Legend of Zelda: The Clockwork Blade

Just tossing a few ideas around.

This Zelda title, the Clockwork Blade, is set a few hundred years after aLttP. Ganondorf is long dead, with no chance ever to return. The TriForce rest in peace, and Hyrule is safe.

Then, come the Tokor.

Link starts the game in Castle Town, where he is a humble orphan living as an apprentice messenger. You do a few basic tasks, as you do in all the games, to get used to the basic controls. Then...

It is late evening, in the Town Square, when the King and his daughter, Princess Zelda, are talking to a Tokor Ambassador.

The Tokor are an imposing race, very tall, with grey hair and skin, and strangely yellow eyes. Their clothes are mostly white. However, compared to ordinary Hyrulians, they are extremely technologically advanced. No, before you start, not guns and cars, but clockwork. This is evidenced by the fact the Tokor ambassador has a vice-like clockwork claw one hand.

Tokor Envoy: "So, Your Majesty, what is your choice? The Gorons, the Zora and the Deku stand against us. The decision is up to you."

King: "Very well. As King of Hyrule, I declare...

No.

We shall not join you. I will not have a war started, that endangers my people. I shall tell the Gorons, Zoras and Deku the same.

There shall be no blood on my hands. Now leave my kingdom."

Tokor: "Fool. You could have had so much. The power of the Clockwork city is beyond your imagining. Very well, will simply conquer Hyrule and add it to our demesne."

King: "What? You insolent wretch!"

The Tokor smiles, and there is an ominous tick tick tick... then a blade leaps into his hand, attached to springs and a cog-wheel. He holds it to Zelda's throat.

Tokor: "Goodbye, Your Majesty. We will take your Kingdom shortly, so I will satisfy myself with your daughter for now."

Then, a huge Zepellin-style airship drops out of the sky seemingly from nowhere. The Tokor Ambassador climbs aboard, still holding Zelda.

Tokor: "Let all be consumed by fire!"

Then, the airship is gone, and several more appeat, dropping fire-bombs over the town, setting massive fires ablaze.

You take control of Link once more at this point. The fires must be put out all over town, via a series of mini-quests. Once done, return to Hyrule Square for the next cutscene.

King: "My people.

We must flee.

The mighty Tokor army marches even now. When they arrive, they will kill us all. We must go, onwards. We can flee to the desert, and build new lives. If we stay, we have no future."

Then, the King explains there is a path to the desert, known only to the royal family, which they can take. He sends the small Royal Guard to investigate, a group of 12 well armed and trained soldiers. The next day, two return, one badly wounded. They say that the others are dead, and the cave system which leads to the desert is filled with monsters. The King goes white with shock.

Link decides it is up to him. He tells the King, and departs, towards the cliff-walls and foreboding rock-faces that enclose the desert, across Hyrule field. On teh way there, he encounters a contingent of Tokor soldiers, with a captive prisoner, a small armour clad figure, half Link's size. Suddenly, the armour-clad figure breaks lose, and with Link's aid, overcomes the Tokor. It is notable the figure had a very fluid movement style, and that the armour is extremely light, while covering all his body. (similar to Zant's armour from TP)

The armour clad figure explains his name is Tik, and decides to accompany Link.

Then you arrive at the Passage of Sands, a cave system into the desert.

This dungeon is filled with basic Zelda enemies, and features quicksand which kills you if you stay in for more than a very short amount of time. The key to getting far is to carefully traverse patches of more solid sand. Halfway through the dungeon, you encounter the mini-boss, a Sand Dancer. Defeat it, and a door is revealed. It appears un-openable, then Tik inserts a cogwheel into it from somewhere in his armour. The door grinds open. Inside, the Clawshot is revealed.

Tik says that it is ancient Tokor technology, copied by people of less advanced civilisations for centuries.

Using the Clawshot, Link can complete the dungeon, and defeat the boss, a Giant Sandworm, which guards a giant cogwheel. Tik takes it, claiming it may have some use, and remarks that he thinks this may have been an ancient Tokor temple, concealed away in the rocks.

In a cutscene after clearing the dungeon, the King comes, and the people of Castle Town follow. It shows them going through various parts of the dungeon, using quickly constructed wooden bridges.

