The following are excerpts from a
legendary enchanted manuscript called the Book of Mudora,
a volume written by one of the Sages of Hyrule. Accompanying the writings is a
treatise on the Hylian language, suggesting that the
author had intended the knowledge contained herein to be preserved past even
the degradation of the society. The following passages which were written using
the hieroglyphs of the original Ancient Hylian are
impossible to translate using the included language primer, the only exception
being the vision of the Golden
Land (the translation of
which has been maintained in oral tradition.)
Written 1335 HR (Hyrulean
Reckoning)
Concerning the Goddesses and the
Creation of Hyrule
According to the reckoning of our time, before the Days of the Ancients, before
the waters flowed and the mountains shook, from beyond the distant nebulae that
reach across the heavens, the three Goddesses of Gold came to form our world,
and gave it order, and life.
Din, with her furious might, took up the land that was and made the mountains
and valleys, and tilled the earth. Great peaks ridged the surface of the planet,
and then she awoke the forces of the world from their slumber and the mountains
began to belch fire, and smoke. Din was the source of our world’s power.
Nayru, with her calculating mind, took of the chaos
that was and formed patterns and order. The great waters were subdued and
flowed according to their given course, and the mysteries of magic and science
ceased to flee, and she bound them, that they might be discovered. Nayru was the source of our world’s wisdom.
Faroe, with her verdant embrace, took of the spirits that were and gave them
life. Plants and animals of every kind appeared, and they all upheld the order
that was established, and went forth to take up the powers that had been
awakened. And in those days there was no fear, but all forms of life protected
their own kind from that which would threaten to destroy. Faroe was the source
of our world’s courage.
Concerning the Races of Hyrule and the Triforce
And when the Goddesses had finished our world, they made the races to live
there—the noble Hylians, with their fair skin and
pointed ears, wisest of all the races; the honorable Sheikah, with hair as white as snow, loyal and brave; the
cunning Gerudo, with their dark complexions and lithe
bodies, bold and charismatic. And other races came forth from the elements, to
serve the Goddesses that made them. From stone, and water, and forest were made
beings that were strong, and fair, and curious.
And then the three Goddesses departed our world, and left behind a symbol of
their strength; a golden triangle known as the Triforce.
And I, Mudora, have seen in vision that the Sacred
Object does exist. And my vision was thus:
[indecipherable hieroglyphs—early Hylian origin]
Translation from oral tradition:
In a realm beyond sight,
The sky shines gold, not blue.
There, the Triforce’s might
Makes mortal dreams come true.
~I am Mudora, Sage of Shadow and keeper of these
secrets
Concerning the Search for the Triforce
From its hiding place in the so-called Golden Land
where the Goddesses placed it, the Triforce beckoned
people from the outside world to seek it, that one worthy of its powers might
have the wish of his heart. It was said that any who obtained it would have his
heart’s desire. A small but powerful portion of the essence of the Goddesses
was held in this mighty artifact, which was to guide
the intelligent life on the world of Hyrule. As an extension of the power of
the Goddesses, the Triforce became the source of our
world’s providence. But what was our gift would also become our curse.
For many long years, none knew how to enter the Golden Land
in order to obtain the Triforce. Nevertheless, many
aggressively sought the wish-granting Object, and squandered their lives in the
search. Though they looked west, below the Burning
Desert, and east, within the fiery
caverns of Death Mountain, the entrance could not be
found. Some claimed it was at the bottom of the Great Hylian
Lake in the south, though
not even they who dwell at the bottom of those great waters could say for
certain.
But just as many had begun to lose interest in the search for the path to the
Sacred Object, a foul breath issued forth across the land and the foolish, and
the power-hungry, and the coward began to allow the idea of it to infect his
mind. These greed-maddened people utterly wasted themselves in the futile
search for the entrance to the Sacred Realm, finally turning upon themselves or
each other and taking their own lives for despair—for a dream that could never
be; for hopes that would never be realized. The thought of the Triforce stole men from their families, mothers from their
children, and left those who remained mourning and cursing the Goddesses.
