The Inhabitants of the World
(As told by the elder in the inn)

It may be necessary, at this time, to describe each of the races that live upon our world and to attempt to explain where they came from and how they separated outward from the central kingdom.

Humanity:

Firstly, there are the humans whom the benevolent Goddess Hylia sheltered and sustained within the sky. From these, would come all other humans and the royal family of Hyrule.

After the destruction of the great demon, the humans of the sky returned to the earth and became fruitful and multiplied. A small community soon grew into a fair kingdom. By the blessing of her grace, these humans were touched by the goddess and granted extended lifespans and elongated ears – such as her grace's beautiful form bore. To honor her, the humans adopted the name 'Hylians' and named their kingdom "The Realm of the Goddess Hylia" – which later came to be shortened to "Hyrule."

From this group, wanderers would spread outward and explore the distant reaches of our continent.

The 'Gerudo' were one of the first to leave – travelling far into the southwest and settling in fertile lands beside the great Lanayru Desert. One must remember, in this time, the region of "Lanayru" did not refer to the mountains and springs between Akkala and Necluda. Rather, a vast, ancient sea of sand stretched for uncounted leagues into the west. None knew what lay beyond it, so the Gerudo-Hylians founded a small nation upon its border.

According to legends, the Gerudo were humans who had formed a bitter insubordination against her grace. They did not accept our Goddess' authority over their lives and arrogantly forsook her blessings and the protection of her realm. Once they had founded their own kingdom, the masters of the Gerudo began to experiment with dark magics and forbidden spells – attempting to empower themselves and overcome the goddess herself.

It is said, that for their treachery and demonic consortium, the Great Goddess Nayru herself – upon the plea of Hylia – removed her blessing from the lands that bore her name, and allowed the Gerudo's fertile home to wither and be consumed by the desert. A great wall of stone was raised between them and their Hylian cousins and the Gerudo were left to die.

Rather than repenting, and begging the goddesses to forgive them, the desert tribe became only more bitter and hateful against the gods. They deepened their studies of witchcraft and black magic, swearing to ever-oppose the children of Hylia – if they ever encountered them again.

For their part, the Gerudo told tales of "The Betrayed God" and professed to be the descendants of his faithful followers. Later, this legend would evolve into the story of The Sand Goddess – likely fabricated as a rival to her grace, and reflecting the hardness of the Gerudo heart – viewing themselves as betrayed and forsaken in the desert.

After them, came the Faronian Hylians. These humans did not reject her grace – but they did disagree with the royal family's acceptance of shiekah magic and technological advancement; especially in the ways of warfare and weaponry. Leaving the central kingdom behind, they wandered deep into the southern forests of Faron and adopted its name as their own.

While they are an advanced race in thought and culture, the Faronians live a wild and… some would say 'uncivilized' life – choosing to live amongst the trees and animals of the great rainforests. For their faith, the goddess continued to bless them with our pointed ears and bountiful lifespans. But the harsh sun of the southern lands darkened their skin and weakened them against the cold.

Little is known of the Hylians of Hebra. Only that they too left in these early times and traveled westward – first into Tabantha, then north into the Hebra mountains themselves. They were largely hunters and fur trappers – likely intending upon remaining subjects of the central kingdom, but providing trade and essential goods to its people, but in time, they grew distant and formed a small nation of their own. They became fair skinned and fair-haired – often nicknamed 'the ice-men of the mountain'.

The Akkalans attempted to settle within the Eldin Mountains – around the base of Death Mountain. But the harsh environment soon outweighed the riches of the mines, and the people moved further eastward – discovering an open land beside the Great Sea and founding a small kingdom of their own. Akkala is unique amongst the "lesser kingdoms" as it is itself almost a smaller reflection of Central Hyrule.

Broad lakes, lush forests, and iron-laden mountain foothills cover its landscape and the narrow pass between it and the central kingdom offer it a convenient level of autonomy in continental affairs. As such, the Akkalans quickly began to view themselves as the 'equals' of the Hylians and strove to compete with them in all things.

The Village of Kakariko was founded, at the head of the Akkalan Pass, by royal decree and inhabited by the Shiekah Tribe – the royal family's most trusted (and most fearsome) servants. Publicly, the village's purpose was to maintain the roads which led up the mountain to Goron City – a valued ally to Central Hyrule – and to Akkala itself. But many suspected that the Sheikah were placed there to keep an eye upon the Akkalans and to warn the royal family of any developing treachery.