Then, Link and the King ascend to the top of the cliifs surrounding the desert, and watch. In the distance, the Tokor army advances on Hyrule Town, and it is destroyed and burnt under the watchful gaze of the King and Link.

The King then asks Link to go and ask the Gorons, Zoras and Deku people for help.

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Well, that's it for now. I'll update with what happens next sometime later. What do you think so far?

That sounds like quite a good idea. I like how the enemies have the futuristic technology that i want from the next game, but the Hylians are still medieval-like. I'd definitely buy it. Although, maybe change Tik's name. The idea of a second character (hopefully playable) is great though. if there's not another playable character in the next game, I'll scream.

That's a very good idea. My only question is what significance does the Clockwork Blade have? Is it this game's Master Sword?

I second what Feere Gorone said. Pretty awesome idea.

Well, that becomes apparent later on, after the "OMG plot twist" that all Zelda games have after the 4th dungeon. Suffice to say, it is pretty important.

I see. Well, it's very well written so far, so I'll be waiting for an update. Oh, and just out of curiosity, will time control somehow be a factor in the game? Or time itself for that matter?

Sounds like a great game to me. I to would like to know the significance of the Clockwork Blade.

No. After OoT, MM, TP, OoA, PH have all used time to an extent, which I'm finding repetitive. Similarly, there will be no light/dark world.

EDIT: Or Ganon. Who is dead as dead can be.

EDIT2: Tazyrl: Well, it would be a bit of a spoiler, but I'll tell you the practical reason, as opposed to the storyline reason, which is that in aLttP it says the Master Sword rests forever, and I can't use the Foursword, as this isn't an FS game, so I needed a new "legendary blade".

Yeah. You're right. Time is WAAAAYYY too over-used.

A few random things. Tik's name is a pun on Tik Tokor, (tick tock) as Tik and the Tokor tribe are enemies. Tokor comes from the Japanese for clock, Tokei, but edited to sound Zelda-ish. While this game, chronologically, must be the very last game (so far) in the AT, it will have a few gold nuggets thrown in for theorists.

Well, it would be a bit of a spoiler, but I'll tell you the practical reason, as opposed to the storyline reason, which is that in aLttP it says the Master Sword rests forever, and I can't use the Foursword, as this isn't an FS game, so I needed a new "legendary blade".

Wait...In the end of ALttP, the Master Sword rests forever!? Oooww..........................................Tha t KILLS my theory!

The Clockwork Blade: Up to Dungeon 2.

Link sets off, as the people of Castle town begin to set up tents and temporary shelters on the outskirts of the desert, near an oasis.

He goes futher north, through a narrow pass, and then a part of Western Hyrule Field. Finally, he arrives at Kakariko Village. It is an empty ghost town, bereft of all human life. Suddenly, Link and Tik are ambushed by a Tokor raiding party. It requires Link to play a careful game of hide and seek all through-out the village, from one house to the next, fleeing from the Tokor. They stay in large groups, and Link doesn't have the bow and arrow yet, so it would be suicidal to take them on. (especially as they do 1 heart damage, and are just as fast as Link, in a stage of the game where Link will only have 5 odd hearts) Eventually he will find an abandoned bomb bag in one of the houses, with some bombs in. These can be used to attack the Tokor on a large scale, and clear the village of Tokor.

Once he has down so, there is a creak as a nearby door opens, and and a young woma steps out. She says her name is Sahasriora, descendant of the famous wise man, a Sheikah, and leader of Kakariko village. *cue flashback cutscene* Four days ago, the Tokor launched a brutal attack, killing many of the villagers. The surviving villagers retreated to the Verdant Woods, to seek help from the Deku Emperor. Sahasriora was determined not to abandon her home, and she would fight until the King sent help.

Now that Link tells her that Castle Town has also fallen, she realises she must help her people. She tells Link the way to the Verdant Woods, and then leaves south to find the King. Link must now continue onwards.

Now Link will start seeing noticeably different enemies to the usual Keese/Rat/Tektite and occasional Tokor that inhabit the overworld. Bizarre clockwork monsters will attack, metallic pinsers snapping, gears whirring, servants of their Tokorian creators.