Concerning the War of the Golden Land
For centuries the Triforce lay hidden, deep in a
realm a world away from our own. But then one day (in the thirteen hundred and
ninth year since the advent of the Goddesses) a gate
to the Golden Land appeared near the castle of the Hylian people, within the town they had made there. Soon
the races of Hyrule were revisited with grief, as all those who had sought the Triforce in vain now came flocking to the place with
renewed lust. Daily the gate consumed any deluded soul who entered it, though
none would ever return. Many watched the gate intently for any sign of their
departed loved ones, but they waited in vain.
Years passed and still the flocks of deluded souls could not be restrained from
their hapless doom. Finally, a militia was formed, and a resistance held. The
militia surrounded the gate with pikes and spears, and watches were held day
and night. But with frenzied minds the greed-driven Hylians
attacked their own people, and a war began which some claim has not ceased to
this day. It has been called in times long after the War of the Golden Land.
It was a brutal and shameful war, where brother fought against brother, and
deceit and betrayal ran through the streets like water.
Many good souls died on account of the War of the Golden Land.
Those lost in service of their crown and people were awarded posthumous
knighthood by the king of Hyrule, who sorrowed for his people’s anguish. Then
the call was made to form a strengthened force to better preserve the people
from the enticement of the golden gate; none would be allowed to enter the
golden gate by decree of the Hylian king. And from
thenceforth the Hylian Kingdom has employed a body of
soldiers, and standing beside them in defense of
their land were the Knights of Hyrule—valiant souls who guarded against the
self-destruction of their people and protected the Royal Family of Hyrule. When
those seeking entrance into the Golden
Land saw they could not
conquer an organized force, they banded together and retreated without the
walls of the city to await another chance to satisfy their lust for the powers
of the Triforce.
Now, in those days the Sheikah were a race aloof and
observant, and they had sent their spies out to bring news of the Golden Land,
and whether there had been success by any in obtaining the Triforce.
When it was learned that the Triforce was as yet unwon, they sent in their own people in small numbers to
scout and see if aught might be learned and if any indeed might return. So
skilled were they at stealth that their advance party was able to pass the
Knights charged with the gate’s protection and enter unseen…or rather, almost
unseen.
One man, cunning and observant himself, was camped with his fellow dissenters
without the walls of the Hylian’s Castle Town
and saw the Sheikah scouts pass by. Following from
afar off, he watched as they infiltrated the Knights’ camp and entered the
Golden Realm. He waited to see if they had any success—whether they might
emerge with the Power of Gold—but like so many, they were lost. So the cunning
man tracked the scouts’ trail back to the Sheikah
village, called Kakariko, at the foot of Death Mountain.
When this cunning man appealed to the Master of the Sheikah
to teach him how to enter the portal unseen, the master flatly refused. But
after reporting that the Sheikah scouts had never
returned he offered himself and his fellows as subjects to test the gate, if
only it got them into that portal they sought so intently. The Sheikah master saw an opportunity in the prospect and
agreed. And the cunning man and his brethren were taught how they might achieve
their ends.
Unfortunately, the cunning man was never rewarded according to his desire, for
he and the others that attempted to infiltrate the Knights’ camp were caught
and imprisoned. Discovering their connection with the Sheikah,
the king of Hyrule sent to the master of the Sheikah
and charged him with infiltrating the kingdom of Hyrule
and deceiving its people with false hope. Incensed, the master sent back that
the Hylians were acting like foolish ants: sitting in
a languid stupor on their hill while the treasure within their grasp went
unclaimed, and still they prevented others from obtaining, perchance, what the Hylians saw no use for. But checking his anger, the master
proposed a conjoined effort to discover the secrets of the portal and obtain,
if the Goddesses would permit, the Power of Gold, and share between the two
races the benefits of that boon. But the king of Hyrule would not, and returned
that there should be no such arrangement, but that if any of the Sheikah were found within the borders of the kingdom they
should be slain. For a time, enmity and silence prevailed between the races.
