***************************************** Zelda 3 Challenge: The Quest for Calatia Written by GameMakr24 ***************************************** The Legend of Zelda According to Hylian history, the Evil King Ganon ultimately returned to Hyrule after generations of otherworldly exile. He immediately stole the Triforce of Power, claiming it as his own. Princess Zelda, fearing for the safety of the entire kingdom, split her Triforce of Wisdom into 8 fragments and hid them throughout the land. Ganon captured Zelda, imprisoning her in his Death Mountain lair, while hoards of his minions sought to kill any others that would stand in his way. A boy named Link, at the age of fifteen, journeyed from his homeland of Calatia in search of adventure. Knowing little of the world beyond his kingdom, he traveled wherever his feet would take him. One fateful morning in a forest of Hyrule, he encountered a group of molblins terrorizing an old nursemaid. After quickly vanquishing the beasts, Link learned that this elderly lady, called Impa, was desperately seeking aid from anyone who might be able to save Zelda and the kingdom of Hyrule. Link felt concern in his heart for these conquered lands and resolved to slay Ganon at any risk. Knowing that Ganon held the Triforce of Power, Link set out to reconstruct the Triforce of Wisdom. After scouring the entire kingdom and combing the underworld, he fought and destroyed Ganon, the magical tyrant who had haunted this kingdom for generations. With the triforces of Power and Wisdom secure, Link and Zelda worked to restore the lands he had explored and come to love. The Adventure of Link One day, as Link was nearing his sixteenth birthday, he discovered the symbol of the Triforce on the back of his left hand. He thus learned from Impa that only he could claim the Triforce of Courage, which was hidden long ago. A princess named Zelda from ancient times, put magically to sleep for refusing to speak of its location, could only be awakened by using the three triforces together. Link set off on another quest, placing crystals into palace statues to undo the binding force surrounding the Great Palace. Overcoming the trials which sealed it away, he finally earned the Triforce of Courage. An Alternate Ending The Legend of Zelda is the story of a princess who defied Ganon, and of a boy who united the Triforce, rescued the princess and brought peace to Hyrule... But what if none of these events ever took place? What if the strands of time were torn, such that Link never set out on his adventure, leaving Calatia and encountering Impa in Hyrule? Could Ganon have conquered the entire world, fulfilling his evil wish of ages past? Without Link's heroism, Ganon could have collected Zelda's hidden Triforce pieces and coupled Wisdom with the Triforce of Power, granting him the unrivaled power to rule the cosmos. Was Link a hero by fate, or by chance? Prelude to Calatia It has been over three years since the death of Ganon. Link has experienced many adventures during this time, in the service of protecting Hyrule, its people, and the royal family. His journeys have taken him to far-off lands, including Holodrum, Labrynna, and even the Outlands. At eighteen years of age, he has reached maturity and is well-respected and loved as a hero and friend to all. Prosperity abounds and the world has embraced peace. One black night an urgent message reached the gates of Hyrule Castle. Princess Zelda had been summoned by Queen Seline, the ruler of the kingdom of Calatia. Zelda's father, King Harkinian, was in grave danger and the circumstances required the Triforce of Wisdom to save him. Racing away from Hyrule on horseback, Link guided Zelda to Death Mountain's cavern entrance near the town of Saria, which leads west into Calatia. As they rounded the last bend within Kingdom Caverns, the air burst around them and Link was hurled high against the wall by an unknown force. Magical bindings held him in place, and as he looked down, he could see Zelda calmly collecting his sword and shield from the ground. "Yes, I have the Triforce of Wisdom", she said in an a slow, even tone. "I will go where you command. I hear, and I obey." Zelda walked in a hypnotized trance into a tunnel which branched away from the main exit. The Triforce of Wisdom floated ominously beside her. As the magic around him faded, Link broke free, fell to the ground and chased after her. But he was too late -- a large stone door had fallen into place before he could save her. Link hurried outside of Kingdom Caverns, only to find his hometown of Meridia under seige by an army of molblins. He rushed into the chaos with no weapon and no information. Eventually, Link learned that an evil sorceress was carrying the Triforce of Wisdom to the top of Epoch Tower. He hurriedly began to climb the clock tower, but meanwhile, the sorceress was preparing a portal to another time... Quest for Calatia Entering the gate within Epoch Tower, Link has traveled back in time ten years. The sorceress, in spite of being followed, has vowed to kill the younger, eight year-old Link who would someday overthrow Ganon. However, the Kingdom of Calatia is vast; she cannot hope to discover the whereabouts of young Link. In a crazed effort to save Ganon's future, she will use her powers to wreck havoc on Calatia, destroying towns, crushing lives and twisting the land that has molded Link's childhood. Link embarks on a quest to save his homeland, exploring the early past and a very altered future, in an effort to locate the mistress of evil who would bend time toward Ganon's will. Along the way, he will have to bring together the three Flames of Calatia that can oppose her awesome power. He must also seek the seven fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom which the sorceress has hidden throughout the land. Even as Link confronts the many secrets of Calatia, history's course is set to overwrite his destiny.