The Necludans were the final group of Hylians to abandon the original kingdom and migrate away. They were not particularly warlike or violent, but they were made up of peasant farmers and 'lesser-barons' who had become unhappy with the conduct of the kingdom's aristocracy and the apathy of the crown toward their plight.

They traveled eastward, through the pass of the Dueling Peaks, over the Ashen Swamp, and settled into many, small farming villages in Necluda. Little more can be told of them, as Necluda has remained a peaceful, slow-changing land of agriculture. For their faith and their peaceful ways, the goddess continued to bless them and watch over them.

After only a few years, the Necludans discovered an ancient and forgotten temple – buried beneath a mountain beside the sea. Its stonework and delicate artifacts seemed to be made in honor of the Great Goddess Nayru, so the Necludans named the mountain 'Mount Lanayru' and all of the springs and rivers surrounding it 'the Lanayru springs' – for it is the great goddess who commands the rains and rivers alike to flow and give life to their fertile farmlands.

The Sheikah

The Sheikah are themselves Hylian. Their blood is our blood, their kin our kin. But in the most ancient times – long before the recording of men – the Goddess Hylia herself (still in her divine form) chose her most devout from amongst the people and granted them a small portion of her power.

Their lifespans were lengthened beyond that of normal Hylians and the ravages of age and sickness were greatly lessened. A Sheikah master can remain agile, strong, and deadly well into his ninetieth year, if he has remained faithful. Their hearing and eyesight were sharpened, their mental discipline tempered and honed, and their spirits were even granted the ability to channel and wield magic itself – though this is not a gift given to every Sheikah.

So they have been, and so they shall remain, the most devout servants of her grace and of the royal family which bears her honor.

The Gorons

The Gorons of the Eldin region were an ancient and powerful race. Born in the era before the War Between Light and Dark, the mountain folk ever sought to honor the Great Goddess Din and her servant Hylia. They remained unmatched in terms of physical strength and the ability to resist fearsome heat, but their close association to death mountain left them vulnerable to the cold and highly isolated.

They were brilliant smiths and jewelcrafters – only overtaken in steelwork by the artisan smiths in the central kingdom, who could craft Hylian Steel. Their powerful bodies and high resistance to heat allowed them to be the most perfect miners in all the land. An overwhelming majority of the metals and precious stones found on the continent, were mined by Goron hands.

It is a terrible loss that the Gorons are no longer with us… they were cherished friends of Hyrule and honorable people to live beside.

The Zora

The Zora of the Lanayru region are also a very ancient race. But where the Gorons were unmatched in physical strength and metalwork, the Zora are masters of nautical navigation, astronomy, and alchemy. Wisdom and grace were once their greatest attributes – given for their devout worship of the Great Goddess Nayru and her faithful servant Hylia.

For countless generations, the Zora were an honorable and trustworthy neighbor to the Hylians – aiding those who had become stranded upon their waterways and helping to guide the kingdom in its expansion.

Sadly, the two races became estranged many years ago and the Zora have turned hostile toward us. Some have even claimed that the water-folk have turned to dark magic and demon-worship – owing to the terrible disfigurement of their people – but these are only rumors.

The Faerie Folk

First created during the making of the world, the Faerie Folk – commonly shortened to just "Fairies" – are perhaps the oldest form of 'conscious life' known to man – save for the Goddesses themselves, of course. Though they were crafted by the hands of Farore, they were blessed by both Nayru and Din to have exceptional wisdom and magical power. Their true purpose within our world has never been revealed, but we know that they guide and watch over all life – where ever they may be.

Every bird, tree, rock, beetle, and human – all are watched over by the faerie folk and, in ancient times, could call upon them for protection during great tragedies.

Only a few remain in our world. The source of their power seems to have diminished and the mortal elements have withered them away. Those that can be found often hide in secluded locations and shy away from human contact.

The Others

Many other legends and myths exist of humans that wandered away from our goddess' care – turning wild or even demonic at the farthest reaches of the world. Most of these stories were crafted when the great empire began to press outward and conquer the simpler people that had lived outside of its boundaries, and are likely just that – stories. Tales told to frighten children at night, or to turn arrogant capitol-folk against the less sophisticated people of the world.