[ZGen] The Legend of Zelda: The Shadow Knight

I am pleased to present my Fanfic, "The Legend of Zelda: The Shadow Knight". It has evolved in my head over the years, where it originated as a Third Oracles game, then became The Shadow Cowl (which I halfway posted), & now it's become this. I'd like to start by introducing some of the gameplay mechanics.

It would be for the DS, using the D-pad (or ABYX buttons if left handed) to move. The picture is reminiscent of WW & MC, with the camera (that's what I call what you see on the DS bottom screen, deal with it) centered behind the playable character. You would use the stylus to draw attacks on the screen, & there would be 5 bubbles in the upper right corner of the screen where you could equip items & press with the stylus to use.

I'm also incorporating some gimmicks I found in FF II. You would equip a weapon to the right & left hand of the character, as well as all of the armor. I would make there be many more weapons to find- & not just swords. Ball & Chains, Maces, Halberds, Staffs, Et Cetera. And as you fight monsters, you increase in Experience & eventually gain enough to go to the next Caliber (skill level). Every Caliber increase gives you a number of points which you can add to either Strength, Speed, Dexterity, Stamina, & Endurance. The more you use a certain type of weapon, the greater skill you achieve, thus more damage dealt.

You can only carry so much with you, though. You start the game with a basic rucksack to carry stuff around. There's a standard slot for tools (hookshot, hammer, crossbow, Et Cetera), a Slot for items (bottles, food, miscellaneous, trade items), a Slot for Equipment (Swords, Shields, Armor), then Maps, Quest Items, & Character Status info. The more weight you carry, the slower you move, unless you have greater strength. How do you store extra items, then? The Magic Chests across the land will store any extra items, & will only open to your special key. It's like a bank, everyone with an account accessible by their own key.

I make Zelda more real, meaning you sleep & eat. Outrageous, yes?
The Magic Meter is replace by the Energy Bar, which decreases as you use powerful attacks, run, & perform Magic (accessible by pressing the L or R buttons [the Item Bubbles on the screen then become Magic Bubbles to use equipped Magic Spells & Moves]). On the status screen, it shows your Hunger & Fatigue meters. Hunger is replenished by Eating at least 2 meals a day. You can buy food to carry around, or scavenge to eat & drink in the wild. Fatigue is replenished by sleeping 7 hours out of 24. (I emphasize the importance of sleeping in a monster free area.) You can do this with a tent in the wild, or at an Inn in town. As you sleep, you may Dream. There would probably be about three minutes of mini-game, Gameboy Color animation "Dreams" every time you sleep. Needless to say, there would also be weather cycles, as well as Day & Night.

There would even be other characters which join your group as part of the story, which I will explain as the Story progresses. Interaction & conversation with others will be altered, too. You will learn Key Terms (Dungeon & Place names, Quest Items, Et Cetera) to say to other people in conversations (or through the DS mic), & be able to show people your items or equipment.


The Story Begins...
Once, long ago, there existed a powerful demon who could not be defeated by any. He plagued the land of Death & Destruction, & people believe there would be no end to it, save their own. Then, when all were in despair, a hero arose. He battled the demon for days, neither availing. Finally, knowing all else would fail, he sacrificed himself to destroy the monster. His body became a shadow which destroyed the monster, & his life force became a Black Sapphire, shaped as a heart. It is said the someday, his soul shall rise, incarnate in a new form, & he shall save us again.

