First of I'm giving you fair warning that my following post may be TEXT HEAVY. I'm a writer (or maybe it's that I like to write a lot), and as such my brain has the tendency to spin off ideas into many realms from novels to comics to video game ideas. The key concepts for this idea for a future Zelda have been revolving in my head for a
long time. It was only yesterday that I started to transcribe it on a Word Document. Up to 9 or so pages and the majority of it was
just written today. And most of these sections are NOT YET FINISHED. So aside from the obvious advise that I
seriously need both a girl friend and job, I'd like a little feedback on this idea.
Legend of Zelda Pillars of Nobility
Prologue: For ages Hyrule has survived as a peaceful domain ruled by a just monarch and blessed by the Goddesses. When times of darkness threatened to engulf the land Destiny brought forth the fabled Noble Hero and the Revered Sages who would restore order to the land. With this legend passed down, the people of Hyrule felt they were protected by Destiny and the kingdom flourished. But what once bred hope and vigor now spawned arrogance and ignorance. Injustice now spreads in Hyrule. The once fair and just protectors of the kingdom turn a blind eye to what does not prophet them. The ruling class relegates live in protected walls in luxury while the “lesser blooded” are relegated to a life of struggle. The sacred rites have been displaced by the growth of industry, even the once revered Forest is now being chopped down by loggers. Meanwhile a group of warriors in the western mountains now follow a man named Ganondorf who has declared war on Hyrule.
But the legend of the Noble Hero is not dead. Some whisper that he will one day come to rectify this injustice. With the rise of monsters and troubles, even the corrupt ruling class wish to see the return of the Noble Hero to protect their coffers. But the tale begins with a band of thieves and their plot to exploit the rumors of the Hero to con a greedy noble of his rupees. Who would expect that in this uncouth farce, Fate would choose to intervene?
***
Setting: So basically the story takes place in a more dystopian Hyrule. Our favorite green-clad hero is now known as the Noble Hero in the Kingdom’s folklore and his legend led the people to believe that they were protected by Destiny. At first this had a positive effect and led Hyrule into an era of peace. But later on, the Kingdom became corrupt.
The Royal Family is still around but they have no political power. The current head of the family is the King of Hyrule, his heir apparent is the beloved Zelda. But he is merely a figurehead (similar to the Emperor of WW2 Japan). The true officiators of policy are the Sages Council who are proclaimed as the inheritors of the power of the Revered Sages. Though they call themselves mere advisors, this is a pretty obvious front of an oligarchy.
When one Sage dies, the search for the new Sage is undertaken. Only the Sages can discern who has “inherited” the power of the deceased Sage, this is derived from a commonly quoted phrase: “Only the destined shall
see the course of destiny. The destined known only by destiny
seen.” This is said to come from a famous edict by the gods written in the Sacred book of Mudora. Strangely enough, the actual phrase in the book is written “Only the destined shall
enact the course of destiny. The destined known only by destiny
done.” Few people actually know this.
The Kingdom’s population is mostly composed of Hylians and Humans. The difference between the two among other things is mainly the ears. Because of their longer history in Hyrule, the Hylians consider themselves closer to the gods. In fact there is a distinct social gap between the two races. Nobility is composed almost exclusively of Hylians (the exceptions numbering very few). The social class system is usually based on bloodlines. Over the ages many Humans and Hylians have intermarried, thus nobles tend to place more value on individuals who are “higher blooded”. The lower classes of society tend to be composed of Humans (often referred to as “round ears”) and “lesser blooded” Hylian.
Hyrule is on the verge of becoming a more industrialized nation. Despite the fact that the story of the Noble Hero and the Revered Sages is widespread, few people respect the traditions such as those of sacred grounds and are willing to sully it to their gain. Thus, loggers are now hacking their axes at the once respected Forests, chopping down more trees than they need, to create sea-worthy ships that can find treasures in the distant lands off the coats of Hyrule.
The Gorons and Zora are still in Hyrule. Needless to say things are not going all too well with them. The Gorons are being exploited for metals and bomb making materials. Zoras have become very reclusive and even attack intruders into their realm. In fact they are in allied with an enemy to the Kingdom and the Sage’s Council wishes to declare war on them. In addition there are the Deku, plant like beings who live in the forests and fear the threat of the loggers. They were once a most belligerent, cowardly, and selfish race until the arrival of the mysterious Forest Giant long ago. After which they evolved into a peaceful people working with a race of children called the Kokiri to help keep the Forest live and vibrant.
