The Great Hyrulean Civil War
(As told by the elder in the inn)

Centuries of relative peace followed the construction of the Temple of Time, but the people never forgot the horror and all-consuming fear that had come during the breaking of the great empire. In time, the crown sought to re-establish the old order – to better protect the kingdom's security. Small conflicts would rise and fall as the realm grew larger and re-established dominion over greater portions of the continent, but by-and-large, the sealing of the Triforce had stopped the great wars.

Through trade and military alliances, Hylian influence grew in Akkala, Necluda, and Faron. Eventually, all three would be gathered together under the Royal Family's banner once more - as provinces of "Greater Hyrule." Hebra and Tabantha too were easily taken – as their populations had been decimated in the war.

Though these regions were inhabited by fellow Hylian-humans, the people of "the little kingdoms" did not wish to give up their sovereignty, but remained powerless in the wake of the empire's collapse – so they were forced to simply accept it, for the time being.

The desert wasteland to the south-west, however, proved to be much more resistant to Hylian interests. It remained inhabited by a far-removed tribe of humans, who called themselves "The Gerudo." These Gerudo had lived outside of the Goddess' realm and under the blistering sun for so long, that their skin had darkened considerably and their once proud Hylian ears had become stunted and curved. Secluded in the harsh desert, these warriors had turned their backs upon the teachings of her grace and began to worship "The goddess of the sand." They adopted strange rituals and even experimented with sinister magics in a vain attempt to grow powerful without Hylia's blessing.

During the chaos of the great war, the Gerudo had been the first to seek out the power of the Triforce, hoping to use it to change their desert wasteland into a fertile paradise. After the relic was sealed in the sacred realm, they bitterly returned to their desert exile in defeat and struggled to survive without the Hylians' assistance. After the consolidation of "The Greater Kingdom", the Gerudo became fearful that the massive Hylian nation would soon come to claim them as well.

Indeed, the royal family and the council of wisemen viewed the Gerudo as a minor threat that needed to be addressed. Some even saw them as the kingdom's "lost children" who should be treated with tenderness and returned to "the family" for their own well-being. Others still held on to the bitterness of the Gerudo's involvement in the war which destroyed the Temple of Hylia and forced the sealing of the Triforce. They sought the Gerudo's subjugation or complete destruction.

When the King agreed to consider force as an option and began to prepare his army for a possible conflict, a male child was born to the Gerudo tribe. Males were exceptionally rare at that time, and Gerudo myths warned that male heirs would bring great change to the tribe if they were allowed to live.

The name of the boy's mother has been lost to time and many even believe that he was not born of a woman at all, but created through foul sorcery. What is known, however, is that the child was raised by the twin sorceresses Koume and Kotake. They proclaimed the child's name to be: Gannondorf Dragmire, and that upon his coming of age, he should become the chieftain of the tribe.

Many secretly opposed the child's ascension being a foregone conclusion as all warriors were required to prove themselves to the elders before being granted authority or power. But the magical powers of the sorceresses were fearsome, and none would dare to speak openly against them.

Gannondorf's entire youth was devoted to becoming the greatest warrior and the greatest sorcerer the desert tribe had ever known. Upon his coming of age and ascension to the rank of chieftain, he declared that the Gerudo would never be subservient to the Hylian Crown. Furthermore, they would take what they wished from the Hylians for daring to threaten their sovereignty.

So began the conflict that would spread throughout Greater Hyrule as "The Great Hyrulean Civil War." In the beginning, the invasion focused on the lands and mountain passes immediately adjacent to the desert. The Citadel of Aryn, a small fortress on Hyrule's western flank, build just outside of the great Gerudo Pass, was the first to fall. The house of Aryn had been a faithful servant of the Royal Family for countless generations, and eagerly volunteered to garrison the citadel to provide warning of a Gerudo incursion, when tensions had risen and conflict seemed likely.

Though the warriors of Aryn fought valiantly, the entire household was massacred and the fortress destroyed by Gannondorf. Only a few messengers on horseback managed to escape and warn the Kingdom of the coming danger. Next, the Gerudo pushed into the Manhala & Taobob plains, the Dalite Forest, and even sent raiding parties as far as Satori Mountain, before the Hylians were able to meet them.

For months, the two forces clashed violently with little-to-no success. Though the Gerudo were talented warriors and Gannondorf possessed powerful magic, the Hylians were equipped with superior armor and were better supplied for war.

Frustrated with the stalemate, the chieftain now revealed his true cunning. Through spies and emissaries, he was able to secure secret meetings with and seduced the provincial leaders of Necluda, Akkala, and Faron - promising independence from Hylian rule, Kingdoms of their own, and great power. Though many distrusted Gannondorf and suspected ulterior motives; his evil minions were able to tempt them into breaking with Hyrule and establishing their own realms.

While the Hylian people had treated the natives of Greater Hyrule with love and compassion, the Royal Family had refused to allow the regions' prominent leaders to join with the Royal Household and enter the line of succession for the throne. Vague allusions were made that the royal bloodline was somehow "holy" and could not be set aside or "diluted". Royal matches had to be carefully made and only true-born Hylians could become the consorts of the Prince or Princess. This had stoked suspicions that the Central Hylians secretly looked down upon their cousins and considered them to be "Lesser Hylians."

