The Legend of Zelda: The Dragon King

This is the Zelda game idea I’ve been developing recently. It has a starker, more tragic bent than any other Zelda game to date, ending in the actual death of the protagonist.

The overall look/feel of the game is rugged, icy wilderness with barbaric-looking characters. Characters are motivated by powerful emotions such as revenge, humiliation, fame, and conquest. Many times the “hero” acts immorally in order to get what he desires. Whereas a holy man would say, “love thine enemies,” a Hylian would say: “Sever their limbs until they trouble you no more.”

The theme or underlying message of the game is that free will is an illusion, and that the hour of a person’s doom is set and he or she cannot escape it. On a lighter note, if one isn’t meant to die then something will save them.

Another theme of the game is that where there is virtue, there is also vice, and that no creature is completely good or completely evil. Even the great virtues of the Triforce – Courage, Wisdom, and Strength – are opposed by things like greed, pride, and lust.

TDK is more story-driven than other Zeldas, for gamers who like story-driven adventure games, but there are also plenty of dungeons and places to explore for more action-oriented gamers. These dungeons however are mostly optional and aren’t required to finish the game, although great magic and riches can be found within them.

Please visit my art thread “My Zelda Art and More” to learn more of the characters and story.

THE LAND OF HYRULE

As in TP, Hyrule is divided into six smaller kingdoms each ruled by a relatively weak and ineffectual monarch, and one separate region called the Holy Land. Link’s adventures even take him into the Underworld. In this time of peace, there is no one king to unify the whole continent, so each ruler has established independent autocratic settlements within his own province.

Monarchs are chosen largely based on meritocracy and less on birthright; indeed common farmers have often become kings if during their lifetime they accumulated great fame and wealth on raids, often usurping or killing a prince that would normally take the throne by being “next in line.”

PROVINCES AND POINTS OF INTEREST

Nordvegr Province: This is the central and largest of the provinces with all other provinces sharing its borders. It is the location of Hyrule Castle and its surrounding town. The two primary rivers of Hyrule, the Fullangr and Hlevangr Rivers, flow southward from Tyrdall province in the north. It is said these rivers flow from the tusks of the great mythological boar Loftænasil.
The Fullangr River drains into Lake Geirvimul in the East of the province, before continuing south, with the foreboding Bridge-Over-Geirvimul traversing it. This bridge is guarded by a giant called Sultr who demands a tribute from those who wish to cross.

Skorir Province: Located in northwestern Hyrule, Skorir is home to King Gutthorm, who, in a demonstration of how monstrous he could be, displayed the bodies of thousands of slain warriors across a vast plain called Haugspori.
The Underworld Caverns travel beneath this province, which Link travels through in his quest to save Asmund’s soul.
A large mountain city called Dinstadt serves as the court of King Gutthorm. It is divided into several sections: The Gates, Hergrimer Quarter, Grottintanna Quarter, Skeggjold Meeting hall, and the Temple. The city is divided between the province of Tyrdall and rulership is shared between Gutthorm and the giants that live on the other side. A large rift separates the two since neither side could get along. It is therefore also called “The Divided City.”

Sigmundr Province: Another province containing a vast network of Underworld Ruins underground. This province is named after a great Hylian hero named Sigmund. It is a heavily wooded land in western Hyrule featuring the village of Hrafnborg, the Lost Woods, and a tree called the Great Ash. It is in this land that Link grows up and flourishes.

Gustr Province: This province located in northeastern Hyrule shares its border with Tyrdall province and is the most technologically advanced country in Hyrule. The Dwarves that rule over it have created intricate aqueducts and river engines that generate electricity for the province. It is home to a number of Dwarven citadels, forge towers, mountain retreats, and mountain lairs, including the Hornbori Fortress and the dwarven city of Gloinn.
The dwarves have harnessed the power of Hyrule’s two main rivers into reservoirs and aqueducts, which Link will have to fight through to gain the bounties of the dwarves’ great treasures.

Hlora Province: This province is reserved for exiles and prisoners, and is the smallest of the countries of Hyrule, located in the southwest. It is ruled by a ferocious monster called the Torfar-Kolla. This province contains the Barren Canyons, the Skelkingr Caverns, the Skerkir Trial-Pit (similar to the Cave of Ordeals), and numerous goblin lairs.
One of the passages of the Underworld, the Realm of Hungr, finds its way here, guarded by the giant Hyrokkin.