In addition to the social turbulence and racial prejudice, it seems that land is plagued by monsters. Moblins, Bokoblins, and Bulblins are raiding unprotected villages, and a group of warrior bandits in the mountains have united under a man who goes by the name of Ganondorf declares war against Hyrule. No one is sure why these troubles are occurring, the upper class blames it on the intermingling of Hylian and round ear blood.
All of these problems ironically have everyone in Hyrule praying for the return of the Noble Hero. The greedy “higher blooded” hope that he will come to protect them from losing their undeserved wealth. The oppressed “lower blooded” pray that he will bring the Kingdom back to a fair and just land.
***
Gameplay:
Three Stances – Instead of there being any transformations, Link will learn three different Stances that determine how he interacts with the world around him. Once he learns a Stance he can switch to it at will. Aside from his movements, Stances can affect whether or not he is knocked down from an enemy blow to how NPCs may interact with him. The capabilities of each Stance are expanded. The three Stances are:
Skillful Rogue – This is Link’s initial Stance. Basically this is the stance of a free runner. Of the three, he can run the fastest and jump the farthest in this one. As the story goes on, he can later perform more acrobatic moves. However he may take more damage from enemy attacks.
Brave Knight – Link’s combat Stance, not much different from how he is in the previous games. Most of the Wii-mote inputs direct his attacks, defense, and dodges. Expansion to this Stance will increase his attack skills (taught to him by swordsmen).
Savvy Socialite – This Stance is mostly for interaction with NPCs outside the dungeons. In most villages and towns, Link is a stranger. As such most people will either be too intimidated, if he engages them with the Brave Knight Stance, or too suspicious, if he engages them with the Skillful Rogue Stance, to actually talk to him. Some might reply with a “…” or an “uh…” or simply back off when you come near them. The Savvy Stance allows him to engage NPCs. This is good for starting sidequests, finding items, and progressing the story. Though sometimes it is not the best Stance to engage characters with. The Gorons are more open to the Brave Knight Stance since they only respect people who take a strong posture in first meetings.
Link starts out with the Skillful Rogue Stance when the game begins. Learning the Brave Knight and the Savvy Socialite both involve sort of minigames with the Wii-Mote (the Brave Knight Stance is basically learned by Bran teaching Link sword techniques). When all three Stances are learned, Link can become more adept at them through various events and optional sidequests. The actual learning of new skills are done differently for each Stance. Skillful Rogue Stance is expanded through an obstacle course. Brave Knight is expanded through training sessions. And the Savvy Socialite is expanded through Wii-Mote minigames.
***
Items:
Ledge Hook – this is an initial item in Link’s inventory. Used for scaling certain walls.
Lantern – requires oil.
Bombs – three types, the regular, the kind that can operate in water, and Bomchus. In addition there are Bomb Flowers.
Bow and Arrow – Standard Zelda Game equipment. Arrows can be combined with bombs and now they can be combined with the Lantern to create Burning Arrows. I’m still not sure about whether to include Magic Arrows (don't think so).
Hookshot – Can latch onto certain surfaces it’s later upgraded to the Dualshot and finally the Trishot. With the first upgrade the weapon can latch onto grated surfaces as the “hook” will convert into a “claw”. The second upgrade will allow it to grab handle bars as the “hook” converts to a “talon”, this will allow him to swing from one location to another. When upgraded, the “hook” will automatically convert to whichever function suits the surface he’s aiming at when he sets it to shoot (the “clink” before releasing).
Gigaton Hammer – a powerful hammer that in addition to its uses in dungeon crawling can shatter enemies’ shields in combat. It can also be charged with magic power to unleash a powerful earthquake that can knock enemies down and solve puzzles. When unleashing a fully charged quake, if Link moves he may lose his balance and stumble. Charging it will consume his magic power.
Iron Boots – Same as last game. Also makes it much harder for Link to be knocked down.
Pictograph – Like its other game counterparts. Its photos are in sepia. Can be used in a number of Sidequests including the Shadow Guild.
Pegasus Boots – these are in effect the opposite of the Iron Boots. When you equip them, Link will run much faster (Bunny Hood anyone?) and jump farther. However he will be knocked down easier. Some sword attacks like the Role Stab and the Running Slash (when Link holds his sword out while running like in
TP) will be given a boost in knock back and damage against foes when used with these.
