The Founding of New Hyrule

The kingdom of new Hyrule did not come into existence in a single night from nothing. Centuries, upon centuries, passed after the fall of Old Hyrule during the God War, while its phantom hung over the inheritors of its legacy, before even the whisper of a new kingdom formed in its name would pass anyone's lips. The founding of this kingdom was not what so many of its future denizens would be told; it was not a destined inevitability, the natural progression of the inherent state of the world. It was not something that simply occured, it was something that was done, a willful act. And it was not the Gods' will, but the will of one individual, imposed on the minds and lives of masses.

It happened during the Age of Chaos, but the seeds were planted in the ages before. The end of the Age of Sky was marked by the defeat of Demise at the hands of Link of Sky, the First Hero. It also marked the beginning of the following era, which is called the Age of Balance.

The Hylians' return to the surface from Skyloft during the Age of Balance did not happen immediately or all at once. After all, Skyloft was their home, and had been for generations uncounted. But some Hylians did quickly plant new roots on the surface-- Link, Zelda, and Groose, of Sky. They had seen glimpses of the surface during their adventure and wanted to see more, learn more. After their studies at Skyloft’s knight academy were complete, they moved down to the surface permanently and began exploring. They quickly made contact with many new people they were not familiar with. There were, particularly, other humans, including the enduring Gerudo people whom had not fled to the skies during the God War like the decimated Hylian clans had needed to, as well as the innovative Twili. New friendships were made, allyships forged, and soon more and more Skyloftians started to follow after the trio, establishing new Hylian settlements on the surface, filling in the gaps were their distant ancestors had once been. Many stayed close to the lush green swathes of land near where their sacred Great Monument of Hylia had landed, but some scattered further. Old clans found their rightful places, and new clans were formed.

Link, Zelda, and Groose, as a union of three, started what would one day be one of the oldest families of what would eventually be Hyrule. They new nothing of what the future held for their descendants. In the centuries since, politically motivated historical writings have suggested that the founding of New Hyrule was the will of the Three of Sky, but that was not the case, and there wasn't even a suggestion of the creation of another kingdom in their lifetimes. It would not be until over a hundred years after their time walking the earth was over that there would be.

The chief of Clan Hyrule then was Zelda Pia, the woman who would be known as the first High Queen of Hyrule, the Queen of the Sun. As was decreed by Demise upon his defeat at the hands of the first hero, the curse of his hatred returned to give him new form. A new hero arose to oppose him, the Hero of Men, and the hero’s side was Zelda Pia. As the descendant of Zelda of Sky, she was the next vessel for the blood of Hylia, and weild the goddess’ sacred sealing power in this new fight against Demise. At their backs supporting them were the newly awakened sages, of Earth, Wind, Shadow, Light, Time, Fire, Forest, Water, and Spirit.

It was a time of upheaval, and fear filled the air like smoke arising from the fires of doom. It was the beginning of the Age of Chaos. Demon soldiers from Demise’s old army were summoned to raze villages to the ground, and the ancient temple of Hylia was lost, sinking into the earth during a massive earthquake triggered by Demise’s return. A targeted attack on the holy site that was also the battleground on which Demise first tasted defeat. The surrounding city was destroyed, the nearby villages devastated. So many people lost their lives and so many more were simply lost, that the toll could not even be properly counted. The scale of the tragedy set the stage for the coming battles. The mortals this time would not be cowed by the destructive God’s forces and they would not accept slaughter.

It was Zelda Pia that inspired the people to stand and fight, rallied behind her, the Hero of Men, and the sages. And when the fight was over and the forces of evil beaten once more, it was also her who gave them hope for the future. Zelda Pia led the construction of the new city of Hyrule, and the new Temple of Time which would house the Master Sword. Unbeknownst to the Hero of Men and the sages of Earth and Wind, it would also be the sword’s prison, as Zelda Pia’s ambition had begun to twist her heart, and plans were forming in her mind.

However, this still was not the birth of Hyrule as a kingdom. This was merely the transitive period between old and new powers. The discord would only mount from there… and so would the bloodshed. The Age of Chaos was as short as it was brutal, and only some of that brutality was the doing of demons and gods.

The return of Demise and the Hero and the vessel of Hylia brought another thing back into the general conscious of the Hylians; the existence of the Triforce. It was not something that had been known to most common people since before the God War, but as word of the Hero and Vessel’s triumph spread, so did word of the Triforce. In such a dark new age, the idea of limitless power was unfathomably alluring to the downtrodden, weakened clans. It was also incredibly alluring to Zelda Pia.

Soon, all the mortals of the Golden Continent were in a mad scramble to find the Triforce, and Zelda Pia was at the very forefront of the struggle, supported most by her pawn Rauru, the Sage of Light. They claimed their intentions were noble, but some around them became doubtful and realized with great sorrow they could no longer trust them. No other felt this betrayal more deeply than the Hero of Men.

The Hylian clans were all at war with one another, and Zelda Pia decided the clans must be united in order for any of them to be victorious in claiming the Triforce. By blade and by voice, one by one she made the other clans her allies, and then, she made them her own. She declared herself High Queen Zelda Pia Hyrule, naming her new royal domain after her clan and herself; the kingdom of Hyrule, and invoked the blood of the goddess Hylia and the power she possessed as proof she was worthy of the power she claimed. She believed there was no greater unifying symbol than a crown.

And so the new kingdom of Hyrule was born. It was born just as a human child was; howling and covered in blood, at the will of another.

There was no force in the land, in the world, in the realm, greater than Zelda Pia’s ambition. She would not just be queen of the Hylians. She would be queen of all the golden lands blessed by the three golden goddesses. She would be queen of the Triforce. She would be queen of the Sun. She would be the queen of all.

“Remember the faces of those you’ve killed. Because they will remember your face.”

A proverb that she should have kept in mind.