. This meant that when Narm and the Hyrulian Alliance did finally meet in battle, the Xexionians were surrounded and forced to fight three separate armies at once.

The Battle of Paisley's Plain was fought in the autumn of c.3481. The Hyrulian force was split into three. Following up the Xexionian rear were the Gorons, Zoras and pikemen of Dorilineus. Attacking from the opposing army's left were the forces of Folder and Brearer . These men, untrained in the arts of war, were poorly equipped to fight, but wished to defend their land none the less. They were assisted by a tiny number of Cobble people, who had come to their allies' aid at short notice. The main and final body of the Hyrulian force was that which met Narm and the Xexionians head on. It was made up of the great soldiers of Talor, ably assisted by the Sheikah and Wind Tribe troops.

The events of the battle are various, and I do not wish to explain them in detail here (see my other books for these references), yet the general details are, to this day, still known to almost all. For hours the battle raged, the Xexionians fighting hard but in vain as they attempted to fulfil the need for conquest that so engulfed their lord Narm. In desperation the God himself flung himself to the front of the battle, carving through the warriors of Talor before his brother stepped before him to offer single combat. Just as in their youth, the pair were almost perfectly matched. Yet it was Talor who kept hold of his rage more successfully, and who was able to strike the decisive blow. He did so with a weapon made by the hand of Il-S-Pa, the only man capable of creating a weapon which could truly wound Narm.

The Master Swordsman was struck down, and his body was turned to stone. Talor's sword broke upon impact, the only trace of it to remain stuck within his brother's body. The battle was won and the land was at peace again. Yet it was not a victory without cost. Shamefully, many of the remaining Xexionians were slaughtered, and those that escaped fled back home, defeated and in despair at the fate of their great leader. The Hyrulians had also lost many men. However, the true cost of the battle was felt by the Gods. They realised that the land they had grown to love so much could be destroyed in its entirety if they were to ever feud again, and so decreed that they must depart from it.

Before they did so, the Gods addressed the issue of their problem child, Narm. Although petrified by the blade forged by Il-S-Pa, he was not truly dead. As such, the Gods decided to seal him within a great tomb, which they constructed on the unnamed Island which lies between New Hyrule and Xexionia (now named Narm's Island). Around the tomb they planted the seed given to them by the Great Deku Tree, which sprouted instantly, and enveloped the tomb with all sorts of barely penetrable foliage.

Following this, the God's preparations were almost complete. Before departing permanently however, they declared that should the tomb ever need to be opened, there would be a way for one to do so. To the one they loved most, each God gave a special item which was symbolic of their contribution to the land. Talor gave his shield, Dorilineus his compass, Brearer his hoe, Folder his rod, Gregal his bow, Gor his harp, Jabun his lantern and Il-S-Pa his hammer. Each of the three Mother Goddesses also shed a single tear made of a precious stone. If these items were all placed in front of Narm's tomb, the door would once more swing open and reveal its inner depths to the outside world.

With that the Gods departed amongst much mourning, all except for Keat, who remained within his forest, an outcast. After their departure, the Great King Daltus moved his court and the Sheikah back to Hyrulis, and began to establish it as one of the grandest cities in the known world. He also declared the worship of Narm was forbidden throughout the land.

Such is the way that our land came to be the way it is. Much strife was involved, but we are a people who are now, for the most part, at peace, and long may it be so.