Roc’s Cape – when equipped it essentially has the effect of a cucco when Link is falling. Good for reaching areas otherwise unreachable by any other items.
Deku Staff – a staff used by the Deku to encourage the growth of plants and move about their plant-like village. Link eventually receives one that he can use to grow plants as well. Using it requires magic power. At first it used for solving puzzles in the forest and certain dungeons. Link eventually obtains special items he can place in it that give it different powers:
- Frost Orb – imbues the Deku Staff with ice powers. It basically takes the place of the Ice Arrows. It can create platforms of ice in water, it can freeze enemies susceptible to cold like Lizalfos through hitting with it. At the cost of extra mp it can send a projectile blast that will freeze.
- Gale Jewel – imbues the Staff with wind powers, not exactly useful in combat but can be used in wind oriented puzzles.
- Blaze Star – imbues the Staff with fire powers, it can be used to melt ice (something neither the Lantern nor Burning Arrows can do). In combat it can set enemies on fire and at the cost of extra mp can create an effect similar to Din’s Fire from OoT, (Cannot launch projectile blasts).
Spoils Satchel – This bag functions like the Spoils Bag in
TWW. It carries spoils dropped by enemies as well as pilfered loot.
Thief’s Satchel – This bag holds items that Link can use in combat and stealth. Such as:
- Deku Nuts – these babies finally make a come back. Using them will create a bright flash that will blind enemies.
- Bomb Flower Seeds – creates a loud sound that can serve as a distraction
- Cucco Eggs – When you use these after a day or two it make a rotten smell.
- Magic Beans – can be planted or used to interact with certain creatures.
Empty Bottles – a good ol’ faithful of the Zelda series. Can carry:
- Water – you can choose either to drink this for a heart’s worth of health recovery or poor it on something.
- Fairy Spring Water – heals a lot of your hearts, can be taken from sources of water that fairies float over.
- Milk – Recovers 3-5 hearts depending on the quality. 2 helpings
- Tea – Recovers magic depending on quality. 2 Helpings
- Tasty Beverage – Decreases health, increases magic, tastes really good.
- Soup – Recovers 8 hearts.
- Red Potion – Recovers all health
- Green Potion – Recovers magic
- Blue Potion – Recovers health and magic
- Fairy – Recovers 8 hearts, automatic resurrection.
- Forest Potion – essential in crossing the Lost Woods.
- Poe Essence – random effect depending on the mood of the soul (Player can affect mood by playing a song before collecting it).
- Chu Jelly – can be used to make potions.
- Oil – refills Lantern, can also be used for things such as lubricating machinery.
- Blue Fire – Can melt ice.
- Frost Mist – can freeze water, enemies, and other uses.
*Note: Health recovery contents can be "shared" with other characters for social benefits (buy 'em an ale so to speak), but the player must remember that their reactions do not depend on factors such as health recovery. Potions tend to taste terrible. The benefits of this interaction can number from getting a new item to learning their names (see side quest section).
Instruments – these make a return, at the beginning of the game, Link has the option of stealing one of three instruments that he will keep for the rest of the game. One is an Ocarina, the other is a Harp, the last is a Deku Violin. Which choice he makes will affect which one he has for the rest of the game. Each Instrument has a different way of being played using the Wii Controls. As with
OoT, MM, and
TWW, Link will learn Songs. He plays the song through the initial notes input like before, but unlike before Link will continue playing the song in it entirety until the player says otherwise (some of the more dexterous can opt to make it for as long as they keep playing the notes). I’m hoping to have the Songs be more involved in Link’s interaction with NPCs. Instead of just using songs to open doors and change time, Link uses it more in a way similar to how you get the Goron’s Bracelet from Darunia. There’s also a side quest slash/minigame involves playing with the Songbirds at local Inns during Night Time.
***
Equipment:
Thief’s Cloths – Link’s initial clothing, includes a cloak.
Hero’s Costume – clothing that resembles the Noble Hero’s clothing. It has notable patches and discolorations. Official description is “It looks authentic…from a distance.” Link obtains this for his part to play in the Bran’s con game.
Battle Worn Sword – the initial weapon given to Link by Bran.
Buckler Shield – a shield given to Link by Bran. A decent blow will shatter it.