So read Wolf in the Hall of Legend. He had heard the story many a time, yet the youth often found it necessary to read it by torchlight by himself, down under the citadel of Amnahai. Wolf was a young man with a taciturn demeanor, wearing a black tunic. He sat there, then heard a voice. "Wolf, Master Vordemnon wants to see us!", called Vash, his fellow apprentice. Master Vordemnon was both of their mentor, & had adopted both of the orphans, raising them from infancy. Vash, a youth close in age to Wolf, had black hair & a red tunic. Both ascented the stairs at the end of the tunnel, then made their way up Vordemnon's Tower. Their master awaited them, raising his eyes from one of his scrolls to see them. "Ah, boys, I need you to perform a task." The Young men readied themselves mentally for some sort of quest. "Ah, nothing serious. There's a group riding in from the west. I'd like you to greet them & acertain what they need." So, Vash & Wolf strode to the city gate, the guards opening them as they passed. Vordemnon was Lord over the city, & his apprentices shared his power in part. Soon enough, the incoming group arrived at the gate. It suprised the young men that only one of the group was on horseback. The rest were suprisingly tall with an awkward gait, armored to the teeth in black. The one rider was also tall, wearing a black cloak & hood with a strange, knotted golden talisman around his neck. "Hmm. I prefer Draugar, but for this job, I need a more thorough tool..." He removed his hood, revealing a pale, long face & flowwing, silver hair. His hazy read eyes surveyed the Citadel of Amnahai, an indiscernable expression on his face. Then he spead his arms wide & shouted, "Raukorim!". Fissures appeared in the earth in a ring around the city, & then a mass of black & red miasma swarmed from the cracks around the city. "And you...," said the figure, "Will make examples. Your deaths will strike terror into the soul of those who's dooms are yet impending." He made several signs with his hand, & an arachnoid form appeared out of the gas. It had four clab-like legs, & a humanoid, yet headless torso, bearing many weapons in its' arms. It had much armor, like an insect, obsidian-like in texture, with red flesh where visible. Here starts the first fight in the game. Wolf (the playable character) bears a ball & chain, while Vash uses a halberd. You simply bash the creature to a pulp, & the fight's over. This is just a fight to get aquainted with the controls. After the fight, The figure raises his hands, & launches two blue fireballs, each stirking Vash & Wolf in the chest & KOing them. Then, a blade springing from one of his sleeves, he prepares to strike to finishing blow, when a swarm of fairies swoop down & save them. Doran Bladefist cachtes one in ascent, squeezing it until it shatters. "Fooling fairies", he said, sneering. " The light of Souls...Saved them, but do you think you can save the entire city?"

Like it so far?

i like it!! keep it coming!

I luvs it! Plz keep it up! ^^

Pretty interesting so far. So am I missing something or is Doran Bladefist a character who is not also a really helpful guy on these forums who writes fan fics?

Also, I highly approve of the name for the main character. I have a character named Wolf in the fourth episode of my fan fic as well.

Generally it feels kindof Naruto-ish. Maaybe that's because I've been gorging myself on Naruto lately, but yeah.

Very nice, but if it was to be made into a game, I think it would be better suited for one of the console systems. Great story though.

I'm so smexy. I love how you are building this from the ground up as a game, not just fanfiction. Changes to the Zelda formula are desperately needed, and it's good to see someone else thinking the same thing. Not major overhauls, but just something to make the games more unique.

As for the writing, the simplified style reminded me much of Tolkien's Children of Hurin. Not terribly detailed, but sufficient. That style works especially well with time-spanning epics told more from a historical/biblical view, rather than on-the-spot storytelling.

And the story itself reminded me much of the poem I wrote for the Grand Temple:

"Within outer darkness,
A sly sickle most keen,
That ebony heart still beats,
Seeking secrets to glean.

Lost to the ages,
Once most benign,
Now it returns;
The destruction of time."

Overall: decent. I can't really give a proper grade at this point, as the story is still primarily in it's infancy, but you have a good start. Keep it up! Can't wait to see who else will make an appearance!

I did notice a few spelling errors up there, so consider yourself grammar-nazid!

Keep it going! I am really enjoying this!

Glad you like it, guys! The story is mainly centered around the Sages of Despair, a group I made long ago on ZU. The older members who submitted Character Bios will be featured in it, as I continue the story & explain the Origins of The Sages. Doran Bladefist hogs the Limelight until after level five, then the story will get deeper & more dark.

Sadly, I can't post more right now. I'm under much pressure by my parents, who HATE this place. I'll try to post another increment once a week, 'kay?

I'll look forward to it.

Lord Golgoth.... very very well done lvoe it please keep it coming

Originally Posted by Lord Golgoth

Doran Bladefist hogs the Limelight until after level five, then the story will get deeper & more dark.