Finally, Link reaches the Verdant Woods, and makes his way to the centre. He finds The Great Deku Town, where the Deku people live. Many of the Kakariko villagers also fled there. There are many things to do here, such as minigames and side-quests. At the North End of the town, the Great Deku Tree grows. If you talk to the Deku Princess who is tending his roots, you will learn that he is dying. The tree does not talk to you.

In the centre of the town, resides the Magnus Arbor XI, the Great Deku Emperor. He is selfish and child-like, and refuses to aid the King, saying that Hyrule had never done anything for him, that he was already sheltering the people of Kakariko, and that the Tokor would never come to the Verdant Woods. Cue a giant clockwork beetle flying out of the sky and capturing the Deku Princess. Link immediately gives chase through the Verdant Woods, getting through a series of puzzles and fights to reach a glade where he confronts the giant clockwork beetle, and returns with the Deku Princess. During the fight, Tik remarks that the clockwork insect is obvious work of the Tokor, and that they are around somewhere.

The Deku Emperor is overjoyed, and says that he will join the King of Hyrule as thanks. Then, the ground shakes, and and suddenly, a clockwork insect flies into of the Great Deku's mouth. And then another. And another. The Deku Tree groans horribly, and then closes his mouth. Then, he uses telekinesis to speak to Link, and asks Link to enter, and destroy the evil inside, with the help of the Deku Princess, who will now join you for this dungeon. He opens his mouth just long enough for Lin, Tik and the Princess to enter, then closes it again.

This dungeon is filled with clockwork insects, which Link must defeat. There are many rooms filled with spikes, or which fall into endless caverns, but upon the walls there are strange groves upon which the clockwork insects move. For most of the dungeon, it is necessary to switch controls between Link and the Deku Princess, who can jump far further than Link, glide, and ride air currents which blow through the tree. The mini-boss is a quick clockwork beetle, but bigger than before, which spins around on a moveable gear base. After defeating it, link steals the base: it is the spinner from TP, which can be used to tarvel the grooves in the walls. Tik comments that it is again of Tokor design, which has been copied over the millenia. Link can now access the rest of the dungeon, until he reaches a large room, with a pillar of wood in the centre. The Deku Princess says this is the heartwood, at the centre of the tree. The pillar of wood beats very slowly. Then, flash of darkness appears. A clockwork knight appears, a menacing shadow surrounding him. His blae is like the Tokor envoy's, just larger, more powerful looking, more sinister. Almost all of his body seems to be made of clockwork, creating a tick tick tick in the background.

???: "It seems I will have to deal with this myself. This Princess is proving far to irritating. Such a shame the clockwork insects couldn't find the heartwood and kill the Deku Tree for me. Stupid things. The Deku Tree's magic is the only thing that protects the Verdant Woods. Once it falls, I will be able to send in living, breathing troops, not these stupid clockwork bugs."

He grabs the Princess, then turns to Link. Tik is nowhere to be seen.

???: "As for you... meet my new pet!"

He throws a large cogwheel into the air, a copy of the one you found in the Passage of Sands, then hits it with dark lightning, before disappearing with the Deku Princess.

Meanwhile, the Cogwheel transforms into a mechanical monstrosity, massive in size, as new parts form out of the shadows. Finally, a Clockwork Gohma is formed, and starts flying after Link. You must use the Spinner to ring round the walls of the Deku Tree, until the Gohma charges at you, at which point you jump off the spinner onto it's head, and stab it, bringing it to the ground. Rinse and repeat 3 times. Then, the Clockwork Gohma splits into 3 smaller parts, Claw 1, Claw 2, and Eye. The eye will hold back, occasionally rolling at you at very high speed, while the claws constantly slash at you. Defeat the claws, then plunge the sword into the eye to win.

The parts will disappear, leaving only the large cogwheel. Now you have two.

Tik will appear, and speak of the mysterious stranger you just met. His name is Azrael, and he is leader of the Tokor. He rules Clockwork City as complete dictator, and he wishes to rule Hyrule. He is master of the clockwork. Tik also mentions that the cogwheels will be very important, although he wil not say why. Tik also says that he is very worried that Azrael used magic, as the Tokor tribe had their magic removed centuries ago.

