If there is one thing that the land of Hyrule is known for, it is legends. Legends of heroes, of monsters, of bravery and ingenuity. Hundreds of these legends exist, and have been compiled into fabled and revered tomes such as Hyrule Historia, among others.
But I can guarantee you, that you have never seen legends like these before in your life.
Why, you ask? Because they're not legends.
They're real.
The Hero of Time? Not a made-up story. The Twilight Princess? She really existed. The Wand of Gamelon?
...well, maybe some legends should be taken with a grain of salt, but I digress.
The other reason you've never seen legends like this before is that they contain answers to questions you've never even asked. It is so easy to think of these stories in terms of black and white, good and evil, whereas in reality? They are just as complex - nay, more complex than life itself.
Why did the King of Thieves really turn to evil? Where did the monsters that even today plague this sacred land come from? Who or what is Majora? And for the love of Hylia, who the hell is Tingle, and why is he in this story?
Even I don't have the answer to that last one.
But, you must be asking yourself, why haven't I heard these stories before if they answer these essential questions?
Because it's easier for most people to think of these legends as just legends, and to inspire themselves with tales of the hero defeating the villain, forgetting so easily that real life is not as simple as that. Not every hero lives, and not every villain is vanquished. Some heroes died before they began their journey, and some villains still live on to this very day...
Now if you are content with living a simple existence and regaling yourself with idealistic fairy tales, feel free to put this book down now, walk away, and never think about the questions that I've posed again.
...are you still there? Good! You're either exceptionally inquisitive, or exceptionally bored. In either case, you are probably very tired of hearing me prattle on and on about the nature of boring things like life, so I'll get on with it.
Our first story begins in an age that contains very few recorded legends, because it is the oldest age. The First Age, if you will. Before the Hero of Twilight, before the Hero of Time, before even the oft-forgotten (by modern Hyrule, at least) Hero of the Sky. This is the age before Hyrule even existed, when the Goddesses were still young (relatively speaking, of course).
This is the Age of Dragons...And I am about to tell the tale of the Draconic Wars.