Soldier’s Sword – given to Link at Zelda’s Villa.
Hylian Shield – the baby from
TP and
OoT, it can take stronger blows but a really powerful one will break it and Link will need to buy another one. Also avoid Like-Likes as when they swallow this one their digestive acids will burn through it unless killed quickly.
Hero’s Cloths – the real deal that Link receives later on. The chainmail gives him extra protection against arrows.
Other Cloths – Something that Link obtains in addition to the Savvy Socialite that he can use in out-of-dungeon missions and side quests. But since they lack the protection that the Hero’s Cloths give Link. These cloths include accessories such as masks.
Zora Clothing – for those diving operations.
Master Sword – Speaks for itself pretty much.
Pick Up Weapons: In addition to Link’s Sword, he can pick up other weapons to replace the Sword like
TWW, however in this game he can use more combos with them, though never as many as his sword. These weapons can be more effective against certain enemies in that they can exploit weaknesses that the sword may not. However most of these weapons are two handed and he cannot roll when holding them. When he is using these two handed weapons his shield will be his back, he can still block attacks however he does so with the weapon and the player must be more specific about where he guards in order to successfully parry. Finally these weapons are have a set durability limit like the Giant’s Knife and the Razor Sword and any time Link hits something with them or successfully parries they will be closer to breaking.
***
Characters and Groups:
Bran’s Gang – a motley crew of thieves that have a hideout near the deprived village of Bipin. Led by the eponymous Bran, they steal rupees to survive as well as help the starving people of Bipin. To officially become a member, one must steal a treasure from a noble. There are seven members.
Link : The newest addition to Bran’s Gang, Link becomes the seventh member after he steals a specially made instrument from a mansion. He is in fact the only member to have pointed ears and due to this face, Bran decides that he will be the key player in a little con job of theirs.
Bede: Bede is not one of the thieves. In fact he is not even human, he is a Keaton, a spirit fox. Since he can remember, Link has always been aware of Bede while the neither the people of Bipin Village nor Bran’s Gang can see him at all. He has acted as a sort of companion to Link, helping him find detail he would have normally missed. However he’s also pretty mischievous and sometimes advises Link to do things he shouldn’t. Bede basically acts as the game’s Navi/Tatl/Midna.
Bran: The leader of the Gang. Bran is a tall and worn man and seasoned in the ways of swordsmanship. In fact he teaches Link how to use a sword in order to pull off their scheme. He has a habit of carelessly tossing objects when passing them to team mates regardless of whether they are fragile or “dangerous at high speeds” (case in point: Link is nearly skewered when receiving his first sword from him). As a result, the gang has become extremely good at catching and dodging.
Finn: Bran’s son and one of the Gang. Finn is skilled in swordsmanship like his father. If it weren’t for the fact that he has round ears, he might have played the part of the Hero in their con. Being the light-hearted fellow that he is though, Finn doesn’t mind. He’s still essential to the plot though as he’ll be the Hero’s aid who will be doing the talking for Link (he states so that Link doesn’t have to worry about “stage fright”).
Dagda – One of Bran’s Gang. Likes to eat a lot.
Nieva – The only female member of Bran’s Gang. She’s very good with horses and can teach Link tricks that he can perform on horseback (Skillful Rogue Stance) later in the game.
Turim – More book smart than streets. He likes to keep a lot of gadgets in his room.
Manni – Works the obstacle course.
Bipin Villagers – name says it all. Haven’t thought them up yet but they are apparently willing to help.
Fado Villagers – A village bordering the Forest. The increase in lumber demand has attracted a lot of axmen to the village.
Syrup – a green haired witch who specializes at creating potions. She’s developing a special potion that will allow people to navigate the Lost Woods. However it requires rare ingredients. To further his quest, Link must help her develop this potion by finding these ingredients. She also sells potions made by chu jelly that her apprentice collects, however Link can get free potions by giving her chu jelly.
Maple – Syrup’s apprentice. I haven’t determined her involvement yet but it’s probably going to be a rivalry in some sidequest.
Gorons – our favorite rock’n rollin’ mountain dwellers still live in Death Mountain.
Bomb Flower Botanist – A Goron who works with the Bomb Flower Farms to breed a special type of Bomb Flower. The profession is a very dangerous as it involves intentionally setting Bomb Flowers off.