Tyrdall Province: An icy, mountainous country in northern Hyrule that shares its southwestern border with Skorir and the infamous Divided City. It is populated by ferocious giants and goblins and ruled by a yeti-like creature called the Wendol, that although having only animal intelligence, its brutality and fierceness bullies even giants into obedience.
A village called Wodenkeld rests at the base of these mountains, inhabited by human cattle that serve the bloodthirsty giants.
The Vindsvalr Ravine cuts through this land, with winds so fierce they threaten to fling adventurers into its yawning chasms. Timed correctly, the winds can be used to propel Link to distant ledges, and eventually, the fortress Solblindi.

The Holy Land: A desert land of prayer and supplication ruled by King Gautrek. It is currently under the tyranny of the dragon Motsognir, who demands a yearly tribute from the king, and is located in the far south of Hyrule.

The Underworld: Link’s first entrance into the Underworld is greeted by a Ship’s Graveyard, where bodies of drowned sailors clog the waterways that permit Link further. Several tunnels and caverns, and ruins of forgotten races work their way beneath the entirety of the Hyrule overworld.
The wights that lurk in these passages can only be killed by beheading; otherwise they will keep coming back to life. Through the Eitri Underworld Passage Link comes to the Helgrind: the gates of the underworld itself; the gates of death.
As Link is searching for Asmund’s soul, he will come to the underworld city of Vargeisa, where black market wares are peddled for a hefty fee. Searching for a guide to the underworld will not be easy here…
After Link finds his guide, he can only take him so far as the gate called Nagrind; beyond this gate is an onslaught of undead warriors that try to test Link’s strength.
After defeating these warriors, Link finally arrives in a chamber called Eliudnir, and gets an audience with Death herself (yes, Death is a woman in this game).

PLOT SYNOPSIS

Link was the son of an incestuous union between King Gutthorm of Skorir Province and his sister Astrid. He was left abandoned as an infant in the Lost Woods and found by a magical smith named Eyvind. Eyvind trained Link in his craft and also how to be an accomplished swordsman. Although Link would have courage and victory in every battle, greed would be his downfall.

As this was happening Princess Zelda was growing into a fine young woman, though she refused every suitor that asked for her hand in marriage; until one day Ganondorf appeared and threatened to kill her father and subjugate her kingdom unless she agreed to marry him.

In desperation Zelda sent a letter to Link where he was living in the Lost Woods, imploring him to rescue her in exchange for her hand in marriage and her considerable dowry. Eyvind told him of Ganon’s family background and that the only blade capable of defeating him was the Master Sword.

Link was given the Master Sword by Eyvind and he went out to fight Ganon, striking him down with a single blow. But Link told Zelda he did not wish to be wedded, but they would remain betrothed for three years, during which time Link was going to wage wars in the ocean to increase his wealth and fame.

For the next two years Link was a raider and adventurer, exploring ruins, dungeons, and caverns, and making a name for himself across Hyrule. His childhood friend Asmund who accompanied Link on his journey was killed, driving Link into a murderous rage of vengeance across Gustr Province. He even descended into the Underworld attempting to rescue Asmund’s soul from the grip of death. But when Link finally emerged, Asmund was lost forever.

As he journeyed on, many great warriors came to challenge him but Link defeated them all. It wasn’t until he met the Hylian champion Arngrim that he met his match. The warriors fought for four days but were evenly matched, and not only did they become best friends but they entered a sworn brotherhood.

They fought together in many battles and plundered many ruins, but one of Ganondorf’s kinsman thirsting for revenge caught up with the sworn-brothers and killed Arngrim. After avenging Arngrim by slaying the kinsman, Link then carried Arngrim’s body back to Sigmundr Province and told his betrothed Brekkhild of his death; whereupon she sat against the chair-posts of her seat and died.

Link decided to return to Nordvegr Province and marry Zelda. She didn’t live long thereafter; taking an illness and dying, with no children conceived of their union.

Link then sailed along Hyrule’s southern coast defeating the corsairs that were harrying the coast, and taking their plunder. He had himself baptized by travelling missionaries but then found himself shipwrecked and alone in the Holy Land.

Dressed in raiments made of tree-bark and calling himself The Barkman, Link’s identity was soon revealed by his heroic actions in the court of King Gautrek. This king was forced to pay tribute to a venomous dragon called Motsognir, and after slaying this dragon, Link took possession of its vast hoard, married Gautrek’s daughter Valeska and became the first king of Hyrule, unifying the continent under a single hand. It was then that he was known as The Dragon King.

He then waged a long and bloody campaign against the kinsmen of Ganondorf and any who supported him, including his natural father Gutthorm. He gained victory in every battle, and no one could kill Link. He set Astrid to rule over Dinstadt.

But the dragon’s treasure was cursed: all who knew of its existence would secretly covet it and plot the destruction of whoever possessed it.