Hog the limelight? Me?!? Never!

But anyhoo, I'd say take your time. Things always turn out for the better if you let it brew a bit - let the ideas come, and assuredly they will, given time and contemplation.

It would be an awsome game, but on a console.

Originally Posted by zeldamaster17

It would be an awsome game, but on a console.

I bet you're right. My only fascination with the DS is that you draw your attacks, which would allow you to actually develop a fighting style of your own. I see this could also work with the Wii. My hope is to integrate fighting style & real battles with puzzles & mazes: the Real Heart of Zelda! Bosses must no longer be the monster that shoots fireballs that you have to throw a bomb at by pressing a button at the right time...Real fighting, Real strength, Real Zelda!

Alright, the next installment!

Wolf opened his eyes. He he was in a Fairy Fountain, lying in the pure water. He felt relaxed & refreshed, & took a while to collect his thoughts. Then he remembered: The Citadel! He rose quickly, glancing around the room & saw Vash laying as he had moments before. A Great Fairy* stood in the room, a beautiful maiden clad in brown with wings. She seemed troubled & when Wolf asked, She burst into tears. "I'm sorry, Wolf," she sobbed, "We wanted to help them, but..." Her shoulder shaking uncontrollably, Wolf tried to comfort her. After several minutes, She spoke again, "Wolf, all living things are made of 3 things: The Soul, The Body which acts as a vessel to the Soul, & Life Force which binds the Body & Soul together. When one is Filled of Healing, Peace, Love, Bravery, Calm, & Happiness, One's life force is filled with Hope, the Light of the Soul. Yet when a soul is consumed of Destruction, Anguish, Hatred, Terror, Chaos, & Sorrow, their life force is filled with the Dark Flame of Despair. When the soul leaves it's vessel, the life force is released, usually in the form of hearts, the raw essence of life force. Yet if one was full of the Light of the Soul, Hope, the light is released & can form together to become a fairy. When one's person completely consists of this Light of the Soul, they can become a Great Faery, which often reflects a personality.

"Yet, of course, when one is consumed of Despair, their life force becomes a Poe, the size & strength of the Poe determined by how much Destruction, Anguish, Hatred, Terror, Chaos, & Sorrow they had in their life. That man seemed to hold the collective power of people's sadness: The Inferno of Sorrow. As the Light of Souls, It is our nature to help protect others from harm, but he was to strong...we couldn't..." She collapsed into sobs again, then said, "We will take you & Vash back to Amnahai, if You wish." He nodded, & at the command of the fairy, her handmaidens bore the 2 young men off. Their eyes opened (Vash awakened), & they beheld the ruin of what had been their home. They slowly made their way towards the wreckage, amongst which stood their adopted father & mentor, Vordemnon. He was aged, they didn't know how much, with gray-white hair & a spiked beard (think Christopher Lee [Sauroman, Ansem the Wise, & Count Dooku] acting as Gandalf/Dumbledore, you get the idea). Today, he looked defeated, weary & humbled. After the boys explained what happened, he said, "The fairies warned us, & I mobilized the population into the catacombs. The Raukorim must have sensed this. Some seeped into the cracks & began consuming their flesh. Some collapsed the tunnels, crushing those below. Few survived...I would oversee the survivors, But this matter must be brought to Queen Persica. This man is an obvious threat to the Kingdom of Kyerulia(that's Ky-eh-rull-eeuh).


*These Great fairies would be different from those of OoT: the ones in OoT looked like Ganondorf put on some vines & grew his hair out.

hahaha I know what you mean about the fairys!
Yeah sounds good so far, and I'd definatley get the game either for DS or the wii.

I like it. but i just don't like that fact that there's no link and it seems like an RPG like Tales of Symphonia.

don't gemme wrong, i love ToS but i don't want my favorite series taking that turn

Originally Posted by iRock71

I like it. but i just don't like that fact that there's no link and it seems like an RPG like Tales of Symphonia.

don't gemme wrong, i love ToS but i don't want my favorite series taking that turn

An RPG? How so? I didn't include Link because many have said that Zelda needs to go in a new direction. I haven't completely left him out though, just for some storyline reasons that will become apparent as the story progresses.