Darumin - the leader of the Goron tribe. His health is fading.
Zora - the Zora have become reclusive and angry with the Hylians. The have allied themselves with a man named Ganondorf.
Raluto - The strongest warrior of the Zora.
The Travelin’ Songbirds – a band that travel from town to town, playing music to get by in Hyrule, they hope to one day perform for Princess Zelda herself. Link often encounters them in the towns he visits (and sometimes on Hyrule field), in fact he can even play with them at local inns.
Paege: The diva and head of the band. Despite her melodic voice and feminine appearance, she is very tomboyish and hard on the rest of the members like the star player of a sports team. She has dreams of being heard throughout Hyrule. Even though she is half Hylian, she will be quick to punch the face of anyone who disparages her chances. Strangely she will take any sincere criticism of her singing seriously, sometimes to the point of tears. She is also seriously critical of how Hyrulean culture no longer cares about the arts.
Moosh – Plays special pipes.
Riky – plays a guitar.
Dimitri – plays rhythm, drums and bells.
(More Info on these characters will come as soon as I think them up)
Shadow Guild – riddled throughout Hyrule are mysterious slabs of rock called Gossip Stones. No one really knows their purpose anymore and sometimes they just use them for aesthetics like being garden rocks. However during the hours of sunrise and sunset, Link may see a masked man in a cloak standing in front of a Gossip Stone. If Link approaches this man, he will use disappear in a Deku Nut flash. These individuals are members of the secretive Shadow Guild. The Guild is mysterious organization descended from a tribe that once served the Royal Family. Their purpose is unknown however if Link can find them, he may be able to gather critical information.
The Royal Family – we all know about them.
The King – Right now he’s there because if Zelda was the only one I’m not sure she should go by the title of “Princess”.
Princess Zelda: Back again with a major role to play. But this incarnation of Zelda is different from the rest. Zelda is the heir apparent the throne of Hyrule, but that’s a meaningless position. With the Sage’s Council in control of mostly everything, she’s just destined to sit, look pretty, and wow the people with an occasional show of magic at festivals. Because of this unfulfilling livelihood, Zelda has adopted a rather grim and pessimistic view of life. Even still, she was raised with the highlife, and while she doesn’t share extreme views of Hylian blood as some of her peers, she’s not deeply concerned about the troubles of her people. But she is more familiar with the legends and knows the history of the man named Ganondorf. So when word of another man called Ganondorf, she fears that the evil king has somehow returned. Still, what is she to do? That’s her thoughts until she runs into Link during the Hero con. At first more interested in exposing him as a fraud and watching the proceeding hanging, when she catches sight of Bede she suddenly realizes that their might be more to Link than meets the eye. But then a hoard of monster’s attack at her order a knocked out Link is taken with her to her personal villa at Lake Hylia. Perhaps she might have more bearing on the world after all…
Sir Lyon – Zelda’s body guard. A veteran knight of Hyrule. There is question among the elite about the “highbloodedness” of his family.
Zazi: One of Zelda’s attendants. He reluctantly teaches Link the Savvy Socialite Stance.
Trouble Makers
Ganondorf?: The leader of the mountain bandits who are declaring war on the Kingdom. Few people remember the name of Ganondorf from the legend of the Hero. Even when news about this Ganondorf begin to spread, it’s only by word of mouth (Bran inaccurately recalls the name as “Gamondork”).
The “Other” Heroes – apparently Bran wasn’t the only one to think of bringing back the Hero of Legends. In addition to Link two other characters appear in the game in the Hero’s garb. Is one of them the real thing? Could it be that Link’s just a poser? Well we already know the answer to that, but just what makes him different from them.
Knit – the first Posing Hero that Link encounters. At first sight Knit appeared to be an adolescent boy, but Link shortly finds out that Knit is in fact a girl around his age! She’s just about as well practiced as Link in sword play. Her reasons for posing as the Hero(ine) are unclear (as I haven’t thought of them yet).
Hew – the other Hero that Link encounters, Hew is a whole different story from Knit. He’s rough, tough, and already a master swordsman. In Link’s initial encounters, Hew seems to better at just about everything from horse riding to pot breaking. Hew’s also charismatic, in the comparisons between him and Link, people usually assume that Hew is the Noble Hero. Why should Link bother when they could have a guy like him?