Finally, Link exits the Great Deku Tree. The Tree looks better now, and explains with the Clockwork insects gone, he is recovering. He tells the Emperor that if he aids the King, and Link, the Deku Princess may be saved. He also says he knew that the Deku Princess was very special.

She was the reincarnation of the Sage of the Forest.

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And that wraps up part 3. Yes, Sahasriora is a descendant of Sahasrahla, and I'm revealing that he is a descendant of Impaz. (which is complete fanon, but anyway...)

The Clockwork Blade: Up to Dungeon 3

Well, the distraught Deku Emperor pledges alleigance to the King. Tik suggests that Link seeks help from the Gorons, and so you set off. Tik appears very worried that Azrael should seek the sages. It is a short distance east until Link arrives at the foreboding base off Death Mountain. Link climbs up the treacherous slopes using various items, until he arrives at the summit, and speaks to Patriarch Medigoron, Leader of the Goron tribe. Medigoron's daughter, Amber, is also present.

Medigoron wishes to aid the King of Hyrule, and fight the Tokor. He too pledges alleigance to the King. He asks you to come to the Great Forge, where he will craft a mighty sword for Link. Link follows, into the depths of Death Mountain, into the Forge, a large, crystalline platform with a great anvil in the center, suspended above lava by 3 chains. Then, disaster strikes. The ground suddenly shakes violently. A massive boulder falls in front of the entrance to the Great Forge, blocking the way up. Then, the lava level starts rising, slowly but surely.

Medigoron begs that you lead Amber to safety. He curls up, and lets you and Amber be launched to safety, in the way the TP Gorons did. Link and Amber are launched onto a narrow platform, high on the wall of the Forge room. Link exits the room, and must lead Amber to safety through the twisting chambers of the Death Mountain. Note that this is not a dungeon, just a moderately difficult challenge. After a while, Amber and Link will end up at a dead end, and the lava is rising behind them. There appears to be no escape.

The wall next to them is suddenly smashed by a giant fist, and Link and Amber run through. They find themselves in a cavernous room, with a massive Goron inside, who dwarves both of them. He reveals himself to be High Elder Biggoron. He has not left the Death Mountain Mines for a long time, serving as an advisor to the Goron people. He tells Link to look after Amber, stating that she is the Sage of Fire. Amber must go to the deepest part of Death Mountain, where she can sooth the fire of the mighty mountain. Tik asks him if he has seen anything with cogwheel insignia on it. Biggoron replies that he has, a long time ago, on a door near the base of the mountain, but it has never opened in Goron history. Then, Biggoron launches Link and Amber out of the crater, onto the peak of Death Mountain.

Link can now use the Spinner to descend the mountain. Once he does so, he finds all the Gorons at the base of Death Mountain. Medigoron rushes up to him, looking hugely relieved. He had thought Amber and Link had died. He had only survived when the boulder rolled away due to another earthquake. Medigoron says that if something is not done soon, the Lava will rise to far, and the Volcano will erupt. He also says a mysterious door has opened at the base of Death Mountain, and that he suspects that has something to do with it.

Link must then enter the Lava Chambers. This dungeon is filled with lava, but also strange ratchet machinery, constantly ticking around, winding up. A few of the rooms has ceilings which rise and fall, lifted and lowered by the machinery, making for interesting puzzles. Throughout the dungeon, there are massive boulders blocking paths. For this dungeon, Amber must be used for certain parts, as she can cross extremely hot areas for small amounts of time, as well as being able to roll like all Gorons. Jumping while rolling will let her go even further than Link does. She can also be used to boost into extremely high areas.

Halfway through the dungeon, Link and Amber reach a wide room. Suddenly, the ground shakes, and a clockwork statue steps forward. It is the Clockwork Senitel. It will attempt to pick up boulders and throw them at Link and Amber. Together, Link and Amber must defeat it letting it pick up Amber, who then rolls out of it's grip, which will make the Senitel throw absolutely nothing, giving Link a chance to slsh at it. Once Link has defeated it, it will fall to parts, except for the mighty clockwork arms it used to pick up boulders.