Then, having learned from both insult and injury, the Hylian king ordered that a more defensible solution be
sought. The king’s chief advisor, the wizened Potho
(who was also the head of the kingdom’s monastic order) suggested that a temple
should be built to contain the portal. It could then put under the care of the
monks, who would live in the temple, and thus the portal would be monitored day
and night. The Hylian king agreed, and the temple was
begun. Thus, the Knights of Hyrule were able to focus their attention on the
limited entrances to the temple rather than a wide perimeter.
And the monks of the Temple
saw it as their duty to pray to the Goddesses for a solution to the increasing
unrest without the Hylian city gates. An answer, it
seemed, came when those dissenters without the gates took up their camps and
marched west, away from the city. It appeared there might be peace at last.
Concerning the Gerudo
and their King
But the wise who see peace in their days know that it will not prevail
indefinitely. This proved true for the Hylian king,
as I will show you. But I would call your minds now to the third race of
Hyrule, the Gerudo, who lived far from the Hylian kingdom, whose shrines lay deep within the Burning Desert. It was there that the dissenting
Hylian force marched, and they told the Gerudo that a portal was opened; it was being held by the Hylians, and that they were preventing any from entering
in. The lord of the Gerudo, an ambitious young man
named Ganondorf Dragmire,
saw the actions of the Hylian king as a challenge to
any who would doubt the dominance of the Hylians as
the supreme race. And it was certain that Ganondorf
doubted.
Now aught must be said regarding the Gerudo. One year
in every hundred there is a male child born within their tribe, and he is
destined to be their king and lord. Each male will live long enough to see
another born, and he will retain his vitality into his old age. He is a
precious rarity among the race, and all of the females of the tribe are willing
to protect him with their lives, for should he die, the Gerudo
race would die with him and there would be nothing left of their way of life.
The lord himself is taught from his infancy to be aggressive, ruthless, and
merciless—for the Gerudo believe that anything short
of this would put the king, and therefore their tribe, in jeopardy.
Above all the preservation of the Gerudo lord’s life
is of supreme concern for any Gerudo female. It is
for this reason that the females are trained as expert combatants; to better
protect their king. A small band of bodyguards therefore protect the Great Ganondorf, as he is wont to be called, and these boast
accomplishments in thievery, are skilled in secrecy and stealth, and the use of
magic.
So it will be clear that when the Great Ganondorf saw
the Hylians in their weakened state, he saw his
chance to take the Triforce for himself, though he
would make it seem to his tribe that he was acting out of intentions to improve
their barren condition. For was it not in the power of the Triforce
to grant the wish of one’s heart? Accordingly, Ganondorf
went himself, with his bodyguards, to treat with the king of the Hylians that he might obtain his desire.
But having been wizened by experience, the Hylian
king denied the Gerudo lord his wish. He would not
permit him to enter the portal, for it had only lead to sorrow; and what, the
king asked, would become of the Gerudo tribe if its
lord never returned? But Ganondorf would not be swayed,
and he berated the king and accused him of power-mongering, saying that the Hylians were selfish and spoiled children. Despite the Gerudo lord’s censure, yet the noble king would not relent,
and still he refused to permit him entrance.
And then Ganondorf Dragmire
revealed his treachery, and told the Hylian king of
his plans to invade were they not to permit him entrance—that the king’s own
men, those Hylian dissenters, were without the walls
and supported by a force of trained Gerudo warriors.
But the wise Hylian king still refused, and dismissed
the Gerudo lord from his presence.
As the Gerudo made preparations for war, constructing
what siege engines they might, the Knights of Hyrule likewise prepared
fortifications for battle. But the Knights saw that even with the soldiers to
aid them their numbers would not be enough, nor would their hearts permit them
to fall upon their brethren to kill them, and the sorrow of the looming turmoil
rested upon them. If they fell, it would not be without mercy to their own.