Mutinous temptations became true betrayal when the regional governors demanded that the King formally adopt their houses into the line of succession, or they would declare themselves free and independent kingdoms in their own rights. His majesty was furious at the ultimatum, and withdrew much of his forces from the front line to put down these rebellions and to bring the traitors to justice.

Several years of brutal war followed, with much of Greater Hyrule being decimated in the process. Hylian turned against Hylian as men who had once been comrades in arms, now turned their allegiance to their home provinces and slaughtered one another even while in garrison. Though he had succeeded in destabilizing the vast kingdom, the desert chieftain was never able to achieve the decisive victory on the battlefield that he sought. The reserves that the King had left at the Gerudo front shifted and maneuvered skillfully, blocking every attempt he made to break through.

After nearly a decade of bloodshed, Greater Hyrule was subdued and the throne's authority reestablished; allowing the full weight of a battle-hardened Hylian Army to be returned and brought down upon the Gerudo. Swiftly, the Hylian Knights and heavy infantry smashed into the Gerudo line and savagely hacked away at Gannondorf's forces. The scimitars and light arrows of the desert people could do little against the Hylian's heavy plate, and so the Gerudo were forced backward - toward the Gerudo Pass.

The final battle took place in the shadow of the ruined citadel of Aryn. Within hours, the landscape became a scene of absolute carnage, as fields of mangled and charred bodies were piled high and rivers of blood flowed over the western hills of Hyrule. The Gerudo desperately thrashed and broke themselves against their opponents' shield-wall, risking everything to now protect their own lands from invasion. Gannondorf himself led charge after charge, casting deadly bolts of black magic and killing scores of the mighty Hylian soldiers.

In the end, the desert tribe was defeated, and their chieftain taken captive and dragged before the King. The Military Captains and Civil Counselors demanded that the man be swiftly executed. Only his blood could atone for the countless lives that had been lost and the misery brought upon Greater Hyrule. Also, by displaying his severed head on a pike to the remaining Gerudo, the King might deter them from any future action against the kingdom.

His majesty saw the wisdom in these arguments, and very much desired to end his challenger's life. But he had become a cautious leader and forced himself to control his anger - delaying Gannondorf's execution. Bound and shackled with heavy chains, the defeated chieftain was forced to kneel before the King of Hyrule and bow his head. The king demanded that if he had any final words that could move the Hylians' hearts, then he should speak quickly or be executed at once.

Gannondorf, sharp and cunning, answered that Gerudo males were special creations of the Sand Goddess of the desert and that if any man were to kill one, he would surely bring a curse down upon his house, for all time. The Hylian army roared with laughter at this - as they did not believe in the Gerudo Sand Goddess. The King scowled darkly at him and asked if he were certain that he had chosen his final words wisely.

Seeing his options quickly fading, the great thief added that his birth had heralded a time of great change for the Gerudo and that he must have mistakenly believed that he was meant to overthrow the Hylians. Now, he saw the error of his ways, and knew that his purpose was to lead the Gerudo to a greater peace with the Hylians. Maybe to even return them to the teachings of Hylia one day.

Many today wonder if somehow Gannondorf was able to trick or bewitch our king at that moment, but none now live who could say for certain. Against the wishes of his commanders, the King of Hyrule agreed to allow his prisoner to live. He would briefly be held in Hyrule, but he would be returned to the Gerudo after swearing an oath of fealty and obedience to the crown and agreeing to provide tribute to the kingdom each year thereafter. Gannondorf was commanded to direct the Gerudo to abandon their warlike ways, and to begin adopting Hylian customs. Eager for any chance to regroup and plan his next attack, he quickly accepted.

Several months of guarded peace passed without incident. The Gerudo seemed to abandon their warlike stance against the Hylians and even reopened trade with them. The Hylians, eager to pacify their aggressive neighbors and move beyond the terrible bloodshed, welcomed the new markets and promoted open trade with the Gerudo. His majesty even granted special leave for a select few desert traders to move about the kingdom and keep small homes in Hyrule. Gannondorf quietly did what he could to satisfy the Hylians as he soon realized that the only way to obtain his goal, would be from within Hyrule itself.

He restrained his anger and concealed his powers within, keeping the Hylians comfortable and convinced their former enemy was subdued. He would spend a great deal of time within Hyrule itself, searching for signs of what he was looking for; and he needed the ability to move freely and uninterrupted. In the fourth year of peace, Gannondorf offered to return to the capitol and reaffirm his oaths to the King, as well as to personally deliver the tribute the Gerudo were preparing to send.

His majesty and the high council were surprised by the offer, but encouraged. "Perhaps Gannondorf truly means to bring his people back into the fold." they wondered. The King's daughter, Princess Zelda, urgently pleaded with him to deny the chieftain's request. She warned him of dark nightmares and evil omens she had experienced surrounding that man, and was certain that his presence in Hyrule would only bring ruin. The King dismissed her as a superstitious child however, and granted Gannondorf leave to approach the capital.