Link can now use the Vice Arms, these clockwork contraptions, to pick up heavy boulders, and therefore advance further through the dungeon. He can also throw Amber up into high places, allowing Amber to join Link in some places. Eventually, the three climb down a long flight of marble stairs next to ornately carved statues. There are emblems of the TriForce, but most of these are damaged and in bad condition. There are also statues of cogwheels, but these are untouched and pristine. Link, Tik, and Amber, once they reach the base of the stairs, find another large cogwheel, the same as the one in the last 3 dungeons. It is powering an odd machine. Then, Tik turns and Amber and Link.

Tik: "It started long ago. Azrael overthrew the rightful leader of the Clockwork city, and killed him. No-one knows how.

Some say he used magic, but the Tokor had their magic stripped of them a long time ago.

The Tokor once lived in this land. Their temples can still be found. This is one. The Tokor were always advanced, but once they had magic too. Powerful magic. They built mighty weapons... but then something happened, and the Tokor had to leave Hyrule, their civilisation destroyed, their magic taken. The leader built a city, far to the North of Hyrule. And all the leaders sought to rule the Tokor with kindness, so that their fate would never befall them again.

But Azrael... rebelled.

These cogwheels are not just ordinary gears. They are imbued with magic, and were created before the fall of the Tokor. There are four, and they can power machines beyond imagining. Even the mightiest Tokor machines are no match to those they once built."

Tik turns to the machine.

"This is one such machine. It is raising the lava through the power of the gear. Take the gear, and your people are safe, Amber."

Link steps forward and retrieves the gear. The machine stops. But behind Link, the door at the foot of the stairs slams shut. There is no choice but to go onwards.

Link steps through the arched doorway into the next room. It is an empty room in the shape of an O. The centre is filled with lava. Then, the lava bubbles and spurts, and a snake-like figure rises from the Lava.

Volvagia.

"My Master has awoken me...

I have slept in Death's Embrace so long...

And now a Hero and a Goron stand before me once more...

You shall DIE!"

The fight is on. Volvagia will burst from the lava, spitting fireballs everywhere, in a increasingly dangerous rampage. His tail will lash out at anyone who attempts to come too close. To defeat, pick up boulders from the lava using the Vice Arms, and throw them at him. He will be knocked against the wall, and you must attack. Once attacked three terms, he will climb out of the lava, and chase after you. Now Link must grasp him, using the Vice Arms, sumo-wrestler style, and follow through with the sword. Then Volvagia will collapse.

Then, he'll roar, shoot forward, grab Amber, and then say to Link:

"This isn't over yet, young Hero."

Before flying out of the Ancient Temple, the helpless Amber, Sage of Fire, grasped in his claws.

Nice idea. I love the mechanical elements. But why not make the Tokor have something to do with Clock Twon, the Clock Tower and Termina in it's whole? That would be awesome for theorists to discuss.

Well, I did actually think about that, but I decided not to, because for me, one of the best things about MM was its air of mystery, the way that its history, people and artefacts (read: FD and MM) were obscured by the mists of time, and I liked that feeling to it. Explaining it would take the mystery away, and ruin MM somewhat.

The storyline is very good indeed. It's an interesting twist to the Zelda universe - it's not so common with great forces attacking; usually it's just X enemy who feels like taking over Hyrule and optionally the Triforce.

However, I suggest you improve your creativity when it comes to the more technical aspects of the game. We've already had quite a few Zelda games that use the Forest/Mountain/Water themes for the early dungeons. Good thing you took a desert theme early on, though. The cogwheel thing is a very good idea, though - it's much better than the generic "obtain three random items and draw the Master Sword!" thing. Gohma and Volvagia feels a bit too much Ocarina of Time-imitating, too.

But, I think putting in the Clawshot this early is a bad idea. Hookshot-esque items are better to place a little later in the game, earliest the third. Otherwise, when you design the layout and such, you'll find yourself struggling with how to block away areas in for example dungeons, because space between is one of the easiest ways to do that, and if the Clawshot is introduced early in the game, you'll loose that useful element in the game.