With his second wife Link had one son, named Ring, who would inherit Link’s kingdom after his death. The other earls of Hyrule became jealous of Link’s power and conspired against him. One evening at a feast they gave him a golden ring as a token of their fealty towards him, but it was smeared in Motsognir’s poisonous blood. The poison seeped into Link’s skin and he died.

All of Hyrule mourned his death and his body was loaded onto a ship with a vast hoard of wealth, and the Master Sword lain across his breast with his helmet, shield, and coat of mail. It was then fired and sunk to the bottom of Lake Geirvimul. Although Link had been a great warrior, his greed for acquiring great wealth led to his erstwhile allies betraying him.

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Equipment and items coming soon…


..Dare I ask what do you think?

Ugh...

Sounds like cliche fanfic to me. Incestuous relationships? "The Dragon King"?

Don't give up the day job. Also, focus on gameplay ideas before story ideas.

Sounds alot like Zelda ala Beowolf to me.

P.S. Oh, and while I do like the way you try to change the norm, this is far too away from Zelda. It is not a dark fantasy and never will it be hopefully.

Well then.. looks like I've shared my ideas with the wrong audience..

I like the idea of Hyrule going through troubled time and seperation....only thing is i don't like the idea of Link being consumed by something like greed....or killed by something as simplistic as poison.

but maybe your right....this may be the wrong audience, maybe you can share it with another fansite?

It sounds like you took a story idea and tried to apply it to Zelda, but it does sound like a great German legend similar to Beowulf.
I'd say ditch the Zelda background and focus on the inherent story of it, people have too many preconceptions of what Zelda is and isn't to accept such a drastic overhaul as this.
But it does have a few good points that can be applied to Zelda, like making Link a fallible, human character. But it seems like it's too specific in its setup and too long in duration to make a good game.
But it's good, keep going, just without the Zelda part!
Cheers,
~MARU~

Zelda isn't a Norse orgasm.

Your ideas are well thought out, but this isn't Zelda.

I like the idea of Hyrule going through troubled time and seperation....only thing is i don't like the idea of Link being consumed by something like greed....or killed by something as simplistic as poison.

The point behind that was to show a sort of irony.. that it doesn't matter how great you are, you are still mortal and even fragile, only dying when fate steps in and decrees it.

Atilla the Hun was killed by a burst blood vessel on his wedding night, even after all he accomplished. His death, like Link's, was almost a mockery of his life's achievements.


But I suppose I could continue with equipment and some gameplay ideas. It's basically a 3D Zelda with the same Heart container system, a magic meter, and a sailing mechanic.

Zelda isn't a Norse orgasm.

LOL. Perhaps you're right

Originally Posted by Maru Nui

... but it does sound like a great German legend similar to Beowulf...

Many historians and english teachers vanished from the face of the Earth when you typed this.

^You know what? Just shut up. That's what I thought of it, and though I'm not well versed in European literature, that doesn't mean you should be insulting about it.
Cheers.

Originally Posted by Maru Nui

^You know what? Just shut up. That's what I thought of it, and though I'm not well versed in European literature, that doesn't mean you should be insulting about it.
Cheers.

Ok, learn to admit when you were wrong. It wasn't an insulting remark, only a humorous take on you mistakenly taking the literature for a German legend. If your self-esteem is that low as to not being able to take a joke and learn from your ignorance, itself not a harsh word, only meaning that you lack knowledge of said subject, European literature, then I sincerely hope you find some one day. At least I can take solace in the fact that did learn something about European Literature, as apparently it means a great deal to you for taking such offense.

Originally Posted by GamenerdAdvance

Ugh...

Sounds like cliche fanfic to me. Incestuous relationships? "The Dragon King"?

Don't give up the day job. Also, focus on gameplay ideas before story ideas.

I agree. Ever heard of "the Mummy Tomb of the dragon emporor? i think drgon (insert rank here) is a bit of a cliche. Whilst it does sound good, it doesn't sound like Zelda to me. I Think it's mayhap got a tad too many different traits fomr other games. But still, it does sound like a good idea. Congratsh on getting the idea form your head.

If you take out the familiar words of Zelda such as "Link", "Triforce", ect. you would not at all guess this is a Zelda game. The names are completely different no longer sounding "Zelda" but cliche Viking sort of names. The other characters sound like ones you would never meet in a Zelda game but in a "viking" sort of game, the history and the stories aswell.

Basically the game you made up does not sound like a Zelda game at all, more like some kind of mature rated nordic fantasy game with a small sprinkle of Zelda names amongst the heavy doses of nordic