But the master of the Sheikah, being observant the Gerudo forces, and also weighed down with sorrow for his
hastiness in accusing the Hylian king, sought
forgiveness of him, saying that his words were rash, and that now in the hour
of the Hylian’s greatest need, the Sheikah would aid them. And would not the Goddesses
preserve them? And the Hylian king was gracious, and
forgave all, and even showed his further magnificence by pleading forgiveness
of the master, saying he had acted out of anger, and had been foolish. Thus was
born the alliance of the Hylians and the Sheikah, who are now as one race. And I did prophesy
concerning the Hylians and the Sheikah:
[indecipherable hieroglyphs—early Hylian origin]
~I am Mudora, Sage of Shadow and keeper of these
secrets
And then began the Battle of the Betrayers, with the races of Hyrule locked in
combat and seeking each other’s destruction. Gerudo
warriors fought alongside Hylian dissenters against
the Knights of Hyrule and their sworn allies, the Sheikah.
Many knights and good men fell by the hands of those who were their brothers,
but who had been overcome by greed and hatred. And as the battle waxed, Ganondorf, the very Gerudo lord,
went himself with his guards to infiltrate the castle by way of secrecy. And
when they had come to the Inner Chamber of the Castle, and were about to take
the Hylian king, the Sheikah
master and all of his fellows set upon Ganondorf’s
guards, and caught the lord, to threaten him with his life.
When the Gerudo lord saw his life in danger, and nigh
forfeit, yet he did not cease to boast. But the Hylian
king silenced him and swore his tongue would be forfeit, if not his life,
except he should hear the terms that the king was to offer. And these were the
terms: that Ganondorf would leave the Hylian kingdom with his forces and never return unless it
was to swear his allegiance to the Hylian royal
crown, and that the dissenters should be delivered into Hylian
custody for punishment.
Indignant, Ganondorf saw no option but to agree. He
and his forces left, never to return, or so it seemed. The dissenters were left
to the punishment of their betrayal; that they should be used for labor in the building of a tomb behind the graveyard in Kakariko for those valiant souls who had fallen by their
hands. They were to live there, under the watchful eye of the Sheikah, until they joined their fallen brothers in death,
and thus expiate their shame. Only their children, when they were old enough to
bring honor to their family’s name, would be permitted
to leave.
And the Sheikah provided assistance in rebuilding the
town and finishing the building of the temple. And when it was finished, the
temple was dedicated to Orda, the Goddess of Time.
And for ever after the Sheikah served the Hylian royal family, and the women of the Sheikah were the nursemaids to the Hylian’s
royal children, and the Sheikah men trained the
Knights of Hyrule in stealth and combat. And thus the prophecy is fulfilled.
Written 1350 HR
Concerning the Sages of Hyrule and the
Blade of Evil’s Bane
In this year the queen of Hyrule, Zanna
by name, began to have prophetic dreams concerning a King of Evil who should
obtain the Power of Gold and rule the land with tyranny. Now it was not
uncommon in the Days of the Ancients, when a great evil beset the land, that
the women of the Hylian royal family were visited
with a dream or vision of the Goddesses which were soon proved true. And as the
matter affected all of Hyrule, the queen took it upon herself to call together
representatives of the races of Hyrule that the matter might be well
considered.
Therefore the call went out that each race should be represented by its wisest
and most trustworthy member, and that these should be called Sages; those who
would counsel one with another concerning the affairs of Hyrule, and the
spiritual representative of their race to the Goddesses. And Ganondorf Dragmire, King of the Gerudo, appointed Itzah, his favored hand-maiden, to be the Gerudo
Sage. And Itzah was given quarters in the castle
until the first council could be held. Then the king of Hyrule appointed his
chief advisor, even the wise young Rauru of the Temple (previously the apprentice of Potho
of the Temple,
Faroe keep him) to represent the Hylians. And the Sheikah chose their Master (I who write to you, even Mudora) to be their representative.