***
Locations:
Hyrule Field – the over world of the game. Very big. Link will need a horse to cross most distances. In fact until the point that Link gets a horse most of his cross country trips are done by story events. Occasionally Link may run into Bulblin, Bokoblin, or Moblin encampments. Sometimes there will be merchant wagons that are under attack that Link can save (or not). Sometimes there will be people that Link can escort. Sometimes there will be other horsemen that Link can race. The place is pretty active.
Bippin Village – a farming village, Bran’s hideout can be accessed from here.
Lake Hylia – that big lake is actually visited early in the game. There is a royal villa there as well as a settlement where Link can fish.
Lake Hylia – that big lake is actually visited early in the game. There is a royal villa there as well as a settlement where Link can fish.
Fado Village – Link first visits this town when Zelda has a trusted bodyguard ride him there. The village borders the Forest and is thus inhabited by many loggers. The recent demand for timbre has really increased and the loggers want to go to town on the Forest. This village is also the home to the witch Syrup and her apprentice Maple.
The Forest – the vast expanse of woods. Folklore remembers the Forest as a place of intense magic and inhabited by many spirits and creatures. There is the Lost Woods where only those who use a special potion can safely navigate. If they can find their way, they may find the Tree Village inhabited by the plant-like Deku and the child-like Kokiri as well as the Forest Giant who leads them as Wards of the Woods. Finally an arduous path and trials is said to lead them to the Sacred Temple Ruins.
Lost Woods – Basically the hub section of the Forest. It has the appearance of the open woods with many trees but only certain paths can be tread without the traveler blacking out during the journey and finding himself lead back to the fields. Normally only spirits of the Forest such as fairies can find the correct path ways (Keaton spirits like Bede are native of the plains) that change with each passing. Link needs the power of something else to find the correct path.
Deku Tree Village – deeper into the Forest, one may find a village where the inhabitants live in trees as tall as towers, this is the Deku Tree Village. Populated by the Kokiri and the wary Deku, the village consists of buildings in the base of the trees with ramparts to here and there. The Deku only trust the Kokiri and people who bear a Deku Staff which is essential to reaching the higher levels of the village a well as the Temple of Leaves. The Giant’s Grove is accessed from here.
Cursed Mire – the corrupted section of the Forest, created by the meddling of the lumberjacks. Originally a logging village was created around this area. However the angry spirits of woods began to fester and turn the area into a swamp filled with monsters. What’s left of the village is now the Infested Nest that becomes the center of the evil that infests the swamp. Later on it begins to create a Blight that causes the protective power of the Lost Woods to begin to fade. It said that only the Sage of the Forest can calm the angry spirits with magic power of a Deku Stick.
Kakariko Village – Once a prominent settlement in the Kingdom of Hyrule. Neglect and raids has caused the village to become a poor hamlet. Yet both Link and Bede feel a strange emotional connection to this place. Perhaps they can restore it to a lively Town again.
Death Mountain – this place is home to the Gorons and a wealth in ore, minerals, and rupees to mine. For this reason, a Mining Town was established at the base of mountain. Of course none of its inhabitants do any “mining”. Why bother when you can get the non-human natives to do all the mining for you? Not many Goron’s like this little arrangement. At first it’s just the disgruntled feeling of being on the receiving end of a scam, but now something seems a bit wrong with digging so deep…
Hyrule Castle Town – the Shining Capital of Hyrule Kingdom. A buzzing city. Expect to find a busy market in the Malo District, a place to rest, refresh, and appreciate fine art in the Anju Plaza, a series of slums in the Mutoh District, nothing but snotty, uptight, bluebloods in the wealthy residents of the Ingo District. Hyrule Castle is the signature edifice of this metropolis, it’s just as neat on the inside, but you won’t see that unless you’re well connected or really skillful...
Sea Coast – the shoreline of Hyrule where one can see water as far as the horizon. One will walk on dunes of sand and find the port of the Kingdom.
Port Mabe is located here. It seems that the Crown has ordered for a fleet of ships to be built to cross the vast ocean. Of course work is becoming hard with the constant attacks made by Cariblins.
Weather, Seasons, and Time – Weather, and Time of day are again factors in locations. I also want seasons to factor that change over the story and be an element that Link can actually change with the Deku Staff, but can only be done in a special location for a specific region.
