The Shattered Empire and the Triforce Sealed
(As told by the elder in the inn)

In time, the Hylians would continue to grow until a vast Hylian Empire covered most of the known world. The farthest reaches of our land: Hebra, Akkala, Necluda, and even the ancient and mysterious lands of Faron were conquered and folded into the larger realm.

The art of crafting 'Hylian Steel' was rediscovered and many advancements in the ways of herbology and alchemy provided medicines which greatly lengthened and enhanced the lifespans of the people. But the empire had grown too large and had subjugated many of the 'wandering Hylians' too quickly. Rogue factions and splinter groups began to spread discontent throughout the frontiers.

The royal family were soon viewed as corrupt and oppressive by the people – living in their high palace, while their armies conquered and occupied so many distant lands. Furthermore, tales of the power of the Triforce resurfaced and it was believed that the Hylian royalty were using the artifact for their own aims.

The rebellions came, almost at once. The Hebrans, the Gerudo, the Akkalans, the Necludans, the Faronians, and the shadow tribe – all rose up in the same year and brought war to the central kingdom. Tales tell of entire armies being slaughtered – rivers turned red with blood for weeks at a time. Both the Zora and the Gorons withdrew to their realms; sheltering themselves from the carnage, as the Hylians savagely destroyed one another.

The people cried out to the goddess to protect them – to send the great hero once more and drive back these interlopers into the wild-lands that they came from. But he did not come. The gods passed their judgement and deemed the Hylians to be unclean.

The capitol city was laid under siege. Great war engines – built with diabolical cunning by the crown's enemies – hurled great boulders and flaming missiles over the walls and destroyed the most ancient and glorious Temple of Hylia. The king's advisors urged him to call upon the Triforce – which had remained hidden since the great hero had laid it aside – and annihilate their enemies.

His majesty was horrified by the violence that had gripped his land and very much wanted to use the Triforce to restore peace, but… he felt in his heart that to use the power of the gods for such a violent act – could cause him to become a new 'demon of his time'.

As the council argued and the war raged outside, a small band of assassins from the shadow tribe, managed to slip past the palace guards and attempted to take the king's daughter hostage – hoping to compel his majesty into surrendering the Triforce to them. By the grace of the goddess Hylia, the princess' personal knight was able to defeat the assassins and fled with her to safety.

The attack settled the debate for the king. With one, final thrust by his knights, the sovereign, his family, and the war council managed to retake the shattered remains of the Temple of Hylia. Bringing the Triforce from its hidden location, his majesty aimed to seal away its power from the world entirely – removing the deadly lust that had gripped the Hylian people. The plan had alarmed his advisors – no one knew what would happen to the mortal world, should the power of the gods be removed from it. But the kingdom was falling and the darkness was closing in.

Princess Zelda, having already come of age in this time, was revealed to possess incredible magical powers. Working with her father, the two reached out and opened a doorway into the goddess' sacred realm. His majesty placed the Triforce within this realm and prayed to the goddess that she might protect and preserve it for all time. Rauru – chieftain of the King's council, then brought forth the blade of evil's bane and presented it to the princess. Using her power, she bound the doorway of the sacred realm to the blade itself – commanding that only one whom the sword deemed worthy, could ever open the gate.

As the spell was completed and the doorway began to close, the old sage bade farewell to his King and his comrades - selflessly volunteering to enter the Sacred Realm and act as the final line of defense against any evil that might try to claim the Triforce. As the blinding light flashed out, and the beautiful music of the Sacred Realm faded away, the Triforce was finally removed from the world of the Hylians.

Most of the warring Hylians seemed to have a great shadow lifted from their hearts and the conflict faded almost at once. The Hebrans had taken so many casualties, their captains simply threw down their banners and withdrew back to their homelands. The Akkalans, Necludans, and Faronians all sued for peace and quickly swore oaths of friendship and non-aggression with his majesty. The Gerudo fled back to their desert and remained on the far side of the Gerudo Canyon – offering no promises of peace or friendship outwardly, but freely returning all of the Hylian lands they had taken.

The shadow tribe – or what few the knights were able to capture alive – were sentenced to death by the crown and passed out of this world entirely.

Many had feared that by separating the Triforce from Hyrule, all life would slowly wither and pass away; but as the years passed, the Hylians began to prosper again and to forget about the Golden Power. Most, having never seen it themselves, began to doubt that it had ever existed; believing it to be a myth created by the warlords.

The Princess, upon her ascension and coronation as Queen, commanded that the great temple be rebuilt and restored to its former glory. The chamber of the Sacred Sword, at the head of the temple, should also be sealed behind a great stone door.

Her majesty, having secretly traveled across the land to the three remaining temples of the Great Goddesses, fashioned three beautiful stones of emerald, ruby, and sapphire. Within these, she had contained the sacred flames of the Great Goddesses from each temple. As the masons worked, Zelda poured her power into the new door and connected it to these spiritual stones.

Only one who had obtained the three stones would be permitted to open the door and enter the chamber of the sword. Once their efforts were completed, the temple was renamed "The Temple of Time" and the great stone door "The Door of Time." She fervently prayed that the plans they laid and the barriers they built would keep the Triforce and the Sacred Realm safe forever.