And thus the Sages had been chosen, and the council was to be held in the Inner
Sanctum of the Temple
of Time. But then three
other representatives appeared at the gates of the Hylian
kingdom requesting an audience with the council. They appeared with no notice
of their coming, and said they had been sent by the Goddesses in response to
the summons for representatives from every race. For verily there had been
other races made by the Goddesses, and now they were sending their most wise to
join the other Sages. And these are the names of the Sages who were sent by the
Goddesses:
Gor Darmon, of the Gorons, a people of flesh, but protected by stony backs and
resistant to fire—they dwell high above Kakariko,
near the volcanic crater of Death Mountain; Lutai, of
the Zora, an aquatic people, with fins on their heads
and arms and flippered feet—they dwell in the caverns
from whence flows the Great Waterfall which feeds all the rivers of Hyrule and
ends in the Great Hylian Lake; and Aako, of the Koroki, a people
ever young, always clothed in green—they are the children of the Great Dekku Tree which sustains life within the Forgotten Wood.
Thus was born the Council of Sages; three chosen by the Hylians,
Sheikah and Gerudo, and
three appointed by the Goddesses. And the first council of the Sages was held
within the Inner Sanctum of the Temple
of Time, and the matter of importance
was the portal to the Golden
Land, which portal was
contained in the Sanctuary of the temple; and it was asked whether it should be
accessible to the races, or restricted that none should use it. The discussion
was heated, with Itzah contending for free use of the
portal by all, while Rauru contended that some means
must be established whereby no ill-meaning person should obtain the Power of
Gold. But after each of the Sages had spoken their part, they were not able to
reach an agreement that would satisfy all. It was therefore the decision of the
council that its members should pray for guidance and follow the will of the
Goddesses, however it might be manifest.
And so it was that when the Hylian queen prayed she
heard the voices of the Goddesses saying that she should tell the Council of
the dream she had received. And so she came to the Sages and told them of a
King of Evil in the shape of a wild boar that entered the Golden Land
and seized the Power of Gold. And when he emerged with his armies there were
none to stop him. But then the King of Evil was opposed by the Goddess of
Courage, and the Goddess of Wisdom repelled him, and the Goddess of Power
sealed him away. Then the Goddess of Time undid all of these events, and locked
them away with a key in the form of a sword. And the Goddesses gave the sword
to a child, who was to be a Great Hero who would travel through time to save
the land from darkness. And the sword rested in a temple of light.
And when the queen had told of her dream it was received by the Sages as an
answer from the Goddesses. But when they speculated as to the interpretation
thereof, none of the Sages could agree what it was. Some said the Evil must be
an old Power reborn. Others said one of the ancient magical swords should be
recovered. But the queen knew the true meaning, and she told them that a new
sword must be forged and imbued with the power to repel evil, even an evil with
that power which was granted by the Triforce; and it
would be a key, and if placed in the Temple of Time it would close the portal
and prevent any from entering therein. And if any evil were, perchance, to
claim the Triforce there would be a hero provided by
the Goddesses, even a child, to confront that evil with the Blade of Evil’s
Bane.
And so it was given to Gor Darmon,
the Sage of the Gorons, to temper the blade in
volcanic fire that it might be strong, and it would be cooled by Lutai in Zora waters that it
might be keen. And when the blade was finished, Aako
prayed over it and enchanted it with his magic that none but one with a pure
heart and unsurpassed courage could wield it. And the Goddesses blessed it,
that it might repel even those powers granted by the Triforce.