***
Story Outline (that I have so far):
The game begins with a band of thieves sneaking into a mansion (I’m not sure about the location yet). They secure a passage into the mansion and the leader, Bran, orders their newest recruit, Link, to enter the mansion and steal a “valuable treasure” from the owner. Link nods and enters the mini dungeon as he looks over the layout, a fox-like spirit, Bede, appears out thin air. From the dialogue, he reveals that this is basically Link’s entrance exam into Bran’s Gang of Thieves.
The gameplay starts as basically a tutorial version of “avoid the guards”. Link has no sword and he is in the Skillful Rogue Stance. Under Bede’s guidance he covers the basic control scheme. Such tasks that include listening in on a conversation using the lock on system, utilizing the Stance’s ability to sidle a wall, dropping a pot on top of a guard’s head, and using the Ledge Hook to scale up to the window of the treasure room. When he enters reaches the room Link finds three different instruments: an Ocarina, a Harp, and a Deku Violin. Here the player has the option of choosing one of the three for Link to steal. Any one of them will complete the quest and further the story. The choice will just determine which Instrument Link has for the rest of the game as well as the input for the songs he will learn.
After that, a cutscene occurs in which the door to the room opens, in a panicked state Link tries to hide. The man who enters is Bran. He looks around the room, smiles and easily finds a hiding Link. Link relaxes to see that it’s only his leader. Bran compliments Link’s reflexes but says he’s not yet “adept” at hiding. Bran explains that he and the other thieves have taken what they were after. Upon his inquiry, Link shows Bran the Instrument he stole, Bran notices the other instruments but decides to leave them to the owner of the mansion, seeing as how they are pretty much the only things he has left.
With that it shows Link, Bran, and the other thieves riding away from the mansion as the sun begins to rise. Next it cuts to the mid-day as the thieves arrive at the rural village of Bipin.
The residents greet them. Bran and the other thieves goes to the village Inn, leaving the player to interact with the villagers before entering the Inn himself. The interactions include Link meeting the Travelin’ Songbirds Band other such, (I’m thinking that he should also be able to get a Bottle somehow, but I need to flesh out the inhabitants of the Bipin first).
When Link does enter the Inn he sees Bran measuring up the plunder, giving half to the people of Bipin and the other half to divide amongst the Gang. The village leader thanks them. Bran then moves on to the next order of business, Link’s initiation. Link shows the Gang his Instrument. They give him his kudos and suggest a celebration.
Just then Paige, the Songbirds’ singer enters the Inn and sees Link with the Instrument. She quickly swipes it from him and observes it (her comments about the Instrument are different for each one for instance: She will call the ocarina “a classic”), eventually she teaches Link how to play the Instrument.
Bede will appear and makes joking remark ( along the lines of “having a little culture never hurt, even for a villain like you”). One of the other thieves (Finn perhaps?) jokingly asks Link if he was listening to his “imaginary friend”. The cutscene goes on with a small celebration ending with the Thieves leaving for their hideout a ways from the village.
The next day, Link is summoned to the training room by Bran. The leader gives Link the Thief’s Satchel to carry loot on their future raids as well as a few rupees. Bran then reveals he has a “brilliant plan” for their next big scheme. During their previous raid, he overheard something about how times are getting so that even the greedy lords are praying for the return of the Noble Hero. Though he personally doesn’t believe in the legends, the lords and aristocrats do. Thus he plans to “con the wealthies” by “giving them their Hero”. They will find a merchant or royal convoy, and stage an attack. One of them will dress as the Hero and “fight off” the attackers, and earn a reward from the “victims”.
According to Bran, word will spread, after a few more cons. People will be throwing rupees at their feet when they see the “Hero”. Bran wants Link to pose as the Hero because Link has pointed ears.
Link reluctantly accepts and Bran gives Link the Battle Worn Sword and the Buckler Shield. Bran trains Link in the way of the sword, which in effect, teaches Link the Brave Knight Stance. The next day Link is given the Hero Costume (which he dons) and they begin their con…that’s when the real story begins.
That's all that I got for a detailed outline. The rest of the storywise elements of the game are included on the Plot Twist List and they're not fleshed out.
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Plot Twist List (Beta Notes):
- The con goes awry, when Link is pointed out as a poser, a sudden attack by monsters (either Bulblin’s or Moblins) causes panic for both the Thieves and convoy. Link attempts to fight but his shield and his sword end up broken. He is knocked out.