But otherwise, it's a very great idea; original, creative, imaginative. Keep it up (:

Well, the Clawshot, Spinner, and Vice Arms must be within the first 3 dungeons of the game, for the way it is planned out. Don't worry - I do have more ways of concealing hidden areas, which you'll find out about later on. For example, the Double Clawshot makes a return.

The Clockwork Gohma is designed to fight very differently from the OoT Gohma- they would not feel similar at all, ad the clockwork design serves only to re-inforce that. Admittedly, the return of Volvagia is an OoT reference, but where would Zelda be without self-reference?

I'm going with the classic dungeons (Fire, Water, Desert, Forest) early on, but during the second half of them game, the dungeons become very different, and follow very different schemes. Notably, the Clockwork City.

Also, if you look at aLttP's map, this game is set chronologically about a few hundred years after that, which is why some classic locations are used. The Desert is the Desert of Mysteries, above that is Kakariko village, above that, Verdant Woods, previously the Lost Woods, etc.

Very interesting.
Things I like:

-Interaction with the other races.
Keep building on that. I think a focal point of the plot should be seeing how the various races have changed over time, what their kingdoms are like now, where their allegiances lie etc. This could be useful for the final temple...perhaps a leading member of each race is needed to aid you on your final mission

-The unique element of it.
You've done a pretty good job of making a believable plot that's not just a prequel/sequel to another tale with a similar story. I don't know that Nintendo would actually consider a Zelda game with so much mechanical involvement, but it's interesting nonetheless.

-The mysteriousness
I like the character of Tik, and all the mystery surrounding the Tokor

Some things that could use work:

-The beginning plot
The King has no problem with Link, a random orphan kid, volunteering to go save Hyrule? There should be some major reason the King believes in Link. In a lot of the other games people recognize Link as a chosen hero that was prophesied about. Try to think of something like that to explain why he's the hero, but without sounding like you're rehashing an old story. Keep up the originality.

-The fact that you go in the Deku Tree
Aw come on man, I know you can be more original than that To me, this dungeon just sounds like a cross between Deku Tree and Jabu-Jabu. There's gotta be some other way you can make a cool Forest-type temple without reusing the Deku Tree. I don't mind him playing a role in the plot at all, but just not as a dungeon

Things I'd like to see:
-Sidequests
With so much interaction with all the different races, it shouldn't be too hard for you to come up with some sidquests

-New Weapons
Since your game has a new concept to it, you should make weapons that fit accordingly.

And one question I have...it appears all the Princesses of every race are being captured...Will this have some relevance to the grand evil plot?
At the moment, I'm having a hard time connecting "technological dictator who wants to rule the world" to "kidnap princesses" but I trust that you'll tie it together in time.
Keep it up!

Yes, beginning plot is a little problematic. The thing is, and this would be made apparent through-out the game, that the Heroes, ie, Links, have been forgotten. Ganon is dead, Vaati is dead, and the other villains wouldn't fit, as they are mostly non Hyrule, so there hasn't been need for a Hero for some time. In the roughly 200 odd years, there are merely a few scraps and pieces of the story. Therefore, I don't want to introduce Link as a Hero - that throws the plot somewha. I am going to change that though. Perhaps a daring deed of derring do during the downfall of Castle Town? (try saying that ten times fast)

Deku Tree plot is because I want it to feel quintessential Zelda for the first half or so of the game, and then alien, shocking and dark for the second half. A blend of OoT gameplay followed by MM gameplay, if you wish. I may change that, but I quite like it a it is. Don't worry, the Zora dungeon does not involve entering Jabu-Jabu, however, it does explain the Rito/Zora/Zola schematics, as an interesting side note.

Sidequests: ah, another NPC fan like me. MM was my favourite Zelda for precisely this reason. Yes, there shall be sidequests galore.

Weapons: yes, a few of the weapons will be redesigned, but I'm not going overboard. Between 5-10 items will be tech'd up, and the rest left as is.

Yes, I'll tie it together eventually, but a thought for you to munch on: why would a race become so advanced technologically, in a world where magic makes everything easy? Possibly because their magic was banished. But why and how was their magic banished, huh?

Hmm, I'll get the ol' thinking cap on
And yes, Majora's Mask is my idea of a damn near perfect game. NPC's with that kinda feel to them, and that many sidequests interwoven was what set it apart.