Note I've edited some of the gameplay mechanics in the first post. Next Week, I'll crank out the next increment, after which the story picks up speed.

The next part!

Vordemnon produce a horn & proceeded to blow it. "It may not help, but-". Three steeds could be seen riding over the nearby hillside. "It seems they escaped the stables in time. Smart horses...We must ride now."

The three rode west. The plain was hilly & green, & On the Horizon could be seen the Massive Mt. Ringorod. Referred to as the Throne of the Gods, It was one of the Three Great Peaks of Kyerulia, the snow-covered top barely visible in the Sky high above them. About midday, The forests of Peltaur became visible, a deep woodland that encircled Ringorod. "We should reach Peltaur by nightfall," said Vordemnon, "Then we travel on foot through the forest, & in the morn will reach Castle Termina." The capital of Kyerulia, the Castle Termina was nested within the base of Ringorod. It was said to be the name of a fallen Kingdom that existed ages before Kyerulia was established.
"What do you intend to do once we've notified Queen Persica?" asked Vash.
"Long ago, before Kyerulia was established, all was wilderness. In the wastelands of the north, there was a man named Rachon. He hungered for dominion above all else, & stealing into the White Tower of Sarnthallion, he stole the Holy White Sword. Drawing upon it's sacred powers, he forged it a destiny of evil, laying waste to all that resisted him. He built the Kingdom of Anngmar, demanding subservience of everyone else in the land. Two other Kingdoms where established to resist him, Warokh & Tarune. It was when Rachon extended his arm to overtake Warokh that he fell at the hands of one named Antion. After Rachon's death, it was said that Antion hid the White sword to prevent others like Rachon from using it. Yet as the Sheikah Sage Hazer prophesied, the Sword will forge itself a new destiny when it emerges again. And that is what we need."
"Will Persica allow this?" Vash asked.
"I was King Luxor's Adviser. I hope his daughter will also heed my counsel."
"What did happen to Luxor, Master?" asked Wolf.
"Luxor was a noble man," Vordemnon replied. "Perhaps He enjoyed having dominion of Kyerulia a little much, but he was Just, doubtless." Here he paused, then continued, "Thirteen years ago, there was an uprising of Necromancers in the Grave-Town of Laddenilt. They created an Army of the Dead, & the more they slew, the greater their power grew. King Luxor rode into battle against them. He perished. His daughter was then Queen at the age of 12. She was, of course, greatly sorrowed. My presence reminded her of her father, so she gave me an Earldom, & sent me away."

As predicted, at nightfall, they reached Peltaur. They dismounted their horses, guiding them by the reigns & proceeding on foot. Vash was about to light his Lantern, but Vordemnon stopped him, saying, "No fires in these woods. This should do for now." The blue stone in the top of his staff emitted a bright azure glow, lighting the forest some ways off. "Show no disrespect for the woods as you go. You would disturb the Guardians."
"What are the Guardians, anyway?", Vash asked, anxiety creeping into his voice.
"They were once as Children...Children of the Forest. They were symbionts with the Dekus. The Dekus guarded them, & they, in turn, nurtured the Dekus & the forest surrounding. Men needed trees, & the Kokiri, for that is what they were called, were lenient, allowing men to harvest the wood for their needs. Yet men became reckless, ravaging the woodlands, even going as far as cutting down Dekus. The Kokiri...ceased to be childen. Taking upon themselves the forms of warriors, they fought off those who would harm the woods. Soon, a treaty was struck, & Peltaur was grown as a symbol of the peace between the races. Yet the Guardians are ever vigilant...they no longer trust humans."
"So, what do they look like now?", said Vash, now with fear etched in his voice.
"Whatever the please. Any shape or being in the forest. Never fear, they will not attack without cause. So, give them none, & we are safe."

oh this is getting good! nice work LG!!

Nice work I like all Fan fiction zelda's but this is one of the best.

Can wait to see how my char comes into the story.