- Link awakens to find that he was saved on the order of Princess Zelda and was taken with her to a Villa at Lake Hylia. She saved him because she noticed the spirit Bede.
- Next Link is sent to the Forest where through several trials he acquires the Hero’s Clothes and meets the Forest Giant.
- At last Link is allowed to roam freely through Hyrule, tasked with the duty of collecting three keys to retrieve the Master Sword.
- After acquiring the Master Sword, Link unintentionally enters the Sacred Realm where he meets the Timeless Sage who informs him of the Triforce (which was just remembered as symbol by the time of the game), how it separated into three pieces , one held by Ganondorf, the others passed down by heritage. He also tells Link that the ties of destiny bind him to search for the three pieces of the Triforce and return it to the Sacred Realm. Since Ganondorf is the only known holder of the Triforce of Power, Link decides to seek out “Ganondorf”.
- Big Plot Twists Ahoy – the man claiming to be “Ganondorf” is not the actual King of Evil, but a former Knight who is trying to “stir up destiny by using the name”. He knows for a fact that Ganondorf did not return from the grave as Zelda assumed because he located the Forbidden Tomb in which the Evil King was buried after being “killed” by the previous Hero. He also reveals that the people who claim to be the Sages are actually false Sages. The reason why Hyrule is falling into a state of disrepair is because of these usurpers who are unfit lead Hyrule.
- Link travels to the Forbidden Tomb and traverses its depths to the find the body of Ganon. He is successful.
- Soon afterwards, he is confronted by Hew (the “Other Hero”). The False Hero reveals that he was raised and trained to serve the False Sages. They know perfectly well that they are not the pillars of Hyrule chosen by the gods, and thus the reason that Hyrule is dying off, however they refuse to submit to the will of something as uncontrollable as destiny. The False Sages plan on using the Triforce to change Hyrule so that they will maintain power in an ever-lasting world.
- It’s also revealed that the Triforce of Power still resides in Ganondorf’s body. When the previous Hero stabbed him with the Master Sword, it caused the Triforce of Power to go into a dormant state. The Triforce of Power can only be retrieved if it is “awakened” again. Only the Master Sword is capable of this. They fight one another, but Hew defeats Link.
Thoughts that need even more fleshing Out.
The Next Half of the Game involves searching for the True Sages, overthrowing the False Sages, Restoring the Royal Family, and Returning the Complete Triforce to the Sacred Realm. Also as a final plot twist, the real Ganondorf is resurrected but deprived of the Triforce of Power, He temporarily teams up with you to retrieve it (of course you still fight him in a coup de grace)
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Side Quest and Mini Game Ideas:
Travelin’ Songbird’s Tour – At nearly every settlement there will be an Inn with its tavern (or perhaps Milk Bar). At Night Time, the Inn will be filled with various customers. If the Songbirds are in the same settlement as Link then they will be preparing to play at that Inn for the night. Link has the option of joining them with his Instrument, Paege will give him the option of what song they will play. Essentially a cutscene will show of them playing the song in its entirety with more than just Link’s Instrument and the patron’s reactions to the show.* In the next scene it will be morning and Link will be awarded (rupees, heart-piece, etc.) depending on how well the patrons liked the show. Really good shows (that get some patron’s dancing good) will also raise the renown of the Travelin’ Songbirds and help fulfill Paege’s dream of becoming famous eventually culminating in her playing for a big audience in Castle Town (although the sidequest will also have some drama as some people will be opposed to a half-Hylian singer).
*As with the option with songs, the player has the option of making this minigame like a Wii version of Guitar Hero or Rockband.
Rebuild Kakariko – When Link first visits Kakariko it is in a pretty miserable state. Through a number of sidequests (a combination of a social version of item trade and Malo Mart) Link can restore Kakariko to a thriving village.
Shadow’s Guild Investigation – This is basically like the Nintendo Gallery in
TWW except I’m not sure if it will be figurines and or something more like a profile book. Either way it will require Link to use the Pictograph and get the name of the subject of the picture. You submit both to the Shadow Guild and they will do a “background check” of sorts.
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Wow...that was one big load of text, if you actually read through that, then tell me what you think of it.
06-12-2008, 01:46 AM
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. This is just a thought experiment that represents my ideas of how they can revolutionize the Zelda franchise.
.:':..:':..:':.Ocarina of Time Master.:':..:':..:':.