Then a pedestal was built within the Temple
of Time wherein the
Master Sword might rest, for thus was the blade called after it had been
enchanted. And the people called it the Blade of Evil’s Bane. And when the
blade was placed within the pedestal, the gate to the Golden Land
was shut, and never opened again. And I prophesy concerning the Sages and the
Hero:
[indecipherable hieroglyphs—early Hylian origin]
~I am Mudora, Sage of Shadow and keeper of these
secrets
And after I made this prophecy we Sages knew that we must take for ourselves
places of sanctuary, and build up temples to the Goddesses in hidden places.
And we made us magic songs which we could use to take us to the Inner Sanctum
of the temple in times of need and for council. And so the council was
adjourned, and its members dismissed.
Written 1374 HR
Concerning the Author’s Fate
One final message I have for you to whom I write. If you have possession of
this volume, it means I am dead. It was necessary for these secrets to be kept
as long as they might be, but all things must one day come to light. And I have
yet somewhat to say concerning what I know shall come to pass.
I have seen Itzah’s disquiet at what we Sages have
done, and rightly so, for it means a more difficult task for her master. Yet
she has played the part—and though her prayers have not been sincere, though
she was reluctant to add her magic to ours as we enchanted the Blade of Evil’s
Bane, though she would have fled to tell her master of our affairs, still she
has acted the Sage. And in so doing, she has accomplished what was crucial for
the bringing of these events to pass.
And so I must bid you farewell. For I foresee that she will have need of these,
my writings, which contain the plans of the Temple of Time and its passages in
order to infiltrate the temple without being detected. And if so, then I know
that she will kill me to obtain them, for her loyalty was never to the council,
but to her master. It was ever thus in her eyes, if not in her voice or manner.
And so I write first to my servant Abrum. I speak by
way of chastisement, but also by way of love, even that which a father would
have for his son. I know that the servants of Lord Ganondorf
have seduced you with power and feigned love. If I am dead, then you will have
betrayed me and joined their cause. I do not censure you for your zeal, only
your lack of judgment. I have seen that you were ever so, and to you I say that
you are never unwelcome among the Sheikah, your
people. You shall retain forever your own choice; make of it what you will, and
not what others will.
And my greetings to you, Lord Ganondorf—I do not call
you Great. You will not need to look far for what you seek. Though this volume
has been enchanted to hide the deeper secrets of the Hylian
Royal Family, you will not need them. Though it contains within its hidden
pages the histories of our races, you know enough of this. And though its
enchanted record lays plain the mysteries of magic we Sheikah
have uncovered, you will have my servant to instruct you in the ways of our
magic. He knows enough to serve you, but he does not know all the magical
secrets of our tribe. I know that you will use my servant to your ends,
manipulating his sympathies to draw the Master Sword from its pedestal because
your evil heart will not permit you to touch even the hilt. But you shall find
that your manipulations are for naught. Despite your preparations your progress
shall be halted before you reach the Sanctuary of the Blade of Evil’s Bane. For
now that I am dead and you are in possession of this volume the Great Hylian King has already arranged to thwart your plans. You
shall not prevail in this thing. Nevertheless, you shall find within the
mundane record precisely what you need for the unfolding of your treachery. And
I will not hinder you.
I do not write to you, Itzah, for your shadow looms
ever nearer even as I write this. May Nayru the Wise
judge you according to your deeds.
But to those who shall read these words long after their ink has faded, and who
learn these tales long after this paper has crumbled, know that I welcome
death. I am unafraid of what lies beyond this mortality. But not to have served
those I am indebted to—of that I am very much afraid. Know that my only regret
is that I could not fulfill my purpose and be of more
aid to my people. I would that I may yet serve those who come after me even in
death. I commend myself to the Goddesses greatly troubled as that end quickly
approaches.
And finally to you my fellow Sages I write by way of commendation. I commend to
you the name of she whom I will to be my successor. The following is hidden by
the manner which I have taught Rauru, Sage of Light,
and shall be uncovered by him in due course when my successor should be chosen:
[indecipherable hieroglyphs—early Hylian origin]
~I am Mudora, Sage of Shadow and keeper of these
secrets
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